As part of the project “Strengthening rural voices and strengthening rural communities for a sustainable future”, a cycle of “MZ Academy” workshops was successfully implemented, intended for representatives of local communities, civil society organizations and active citizens from local communities.
The workshops were held in Doboj, Tešnja and Teslić and gathered more than 60 participants from the project local communities (Ševarlije, Makljenovac, Bobare, Jelah and Kamenica), with the aim of strengthening their knowledge and skills in the areas of citizen participation, community mobilization, advocacy and mutual networking.
Through an interactive and practically oriented approach, the participants worked on concrete challenges from their communities. The focus of the workshops was on the development of tools and approaches that enable more effective involvement of citizens in decision-making processes, as well as the initiation and implementation of local initiatives. During the workshops, the participants are:
• analyzed the key obstacles for the active participation of citizens and defined possible solutions,
• developed citizen mobilization plans and communication strategies,
• practiced how to present initiatives to local authorities through structured advocacy messages,
• simulated meetings with local government representatives,
• worked on establishing a model of cooperation and networking between local communities,
• defined and further elaborated specific local initiatives aimed at solving recognized problems in their communities.
It is especially important to point out that the participants through the workshops had the opportunity to develop initiatives that directly respond to the real needs of their local communities, thus ensuring a clear transition from learning to practical application.
The focus is also on the development of an informal platform for the cooperation of local communities, as a sustainable mechanism for the exchange of information, experiences and joint action. In this sense, one of the specific results of the workshops is the establishment of a digital platform through a joint Facebook page, through which representatives of partner local communities will exchange information, promote initiatives and strengthen the visibility of activities in local communities.
In front of the GEA Center for Research and Studies, the workshops were led by experienced experts for local development and work with communities, who through practical exercises and facilitation enabled the participants to develop concrete solutions applicable in their daily work.
Realization of the “MZ Academy” represents an important step towards strengthening the role of local communities as a space for active civic participation, dialogue and joint resolution of local challenges.
These activities are implemented within the project “Strengthening trust and cohesion in communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina – We can do better” financed by the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments of the European Union within the Instrument for Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation, and implemented jointly by the European Union, the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Council of Europe – Office in Sarajevo.