District/community councils – do they fuel or disturb participatory processes?
Moderators:
Maria Klaman, Association of Creative Initiatives “ę”/ Political Critique,
Ewa Lieder, District of Wrzeszcz Dolny in Gdansk
Time: 2. Day (Friday, May 29.), hrs 10:45-12:15
Location: II floor, zone F
Format: experience sharing with elements of a discussion session
The session will be dedicated to demonstrating successes and good practices of district/community councils in the field of participation activities within a district/residential community, e.g. participatory budgeting (for districts and for cities) or participatory planning for recreational facilities and space.
We will also invite you to the discussion and sharing experiences in civic participation at the district or community council level. We should consider whether the councils are ready to improve civic participation in deciding on the future of the district/community. What positive results could be delivered by the use of public participatory instruments to the inhabitants and to the councilmembers, and what are the dangers? To what extent are district councilmembers eager to cooperate with city councils in regard to civic participatory processes? Do they have sufficient knowledge and instruments? What do they need to act more democratically, promote and apply civic participation? At what level could we, the participation practitioners, look for cooperation with district/community councils and how could we support them in those processes?
Before we close the session we will ask you to list all the issues worth discussing with regards to the session subjects and we shall touch on the most popular one.
Perhaps you think that the civic participation issue at the district/community council level is just a misunderstanding, sort of a participation nightmare? And the district/community councils are treated as political trampolines for the young politicians?
Please join the discussion and share your experience!
We welcome particularly:
– those interested in the matters of cooperation with district/community councils with regards to civic participation but who do not know how to start
– those experienced in cooperation with such councils not only in the field of participation
-activists who see themselves as future district or city councilmembers
– participation practitioners who would like to make use of their knowledge with regards to cooperation with district/community councils
– district/community councilmembers