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Description
The project aims at influencing and changing attitudes, finding opportunities for better interaction between citizens and local authorities. The municipal council of Yablanitsa will present a good practice, direct citizen participation in local government. The project aims at improving citizen participation in local policy-making by recommendations made for amendments to the procedural rules of the municipal councils of Letnitsa and Lukovit Municipalities to allow citizens to participate directly in the municipal council sessions. The proposal will stimulate the citizens and the local government to introduce the practice of direct citizen participation in decision-making and policy-making through a public debate. The foundation will be the Analysis of the status of Citizen Participation in the region and the recommendations in it. The issue related to COVID-19 crisis and the thematic objective in question have to do with the inability of citizens to enjoy their fundamental human rights of freedom and civic participation in the community in order to improve the quality of life in the municipality. The project will rely on advocacy campaigns involving the stakeholders, direct involvement with the groups in the municipalities, training in digital skills and online group work and will have informed and active citizens gain their right to direct participation in the work of the local government. The project will benefit the citizens from 2 municipalities and the local government members, the general public and the young.
Summary of project results
The project was implemented in three municipalities from Lovech region - Lukovit municipality, Letnitsa municipality and Yablanitsa municipality. These municipalities are dominated by a population of disadvantaged groups - the Roma ethnic group, with high levels of unemployment, migration and a low standard of living; they lack established cultural and social contacts and civic participation. The project changed attitudes, opened opportunities for better interaction between citizens and local authorities. By conducting an external seminar with the participation of the three working groups of active citizens, knowledge about forms of civic participation and the advantages of their direct participation in the work of local self-government bodies increased. Good practice was shared by the chairman of the Yablanica Municipal Council for the direct participation citizens in municipal council meetings. An Analysis "The right of direct participation of citizens in local self-government bodies" was developed, which increased the role of citizens for direct participation in local self-government bodies. Citizen participation in the formation of policies at the local level was improved through three recommendations made to the municipal councils of the municipalities of Letnitsa and Lukovit to change the Rules for the organization and activity of the municipal council,
its committees and its interaction with the municipal administration, in the part about the right of direct participation of citizens in the meetings of the Municipal Council. Widespread Analysis in the other municipalities of the region, which gives the opportunity to multiply the good practice. The project benefits 600 citizens of the two municipalities and representatives of local authorities, the general public and young people.