From 26 to 28 June 2024, a delegation from the MOST Association took part in the 9th National Forum of Non-Governmental Initiatives in Warsaw. OFIP, as it does every year, organises National Federation of Non-Governmental Organisations. At OFIP, we took part in all the sessions and, in addition, together with the Rzecz Jasna Association for Possible Initiatives, we led a session entitled: „Why, how and for whom? A discussion on the strategic principles underpinning capacity-building for civil society organisations”.
Why is it worth it?
The National Forum of Non-Governmental Initiatives is one of the largest nationwide events bringing together non-governmental organisations. It is they, rather than businesses and local authorities, who are „at the heart of this event”, and the entire programme is designed by them and for them. At OFIP, you can catch up with old friends and meet new, inspiring people. The forum also offers an opportunity to forge partnerships and inspires new initiatives.
What’s more, by taking part in the event, MOST learnt how to organise a large conference in an engaging way. And how organisations from… Gliwice, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Sosnowiec and many other towns operate. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to go to Warsaw to meet people who are active in our region.
What won’t the National Forum of Non-Governmental Initiatives give us?
OFIP isn’t an educational event, so if you want to learn something specific, this isn’t the place for it. I mean, you can learn and discover interesting things, but whether that knowledge is fragmentary or well-organised depends on you and how proactive you are. The forum is really more for inspiration; after that, you need to carry out further research to find answers to the non-governmental questions that are on your mind.
How can I do that if I don’t have the funds?
The participation of delegates from MOST at the Forum was made possible by a grant from the National Institute for Freedom – Centre for the Development of Civil Society, as part of the Civil Society Organisations Development Programme. We used the NIW’s funding to cover the cost of travel to Warsaw, for which we are very grateful!
