A logical continuation of the reflective meeting on the results of the Community-led monitoring in Ukraine, Russia and Kyrgyzstan became the summing up of the Eurasian Regional Consortium* work during the previous year. On January 22-23, the representatives of three regional networks met in Vilnius.
In 2019, within the framework of the project “Thinking outside the box: overcoming challenges in community advocacy for sustainable and high-quality HIV services”, EHRA collected 20 alternative funding practices for NGOs in addition to Community-led monitoring and country studies. ECOM hosted a training on building broader coalitions for budget advocacy, as well as campaigns “Chase the stigma, not people!” in Armenia, Georgia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Russia and Ukraine and “Chase the virus, not people!” in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Russia. EWNA conducted the first regional school of feminism, and within the framework of the “No Excuse for Violence!” annual campaign implemented an online campaign #INSPITEOF in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office.
“Our Consortium consists of three organizations (EHRA, ECOM and EWNA), but we always try to involve other communities in our work. The results we have achieved and the products that we have developed within the Consortium (especially in areas such as community-led monitoring of satisfaction with services, financing alternatives, experience in the campaign “Chase the virus, not people!”) can be useful not only for representatives of our countries and members of our networks who participate in trainings or receive sub-grants. I am talking about a wider circle of communities and members of other regional networks with whom we collaborate. ”- says Anna Dovbakh, Executive Director, EHRA.
Among the plans for 2020, it is worthwhile to hold an expert meeting and regional training on budget monitoring and accountability, organize a workshop on alternative financing for NGOs and the training module “Community-led advocacy for comprehensive quality standards for HIV services based on national needs and international recommendations”. Moreover, the small grants program, a feminism school as well as the regional campaigns “Chase the virus, not people!”, “Chase the stigma, not people!” and “No Excuse for Violence!” will get the support too.
“A fruitful work – this is how I evaluate our joint cooperation in the framework of the Eurasian Regional Consortium during the last year. We have managed to do a lot of good for our communities and members of our networks. The approach that we began to use in 2019 proved to be effective, so we will continue to provide our communities with the opportunity to jointly participate in thematic cycles, including trainings, subsequent sub-grants and expert support. In 2020, we plan to cover partnership building topics for budget advocacy and budget accountability.”- Elena German, Program Director ECOM.
* The Eurasian Regional Consortium joined efforts of Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM), Eurasian Women’s AIDS Network (EWNA) and Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA) to respond funding insecurity for HIV services (prevention, care and treatment programs) for key population in countries of EECA.