In spite of this high concentration of people, local citizens did not have any source of information (local newspaper, radio, TV, etc.) This project significantly improved citizens’ awareness of community life and contributed to their active participation in decision making processes. Background
Civic association Citizens Action in Nitra decided to increase citizens’ awareness of life in their local community of the biggest neighborhood in Nitra, Sloakia. The target group of this project were all citizens of the Klokočina neighborhood, but mainly adults and youths. Citizens Action raised 15 000 Slovak crowns (USD 500) for this project.
About the organization
For detailed information about the organization please visit www.ova.sk , more info about project you could find on www.klokocina.sk.
Concept
The main goal of this project was to create content and structure a new community web site that could be used by citizens of the biggest neighborhood in Nitra.
Insuring proper content and operation of the website were important conditions for citizens’ awareness of community life and contributed to their active participation in citizens’ life.
The operation and actualization of the website work on the partnership principle between citizens, NGOs working in the neighborhood and local government.
Maintenance of the website is financed from the grant that the Civic association received from Community Foundation in Nitra.Goals
Long terms goals:
• To create conditions for involving citizens of Klokočina neighborhood into solving of problems that are touching their life in community
• To empower partnership principles and active participation of citizens on decision making processes
• To ensure cross-sectoral cooperation between local government and public, non government, educational and business organizations in solving the practical problems of the big neighborhood
Short terms goals:
• To evoke interest of citizens in the neighborhood and actively influence life in the community where they live, work and spend their free time
• To develop communication between NGOs, citizens and local government about possibilities of problem solving in the biggest neighborhood of the city
Activities and project implementation
Activity 1: Organization of the initial planning meeting of the members of Civic association Citizens Action Nitra and others stakeholders that helped with the creation of the website. During that meeting the tasks, competencies and responsibilities were assigned. Also a detailed plan of the project realization was prepared.
Activity 2: Creation of the structure and content of the website. During this key activity, civic association’
Activity 3: Technical assistance of the website. The web hosting and design of the website was ensured. In the same time, we trained 10 activists from local young people with some PC skills who will actualize the website.
Activity 4: Start of the website. During this activity we started the trial run of the web site that eventually came into the fully operated web site.
Activity 5: Promotion of the website. During this activity we tried to promote the website among local people as much as possible. We distributed the information leaflets to mail boxes and put the information posters on the most frequent public places. We also gave information materials to the members of partner organizations in the neighborhood.
Usefulness of the project for the community
The project was oriented on the mutual participation and communication between the target groups:
• Citizens of the Klokočina neighborhood in Nitra
• Representatives of the nongovernmental organizations that have an interest to contribute to the future vision of the neighborhood
• Representatives of the local government for whom improvement of the quality life of citizens should be one of their priorities
• Independent experts on the local level that are specialized in the field of community development, education, drugs prevention, etc.
Our long term aim was to achieve maximum involvement of local people into all strategic decisions concerning the neighborhood. Citizens of the neighborhood are receiving through the website important information from the community life; they could lead the discussion forums, comment on the decisions of the city concerning the neighborhood, etc.
Results and Lessons learned
Citizens of the neighborhood have the possibility to receive through the website important information from the community life; lead the discussion forums, comment on the decisions of the city concerning the neighborhood, share opinions with others, etc. Ten NGOs that are active in the neighborhood are involved to the project and contribute with information to the website content.
Participation of young people that were trained is not as high as we expected. We do not have enough financial sources for professional maintenance of the web site. Editing of the website is done by the volunteers, we miss a manager who will be able to fully utilize the capacity of the community website.
Recommendations
We will be glad to share all our experiences with development and maintenance of the community website. As basic recommendations we could offer:
• Be consistent in the selection of proper partners who will regularly contribute to the website with their information (text, photos, suggestions of community surveys, etc.)
• Do not forget that even thought this is a project on the voluntary base for its sustainability we need financial sources. It will be suitable if at least one person will work as a full time administrator of the website who will also make contact with the business sector in order to place their advertisements on the website as one of the financial sources.
Contacts information
Citizens Action – Nitra
Nedbalova 17, 949 01 Nitra
Slovakia
E-mail: ova@zmail.sk
Web site: www.klokocina.sk
