Форуми во заедницата

   Forum Session Two in the Community Forums Programme was held on Wednesday, June 11, at the Army Home in Strumica, in the presence of 95 citizens.
  The Session demonstrated that the goals and priorities of citizens can already be clearly seen in accordance with the global topic of Local Economic Development identified by the citizens on Session Zero.

   Through presentation of problems and by looking for solutions for public spaces, infrastructure, and education and public awareness raising, the participants along with the implementers debated on this Forum session over why they proposed those issues and why they wanted them addressed.
   According to Violeta Golubova, staff member at the Center for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired, the Community Forums Programme can hel solve a lot of problems.
   However, as she points out, in the development of the final project citizens must think globally rather than individually, because the benefits of the final project which will be selected for implementation should be felt by all citizens of the Strumica region.
   The second forum session demonstrated that some of the proposed problems are feasible and can result in project proposals. Representatives of the urban planning department of the Strumica municipality indicated that some problems are already in the process of being addressed by the municipal authorities.
According to them, some of the problems cannot be looked into because the municipality has no mandate over them since the locations are private property.
   One of such proposed problems is the retirement home which cannot be constructed in the desired location because the facility is privately owned.
   The problems examined by the citizens of Strumica included: a skate park, mountaineering tracks with road signs, new access ramps, as well as sports facilities where young people would be able to spend their free time and exercise.
   The previous sessions resulted in the creation of 10 work tables and workgroups that will explore the defined problems, and in the next sessions come up with specific solutions and projects.
   The Community Forums Programme aims at strengthening the participatory involvement of citizens who, by means of their own ideas, suggest solutions for municipal problems, which are transformed into specific results.