Priority to Local Democracy: School of Local
In October 2009, the School of local democracy in the Western Balkans, which gathers the Schools of Political Studies from
In light of the importance of democratic reforms at the local level, involving both strengthening of local self-government and citizen participation, the Schools of Political Studies in the Western Balkans have effectively developed this training programme aimed at local authority leaders in the countries concerned. The participants are members of regional and local government, as well as journalists and active NGO members at a local level.
Local democracy serving intercultural dialogue
The main topics focus on local governance concepts: strengthening the local economic development, relations between citizens and local self government, citizen participation, electoral systems, the role of regional and local authorities in citizens’ daily lives, transfrontier co-operation, contribution of local authorities to the European integration process.
The objectives are to increase capacity and transparency at the local level, to improve relations between local government and citizens, to reinforce confidence and tolerance and to establish a young leaders’ network at the regional level in order to facilitate co-operation conductive to resolving concrete problems they encounter in the field.
In addition, this programme intends to contribute towards reconciliation and intercultural dialogue between all communities in the Balkans, by supporting local initiatives based on the fundamental values of the Council of Europe.
The seminars are mainly led by national experts from countries in the region which, except
The Schools of Political Studies and the network of Local Democracy Agencies (LDA) present in all Western Balkan countries jointly implement this programme. The LDA co-operate with the Schools to identify participants and to define programme activities. The former Mayor of the
Four activities were organised during the first academic year (2009-2010):
- Capacity building and best practices, December 2009, Budva, Montenegro
- Local authorities and leadership, March 2010, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Perspectives and reality of inter municipality co-operation, May 2010, Struga, “The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
- Regional and Transborder co-operation, September 2010, Brac, Croatia
The following activities were included in the 2010-2011 programme:
- Challenges of Local Democracy in the Western Balkans, February 2011, Becici, Montenegro
Click here to download the programme
- Local Government and Leadership, April 2011, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
