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Overview & history
In early 2009, Comber, an Irish NGO working in Romania since 1990, met with several other organisations working in Eastern Europe to see how Irish groups working in the region could benefit from sharing of knowledge and experience. There are more than 70 Irish charities operating in Eastern Europe, many since the early 1990s. The majority of these groups operate on a voluntary basis.
Comber held two open meetings and invited all the groups that could be identified to attend. These meetings were held in September and November 2009 in Dublin and were well attended. Comber and partners also hosted a Conference in December 2009 on ‘Aid & Eastern Europe’ which had 115 delegates present. Initial feedback has highlighted a real need for material and support specific to Eastern Europe. At present, Irish development resources, aid and activities are concentrated on Africa, Asia and South America.
Following the success of the conference and the open meetings and it was decided to go ahead and set up a Network for Irish organisations working in the region. In November 2009, the Eastern Europe Aid & Development Network was officially established by and for Irish NGOs and voluntary groups working in Eastern Europe to facilitate improved effectiveness, through communication and co-operation.
The Network aims to:
- increase communication and co-operation between groups
- improve aid and development effectiveness
- improve organisational effectiveness
- increase awareness about the work of Irish organisations in Eastern Europe
- build an effective Network
Structure
The Network will operate as a pilot project under Comber with no legal status in 2010 to see if it is viable and can continue as an independent structure. A Steering Group has been appointed for 2010 made up of individuals who volunteered in response to an open call (November 2009).
Steering Group members (2010)
Chairperson: Fiona Dowling, Comber
Secretary: Ronan Ryan, GENESIS Association
Members: Mairie Cregan, Aurelia Trust; Joanna Fortune, To Russia With Love; John Mulligan, Focus on Romania; Helen Walmsley, Voluntary Service International; Stephen Wilson, ADRA Ireland; Sile Byrne, Consultant
In 2010 the Network is being administered on a part-time basis by Frances Haworth (Project Co-ordinator with Comber), based in Dublin.
Introduction to the Steering Group members and Network Co-ordinator
Membership
We encourage you to get involved in the Network. The Network is primarily for Irish groups and charities working in Eastern Europe but individuals can join too as associate members. We need active members, so that the Network aims and activities will represent the real needs of charities working in the region. The Network aims to develop into a representative, membership based organisation over the coming years.
Membership is free at present but the option of charging for membership in the future will be kept under review. Simply complete the relevant membership form and post to the address below. The Network is a work in progress and we look forward to hearing your ideas and inputs over the next year.
- Full Membership is open to all Irish not-for-profit organisations working in Eastern Europe.
- Associate Membership is for individuals and other organisations not fulfilling the criteria for full membership Associate Membership Form (pdf)
Membership benefits include:
- invitations to events, such as workshops
- listing on the network website as member
- right to attend Steering Group meetings as a guest.
- right to nominate a representative to the Steering Group every year
Directory
We have set up an online directory with the aim of listing all Irish groups working in Eastern Europe, so we can contact each other and promote the huge amount of work that is being done in Eastern Europe.
The aim of Directory is to highlight the many Irish groups working in the region. Your group doesn't have to be a Network member to get listed.
For the Conference in December, we put together a Slideshow of Photos from groups who work in the region.
Activities 2010
For more details and information on upcoming events visit the Notice Board.
WORKSHOPS
In 2010 the Network will host a series of informal workshops for members to share their experience - what works and what doesn't work for groups operating in Eastern Europe! For more details or to register click here...
Handbook
The learnings from the workshops will be compiled at the end of 2010 into a user-friendly handbook for groups working in Eastern Europe. This publication is sponsored by Electric Aid.
news bulletin
We will send a regular news-bulletin with news and updates on activities relevant to Eastern Europe to our subscriber list. You can subscribe by entering your email address in the box at the top of this page. If you want to send on a news item for the next bulletin, please visit our Notice Board and submit a new item - it would be fantastic to get news and updates from different groups.
Activities 2009
Aid & Eastern Europe Conference
14th December 2009 Link to Conference information and outputs
Open meeting for Irish groups working in Eastern europe
4th November 2009 Notes from Meeting (pdf)
Open meeting for Irish groups working in Eastern europe
17th September 2009 Notes from Meeting (pdf)
Contact Us
Please contact Frances Haworth, Network Co-ordinator, on 087-9022216 or email frances@comber.ie for more information or to find out how you can get involved.
Postal Address: Frances Haworth (Comber), Carmichael Centre, North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7