Social dialogue minister stresses role of NGOs in outreach programmes

Social dialogue minister Helena Dalli has highlighted the role of NGOs in raising issues onto the national agenda and reaching out to those in society who need the most help.

Speaking during a press conference to mark the end of a media campaign entitled “Together against bullying” organised by NGO Victim Support Malta (VSM) and funded through the NGO Fund, Dalli said that a modern democracy reveals itself through a vibrant, strong and diverse civil society.

“I am a strong believer that government must provide the necessary backing and funding to civil society organisations to ensure that they are able to carry out their work and that they remain viable and sustainable,” Dalli said.

Dalli explained how the Ministry for Social Dialogue assists NGOs through three separate initiatives, the civil society fund, the NGO co-financing fund and the voluntary organisations project scheme, all of which increase the opportunities for NGOs to reach their vision.

Dalli further encouraged all NGOs to make use of the available resources including NGO resource centres and expertise in the field of civil liberties to build community ties, tackle discrimination and human rights abuses, and support victims.

“Through this pilot project, we can translate the results into national projects and initiatives,” she said, inviting VSM to share the project results directly with the education ministry and those responsible for implementing the anti-bullying policy in schools.

Cher Engerer, Project Coordinator at Victim Support Malta explained how as part of its campaign, VSM  have also formulated and launched their own psychosocial strategy called ‘SWAP’, devised to help victims, adults and other bystanders take the necessary corrective action during bullying situations.