THE GREEN LIGHT WAS TURNED ON TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE THE DREAMER TO START DREAMING AGAIN AND PERHAPS THIS TIME, THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE THE DREAM WILL COME TRUE.

SHOULD WE START CALLING ON AGAIN ON THOSE WHO PREVIOUSLY MADE THEIR PLEDGE TO HELP IN THE PROJECT OF HAVING BETTER SCHOOL FACILITIES IN THE RURAL LAOS?

FAILURE AT FIRST TRY DOES NOT MEAN A FAILURE FOREVER. THIS TIME WE CAN SEE A  SILVER LINING.

Follow your dreams... Mr. Dreamer!!!

I congratulate the Laotian Government for this new developments!


-Dell-
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Green light for local non profit organisation listing

Vientiane Times, 13 Nov 2009

Individuals who want to set up a non-profit organisation can now apply
for a licence through the Public Administration and Civil Servant
Authority.

State Administration Development Department Deputy Director General,
Mr Ampha Simmasone, confirmed this week the department was ready to
accept application forms from people wanting to set up an association
in Laos .

“We have been accepting application forms since October 20,” he told
Vientiane Times on Tuesday, adding that a special unit has been opened
to deal with the applications.

He said the unit had received about five applications so far. He was
unable to say when the department would grant the first licence.

Individuals who want to set up an association in a provincial area can
apply for a licence from provincial authorities, he said.

Applicants must also submit a letter of approval from the relevant
sector. For example, an association that would deal with gender
equality must get permission from the Lao Women's Union .

The government promulgated a Prime Minister's Decree on Associations
earlier this year, so people could set up an association in accordance
with the Lao Constitution, which gives citizens the right to assemble
and to establish associations.

The government hopes such associations will help to run non-profit
activities aimed at helping poor people to develop better living
standards.

Through the Prime Minister's Decree on Associations, the government
hopes to pass on some of its public duties to local associations.

Officials explained this was common practice in other countries, and
it was the primary role of the government to formulate policies, put
them into practice and monitor their enforcement.

Social organisations would do a better job of running development
projects than state agencies because they were policy enforcers, not
policy makers. Such organisations would also be more professional
because they would be set up to carry out specific projects, officials
said.

International organisations in Laos welcomed the move by the
government to provide opportunities for local-level social groups to
shoulder greater responsibility for social development. At present,
only international non-government organisations are allowed to operate
in Laos .

Many international donors have said they would provide funding for
local associations to run development projects if they meet
international working standards.

A number of groups want to set up non-profit projects to help
government development efforts in rural communities. But until now
such bodies had no legal identity as there was no law approving their
establishment.

Some of the groups are attached to state agencies while others operate
under the auspices of international organisations.