A robust civil society in Timor-Leste ensures the voices of citizens are heard and their needs are addressed, creating the environment for positive change. Counterpart’s USAID/NGO Advocacy for Good Governance Activity helps Timorese NGOs gain visibility and strengthen their organizational capacity, which enables partners like The Timor-Leste NGO Forum, or FONGTIL, to transform their advocacy work through innovation.
The organization launched an online learning platform in January that is designed to strengthen information exchange, coordination, capacity building, and advocacy among local NGOs. The platform benefits The Timor-Leste NGO Forum, an umbrella organization for 270 NGOs, and its 14 networks. Topics covered include financial management, crowdsourcing, outreach, research, and advocacy tools. The platform facilitates information dissemination, optimizes resource allocation, manages calendars and events, and encourages networking, strategy sharing, and coalition-building.