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Re-activating of the institution Neighborhood Unit is the goal of the project “Active Citizens”. The project aimed at linking the Local Government and Neighborhood Units in Prilep. CCI has the role of mediator and organizer of open meetings with the citizens, scanning of community needs, creating Community action plan and strengthening the link between Units of local Government and Neighborhood Unit in Prilep.
The idea of CCI was to find sustainable solution for the problem with citizens' participation in the creation of public policy. The model of Active Citizens was created towards increasing the citizens' inclusion in the process of decision-making and creation of public policy, as so as increasing citizens' motivation to become active citizens in their communities. This project motivated citizens to became more active in their Neighborhood Unit in the process of problems solving. In addition, this project supported citizen's connection with Local Self Government established through the Neighborhood Unit. This project succeed to reactivate 7 of 13 Neighborhood Units in Prilep. These Units previously didn't have structure, bodies, idea or will to work, but today they have activities on their own and they achieve results. Two Neighborhood Units are in a reactivating procedure and four are left without initiative.
This project provided organization of meetings with leaders of the Neighborhood Unit, where participants exchange experience, discuses about identified problems and activities for problem solving.
Other important initiative is establishing of the Coordinative Body in the Neighborhood Unit, which represents citizen's voice in the creation of public policy. As a tool in this project, active citizens were using models and methods of public pressure. Special influence to the citizens and local government in this project had printed material (Posters, flayers and Bulletin of the Neighborhood Units).
Aim of this project was to provide usage of infrastructure of the Neighborhood Units from the citizens in order to improve citizen's engagement and link between citizens and authority.
After successful realization of the first pilot phase, funded by The Royal Dutch Embassy in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, the project is extend by financial support of Balkan Trust for Democracy program of German Marshal Fund.
The project lasted 12 months, from 01.03.2004 to 01.03.2005.
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