BACKGROUND
Most citizens do not contact their local governments to discuss issues of concern. Though municipal authorities may verbally agree to citizen priorities, they often do not act upon them. Therefore, citizens are not proactive and remain reluctant to initiate policy improvements. However, with access to information and a good facilitator, citizens have organized themselves to successfully achieve desired outcomes. Community members currently lack opportunities to get to know each other better, understand each other‘s needs and priorities, and build common ground for cooperation and development.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This program is part of USAID North Macedonia’s Local Works initiative that empowers local actors to take the lead in identifying and addressing development challenges in their own communities.
Make a Difference! will focus on nine municipalities in the Eastern Region, beginning with Kochani, Shtip, and Vinica. In each municipality, they are establishing “community colleges” and “youth banks” to bring community members together to identify, prioritize, and implement community actions, and come up with creative ways to mobilize resources. The community colleges comprise prominent community members that local citizens know and trust, including religious leaders, private business owners, and school directors, among others.
The youth banks are led and facilitated by youth, focusing on issues of concern to young people. They focus on knowledge and skills development, encouraging youth to become active citizens who lead positive changes in their communities.
EXPECTED RESULTS AND IMPACT
- Local actors will have greater ability to reach out to and engage citizens and other relevant stakeholders.
- Local actors will be more engaged in identifying and prioritizing community issues and opportunities.
- The number of effective local partnerships among local actors will increase.
- Mobilization of all types of resources (funding, in-kind, labor) for local development purposes will increase.
- Sustainable locally led development models will be replicated in other communities.
