Five million euros

The European Union (EU) is to donate five million euros to support the activities of civil society organizations, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Nyeleti Mondlane announced yesterday.Speaking at the signing of the agreement in Maputo, Mondlane described the donation as "dedicated to supporting the institutional capacity of civil society organizations".Initially, 11 civil society organizations will benefit in an initiative that will fund small projects aimed at helping local communities overcome the problems they face."The program will help improve governance and citizenship in Mozambique by strengthening partnerships and mutual responsibility between public authorities, non-state participants and citizens," the Mozambican deputy minister said, praising the EU’s support of Mozambique during the 30 years of its presence in the country.Mondlane called on beneficiary organizations to give greater attention to project implementation, especially as Mozambique has "huge potential" in relation to the quality of initiatives.The head of EU delegation, Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, highlighted the importance of civil society for the peaceful resolution of internal conflicts at a time when the country is experiencing political and military tension, saying they were crucial in defending the interests of the population."A recently published study traces the rapid growth of Mozambican civil society and its impact on national policies, a very important element," said von Burgsdorff, adding that continuing support would strengthen their capacity to assist.