IAPSS Theme of the Year 2010

"Local Democracy for combating poverty and social exclusion", is a one year international-wide initiative. It's designed, to empower youth, to deliberate on the role of local government in building local democracy and support involving marginalized groups in local self-government and decision-making process.

Description:

"Local Democracy for combating poverty and social exclusion" will include a series of 12 integrated actions, run by IAPSS Association Members, taking place from March 2010 to March 2011.The main components of the initiative are interactive democratic innovations and awareness raising campaigns :

1) kick-off local stakeholders meeting ;

2) youth initiated consultative exercises ( participatory theatre, community visioning, focus group and petition) ;

3) International 13th IAPSS Academic Conference -"Whirlpool politics" (11-17 April, Leiden- the Netherlands) ;

4) local conference on democratic innovations : improving opportunities for politically marginalized groups? ;

5) local convention on the role of local governments in national strategies against poverty and social exclusion ;

6) youth initiated deliberative exercises (deliberative opinion polls, study circles, democs and democracy café) ;

7) bringing local democracy to high school ;

8) youth enhancing local co-governance mechanisms ( youth councils, participatory appraisal and participatory budgeting, poverty observatories-social inclusion units) ;

9) week of local democracy ( 10-15 October) ;

10) International IAPSS Annual Academic Conference-"Local Democracy for combating poverty and social exclusion"( October, York - United Kingdom) ;

11) local awareness-raising campaigns;

12) students academic research on local democracy and democratic innovations (collecting and monitoring data, comparative analysis, handbook and resource tools for local governments)

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