Welcome to the official report of the Alumni Conference on Community Mobilization: The Road So Far and the Road Ahead. The event took place over two days, June 9-10, 2023, in the bustling city of Skopje. The conference was a successful venture organized by IFES through the project Support to Electoral Reforms and was proudly supported by the Government of Switzerland.
Day 1 of the conference kicked off with a hearty introduction by our esteemed moderator, followed by the opening address by Ioana Cosma, Country Director IFES North Macedonia.
A significant highlight of the event was Elizabeta Markovska Spasenoska’s enlightening overview of monitoring efforts, challenges, and achievements from the Monitoring Matrix, which provided ground for reflections among the three generations of Community Mobilisers on the impact of their monitoring experiences on their personal growth, as well their peers and their communities. An inspiring discussion on innovative tools for mobilization followed, during which panelists and participants alike shared their diverse experiences implementing forward-looking ideas and tools for community mobilisation, ranging from creative activism and guerrilla actions through digital outreach, stand-up comedy events and community picnics. An interactive Q&A session following the discussion allowed for stimulating discourse among participants.
The first day concluded with an encapsulating summary of achievements and a wrap-up of the day’s discussions. Most importantly, the day ended on a high note with the Awarding of Certificates to Third-Generation Community Mobilisers, honoring their tireless efforts and contribution to their organisations’ initiatives.
The following day, three panel discussions deepened the conversation about three important aspects of citizen engagement. During the first of these, panelists shared insights from youth/adult partnerships and maintaining open communication lines with municipalities in implementing community mobilisation activities. The forum then switched focus to the potential of online activism for offline impact, exploring how digital tools can instigate real transformation in the community. The conference then moved to examine the role of education, discussing the use of civic education and training campaigns for lasting community impact.
