Basic facts
As part of the project " „Support to increased citizens' participation - second stage" Community Development Office started to work on August 10', 2007 in Loznica. The funding for its work has been secured by the Switzerland Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in cooperation with the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities. In line with Memorandum on cooperation signed by the municipality with donor agency and Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, the municipality provided office and appointed its secretary whilst the donor agency engaged manager and supplied required equipment for the work of the office.
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The main aims of this project are fostering civic participation in public life at the local level and strengthening legal framework for civic participation in local community.. The project is implemented in 6 pilot municipalities (Loznica, Valjevo, Sremski Karlovci, Krupanj, Osecina and Coka). Advisory Councils has been set up in all 6 municipalities, composed of citizens and experts for areas of relevance for the local self-governance.
Community development office
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The main task of this office is to ensure support to local self-administration and Council in implementation of the projects in local community. Apart from implemenentation of the projects, a concrete function of this office is to assist local communities and citizen associations in preparations of their project proposals. In addition, the office should provide information on opened projects competitions and other activities relevant for the development of local self-governance and cooperation of the local self-governance with local communities and citizen associations, i.e. civil sector. From the practical standpoint, the office represents "institutional outreach to civic society " within the municipal administration, the main task of which is to establish dialogue between the civic society and municipal administration.
Council for development and protection of local self-governance of the Loznica municipality
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The Advisory Council in pilot municipality is tasked with providing support and advising the municipal authorities. Moreover, as key body in charge of project implementation it is assigned following duties :
- selection important subject that will be subject of the project and consultations of the citizens.,
- participation in the process of reviewing citizen opinion polls ,
- selection of local micro project that will be funded as part of the projects.,
- participation in monitoring of funded micro projections.
Council for development and protection of local self-governance of the Loznica municipality was set up by the Loznica Municipal Assembly on November 2, 2007. Its constitutive session was held on November 13, 2007.The Council picked up environmental protection as its main topic for the process of consulting opinion of the Loznica citizens
Civic participation in Loznica
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The process of involvement of citizen in local public life in the town of Loznica started by the beginning of autumn 2007 by Council for development and protection of local self-governance's selection of "Environmental protection " for it reviewing subject through participation process. The Council also adopted Action Plan for organization of this process which foresaw three stages in citizen participation - analysis of the situation, identification of priorities and definition of measures and recommendations for the situation improvement. In addition, the important goal of this participation process is to engage representatives of insufficiently involved groups and communities, such as women, young people, old people and ethnic/ national minorities.
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During participation process total of 11 different meetings with citizens were held and poll was run in local community. Over 2000 residents of Loznica took part in these activities. Apart from participation of citizens, the process involved indirectly 81 local communities, NGO and local institutions, the representatives of which took part in conducted activities.
All activities in local community have been organized and conducted by the Community Development Office.
Office stuff
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- Office manager, Danijela Markovic, Bachelor of Sociology (31) from Loznica. ,
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- office secretary, Strahinja Zlatanovic, Bachelor of Law, employed with Office for Local Economic Development. (36) from Loznica.
We take pride in
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- On December 18, 2007 we hosted meeting with presidents of all pilot municipalities involved in the project, representatives of Switzerland Agency for Development and Cooperation, Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities , we are especially honored that our town was on this occasion visited by Switzerland Ambassador , Mr. Wiilhelm Meyer.
- the fact that a high number of citizens of our town took part in hitherto conducted activities. .
