24 of July. After the air conditioning in the plane, the heat stops our breaths. We adapt slowly, passing through the obligatory customs formalities, then we get out of the Warsaw airport and head for the hotel. We are 5 Bulgarian NGO representatives, visiting Poland on a training for exchange of experience related to the creation of the Bulgarian platform for Official development aid (ODA).

The participants:

The meeting was organised by the Polish platform for ODA, called Zagranica Group. The Bulgarian participants were representing: C.E.G.A. Foundation, Care Bulgaria, Education and Business, Index Foundation and Internet Rights Bulgaria Foundation.

From Romanian part were represented: Centras, Caritas, Cluj Volunteer Center, Civil Society Development Foundation. From Estonian part: Estonian Round Table of Development, and from Lithuanian - the Institute for Social Ethics.

Main topics of the training

Some of the main topics covered by this training were:

 Experience, current state and development of the Polish not-for-profit sector and the development aid in particular;
 The NGO Portal - contents, activities organisation, funding;
 Donoriship development and the voluntary movement in Poland;
 Work in a network and sharing experience among the participants;
 Collaboration of Zagranica Group with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs - laws, influence mechanisms, problems and perspectives for development of the dialogue between state and civil society;
 Legal base for development of the NGO sector and the ways separate organisations influence it for improving it.

We met the Board of Zagranica Group, who explained us the logics and structure of the platform. They provided us with their ethics code and statute. We were told about the mechanisms of influence on the Polish Foreign Ministry, as well as about the Law on the Official Development Aid, for their latest projects.

"We give you our experience, which you may use or not depending on the concrete conditions in your countries. However, I am sure that there is need to share the experience, no matter if good or bad one.", said Justyna Janiszewska, main organiser of the training.

We also met with a representative of the Foreign Ministry, who told us about their work with the Polish third sector, and with the platform for development - for their problems and successes.

Sharing experience with local NGOs

Sharing the experience with local organisations was very interesting and useful, too. According to our interests, we visited in small groups different NGOs such as:
 Working Community of Associations of Social Organizations (WRZOS)
 OFOP – wide Forum of Non-Governmental Organizations (and OFIP)
 SPLOT – Network for Support of NGOs
 Union of Citizens Advice Bureaux (ZBRO).
 Institute of Public Affairs etc.

We were told about some latest projects, about their funding opportunities, about their successful practices. We were met with kindness, our infinite questions were answered even in places where we did not definite appointment. Some of them told us about their experience with working with development countries such as Belarus, Ukraine and Vietnam.

Main conclusions from the training

The main conclusions we came up at the end of the training were following:

 NGOs should create associations, coalitions and networks in order to work together and be able to apply for large European projects.
 Capacity building and NGOs support based in small towns and villages is main priority, as well as working with local institutions, too.
 This training will help the Bulgarian and Romanian Platforms for development to save time and mistakes in their startup with working with development countries.
 It is necessary to stress on organising and activating volunteers in our work, as well as on networking and information exchange.
 This meeting should have a follow-up in order to continue with the exchange between the countries and for straightening the partnership.

The meeting brought up ideas for joint projects, which we can apply the lessons learned in practice.

Even if these were the formal conclusions of the Polish training, each of us, depending on the field of interest, left with a different viewpoint on their future work.

If you are interested in a concrete polish organisation experience or if you need contacts, please do not hesitate to contact us:irbf@ngo-bg.org.