A large-scale Interregional Forum of Local Self-Governments, organized by the Poltava Regional Association of Local Self-Governments, the Poland-Ukraine Self-Government Cooperation Convention, was held in Poltava on September 21-22 with the assistance and full support of Poltava Regional Council and Poltava Regional State Administration. The forum was the result of the project “Course of public consultations for local self-governments in the Poltava region”, implemented by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation under the RITA-Changes in the region program. The purpose of the forum is to create a permanent platform for exchange of experience, and contacts between local self-governments on the introduction of public consultation, adaptation to Ukrainian conditions, implementation of a cooperation model between government and non-governmental organizations at the local and interregional levels. The above course will help improve the quality of preparation of management decisions in the field of local self-government, taking into account public opinion, creating conditions for community members’ participation in the development of such decisions drafts.
The Interregional Forum was attended by First Deputy Head of the Poltava Regional Council Oleksandr Lemeshko, Deputy Head of the Poltava Regional Council Liliia Ruroieva, Director of the Poland-Ukraine Convention on Self-Government Cooperation Office Katarzyna Klavsyuts, Expert of the Poland-Ukraine Self-Government Convention Office Tomasz Kovalyk, and Executive Director of the Poltava Regional Association of Local Self-Government Bodies Volodymyr Mykiichuk.
According to the First Deputy Head of the Poltava Regional Council Oleksandr Lemeshko, the importance of holding the Interregional Forum in the Poltava region is difficult to overestimate, since ensuring effective interaction of local self-governments with the public of the region, studying relevant European experience are necessary prerequisites for further development as well as economic, cultural and educational prosperity of the progressive Poltava region communities.
“We will learn from our Polish partners how to listen to communities, what exactly needs to change, what are today’s challenges. The advice of our friends is apposite. Already in practice, public discussions were held in Karlivska, Reshetylivska, and Opishnianska communities. In particular, communities y residents expressed their views on community development. We also actively implement public budgets with the support of local self-governments and the public,” – outlined Deputy Head of the Poltava Regional Council, Liliia Ruroieva.
The Forum was attended by more than fifty representatives of the communities of the Poltava region, Uman district of Cherkasy region and the town of Brovary, Kyiv region, who shared their own experience of cooperation between government and non-governmental organizations. The participants of the Forum got acquainted with the presentations of local self-governments of the Poltava region and the experience of project activities of Reshetylivska, Karlivska, and Opishnianska territorial communities.
Students of the “Law” and “Public Administration” specialties of the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” willingly joined the discussions and exchange of impressions after the speeches of individual speakers, as well as practiced in the intellectual game “Democracy Recipes” and worked effectively in “World Café” format.
“We are glad that we were able to join such a large-scale event in the public life of the Poltava region, we understand the enormous experience gained and practical skills obtained, unique opportunities for youth to communicate with experienced experts and representatives of leading communities in Ukraine and Poland.
Poltava region is a powerful investment-attractive region, where pilot educational, socio-economic and cultural projects are implemented, so the acquired practical knowledge will definitely be beneficial for future specialists in the field of public administration and jurisprudence. The synergy of interaction between theory and practice gives its positive results,” – commented Candidate of Science in Public Administration, Associate Professor of the Department of Public Governance, Administration and Law of the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, Inna Kulchii. Within the framework of dual, practice-oriented education, students took the experience of Polish communities as a positive motivating example to study.
It should be recalled that Dariusz Pawiszczy, wójt (mayor) of the Polish gmina (community) Gromadka, told university students about municipal governance in Poland as well as opportunities for community development, and lecturers of the Department of Public Governance, Administration and Law held a thematic discussion "From community to community" dedicated to Local Self-Government Day.
Media Center of
National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
