Let's Learn Democracy!
The Municipality of Alsónémedi had organized the Town Twinning citizen's meeting between the 11 and 17 of August 2017. Alsónémedi has invited its twinned partner, Nagyajta from Romania, Demir Kapija from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Pelplin from Poland, Xghajra from Malta and the Protect the Future, a hungarian NGO. We had a new partner in this project, Mysia Culture and Art Centre Youth and Sport Club from Burhaniye, Turkey. (Unfortunatly our italian partner from Colletorto couldnt take part in this event.)
The aim of the project is to foster European citizenship and to improve conditions for civic and democratic participation at local level, to get to know the best practices of the involving citizens, awareness of decision-making tools, such as participatory democracy and citizens' council. To teach each other and learn from our partners in order to that lessons learned at the local level we can apply at EU also.
The main aim of the program is to intensify the participation of the citizens, to this we teach methods, we present best practices and during the workshops and trainings we enhance the active communication based on the equal relations in the delegations.
The Protect the Future (Védegylet) was our professional partner in the implementation of the program. The Protect the Future promote citizens' participation in all levels of decision-making and creative action on environmental issues, food, energy and local eco-economy. They evolved from being an advocacy group to being an incubator and resource centre for pro-democracy, pro-environment, pro-diversity citizens' initiatives. Also provide organizational, developmental and practical project support and expertise for Communities in Transition. They believe in learning by doing and mentor those creating change through community action. They help communities (urban youth, Roma, eco-village, and remote rural communities) to transfer experience, skills development, external communication, fund-raising and coalition-building. They cooperate with local municipalities on climate issues through the Union of Climate Friendly Settlements, and co-founded with the Hungarian Transition HUB.
All of this experiements and knowledge we wanted to pass to the participants in order to be able to apply them in their own community.
During the project, they could demonstrate their own good practices, and in the future we would like to continue the work in their own town, start or continue cooperation between the local government and civil organizations in order to adapt these experiements to their own circumstances. That is why we want to continue online contact in the future.
(For more picture click to the photo)
Alsónémedi village is 950 years old in 2017, so the jubilee occasion we wanted to further express that Alsónémedi is a democratic and European settlement, open and inclusive society with active residents.
The programs also focused on the volunteering and another important goal is to refresh the cultural relationship between the towns. Other major focus was on our traditions, our cultural values, the benefits of cultural diversity.
We wanted to show a small section of the history, gastronomy and culture of Hungary and Alsónémedi.
The trip to Budapest and the Danube Bend, the wine tasting, the common cooking, the football match between nations and the jubilee celebration of the settlement, the exhibitions from the work of local artists in the renewed Culture Centre, the Holy Mass served to achieve these goals. Among the cultural programs, however, the presentation of the rockopera "State Founders" emerged, where more than 200 people participated and demonstrated the power of the real community and a sense of belonging to the EU.
Partners
Municipality of Alsónémedi (Alsónémedi, Hungary) - 948668246
Protect the Future (Budapest, Hungary) - 941002821
Municipality of Nagyajta (Nagyajta, Romania) - 938827984
Municipality of Demir Kapija (Demir Kapija, Republic of Macedonia) - 937381908
Municipality of Xghajra (Xghajra, Malta) - 936767025
Association of Pelplin's Heritage (Pelplin, Poland) - 947311022
Mysia Cultural Centre and Arts Youth and Sport Club (Burhaniye, Turkey) - 911233521
Program
| Date | Program |
| 11/08/2017 | Guests arrive |
| 12/08/2017 | Sightseeing in Budapest |
| 13/08/2017 | Celebration in Alsónémedi |
| 14/08/2017 | Let's Learn Democracy! - Workshop and community activities in Alsónémedi |
| 15/08/2017 | Excursion to the Danube Bend |
| 16/08/2017 | Transforming Movements in Wekerle - workshop |
| 17/08/2017 | Evaluation, Departure |
Memories from Pelplin (Poland):
Video message from Burhaniye/Turkey
Congratulations to the Mysia Cultural Center Youth and Sports Club, which participated in Balıkesir's folk dance competitions with 3 groups where two first and one second prizes won!
Cikk a Tempus Közalapítvány disszeminációs kiadványában:
Workshop prezentation from Demir Kapija:
Info templates:
