For two days, on the second and third of September 2019, representatives of the NGO Mladiinfo Montenegro participated in the training “Rural Organizations and Farmers – Role in Rural Development”, learning and discussing rural development, advocacy and lobbying.
Lecturer Ratko M. Bataković, through lectures, discussion and organized work in groups in this training, presented to participants the differences between rural and urban, concept and significance, spoke about the role of civil society organizations in rural development, as well as building relationships and positioning in the local community.
Attendees had the opportunity to remind themselves, and all those who did not know what diversification was, as well as the Bottom Up approach, as well as the voice skills of rural communities.
The development and sustainability of rural organizations, as well as the development of SWOT analysis, was a special part of the training.
Through group work, participants practiced SWOT analysis and learned how to test their ideas in a simple way.
Throughout the first day of the training, participants who had direct experience and who really did something about rural development spoke and shared their experiences, ideas, fears and all that their ideas represent in practice.
In the final part of the first working day, there was more talk about building a negotiating position, how to build confidence and how to gain supporters of your idea in some way.
During the second day of the training, the focus was on strategic planning, fundraising and service delivery, and to give these sessions an abundant dynamic when it came to advocacy and lobbying, participants identified a problem in the rural environment and created an advocacy and lobbying campaign.
In this way, through the interaction and exchange of ideas, what is learned is put into action.
Perhaps the most important part of the training for all those with an idea for rural development was titled “Big Players” in rural development and rural policy measures in Montenegro, the Balkans and the EU.
The end of the training was followed by another constructive discussion.
All participants of this training were given certificates.
The training was organized through the project “Climate Change – Challenge of the Future”, funded through the project “Together for a Better Climate in Montenegro” and implemented with the financial support of the European Union and the Ministry of Public Administration.