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Description
As part of the next phase of the community project focused on the revitalization of the Parish Gardens, we want to prepare a joint discussion with the public (locals and professionals/experts) to prepare materials for the creation of an outdoor classroom project for teaching ecology, permaculture and crafts. We will then transform these into the form of a project and documents for the fulfilment of administrative obligations and the granting of a building permit together with the designer. We believe that the involvement of citizens into the planning process will serve as an example of good practice for local authorities and local citizens. Our plan is thus to include the local citizens into the decision-making process that will in the long term lead to a concrete outcome within the public space. The citizens will then be its users. We believe that for important projects that have the potential to significantly change or reshape the character of the place, broad discussion between the local citizens and authorities is not only beneficial in terms of better addressing of needs of the community. We want to motivate our neighbours to communicate with the authorities about their needs and also the authorities, to be open to citizens'' ideas and feedback. Main activities will include a local information campaign, public discussion, consultation with experts and creation of a project documentation.
Summary of project results
The aim of the project was to build a positive relationship of local inhabitants towards the place they live in and also involve them in the planning/decision-making process regarding a public space. The aim was also to arouse discussion between local people and representatives from the town hall and among various organizations/associations.
As part of the project, we managed to involve 111 locals into civil society activities/planning of an outdoor classroom, which exceeded not only our aims but also our most ambitious expectations. People perceived the opportunity to comment on the future form of the place that they are currently using very positively. Part of the participants also took part in the educational discussion covering the topic "how to get involved in civic activities". Furthermore, a „teambuilding“ and a seminar entitled "cooperation 2023 and beyond" was also very successful. The chairman of the association Tomáš Adamec (who historically completed an educational program with the Via Foundation) educated representatives of other organisations and municipality members on how to involve the public into various processes and events within our village. As a result of the subsequent discussion, it was not only possible to agree on cooperation and assistance between organisations at various already existing events but also to agree and organize several joint events together (see Output 1.2 - planting of trees behind the Třebůvka river, planting of trees at the soccer field, planning of the surroundings in the pre-church and Třebůvka surroundings with the public - public debate).
We therefore believe that we have managed to convey not only a lot of theoretical concepts but also to apply them in practice during several events in our village. Local organisations not only started to cooperate more in terms of the material and volunteer aid but mainly crossed the border of "we do our action" towards "several organisations jointly organize and ensure more complex actions". After our seminar, the municipality began to consider social networks as additional channels of communication more seriously. According to the mayor, citizens began to communicate more often with the representatives of the municipality, which I consider to be a very positive change and we hope that the representatives of the municipality will be able to use the potential that can arise from such communication.