Local Democracy

 

The democratical function of the society is an essential human need in 21th century’s modern Europe, so it is necessary to obtain validity to it, not only formally but locally as well.
Local democracy does not exist without local civil sphere and active citizens.

In the 90s the signs and the reasons of the resurgent local civil sector’s weakness were well-known, other problems were the low citizen participation rate, distrust, and frustration.
In spite of all these in an average city hundreds of NGO-s are functioning, however, with a low number of members.
From time to time, these local organizations try to set their corporative body in the hope of collective action, and from year onto year they also set about the demolition of this body. The life of the local NGO co-operation is short, the formation and the termination of them show special dynamics. This failure has several consequences, maybe the most important is that the non-existent, extinct civil co-operation cannot compensate the power trespasses of the local elite, and cannot ensure the civil control on an organizational level. Interest Groups in partnership would have a significant mediator role between the local politics and the resident population; however, nowadays it can only materialize in few questions.
In spite of the failure the civil organizations urge the co-operation. Not only is it because they are aware of the fact that they are weak and undeveloped alone, but the pressure of the local government has also a great role in creating such organizations.
The local democracy deficit should be reduced by the amplification of civil organizations.

Present projects:

  • Szurikáta – The allowance of local democratic deficit in Székesfehérvár
  • The amplification of local civil competence in Székesfehérvár
  • Training program about the support of local community initiatives in the Central-Transdanubia Region
  • Hang(ok)oskodó – student newspaper edited on CD for the amplification of the publicity

Finished projects:

  • Civil Mentor Program (2004-2005)
  • Survey on the needs of CISZ members and the facility of Civil House (2004)
  • Communal methods for the boost of local democracy
  • The edition of Civiltár in Székesfehérvár (2003-2004)
  • Training programs for the associations of South-Transdanubia Region (2000-2001)
  • Failures and challenges – making a theoretical study about the autonomous youth politicy (1999)
  • the improvement of student’s attitude in Veszprém (1998)
  • 3K program for the school publicity (1997-1998)
  • The examination of validation of interest channels in Veszprém and Tatabánya (1998)
  • Potential models for the the integration of the youth into the self-governing decisions in Veszprém (1998)
  • Student Right Office Program (1997)
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