Partners: Vytautas Magnus University 

Community Initiative Centre

Granted amount: 134 526,18 Eur 

Summary:

In Lithuanian discourse a welfare state is eagerly mentioned but it is often forgotten that it cannot coexist with disregard to human rights (HR). This project addresses a problem of selective view to HR and international obligations by public sector in Lithuania. At times the view expressed by policy makers is openly opposing HR and demeaning international HR documents. While media is not taking a role of actively informing about HR and giving critical reflections, NGO tries to monitor HR violations with its limited resources. Thus, systematic, evidence-based monitoring of HR situation that would encompass all vulnerable groups is lacking as well as systematic advocacy and providing attractive information to various groups of society. 

This project seeks to fill the gap. The objective is to strengthen the monitoring of implementation of HR standards as well as to advocate for and inform about HR using intersectional networking and involving youth. 

Target groups of the project: regional civil society and decision makers in regional level; national decision-makers; regional and academic youth; general public. The main results: 

1) Advocacy based on shadow report to UN Universal Periodic Review including recommendations for regional and national decision-makers; 

2) Raised awareness about HR using intersectional networking and involving youth in National Human Rights Forum as well as reacting to ad hoc threats to HR in the country. 

The applicant – Coalition of Human Rights Organizations will be strengthened to see a mutual goal and to advocate for HR as indivisible. Project partner Community Initiative Centre will get more knowledge about human rights and will prepare the strategy to better involve its community.  This is how the whole project will strengthen high-quality advocacy for HR, will widely spread information about HR, attractive to various groups, especially to youth, and will encourage the intersectional networking as well as networking within civil society.

Implementation period: 16/11/2020 - 15/11/2022

Partners: Kaisiadoriu District Municipality Public Health Bureau

Granted amount: 134 999,10 Eur

Summary:

Issue addressed: since 2017, possession of even miniscule amounts of illicit drugs for own use with no intent to sell is punished as criminal offence (highest legal liability). Such sanctions are legally unproportioned, excessive, in contradiction to WHO and UN recommendations on health-oriented drug policy, and harmful to person and society. Decision-making institutions lack knowledge on evidence-based drug policy, make populist decisions, and hardly cooperate amongst themselves and NGOs. Beneficiaries: people (especially young) who use drugs, their family and community. Target group: decision-makers involved in drug policy nationally and locally. Indirect target group: citizens, participating in public life and potentially making an influence on decision makers.

Objective: Stimulating implementation of effective drug policy, oriented towards public safety and health, through advocacy campaign to create favorable conditions for a) decriminalization and other evidence based solutions, b) developing an algorithm of referral from sanctions to assistance, piloting and evaluating it in Kaišiadorys municipality.

Proposed solution: 

1. Advocacy and a public opinion campaign directed at advocating for regulation that reduces criminalization, promotes alternatives to punishment, and evidence-based drug policy; watchdogging of public decisions, proposing solutions. Through media, shaping public opinion on effective drug policy and facilitation of public discourse as it has influence on public decisions.

2. With Kaisiadorys Public Health Bureau, developing, piloting, evaluating and promoting to other municipalities an algorithm of institutional cooperation (based on Estonian practice) that ensures that a drug user is not persecuted but referred to services. 

Results: 

Strengthened advocacy of NGOs towards effective drug policy, through involvement in decision-making and proposing solutions.

Strengthened cross-sectoral cooperation of NGOs in advocacy. 

Stimulated public discussions on evidence-based drug policy. 

Increased awareness and information of decision makers and the public on effective drug policies.

An algorithm of referral from sanctions to assistance developed, piloted and evaluated in Kaišiadorys municipality.

The referral algorithm and its results presented to 10 other municipalities

Implementation period: 01/10/2020 - 30/09/2022

Granted amount: 132 750,00 Eur

Summary:

Our project aims to strengthen evidence-based monitoring of the legislative process and advocacy for improving the quality, transparency and accountability of the legislative process. The project addresses the problems related to systematic deficiencies of the legislative process. A high intensity of law-making, frequent legislative changes and adoption of laws through urgent procedures, low quality impact assessment, and a lack of transparency undermines the quality of legislation, public trust and civic engagement. Our target groups are working people, self-employed, socially sensitive groups, consumers and property owners. Due to their social and economic significance and sensitivity, for these groups the quality and transparency of law-making is key in terms of the defense of their constitutional liberties and rights. 

We will conduct nine law-making monitoring initiatives and publish nine reports, develop a scoreboard on the quality of the legislative process, which will be a convenient and attractive tool for assessing the compliance of legislative initiatives with legislative principles and rules, submit proposals for improving the quality of the legislative process, conduct advocacy and media communication campaigns. We will inform NGOs representing the target groups and promote their better-informed engagement in the law-making. The project will last 34 months.

Implementation period: 01/10/2020 - 30/07/2023

Partners: National Network of Educational NGOs

The European Wergeland Centre (Norway)

House of Europe

Global Citizens’ Academy 

Nature school of Kardokai

Turing School

Granted amount: 129 006,32 Eur

Summary:

Poor involvement of educational NGOs in the implementation of education policy at municipal level results in ineffective education services in the regions that do not respond to the needs of the population. In most municipalities the involvement of NGOs is weak and fragmented. Also, not all educational data is still open, which makes it difficult to evaluate the information published by institutions that often manipulate with the data results. Therefore, the project aims to increase the participation of non-governmental organizations in the education system by:

1. Strengthening the capacity of educational NGOs, promoting dialogue between local government and NGOs, providing advocacy on the inclusion of NGOs among the providers of educational services in Vilnius, Kaunas, Kazlu Ruda, Alytus city and district municipalities in order to include educational NGOs consultative local bodies and take into account proposals made by organization in the preparation of municipal strategy papers and their implementation plans / programs;

2. Active participation in the design of general curricular, especially in the field of citizenship education, and the practical 4K model in general education, submission of proposals as well as advocacy and monitoring of their implementation, thus opening up opportunities for effective NGO involvement in civic education.

3. Analysing currently open education data and its use in decision-making and submitting proposals for its improvement; advocacy and monitoring would make preconditions for greater transparency and accountability of public education authorities.

Target groups:

1) regional educational organizations of Vilnius City, Kaunas City and District, Kazlu Ruda, Alytus City and District;

2) representatives of the listed municipal councils and administrations;

3) members of the National Education NGO Network;

4) staff from the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports and the National Education Agency;

5) education community.

Implementation period: 01/11/2020 - 31/10/2022

Partners: Kaunas University of Technology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities

LCC International University

Lithuanian Junior Doctors’ Association

Citizens Foundation Iceland

Eitminiskes gymnasium

Kalveliai "Ausra" gymnasium

Prienai “Žiburys” gymnasium

Vilnius Simonas Konarskis gymnasium

Siauliai “Rasa” progymnasium

Ukmerge Senamiestis progymnasium

Sakiai “Ziburys” gymnasium

Silale Simonas Gaudesius gymnasium

Pabrade “Rytas” gymnasium

Utena Adolfas Sapoka gymnasium

Granted amount: 149 850,00 Eur

Summary:

In the past 15 years the level of bribery in Lithuania has decreased three-fold falling to the all-time low in 2019. Yet, high-level corruption such as nepotism remains widespread. Citizens consider municipalities as one of the most corrupt institutions in Lithuania. 

Therefore, with this project Transparency International (TI) Lithuania will address corruption at the municipal level.

The solution: TI Lithuania, together with its partners, will conduct monitoring and evidence-based advocacy initiatives aiming to increase transparency and accountability of municipal level politicians, public authorities and other institutions, as well as citizen engagement at the municipal level. The main project target groups are (1) municipal level politicians and decision-makers, (2) local community leaders and (3) representatives and decision-makers from national authorities, associations.

Planned results: 

1) stronger evidence-based advocacy by TI Lithuania and its partner CSOs, improved monitoring of public institutions (proposals to at least 6 pieces of national legislation addressing local governance issues, at least 35 public policy proposals); 

2) increased transparency and accountability of politicians and public institutions (at least 38 monitoring initiatives aimed at increasing the level of transparency of at least 250 public institutions and of at least 180 municipal level politicians and public officials, at least 5 online tools with the newest data from municipalities aimed at increasing citizens‘s opportunities to monitor public sector institutions and local level politicians); 

3) increased civic participation, improved civic education (at least 10 schools supported in engaging some 2500 members of school communities and at least 2 municipalities in engaging some 500 citizens in public consultations and decision-making processes; at least 80 thousand citizens engaged via online tools); 

4) strengthened partnerships with and improved networking capacity of TI Lithuania and at least 16 partners, jointly implementing at least 28 initiatives.

Implementation period: 24/09/2020 - 23/01/2023

Partners: The Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

Klaipeda region Alzheimer's disease club “Atmena”

The Alzheimer Association of Iceland

The Lithuanian public broadcaster, Lithuanian Radio and Television 

Granted amount: 104 338,02 Eur

Summary:

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that dementia is a public health priority and encourages cross-sectorial measures to tackle the challenges caused by the rise of dementia, to support the well-being of people living with dementia, their carers and to reduce dementia-related stigma. Lithuania is one of very few countries in the European Union without a national dementia strategy, even though the WHO encourages member states to develop one by 2025. A dementia strategy is a way to plan a public health response to dementia with the goal of dementia prevention, as well as care and support for people with dementia and their carers to ensure they live well and fulfil their potential with dignity, respect, autonomy and equality. The project “Towards a Dementia Strategy: situation analysis and public awareness” aims to strengthen civil society organisations’ role in dementia strategy development and dementia advocacy through the following aims: 1) Undertake a situation analysis through policy, service delivery assessment, and stakeholder mapping. 2) In collaboration with key stakeholders and experts, create recommendations for dementia strategy development. 3) Raise awareness around dementia in Lithuania through multi-sectorial collaborations.

The results of the project will contribute to the well-being of people living with dementia, their carers and family members, support dementia strategy development in Lithuania, and empower civil society organizations to be actively involved in dementia awareness and friendliness development across sectors.  The target population for the project includes people living with dementia and their carers, policy makers, public and private services providers within health/social services and other sectors (culture, education, etc.), as well as wider society. The project will be implemented with a number of partners, including LSMU, Klaipėda region Alzheimer's community “Atmena”, the Lithuanian Public Broadcaster: Lithuanian Radio and Television, and Alzheimer Association of Iceland. 

Implementation period: 01/10/2020 - 30/09/2023