Relacje z efektów projektu w gminach

The case of Iława

a description of the process and results of the project “South Baltic Youth Core Groups Network”

results in short

In Iława, young citizens participated in the decision-making process of the following public decisions and together with the authorities they addressed the following public issues:

• they got to know the City budget and investments planned to be realized in 2019 as well as they consulted the annexe number 3 to the budget of the City project for the year 2019
• they also addressed the topic of the lacking sense of security of the young people in the City as well as they organized an event to popularize/write slogans on the pavements in front of crosswalks for people who are using smartphones
• a scholarship programme for the youth of Iława – they presented the authorities with an answer to the following question: what should a modern scholarship for the youth of Iława look like? As a result of the joint work of the authorities and the young people, changes to the public scholarship programme for the students of the schools of Iława were formulated
• they also addressed public transportation and started the process of discussion about problems and challenges for public transportation in Iława and plans for how to overcome them

the process – a description of undertaken actions

The first debate between authorities and young people – so-called round table – 25 April 2019

The topic of the debate was the changes to the system of scholarship granting to the students of schools in Iława.

The meeting was attended by the authorities: Vice Mayor Dorota Kamińska and President of the City Council Michał Młotek, the youth representatives of the Iława Youth City Council, SIM PCK Iława group, the Orchestra of Iława, schools of Iława as well as the representatives of the following organizations: Przystań Association and the Regional Employment Office of Iława. So far, the process of scholarship granting has been managed by Przystań Association. In recent years, the interest in scholarships among the youth has decreased significantly and this is one of the reasons why the city authorities, starting with Mayor Dawid Kopaczewski, would like to update the form of scholarships.

During the debate, its participants discussed (in separate groups) the following issues:

• What factors of scholarship granting should be taken into consideration and to whom should it be directed, to what age groups?
• What form should the scholarship take?
• Should the financial situation of the scholars be taken into account? If so, how should it be considered?
• What is the overall point of scholarship introduction?

The Youth City Council was asked to collect all the conclusions from the meeting and to prepare, on that basis, their own, cohesive opinion on what the future scholarship granted both by the local government of Iława and Przystań Association should look like. The opinion is supposed to be presented to the City Council – preferably in May (at the latest, until the end of the school year) and then, it should be allowed for in the further works. The authorities pledged to inform the youth about the whole process and its estimated completion, i.e. the implementation of a new system of scholarship for the students in Iława.

The young people presented conclusions and recommendations from the round table at the session of the City Council of Iława – so-called first public hearing – 24 June 2019.

On 24 June 2019, during the Tenth Session of the City Council of Iława, President of the Youth City Centre of Iława Bartek Bielak presented the conclusions and recommendations from the round table, which took place on 25 April 2019, to the city authorities.

The second debate between authorities and young people – so-called round table – 28 October 2019

On 28 October 2019 between 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm, II Discussion Forum took place. It had a form of round table talks and its subject was “Public communication through the eyes of the youth – is it needed?”. The representatives of the Polish Red Cross, the Youth Brass Band, the Youth City Council of Iława and Iława Scouting Association (ZHP) met at the Local Activity Centre in Iława.

During the debate, the participants discussed (in separate groups) the following issues:

• How, in your opinion, should the timetable be adjusted to the young people’s needs?
• How the bus stops should be located? Do they fulfil passengers’ expectations?
• Can you see a need to establish alternative forms of transportation in Iława, such as scooters or city bikes?
• What tasks should public transportation accomplish? Why? For whom? What solutions could improve its functioning?

The local authorities present at the debate summed up the group work and rationalized some of the young people’s ideas. The Mayor promised to use some of the ideas in the works on the changes to the functioning of public transportation in Iława.

The young people presented conclusions and recommendations from the round table at the session of the City Council of Iława – so-called second public hearing – 25 November 2019.

On 25 November 2019, at the session of the City Council of Iława, the results of the round table talks were presented. The Youth City Centre organized the round table on October 28 and its theme was public transportation in a broad view seen from the perspective of the young people.

The main ideas, which were mostly focused on were, among others, the changes in the already existing timetable and the issue of creating new bus stops as well as new bus lines. The discussion also included the idea concerning new ways of paying for transport, such as ticket machines and applications as well as the commuter pass concept. Moreover, the question of new means of transportation such as electric scooters and city bikes was raised. Additionally, the frequency of the changes to the timetables and interconnection of the timetable with the schedule of city schools. All the conclusions were carefully listened to by the City Council members, the Mayor of Iława and his deputies as well as other guests, including managers of the City Hall units.

context

The Youth City Council of Iława was established in the Resolution LVII/673/10 of the City Council of Iława of 13 October 2010 concerning the establishment of the Youth City Council of Iława and Statute granting. The Resolution XXI/327/12 of the City Council of Iława of 28 December 2012 amended the Resolution concerning the establishment of the Youth City Council of Iława and Statute granting.

We worked and created the project together with:

• Mayor Adam Żyliński and Piotr Ambroziak, the Chief of Social Communication Office and the Curator of the Youth City Council (until the local government election in Poland, 21 October 2018)
• new Mayor Dawid Kopaczewski and new Youth City Council Curator Tomasz Woźniak, a councillor of Iława (after the local government election, 21 October 2018).