Africa-Press – Angola. The Support Project for Civil Society and Local Administration in Angola (PASCAL), funded by the Government and the European Union, will promote, starting in December, an international conference on territorial policies and municipal networks. The event aims to exchange experiences between Angola and Europe.
The announcement was made by the general director of the PASCAL Project, Pablo Lopes, during the seminar on institutional communication, press relations and leadership, aimed at young leaders of civil society organizations and held in Malanje. The seminar sought to strengthen the skills of local women and young people for their participation in participatory governance processes and decision-making on public policies.
Pablo Lopes reported that the PASCAL Project is in its final phase and has developed actions to support civil society organizations. This support, facilitated by grants, aims to strengthen participatory and inclusive governance, increasing the levels of knowledge and participation of the population in community councils.
The international conference on territorial policies and municipal networks will be preceded by the Youth Forum, which will take place between 14 and 16 November, in the province of Huambo.
The Director General of PASCAL highlighted the impact of the project’s results, particularly in supporting the Ministry of Territorial Administration in implementing Participatory Budget policies, both locally and nationally, as a significant gain for the country.
Furthermore, the project strengthens the active participation of the population in the Community Consultation Councils and in the Social Dialogue. Pascal has promoted cooperation between the local administration and civil society organisations and has launched a one million euro grant programme for Malanje, benefiting municipalities such as Kiwaba Nzoje, Calandula and Cacuso.
Pablo Lopes also highlighted the importance of continuous training for local administration, civil society and media staff on participation in local governance and citizenship.
He also stressed that local authorities are not the definitive solution for local development, but a tool for the Executive to modernize governance standards, with the fundamental role of inclusive and participatory citizenship.
“Local authorities are not the end, but a means to bring services closer to the population efficiently and effectively”, concluded Pablo Lopes.
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