The First Community Forum was Held in the village of Kurtovo Konare
Monday, 13 July 2009
On July 09th, 2009 in the village of Kurtovo Konare was held the first community Forum where important local community issues were identified and their solution will be sought in the forthcoming months. The Forum was opened by Mrs. Emilia Shusharova at Chitalishte "Luben Karavelov" in the presence of representatives of the local authorities - Mr. Ivan Pirinov, Mayor of Kurtovo Konare and Ms. Petya Paldamova, Secretary of Stambolyiski Municipality. Ms. Bojidara Ilieva, AGORA Platform Program Coordinator briefly presented the project in the framework of which the current Forum has been held - "Activating Communities through the Chitalishta in Bulgaria", supported by America for Bulgaria Foundation. Following that Mrs. Shusharova shared what preparatory work has been done by the Chitalishte team until now.
In the beginning of July 2009 the Chitalishte team conducted a survey among 41 community members using a questionnaire to gather the necessary information to launch the Forum. The Forum participants agreed upon the proposed community significance criteria the issues should meet.
The main problems recognized by the people in the community came out of the questionnaire analysis presented. Some of the problems are: lack of sewerage system, healthcare, infrastructure and agriculture issues, environmental pollution, lack of information about the work of the municipal administration, lack of places and monuments of collective memory, etc. In the discussion process a new problem has emerged - security of the residents - and was written down in the list of important community problems. The will for change of the current situation and the opportunity to have an honest dialogue were the guiding threads during the Forum. All that is a serious request for effective future actions.
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