Storytelling on project development for advocacy purposes

Storytelling on project development for advocacy purposes

“Storytelling for advocacy works because our brain is wired to remember narrations and is equipped to experience them as being told. It is the oldest and most powerful tool to affect change in society.

And personal stories detailing the challenges one faces are easier to connect with and bring out our ability to empathize with the storyteller. In this way, stories can influence people and help bring about change.

The art of storytelling for advocacy helps you bring out the importance of the issues that matter to your organization and how it relates to people.”

“The Art Of Storytelling For Advocacy Campaigns” by

In the framework of our long-running project “New Solution to Old Problems”, funded by EEA and Norway Grants, we want to use storytelling to raise awareness and bring good examples of local projects. We did this by contacting our partners in over 10 different countries in Europe and asked them:

What was your biggest achievement with the project? What was the most surprising to you in the project implementation? What was the biggest challenge and how did you solve it? How has this project affected you personally?

In other words, we have asked our partners and beneficiaries to tell us stories about the projects they have carried out. Not the reports (although this would come too), not the presentations. But to ask the beneficiaries, the members of the community from different countries to tell us a story about what they have done and could be replicated in other countries. We have collected all these stories and turned some of them into visuals to promote a bottom-up approach in funding.

The objectives of this project are: 

– To raise awareness of the benefits of bottom-up approaches and community organizing to Roma inclusion through personal stories
– To gain an insight into the process of bottom-up project development through personal stories
– To highlight the successes of the project “New Solution to Old Problems”

We are now happy to share these stories with you.

 This initiative has received financial support in the framework of the project “New solutions to old problems”. The project “New solutions to old problems – exchange of new type of approaches in the field of Roma integration” is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation.

North Macedonia: News from the “New solutions to old problems” project

Conference “Funding programs for Roma: community and civil expectations organizations versus donor expectations”

The conference “Funding programs for Roma: community and civil expectations organizations versus donor expectations” took place on 5 December 2022 in North Macedonia under the project  “New solutions to old problems – exchange of new types of approaches in the field of Roma integration” financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation.

The main goal of the event is the bottom up approach, how the priorities of the community are incorporated into the state programmers and foundations/donors, as well as the exchange of information between the interested parties or stakeholders.

In the first panel, the current programs by the institutions in the direction of promotion and inclusion of the Roma in the Republic of North Macedonia were discussed and presented.

The second panel, entitled “The Way Forward” included the folllowing topics:

  • The alignment of priorities and funding at local and national level to overcome antigypsyism,
  • Roma Employment at Local Level
  • Inserting Roma Priorities as Municipal Priorities
  • Including Roma Solutions in Mainstream Plans
  • mapping of municipal capacities
  • consultative access to institutions regarding financing
  •  coordination between donors
  • sharing of activities and projects between non-governmental organizations
  • networking and sharing resources
  • comprehensive project for spending funds.

The conference brought together non-governmental organizations, representatives from municipalities and mayors, members of Parliament, representatives from the government, national and international donors.

Young Roma in the 21st century, opportunities and challenges

On Saturday 10 December 2022, the international human rights day, the two final events were held within the framework of the small projects “The other schools of politics” and “Invisible power”, supported by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and the Norwegian Fund for Grants for Regional cooperation as part of the strategic partnership within the framework of “New solutions to old problems”.

These two projects were taken as good practices by the partners in Turkey and the Czech Republic. The event was held in the premises of the office of the President of the country, which is currently being used by the National Youth Council of Macedonia.

The “Other School of Politics” aims to encourage young Roma and pro-Roma interested in social issues to become active citizens in the political and social field and to increase their participation in decision-making mechanisms. Accordingly, the training program includes various political areas, namely; active citizenship, social policy, functioning of local governments, policies towards Roma and development of Roma civil society in North Macedonia and Europe.

In addition, thematic issues such as discrimination and social inclusion, gender, art and activism. The programme, which emphasizes the development of participation and leadership skills, additionally includes practical modules such as political communication, alternative models of activism and public speaking.

In a panel discussion, the young mentors who were part of the project discussed issues related to what was the biggest challenge within the project that they were working on in their municipality where they come from, what were the challenges they faced during the work and whether there were enough opportunities for young people in the country and what are their contributions as young Roma and non-Roma in the 21st century, what are they proud of.

The general goal of the “Invisible Power” project is to support and educate Roma girls and women in order to gain enough self-confidence, and to raise awareness of “Invisible Power”, to set their priorities and to fight for their position in Roma society. families and Macedonian society. The photographs that were previously taken were exhibited in the premises of the NYCM, together with their stories, qualities and values that make up their invisible strength, made in the form of brochures.

The attendees had the opportunity to hear their stories, and the event itself was very emotional for the women, who said that this was very meaningful for them, because even though they did not achieve their dream, this was an opportunity for them at least for one day, even if in a picture to feel like what they dreamed of.

The event was organized within the project “New solutions to old problems – exchange of new types of approaches in the field of Roma integration” financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation.

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EEA/Norway – ERGO Network

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