The Foundation for Partnership and Civil Society Development
The Conference: Public policies as the initiatior of Civil Society development
Very interesting Conference that contributed the raisement of consciousment about the importance of public policies helded at 5th of April in Pula. This unusual topic which is the subject matter these days, in the further period is also expected to be in the focus of different discussions and arguments. Public policies are not the breaking news, they were created in a longer period, but the focus of the Conference was directed on creating the public policies for local communities development in partnership with the civil sector. Along with the experts from the Faculty of political science in Zagreb: dr. Anka Kekez Koštro and Mario Munta; the civil society, public sector and academic community representatives, students and professors of high schools in Pula got the chance to meet the basic terminology and the important phases of the public policies process. Tomislav Koroman from the EU Parlament Office in Croatia underlined the importance of voting on the upcoming EU Parlament elections, distinguishing the importance of interacting with young people when it comes to European elections, which are, recording to examples, often the initiators of the creative approach of raisment of the public awerness about the election of their representatives in the European goverment structure. Guests got the chance to hear a few good practice examples about the influences on the European, national and on the local level.
The importance of Ecology and sustainable development issues was distinguished by the longtime activist and the volunteer of The Eko Kvarner Association Vjeran Piršić. On the transnational level, Piršić advocates about the sustainable development, the importance of ecological approach, the renewable energy resources and the waste care, and he also participates on the various international and educational seminars as the mentor and teacher. He highlighted the importance of bravery and persistence in order of accomplishing the wanted goals.
Ana Žufić, the Senior Associate for EU project in the Community of Medulin presented the strategical document „Local Youth program of The Community of Medulin 2014. - 2020.“ establishing the local policy process as the importante part of the document as the mover of the cooperative dialog among all acter of local public bodies and decision makers, public institutions, local comittees and the and the Youth associations. Dr. Anka Kekez Koštro briefly presented the National strategy of equality for persons with disabilities as one the national policies in Croatia.
Program followed The Panel discussion (participants: dr. Anka Kekez Koštro, Faculty of political science, The University of Zagreb; Helga Može' Glavan, the director of Foundation of partnership and civil society development; Mario Munta, the assistant professor on the Public policies and public EU policies, Faculty of political science, The University of Zagreb; Kristina Afrić Rakitovac from the Faculty of economic and tourism „Dr. Mijo Mirković Pula“ and Tomislav Korman, EU Parlament Office in Croatia), which topic were the public policies as the importance factor of local communities development based on the decisiones in the social and health care sector, retired persons, young people, sports, culture, ecc. as the helping tools to influence EU public policies on local community level. Regarding all decisiones that are made in Bruxelles, the inputs arriving from the member states, EU Parlament mandatories, comitee members, civil society organizations and other institutions through which is importante to participate. EU Parlament mandatories are the main link connecting the local community and Bruxelles. Further, the Civil society role into the local communities development is huge and their representatives are very well known by the needs 'on the field' and because of the knowledge, also the longtime experience, they should be a cocreator of public policies. Today's public policy should be seen through the 4 helix model, i order to stregthen all the sectors in the public policy process.
The panelists also refered about the term of trust as any cooperation and productivity basement, considering the coruption and the other challengies which Europe is facing these days: in ideological and political sense, also the transitional and economical one.
All the participants highlighted the importance of voting on the forthcoming EU elections, as the chance to select the persons that are representing our interests, that are making decisions and participating in public policies process for wellbeing our contries and our local communities.
After the morning section, followed the workshop about the public policies making during which dr. Anka Kekez Koštro thoroughly explained the process of public policies creation.
The Conference was organized by The Foundation for partnership and civil society development and Europe Direct Information Centre Pula-Pola.