Strengthening Social Cohesion through Civil Society and Media in Moldova (COSMA)

Moldova remains divided along political, linguistic, ethnic, socio-economic, and regional lines. These divisions have been further strained by the influx of refugees from Ukraine, contributing to low levels of trust both among different groups and in institutions.

Although national strategies prioritize social cohesion and inclusion, implementation gaps persist, and the public discourse remains divided and polarized. Moldovan civil society and independent media are quite dynamic and play a key role in promoting civic engagement, accountability, inclusiveness, (inter-ethnic) dialogue and social cohesion. Nonetheless, both have a significant untapped potential, because of financial vulnerability, particularly after the USAID withdrawal, limited capacity, and safety risks for journalists or civic activists. The insufficient collaboration between media and CSOs also weakens their impact. This initiative provides an opportunity for Switzerland, with its rich experience, to promote sustainable peace and inclusive nation-building, to support Moldova in addressing divides and become a cohesive society with independent media and CSOs as trusted and reliable actors.

Outcome 1: Supported media organisations and CSOs have strengthened capacities, systems and resources to act as independent and citizen-centred accountability actors.

Outcome 2: Targeted communities, including marginalised and underrepresented groups engage in civic processes and cross community dialogues through media and CSOs’ initiatives.

Outcome 3: The operating environment for media and civil society is strengthened through enhanced cooperation, protection and safeguards.

Expected results:  

Output 1.1: Technical assistance packages are designed and delivered to selected media partners, CSOs, grassroot groups and civic networks to support public interest journalism, community mobilisation, advocacy, and policy dialogue.

Output 1.2: Revenue diversification strategies and income generating products/services are co-designed and tested with selected media and CSOs to strengthen financial independence.

Output 2.1: Inclusive social cohesion dialogue platforms are established to support interaction, mutual understanding and the articulation of citizens’ priorities.

Output 3.1: Advocacy task forces are created, and legal and policy evidence products are elaborated to advance policy reforms, civic space protection, and self-regulation of CSOs and independent media.

Output 3.2: Strategic partnerships and citizen-centred initiatives between media, CSOs and public institutions are implemented and documented.

Results from previous phases:  

Results: During the first twelve-month phase, four local CSOs implemented nationwide projects, reaching over 10’500 direct beneficiaries and generating 1.3 million digital views. The projects covered such thematic areas as: interethnic dialogue, youth engagement, civic and ethical education, inclusive journalism, and evidence-based advocacy.

Lessons learnt: The Swisspeace training enhanced CSO grantees’ abilities in promoting social cohesion; inspiring inclusive narratives are critical tools for strengthening cohesion; short-term targeted funding can stabilise CSOs during donor funding cuts, however, long-term support is essential to ensure CSOs’ mission continuity and resilience.

EU’s CSO Calls for Propo-sals, “Trustworthy Reporting, Impactful Media, Engaged Communities”; Council of Europe (CoE) “Advancing Media Freedom” and INSPIRED projects.

Swiss-funded: UNDP/ UNFPA “Social Cohesion and Peace Initiative”; CoE/UNFPA “Fostering Active Civic Engagement”; SKAT “Ma Implic”; DAI “Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy in Moldova”; ILO/UN Women “Women for Peace and Prosperity”;

Actors: UN, CoE, EU, UNHCR, Norwegian Refugee Council, Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, Swiss implementing partners.