Penza Congress Summary (EN)
The Penza Regional NGO Congress, 5-7 December 2008,
brought together some 250 representatives of NGOS from Belarus, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, as well as other CIS countries and Baltic States. It offered a discussion platform for stepping up co-operation and making recommendations for civil society initiatives in their region. The general theme of the Congress was civil participation addressing questions such as a code of good practice for civil participation, NGO legislation and its implementation, the role of NGOs in intercultural dialogue and the relations between media and civil society. A Youth Forum was held prior to the Congress with representatives of some sixty youth NGOs.
