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Looking for self-management and direct democracy boosters

Looking for self-management and direct democracy boosters

Kongres Ruchów Miejskich (Congress of Urban Movements)

Proposal abstract

We will invite young scientists from universities to present their proposals to us. We will choose a person or a team who will undertake the task of preparing a comparative analysis of the systems of European cities. The aim of the study will be to answer the question of what legal and organizational solutions facilitate and hinder civic engagement as well as self-management and direct democracy. The study will be in English. We will share them with the entire EMN community. We will then organize an online conference to discuss together what actions to take to change our cities in this direction.

Who we are

CONGRESS OF URBAN MOVEMENTS is a grassroods and voluntary agreement of activists associated in several dozen urban movements from over 30 Polish cities. • We build mutual cooperation networks. • We create places for the exchange of information, mutual support and improving the competences of Congress members. • We create a platform of knowledge about the city and good urban practices. • We support institutions working for the sustainable development of cities. • We monitor and initiate the implementation of legal regulations and political practices to make these activities pro-social, fair and environmentally friendly in cities.

What we want to do and how we will do it

We will announce a competition inquiry at Polish universities with an invitation to submit abstracts of a review of European city systems. The study will include: – Implementation of the principle of subsidiarity and co-governance – axiological foundations – Mechanisms of direct democracy and self-management – Municipal electoral law – The role of the executive body versus the representative (legislative) body – Independence of the city against state authority – Correlation between the level of civic involvement and indicators characterizing the city system. We will appoint a jury headed by a university professor involved in our movement to select a contractor. The study in English together with the recommendations will be forwarded to the EMN community with a request for dissemination. We will organize an online conference to discuss the actions that need to be taken. In Poland, we will set up a working group that will prepare a local action plan. We will propose our organizations to present the report’s recommendations as their demands during the 2024 municipal election campaign.

How much money do we need and what for?

Total 3000 EUR 2800 EUR – fee for the preparation of the report 200 EUR – promotion of the project (social media, streaming, video and graphics) We will do the rest of the work free of charge.

Why / How does it contribute to /reflects the municipalism principles

More self-management and direct democracy is needed in our cities. We want to help all those who are trying to change cities in this direction. We will review city systems to look for organizational and legislative factors that facilitate this. It is about solutions that facilitate the activity of residents, make people feel like the owners of cities. We also intend to answer the question of what legislative solutions block the initiative and involvement of residents. We will share the study with all interested parties and start a discussion on the action plan.

Materials

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