The level and intensity of civic engagement in the public space are crucial for a sustainable democracy. It is not only important to establish an institutional and legal framework that facilitates civic engagement in decision-making, but also to actively utilize such mechanisms by the public. In this context, from October until November 2023, the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) organized eight workshops in Tirana, Shkoder, Malesia e Madhe, Diber, Kukes, Lezhe, Durres, Elbasan, Kamza focused on empowering local stakeholders and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to advocate for concerns and issues in Parliament.

The workshops gathered about 160 civil society organizations, activists, and formal and informal interest groups who aimed to address relevant concerns in their areas or for affected groups. The workshops were led by an experienced facilitator who provided the participants with knowledge and skills related to parliamentary processes, citizen engagement mechanisms with Parliament, advocacy, and specific mechanisms and templates such as the drafting of petitions and civic legal initiatives to effectively shape the Parliament’s agenda. Also, renowned local public personalities were invited to provide insights and motivation to pursue local concerns in an institutional way to the Albanian Parliament.

The workshops underscored the multifaceted challenges faced by the local stakeholders and communities, ranging from environmental concerns and infrastructure issues to the effectiveness of civic engagement mechanisms. The participants advocated for a more accountable and responsive parliamentary representation that actively addresses local issues and engages with citizens in a meaningful way.

Following this workshop, IDM, in collaboration with CSOs and other stakeholders in targeted areas will continue to provide necessary assistance and expertise to address these issues to the Parliament.

 This initiative is part of the project “Increasing Parliament’s Responsiveness to Citizens’ Concerns,” implemented by the consortium of IDM, AIS, and Citizens Channel, with financial support from the British Government. The views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the British Government.

Click here to download a summary of the main issues addressed during the workshops.