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Description
The project is necessary in order to ensure that aging population of Visaginas is not ignored in the strategic decisions of the local government. The needs of the target group will be considered throughout the project lifetime. The project objectives and activities aim to increase the participation of the target group in civic activities, involve them in consultations with local decision-makers, attract volunteers etc. In addition to this, it is planned to submit proposals on the involved decision-making to local governing institutions.
The goal of the project is to enable the target group of Visaginas people to actively participate in civic activities and express their opinion on the local decisions related to the creation of a favorable living environment for older people. Project target groups:
- Elder (aged 65+) persons of Visaginas and participants of Visaginas TAU activities, who will be informed about civil rights, active citizenship, volunteering, critical thinking, and who will participate in the “Discussion Space” activities – civic meetings, discussions, generation of the proposals for the local government;
- CSOs in Visaginas engaging older people, which will network and become more involved in activities promoting active citizenship.
Results – senior persons of Visaginas enabled to actively participate in civic activities and represent their interests: public awareness campaigns were implemented; the “Discussion Space” was established and completed; volunteers were attracted; consultations with local governing institutions were carried out with the participation of the target group; Visaginas Municipality Council of Seniors was established and started carrying out activities; network of CSOs operating in Visaginas municipality was initiated; the international experience of the Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities was analyzed and adapted to Resolution on joining the Network.
Summary of project results
The project addressed the problem that strategic municipal decisions in Visaginas town ignored the demographic aging of the town''s population, elderly persons are not involved in local decisions that are related to the creation of aging-friendly environment in Visaginas. Th project aimed at ensuring that aging population of Visaginas is involved in the decision-making processes related to the creation of such an environment at the local level, stimulating civic participation of the target group, and giving opportunities for the elderly to express their opinion on the local decisions related to their wellbeing.
The project united and nurtured a network of Visaginas town elderly residents (65+) and NGOs uniting elderly residents in order to more seriously represent the interests of the elderly residents and become more actively involved in activities promoting citizen participation. A series of educational events were conducted where elderly residents were informed about civil rights, active citizenship, volunteering, critical thinking. The target group also participated in "Discussion Space" activities - civic meetings, discussions, proposal generation to the Visaginas Municipal Council. Four such proposals were submitted to the local municipality on issues relevant to senior citizens. During the project, the Visaginas town council of senior citizens was created. The Visaginas network is considering to become a member of the Global Network of Age-Friendly cities. A national conference was organized on the project issues, with 100 participants on site and 300 online.
The project succeeded to create and activate a network of senior citizens and NGOs of Visaginas, inform, increase competencies of and enable the senor citizens to represent their interest in Visaginas municipality, be active in the community. The project surveys showed that significantly more senior citizens started watching online City Council meetings, making proposals to the municipality, discussing local municipal issues with their peers, that they started to feel heard and represented in the municipal affairs.