Over Six Years of Participation, Dialogue and Experience within the Cahul District Participation Council

On 10 June 2026, A.O. Centrul Regional de Dezvoltare Comunitară participated in the semi-annual meeting of the Cahul District Participation Council, dedicated to the participation of young people and women in decision-making processes at district level.

For CRDC, participation in the Cahul District Participation Council already represents more than six years of experience, during which we have had the opportunity to learn alongside our civil society colleagues, follow the development of public participation mechanisms and contribute our own experience gained directly through work in communities.

During the meeting, we presented our vision regarding the involvement of young people and women in decision-making processes and highlighted the importance of participation mechanisms that are accessible, inclusive and closely connected to people’s realities. We emphasized that meaningful participation involves not only consultation, but also creating contexts in which the voices of young people, women and underrepresented groups are heard and can influence the decisions affecting their communities.

At the same time, we shared with our colleagues the results of CRDC’s work and the expertise accumulated over the years through direct engagement with thousands of beneficiaries annually, within projects and initiatives focused on civic participation, youth, women, community development and strengthening dialogue between citizens and public authorities.

For us, the exchange of experience between civil society organizations remains one of the most valuable components of such platforms. Each organization brings its own lessons, methods and perspectives, and combining them contributes to the development of more relevant and effective participation mechanisms at both local and district levels.

Although the project “Cahul District Participation Council – a Platform for a Transparent Decision-Making Process” has come to an end, the experience, information, tools and connections accumulated during this period remain. We are confident that they will continue to be valuable in CRDC’s work and in future initiatives aimed at strengthening civic participation and dialogue between communities and public authorities.

The activity was carried out within the project “Cahul District Participation Council – a Platform for a Transparent Decision-Making Process”, implemented by AO Centrul „CONTACT-Cahul” with the support of the East Europe Foundation, from resources provided by Sweden.

Photos: Cahul District Participation Council.