Local Democracy Agencies - Activity report 2016

Meeting with Victor Liakh – East Europe Foundation (EEF) President was one of the most important ones. We got to know who won the project DOBRE (as it was mentioned above) – this is the American organization Global Communities, here is its link on their web: http://www.globalcommunities.org/ukraine. EEF is working on the E-government, also on the communication between MPs and local self-government.

At the meeting with Colombe De Mercey – Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, Sector manager Civil Society and Media – we mostly talked about CHOICE project. Nino Tvaltvadze promised to send all documentation concerning the project for Delegation to stay updated on this issue.

Meeting in IRI with Stephanie Shackelford and Michael R. Druckman was also very constructive and interesting. LDA Dnipro got interested in trainings by the local Dnipro IRI office for LAs, organizing national conferences, exchanges, also CSO representatives and young politicians. In that sphere IRI is doing the polling researches and is working with the political parties.

LDA Dnipro approached the local IRI office and had a talk to Yuriy Seliverstov, local Director. Yuriy confirmed that it is still possible to cooperate, but maybe next year, because IRI Dnipro has insufficient funds to provide trainings on our demand. But we’re constantly in contact with IRI. On July 5th there was a meeting in Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration with the Head of International Affairs Department, Mr. Malosai, and his colleagues. We discussed the possible ways of cooperation, but not as productive as it could be. The motivation for the State Administration to conduct this meeting was speeches made by Antonella Valmorbida and Nino Tvaltvadze earlier, during their visit to Dnipro.

On the 7th of July, in Gdansk, Kirill Batalov presented LDA activities and just the role of LDA in Ukraine as a local NGO with such a valuable ALDA and its partners’ support. That was the first meeting concerning the establishment of LDA Odessa and a search for possible partners. At the event there were very important participants like the Mayor of Gdansk, Paweł Adamowicz, as well as his Deputy, Piotr Kowalczuk and the staff, ALDA was represented by Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General, Imislava Gorska, Board member, Nino Tvaltvadze, EaP Coordinator. From Odessa we had Anrii Krupnik, Former Head of All-Ukrainian Association of Civic Self-Organization Promotion, and Association staff online via Skype. It was decided to develop future LDA Odessa Action Plan with the possibility to involve all interested stakeholders.

On July 20th Anzhelika Pylypenko had a meeting with Stephanie Shackelford – IRI, Resident program Officer – in Dnipro, at which they discussed the previously agreed issues on cooperation. There can be drafted a training project together with ALDA, IRI and LDA Dnipro on the topics like Democratic cooperation basement for community activists and local authorities. IRI will support with the trainers, as well as ALDA can provide its experts in this issue mentioned. LDA can become a platform to conduct such trainings. Also, IRI suggested us to present LDA at their events here in Ukraine, to participate in different activities according to LDA Dnipro priorities.

As the parallel process happening in June and July, LDA was involved in preparation of all documentation concerning the will of Dnipro City Council to become ALDA member. The International Department of the City Council approached the LDA seeking for consultancy in proper organization of this process. As a result, on the 27th of July, the decision of Dnipro City Council on the ALDA membership was confirmed at the City Council Session by the majority of its Members.

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