Description
The project "Civic Bucharest - for Citizens with Critical Spirit" is a response to the low and ineffective participation of Bucharest residents in public decisions that affect them. The project activities aim at increasing social cohesion and active citizenship in four districts of Bucharest and at consolidating four associative structures (civic groups) to mobilize and involve over 800 people in the decision making process at the local level. Furthermore, the project creates prerequisites for the development of an informal network of active civic groups at city-wide level. To achieve these objectives, the project mainly uses the methodology of community organizing, but also artistic activities (theater on civic issues) and out-of-the box events (the “civic initiatives fair”) as methods of promoting and raising awareness of civic participation among Bucharest inhabitants.
Summary of project results
The project was an answer to the low and inefficient involvement of Bucharest’s inhabitants in the public decisions which affect them directly. The main objectives of the project were successfully accomplished: 4 citizen groups from Bucharest were consolidated from an organisational perspective, their visibility increased in the community and beyond, they attracted new members and diversified their activities (partnerships, citizen newspapers, community events etc.). 40 members of the civic groups now have increased abilities on communication, negotiation, public speaking, team work, presentation, event organizing, etc. Most of the members of these civic groups are elderly people, already retired from the workforce. The groups carried out 4 advocacy campaigns that targeted over 12 public institutions with a variety of campaign tactics, involving more than 1,000 people from the communities, that resulted in favourable public decisions such as: public information provided to "Lacul Tei" group after a law suit, the transfer of an abandoned cinema building to local authorities and money allocated for a future Cultural Center, infrastructure development that takes into account the requests of "Prelungirea Ghencea" group, a study to determine the reasons for the decreasing water levels in Circus Park lake, 3 local council decisions taken at the request of groups etc. Moreover, representatives of more than 20 groups and organisations have benefited from training and networking. Due to these opportunities, 12 civic groups established the Bucharest Civic Network in order to act together and influence public decisions at city wide level. The topic of citizen participation reached over 200,000 people through constant promotion of the groups and their actions, but also through events like The Citizen Initiative Fair and the theatre play "4m2" created and staged 9 times during the project. As main results of the project, it led to the consolidation of 4 civic groups, to greater visibility of citizen participation, and laid the ground for a network that will carry out advocacy campaigns at a city wide level. Moreover, due to the project, CeRe has an updated strategic plan and a team with increased abilities on conflict management and graphic facilitation.
Summary of bilateral results