Civic Democratic Party | ODS [Abbr.]

Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation [ Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation | Ministry of Culture and Communications | Ministry of Citizenship | Ministry of Citizenship and Culture | Ministry of Culture and Recreation ]

citizen advocacy

Increasing civic, cultural and political participation of third-country nationals in the host society and improving dialogue between different groups of third-country nationals, the government and civil society to promote their active citizenship Supporting advisory platforms at various levels for consultation of third-country nationals Encouraging dialogue and sharing experience and good practice between immigrant groups and generations Increasing third-country nationals’ participation in the democratic process, promoting a balanced gender representation, through awareness raising, information campaigns and capacity-building Minimising obstacles to the use ...[+++]of voting rights, e.g. fees or bureaucratic requirements Facilitating immigrants’ participation in mainstream organisations, i.a. by supporting volunteer and internship schemes Increasing involvement of third-country nationals in society’s responses to migration Building migrants’ associations as sources of advice to newcomers, and including their representatives in introduction programmes as trainers and role models Elaborating national preparatory citizenship and naturalisation programmes | Initiating a study/mapping exercise of the level of rights and obligations of third-country nationals in the Member States Encouraging the opening-up of mainstream organisations to immigrants and the building of organisations representing their interests EU-wide Fostering the creation of a platform of migrants’ organisations and organisations representing migrants’ interests at EU level Exploring the value of developing a concept of civic citizenship as a means of promoting the integration of third-country nationals, including the rights and duties needed to give immigrants a sense of participation in society Promoting research and dialogue on identity and citizenship questions |

It has also made efforts to open up, with more outreach and with the establishment of a Civic Council to bring advice from civil society to the SJC, comprised of key NGOs as well as professional organisations.

The strand is defined by the possible projects and initiatives that can be launched under its heading, not by the type of civic organisations or actors that can apply.

39. Believes that providing support to conflict resolution processes is crucial and that the EU is well placed to support confidence-building, reconstruction and rehabilitation and has the possibility to help involve the communities affected; in this regard, the creation of spaces for civic engagement not just between leaders but also between civic organisations is pivotal; furthermore, considers it essential to maintain a high level of international attention to all the conflicts in the region to ensure their swift resolution; rec ...[+++]ognises regional cooperation as a necessary condition for confidence-building and the reinforcement of security, in accordance with the ENP priorities; calls on all parties to fully engage in the multilateral cooperation track of the Eastern Partnership without linking it to the final solution of the conflicts;