International Conference Report

On March 12-13, 2004, Horizonti, the Foundation for the Third Sector in co-operation with Johns Hopkins University and with financial support provided by the United States Agency for International Development organized International Conference “Partnership for Better Results”, where the representatives of non-governmental organizations, governmental and business structures, as well as the international donor organizations functioning in Georgia were invited to participate.

The Conference aimed at:

Sharing and analyzing of the existed experience of co-operation and interaction of non-governmental organizations with public and private sectors;

Consideration and agreement, by the representatives of different sectors, on the core principles, which must form the basics for the future partnerships between the three sectors, taking into account the international and local experience.

The conference participants agreed that the governmental policy in regard to the third sector requires some changes and improvement, which would result into the activation of nonprofit sector in solving the problems faced by the society, and consequently, into the increase of its weight and importance in public life. This, on the one hand, depends upon the readiness and political virtues of the Government to provide democratic and autonomous institutions with more opportunities to actively participate in social and administrative processes, and, on the other hand, the readiness of the society at large is crucial to assume more responsibility and not to commit the decision-making process solely to the Government.

Relations between these two sectors up to the present day were accompanied by a number of obstacles – both subjective and objective. In particular, it was mentioned that the “communistic” mentality of officers, employed by governmental structures, as well as the inapprehension and non-recognition of the third sector, as a necessary element for the wholesome and democratic society, largely balk the relations between the two sectors. The growth of the importance and weight of the third sector in public life must proceed in the environment of provision of adequate and effective mechanisms of openness of decision-making process and participation. Existence of mechanisms for participation in and monitoring over the policy-making processes such as Consulting and Monitoring Boards not only on the level of Parliament and Ministries, but also on local level, will largely maintain the partnerships between the two sectors.

While discussing partnerships of public and nonprofit sectors the issue of financing of non-governmental organizations from the State budget was also emphasized. The third sector, likewise the private sector, is the part of a democratic society, consequently, the democratic State must care for its maintenance and development the same way it cares for the development of the private sector. The State must show more confidence towards non-governmental organizations and give public contracts for the fulfillment of certain activities. The ways of enforcement of the mechanisms, which will allow the tax-payer to direct the part of taxes, paid by him to the State budget, for the financing of certain non-commercial organization, must also be considered. Besides, the State must more thoroughly consider the decentralization and delegation to the civil sector of such social functions, as, e.g. administration of asylums for socially undefended persons.

Different initiatives and bills concerning charities and charity organizations have been considered for quite a long time in Georgia . Though, this process was not successfully brought to an end due to certain subjective and objective reasons. The relationships between the two sectors can develop by means of co-operation on these issues as well. The necessity of development of professional associations was also underlined during the Conference. In particular, according to the practice, applicable abroad, the State must delegate certain regulatory functions to the professional associations, which will themselves regulate the issues related to the practice, ethics and discipline of the relevant profession.

The main impeding factor, interfering with the development of relationship between these two sectors, is that the private sector in Georgia is not institutionally well developed and strong enough to afford the support to and financing of the third sector organizations. During recent years the relations of non-governmental organizations with the business sector have been developing although at a very slow motion. There however have not yet being found such points of contacts, which would help to form long-term and stable partnerships between these sectors. On the other hand, neither did the business sector realize the advantages it would benefit following the partnership between these two sectors. In such situation, the relations between there two sectors must develop so that the non-governmental sector, through co-operation with the business sector facilitates the formation of such a State policy and taxation system, which will help to create friendly environment for business and strengthen the private structures. Only on the following stages the business will be able to pay more attention to the support of non-governmental organizations and charity.

All three sectors must have the clear definition of the final goal of the partnership and co-operation and political virtue, as well as material resources and intellectual potential, which is to be invested for the establishment and development of partnership. Moreover, each sector must use the maximum of its resources. The business sector should use the expertise and intellectual resources, existing in NGOs; moreover, the sectors should share the diverse experiences they have in various fields.