It is the first time that the Forum has been set in Finland and on this occasion it will be addressing “Universal Education – NGOs and Private Enterprises”, “Health and Social Welfare”, “Children and Youth Empowerment – A Multi-Sectoral Approach” and “Society Empowerment via Gender Equality.”

Minister for International Development, Mr. Pekka Haavisto, recently elected as chairman of the International Dialogue on Peace building and State building (IDPS, an international forum promoting the development of fragile states, focusing on countries suffering from conflicts and instability), stated that in fragile countries, the activities of civil society can be very difficult, even paralyzed. That attention must be paid to the position of women, education and the basic pillars of democracy. The treatment of minority groups, for instance the situation of people with disabilities, may be very poor. The international community must also support the implementation of civil rights.

Some of the expected participants will include BRAC International, the largest NGO in the world and Turkey’s Country Director of International Medical Corps, whom are providing medical assistance to many of the Syrian refugees on the Turkish borders. This years NGO Day is sponsored by Finland’s Slot Machine Association (RAY). All NGOs interested in attending to attend should register via http://yourngoday.com

Mr Marcis Liors Skadmanis is initiator of World NGO Day and he has been leading this international initiative for the last 3 years, after first coming up with the initial idea for this international day, during his Master in International Law. By establishing several NGOs, including the Latvian British Chamber of Commerce in the UK, Mr. Skadmanis comprehended some of the problems NGOs face on a daily basis – locally, nationally and internationally. This led him to create the World NGO Day initiative.

More information about the event and the World NGO Day initiative:Phone: +44 (0) 20 73872185

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Ms Sung-Joo Kim (center) and Mr Marcis Liors Skadmanis (right)

Mr Ian Liddell-Granger MP will be holding an introductory meeting to discuss the initiative known as World NGO Day at the House of Commons on the afternoon of 14^th March 2012. The vision for this initiative is that the United Nations (UN) General Assembly will pass a resolution establishing a day where the contribution of all NGOs to society throughout the world will be celebrated through local events, global awards and projects that will further enhance their role and develop their capacity to continue their vital activities and contribution. The UN has recognized through much of its work that NGOs are a key partner to ensuring the success of development, relief, education, human rights and conflict prevention schemes that the UN pursues. This day will highlight this contribution and raise the profile of NGOs and all that they do. In order to achieve the adoption of such a resolution the General Assembly requires a considerable degree of development of the concept, lobbying of key decision makers and demonstration of how the concept will work through country, regional and local, events or projects.

World NGO Day, an initiative first conceived in 2008 by Marcis Liors Skadmanis COO of the Latvian British Chamber of Commerce, was officially accepted as a resolution by members of the Baltic Sea Region NGO Forum in April 2010. The Baltic Sea Region NGO Forum was represented at this event by over 200 civil society organisations from Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Island, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Norway and Sweden.

In April 2011 World NGO Day initiative carried out a series of discussions with UN representatives who have acknowledged the great potential of the initiative and on 1^st November 2011 the World NGO Day Secretariat was established, having its headquarters in London. The Secretariat has the responsibility to perform the functions necessary to maintain and support the World NGO Day Initiative’s development. On the 18th of November 2011 for the first time in history various NGOs around the globe celebrated the international World NGO Day.

This meeting is to promote this concept to key players in the NGO or Third Sector community in the UK and the UK Government’s focus on the “Big Society” concept has much synergy with the World NGO Day initiative.

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