12 initiatives supported by Community initiatives in the “active Community Latgale – 2023”
In order to strengthen the Community's Latgale region, the association “Centre for Education Initiatives”, in cooperation with the British Council representation in Latvia, organised a Community initiative in the “active Community Latgale – 2023”. The deadline for the submission of Community initiatives was concluded on 5 March and 42 applications were submitted in total. Following the evaluation of the initiatives, financial support for the implementation of activities is decided to be awarded to 12 Latgale organisations and groups of active population from the municipality of Kraslava, Preilu and Rezekne and Daugavpils.
During the preparatory phase, participants in the competition were required to participate in online training aimed at helping the active citizens and organisations of the Community of Latgale to improve the skills necessary for the planning and implementation of Community initiatives. More than 100 stakeholders participated in the training. During the sessions, the participants defined the challenges in their communities and the desired change, set up the Community's development objectives and the results to be achieved, and developed their own project ideas. 42 applications from various non-governmental organisations, museums, municipalities, including educational institutions as well as informal groups of the population were submitted to the competition.
Financial support for the implementation of activities received 12 initiatives: the Kraslava municipality “happily Indra”, the municipal authority “Dagda Cultural Centre”, the Priežmala Community, the Dagda Active Population Group and the Indra Secondary School Support Society “School with the Future”; the Community initiatives of the municipality of Preiles will be implemented by the association “new wings” and the foundation “Central Latgale District Fund”; in Daugavpils City – association “Latgaleite”, Daugavpils Population Initiative Group and 26 th Pre-school Education Institution; Rezekne municipality – Dekšāres parish council.
The ideas of the Community initiatives presented to the competition contribute to the involvement and participation of local populations in a wide variety of ways, such as the creation of efficient and sustainable food-use habits in the Community or a combination of the various groups of local populations that have become less active in Ukraine after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and war. Several initiatives focus on cooperation between the various communities, strengthening mutual trust among different age and sex people, children and young people, and the cohesion of the Community to work together so that each can be proud of progress and progress. Supported Community initiatives strengthen human responsibility for the lives of their families, families and people, confidence in their own forces and encourage positive changes in local communities.
The competition of the Communities' initiatives is part of the “active Community” initiative of the “Centre for Education Initiatives”, which was launched in Latgale in 2019 in cooperation with the British Council representation in Latvia and Latgale municipalities. More than 100 institutions and organisations have been involved in the implementation of the initiative, as well as around 2000 participants, educational seminars and workshops for teachers and Community activists, strengthening cooperation, civic participation and co-responsibility skills, and motivation to implement joint activities to improve their living environment. The initiative is implemented under the People to People Cultural Engagement programme. The aim of the programme is to support local community activities which contribute to the cohesion of society.
More on the “active Community” initiative: https://iic.lv/projekti/darbigas-kopienas/
More about British Council activities in Latvia are looking for www.britishcouncil.lv