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Description
The project is necessary because it promotes the development of a democratic political culture and participation in socio-political processes in environments where there is no democratic tradition and where participation and, unfortunately, often the very concept of democracy is just a concept. So, if there is no tradition and if things are not internalized, indoctrinated, and if, on top of all this, we live in Carinthia, where there is generally less flow of culture and culture in general, and if we do not have ready-made models of how to respond to change, it is necessary to think and talk about it, reflect and become conscious.
The project is therefore a continuation of the systemic promotion of democratic development at the local level, through the positioning of an independent meeting point, the Carinthian Democratic Station, where NGOs, young people and the general public will receive credible information motivated by their concrete situations and analytical and practical experiences.
This information will be provided either in individual mentoring, i.e., in the framework of the "Empowerment Office", which will operate for four hours a day, or collectively, in the framework of the "Urban Forum", which includes the organisation of ten organised discussions, three of which will be devoted to general education on contemporary politics, while the others will be presented by the most prominent Slovenian NGOs, with the aim of demonstrating the versatility and contribution of NGOs to societal development. This section also includes the realisation of advocacy campaigns, during which, in order to further publicise the three selected themes, we will realise three public interventions, three video contents, three thematically focused debates and a concert.
Summary of project results
The aim was to empower citizens and NGOs because, without ingrained political culture or predefined patterns for responding to changes, participation and democracy remain mere concepts.
The project was divided into two parts. The first, an Empowerment Office, was available daily for 4 hours to assist NGOs and citizens with individual topics. The second, the Urban Forum, created a space for socializing and regular discussions on current socio-political topics.
We informed 64 individuals who sought help from the Empowerment Office. We identified, formulated, and communicated various initiatives (e.g., discounted pool tickets for students, seniors, and disabled residents of the municipality, inclusion of younger disabled individuals in municipal transport programs, changes in reporting for public tenders, acquisition of spaces for newly established NGOs). Additionally, we organized bi-monthly discussion events under the Urban Forum, which were recorded and made available on our channels. Collaboration with governmental and non-governmental sectors was expanded.