Program

Program

ACTIVE CITIZENS – ACCOUNTABLE AND TRANSPARENT MUNICIPALITIES

In 2012 ATRC started the implementation of the project Active Citizens – Accountable and Transparent Municipalities, which is funded by the Olof Palme International Centre. The project aimed to increase citizen’s participation in decision-making processes in the municipalities of Gjilan, Vitina, Kamenica and Novo Brdo.

The project seeks to contribute to democratic stabilization and further development of Kosovo by supporting selected municipalities in empowerment of civil society groups, establishing improved public officials and citizens relations and facilitate accountable mechanisms of local level governance for citizen engagement in decision-making, resulting in an increased transparency.

Furthermore, the project aims to provide citizens with increased opportunity to influence their living conditions by engaging in civil society activism and pushing for changes in building democracy from bottom up. Considering that the democratization is a multifold process, the proposed approach will be of a multidimensional character, aiming to: a) establish and encourage grass-root advocacy groups to professionalize their activities to become more determined and effective in influencing the policies, political agendas, and the decision-making process in their municipalities; b) to initiate functional partnerships between citizens and local authorities by raising their awareness about inclusive democratic values, reached through mutual beneficial cooperation and sustainable dialogue; and c) to establish sustainable effective participatory practices between citizens and their municipalities for more transparent, accountable, and responsive local governments.