Description
The Czech legislation provides relatively good tools for participation of civil society on decision-making and active control of decision makers. However, these tools are very complicated requiring good knowledge of the whole system and experiences of its work. Given this situation, the lack of educational and training mechanisms for citizens and civil society organizations is a major obstacle for fulfilling the purpose of the legislation ensuring participation of citizens on decision making. The project reflects the situation and aims to increase effectiveness of involvement of civil society in decision-making processes on local level (in three districts) via ensuring availability and understandableness of informational resources and relevant legislative as well as public control of voted decision makers. The main methods for the achievement of this objective include consultation service for civil society initiatives, educational sessions, production of legislative guides and document templates, intensive pilot cooperation with three selected initiatives on the involvement in particular cases and implementing watchdog activities.
Summary of project results
Theoretical possibilities how to participate in decision making process are quite wide in Czech Republic especially based on Stockholm convention, EU law and local law. On the other hand, practical skills of local grassroots or individuals are poor. Participation tools are not used very common by local movements or individuals, because it seems to them to be complicated. Our project aimed to strengthen position and skills of grassroots, NGO’s and individual in decision making process participation. For strengthening skills and position of local grassroots in decision making process in 3 regions, we have organized 3 trainings for local groups; we have helped the local groups to establish communication, media and watch dog strategy; we have organized 2 skill sharing petition events to support local referendum and rise information about participation possibilities; we have provided more than 70 concrete consultations, we have mediated number of legal consultations, we have analyzed, comment and consult tens of official documents connected to decision making process, we have created 2 e-learning courses, we have published and distributed 300 pieces of handbook for public. Our project significantly strengthened capabilities of grassroots and individuals not only in 3 target regions. Under the terms of project, we taught grassroots many practical skills, provided them with printed and online materials. In Karlovy Vary Region we motivated local non formal group to establish NGO, we have helped local NGO in Vysočina Region to enforce public referendum in judicial battle against local politicians and clerks. We help to implement efficient function distribution in local groups for more efficient campaigns with mechanisms for strategy actualization and control.
Summary of bilateral results