Community development is the foundation for a strong and economically sustainable country. That is why a community needs to have a vision of where to move on, a development strategy, a comprehensive approach to attracting investors and finding partners, etc.

In the process of community development, the most powerful strategies always include creating positive role models and living examples of solutions.

On November 26th, the All-Ukrainian Initiative “Active Community” held the National Forum within the framework of the Community Development Marathon.

The Forum presented the results of the activities of the All-Ukrainian Initiative “Active Community” in communities, summed up the campaign for drawing up the “Community Development Maps” and their signing by the local elections candidates.

Additionally, during the Forum, participants had the opportunity to talk to the speakers of the event, and during the panel discussion – to pose questions to experts.

According to Viacheslav Nehoda, the Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, who participated in the Forum, “this is, indeed, a very important issue: how to build up active local self-government in Ukraine?”

“The kind of self-government that would ensure the effective development and provision of services of high quality. The vast majority of Ukrainians were not quite satisfied with the effectiveness of local self-government just a few years ago. That is why the reform started. The establishment of district councils was a very controversial issue. Currently, 119 district councils are waiting to launch their activities. All the budget resources have been transferred to the communities. All the infrastructure, that will be funded from the district level this year, shall be transferred to the community level. We are waiting for the signing of Draft Law 3651-d “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Concerning the Regulation of Certain Issues of Organization and Activity of Local Self-Government Bodies and District State Administrations”. It is virtually impossible to start effective work at the local level until this happens. Everything must be enshrined in the law. All the factions supported this bill, thus, everyone understands that it is very important. So we are waiting for it to take effect. We have only a month ahead, as, starting from January 1st, local self-government bodies will have to start working within a new framework, with new budgets and with a new capacity. The issues being discussed at the Forum are very relevant today. I wish you success in your work!” Mr.Nehoda stressed.

Viktoriia Orysiuk, an analyst of the Institute “Respublica” and the “Set a Policy Line for Authorities” Project manager, noted that “the Institute “Respublica” and the All-Ukrainian Initiative “Active Community” have been working to ensure a full-fledged dialogue between the authorities and the community ever since 2014”.

During the Forum, the regional coordinators of the All-Ukrainian Initiative “Active Community” shared their experience at the local level and the success stories of their communities.

Yana Tvereza, the regional coordinator of the All-Ukrainian Initiative “Active Community” in the city of Volnovakha, also noted that, during webinars and round table discussions, she had noticed the demand of local self-government bodies for this.

“I was really inspired by this. When we switched to the online format, I was worried that the quality might decline. But after a few broadcasts, people wrote to me, called me and thanked me for the information, for our deeds at the local level. The established initiative groups are doing an incredible job. At Khlibodarivka community, from now on, a Youth Center will operate due to intense work and advocacy campaign held by the citizens. When the authorities and the community cooperate, the result is incredible. Activities are very intense in small communities. And that’s great,” Yana Tvereza noted.

Hanna Ilina, the regional coordinator of the All-Ukrainian Initiative “Active Community” in the city of Odesa, shared the fears that she had had at the beginning of the work with communities.

“I was worried whether people would be active, whether they would attend the events. But they come, thank us, join. A large number of citizens actively participated in the drawing up of the Community Development Map,” Hanna recounted.

Ihor Koliushko, the Head of the Board of the Centre of Policy and Legal Reform, noted that “regarding the development of communities, there are issues that require the amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine”.

“They include the correction of the legal provisions on administrative-territorial division”.

The expert also outlined the options with regard to the county councils: to enshrine the legal provision on the establishment of county councils in the Constitution. “The law may also introduce county councils – local self-government bodies that represent the interests of communities. Despite the fact that this discussion has been uncompleted, the elections to district councils had been announced, they took place. Now the question arises, even if we write down as it is stipulated in the second point, they still exist de facto and they have to complete their term,” Mr.Koliushko noted.

Oleksandr Solontay, an expert on politics and local development of the Institute of Political Education, stressed that “in general, the local elections are still pending”.

“At the community level, only the first stage, when the chairpersons of local councils and local council members were elected, has passed. Members have yet to involve activists, deputies and so on, in their activities. They also have to appoint their assistants. As of today, nothing is lost. Currently, every active citizen or public organization can find its own place in this,” Oleksandr Solontay believes.

Oleksandra Hlizhynska, the Executive Director of the Institute “Respublica” and a co-founder of the All-Ukrainian Initiative “Active Community”, noted that she was very inspired by the participants’ speeches.

“We are talking not only about challenges but also about achievements. Positive changes are taking place in Ukraine. We are still on the way. And the mere fact that the reform of local self-government is underway is very positive. Why is it important to focus on victories? This gives us the baseline to be used as a reference and as a direction where to move further. Speaking of real life, a survey by the National Democratic Institute showed the following figures: 53% of the citizens believe that the government should focus on economic development. And this is also the task for the local self-government. We should be concerned about our community. This is the matter of strategic development, of focusing on the potential, of how to increase the budget, how to make people stay in the communities. The “Active Community” always emphasizes that we need to unite and focus on the strategic development of communities,” Oleksandra Hlizhynska says.

Serhii Diatlenko, a national education expert, noted that the newly formed communities had a unique opportunity to launch the education activities in a proper way.

“These steps must meet certain criteria, the respective legal framework, and fall within the scope of the decentralization reform,” Mr.Diatlenko says.

Anna Sarana, an expert on healthcare reform, noted that “the most important task for the local self-government bodies is to make sure that a community resident does not face any negative changes during the reform”.

“A resident’s life should only improve. Local self-government bodies took over the primary healthcare, but now, this raised the issue of the secondary level, i.e. doctors who specialize in a certain area. They used to be hosted in the district centres. When a number of districts were eliminated, there is a question where they would be relocated. A secondary level hospital is a powerful structure featuring professionals, necessary equipment, etc. A lot of changes have taken place, but there are even more challenges today. Our task is to continue working for the sake of even better results,” Ms.Sarana noted.

During the second part of the event, a panel discussion, the participants were divided into 3 groups. Experts had the opportunity to present their accomplishments, and the participants – to pose them questions.

At the end of the Forum, Anna Sarana, an expert on healthcare reform, stressed that she was very pleased with the Forum participants’ involvement in the life of the community.

“I am pleased that you take notice of the things that should not exist, that you try and learn how to change them. If we move in this direction, all challenges and problems would be overcome,” the expert assured.

Oleksandr Ivanov, a participant of the Forum, rejoiced at such activism.

“I believe in the fulfilment of ideas! But sometimes one needs to find out what the real situation is, especially in the regions,” Oleksandr says.

It should be noted that the aim of the Forum was to increase the level of systematic participation of citizens in the shaping of local policy, to establish an open dialogue between political parties and newly elected local members and citizens at the local level with regard to the community development.

One can watch the record of the Marathon on the Facebook page of the “Active Community” at the link: https://www.facebook.com/inrespublica.org.ua/videos/2737654536563151

For reference. The Forum was held with the support of the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Note. The mission of the “Active Community” is to achieve prosperity through the democratic development of Ukrainian communities. The goal for 2025 is to activate and involve at least 1% of citizens in decision-making and promotion of reforms in Ukraine on a systemic basis for the well-being of Ukrainian communities. The initiative was created through the activities of the Institute “Respublica”. We are working to increase the civil activity of citizens.

Authored by Tetiana Kavunenko, the head of the press service of the Institute “Respublica” and the All-Ukrainian Initiative “Active Community”