ESTONIAN ROUNDTABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION (AK

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ESTONIAN ROUNDTABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
(AKÜ)
Anu Eslas AKÜ Coordinator March, 2007 Trialog
Central Training
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What is AKÜ?

• AKÜ is a network of Estonian NGOs who are
  interested and/or engaged in development
  cooperation and - education.
• AKÜ has currently 10 member organizations.

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AKÜs organizations

1. E-Governance Academy - http//www.ega.ee/
2. Estonian Green Movement - FoE -
   http//www.roheline.ee/
3. Estonian Society for Nature Conservation
   http//www.elks.ee
4. Estonian Womens Studies and Resource Centre -
   http//www.enut.ee
5. European Movement Estonia -http//www.euroopaliiku
   mine.ee
6. Jaan Tõnisson Institute - http//www.jti.ee/
7. Peipsi Centre for Transboundary Cooperation -
   http//www.ctc.ee/
8. People to People Estonia - http//www.ptpe.org
9. Womens Training Centre http//www.nkk.ee
10. NGO Fenno-Ugria Foundation http//www.suri.ee/fu
    /

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AKÜs officials

• AKÜs Council
• Nele Leosk E-Governance Academy
• Arvo Raudsepp Estonian Society for Nature
  Conservation
• Arvo Anton European Movement Estonia
• AKÜs Coordinator
• Anu Eslas
• Anu_at_terveilm.net
• Skypeanueslas
• 372 5666 8297
• www.terveilm.net

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AKÜs history

• AKÜ was established on civic initiative in 2002
  to create a policy dialogue on Estonian
  Principles of Development Cooperation
• From that on AKÜ was an open forum of NGOs and
  qualified individuals for advocacy, public
  awareness and joint development projects till
  20th December 2006 when AKÜ was established by
  ten Estonian NGOs. Officially AKÜ was registered
  on 5th of February 2007.

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AKÜs mission and objective

• AKÜ's mission is to promote and develop the
  Estonian State and Society's active participation
  and involvement in international development
  cooperation.
• The main objectives of AKÜ are strengthening and
  enhancing of development policy, practical
  development cooperation and implementation of
  development education and awareness raising
  projects.

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AKÜs fields of activity

• Participating in policy making processes and in
  the implementation of development policy
• Monitoring of national DC projects.
• Development education and awareness raising in
  Estonia amongst different targetgroups.
• Information exchange and cooperation with
  organisations, individuals and networks engaged
  in development cooperation in Estonia and
  elsewhere.

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AKÜs fields of activity

• Facilitation of information exchange and
  cooperation between members.
• Preparation of development cooperation projects
  and their implementation in areas where member
  organisations are not active.
• Capacity building of members.

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Peaks and nadirs of AKÜ in 2006Situation in
January 2006

• Autumn 2005 previous activists (2002 2005)
  motivation run out and the newly hired
  coordinator turned to be incapable.
• Result network almost dissolved in the autumn of
  2005, institutional memory lost.
• New people with limited experiences but high
  motivation Sue Tack and Arvo Anton picked the
  organisation up in January 2006.

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Peaks and nadirs of AKÜ in 2006From January till
May 2006

• Writing a successful project to the Presidency
  Fund.
• Ensuring the continuation of GLEN.
• Preparations for the 2nd World Day.
• Re-establishing contacts with international
  networks.
• Re-establishing contacts and ensuring the
  recognition of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Start of the FEST project in European Movement
  Estonia.

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Peaks and nadirs of AKÜ in 2006From May till
December 2006

• New people in AKÜ.
• Preparations and implementation of World Day (and
  linked activities).
• Clear aim establishing AKÜ NGO.

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Peaks and nadirs of AKÜ in 2006Conclusion

• AKÜ NGO established (it took 4 years!).
• Important DE/AR activities implemented
  professionally
• Widened network of interested NGOs and
  individuals.
• Support from international community.
• Good and open communication with the Ministry of
  Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Affairs Committee
  in the Parliament.
• Team started with learning by doing but managed
  just fine.
• Massive problems with institutional support.

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Fresh start 2007

• AKÜ Coordinator
• Council
• Member organizations
• Activity plan for 2007
• Some projects (but still no institutional
  support)

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The main challenges facing AKÜ

• Building up the AKÜ secretariat.
• Strengthening the cooperation and enhacing the
  communication within the platform and its
  members.
• Capacity building of member organisations and AKÜ
  secretariat.
• Ownership building of NGOs.
• Developing the members services (e.g. members
  database).
• Ensuring the continuation and professional
  implementation of traditional DE/ AR projects.

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The main challenges facing AKÜ

• Working on the AKÜs homepage www.terveilm.net
  and on overall visibility.
• Active participation in the international
  networks (e.g. the CONCORD Working Groups, ad hoc
  initiatives).
• Building the analytical capacity of AKÜ to be
  more successful in advocacy.
• AKÜ Resource Centre.
• Baltic/Nordic cooperation.

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Thank you! For more information on
AKÜinfo_at_terveilm.nethttp//www.terveilm.net