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The workshop series builds on a pilot project of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) from last year, seeking to tackle structural obstacles to the professionalization of non-profits in Kuwait and facilitating intra-sectoral exchange. In a first workshop in May 2016, the KAS Regional Programme Gulf States and The en.v Initiative (en.v) invited 20 representatives from Kuwaiti civil society organisations (CSOs) to discuss the promotion of transparency within their organisations and the civil society sector as a whole. As a result, they jointly developed a voluntary, sector-wide code of conduct for CSOs in Kuwait.

Nevertheless, the civil society of the emirate continues to suffer from intra-sectoral fragmentation. To this day, CSOs working in same or similar fields only inadequately share information, professional know-how and best-practises with each other. Thus, they fall short of tapping into tremendous unused potential in the field of knowledge and resource exchange. Success and impact of well-planed and adequately funded initiatives could be increased considerably by strengthening intra-sectoral coordination. After all, a common utilisation of resources, skills and windows of opportunity fosters the efficiency and effectiveness of CSO initiatives; it also creates a shared sense of responsibility for civil matters. As a corollary, this will also change how other key stakeholders perceive CSOs and consequently enhance the sector’s legitimacy.

Against this backdrop, the Regional Programme Gulf States and en.v are jointly organising the first event of the workshop-series "Promoting & Advocating for Civic Sector Enhancement" (PACE) from 6 to 7 May 2017. The PACE project’s aim is to facilitate the implementation of civil society networks and as a result to reinforce the legitimacy and capacity of CSOs in Kuwait. The focus of the May workshop will predominately be on the formation of thematic networks between CSOs, whose common agendas and similar objectives offer synergies. The workshop is the second cooperation between en.v and the KAS Regional Programme Gulf States.