Local Democracy Talks

Conversaciones sobre la democracia local: igualdad de género “¿Los líderes de género gobiernan

nuestras ciudades?”

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This webinar explores how local inclusion in post-conflict societies can both strengthen democracy and reinforce divisions – and what to do about it.

It addresses challenges with community participation at the local by:
- A research presentation by authors Hanna Leonardsson and Jean-Bosco Habyarimana, on key findings and implications of the study.
- Insider perspectives from Machakos County government by Augustine Kyalo Mutiso, on Kenyan decentralization and community engagement.
- Discussion/Q&A focused on the role of civil society in alternative pathways for influence, and on challenges presented by varying decentralization structures.

Read more about the project “Whose voice matters for what?”
Research report: https://icld.se/en/publications/whose-voice-matters-inclusion-in-local-decision-making-in-kenya-and-lebanon-2/
Policy brief: https://icld.se/en/publications/whose-voice-matters-inclusion-in-local-decision-making-in-kenya-and-lebanon/

ICLD Local Democracy Talks are live streamed high-level panels for constructive dialogue and exchange of experiences among leading local politicians and experts to strengthen democratic governance. See our other talks here: https://icld.se/en/events/local-democracy-talks/

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This panel brings together world-known mayors that have used a feminist lens to address complex problems their cities faced: climate change, health inequity, poverty, increasing violence, unequal access to care, among others. These mayors have transformed their cities and challenged the status quo using a feminist approach. So, what is a feminist city? What impact do feminist policies have? How are they to everyone’s benefit? What can we learn from their experiences?

The online event was hekd on Women's Day 8 March 2023

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Local democracy Talks

Conventional security discourses did not predict the magnitude and endurance of resistance efforts in Ukraine, considering the asymmetry between Russia and Ukraine in terms of military capacity. Based on our own research on local democracy in Ukraine, we propose that sweeping decentralization reforms combined with widespread multipronged democratic innovations, including a digital transformation of the state, in recent years has significantly contributed to Ukraine’s resilience. The purpose of the event is to revisit the state of Ukrainian local democracy before the war and discuss how this has contributed to the resilience and problem-solving capacity that we see today.

 In this event, we aim to identify major underlying factors that account for the support for and engagement with the state, civil society, and business in Ukraine, with a specific eye to previous achievements and practices on the local level of governance, much of which has continued to function even through the war.

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The Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) supports local democracy in Ukraine through municipal partnerships, training and research. In this talk we will have a conversation among scholars and local government officials in Ukraine to provide insights on:

How are local governments affected by the current situation?
How are local governments adapting to meet the needs of their citizens?
What are the barriers and opportunities that they experience for peacebuilding from below?
This seminar is jointly organised by the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD), the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), and Malmö Association of Foreign Affairs.

Panelists:

Valentina Poltavets, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities

Ulyana Pak, elected city councillor in Lviv

Kristina Levyska, Deputy Director of Department of Humanitarian Policy, city of Kamjanets-Podilskyj

Mariia Tyshchenko, PhD, Associate professor Kyiv National Economic University, director of the NGO “PORUCH” and mentor of ICLD training programme.

Tomila Lankina, London School of Economics

Yana Brovdiy, Officer, Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR)

Final remarks: Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, Local Government Information Unit (LGIU)

Moderator: Tymofii Brik, PhD, assistant professor at Kyiv School of Economics and director of the Center for Sociological Research – Decentralization and Local development studies

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Why is the women’s formal participation and leadership so low in Tanzania?

Welcome to a Local Democracy Talks in Tanzania - a live streamed discussion with panelists representing local governments, faith-based institutions, civil society, UN Women and the Government of Tanzania. The discussion will be moderated by Aidan Eyakuze, Executive Director Twaweza.

Date and time:
21 October 09.00-10.15 CET, 10.00-11.15 EAT

Questions to be raised:
Women’s formal participation and leadership at the local level in Tanzania is low- why is it so? And what strategies are there to address the concerns?

How can we increase women’s local participation and leadership in the economic, political and religious domains?

How can culture and religion contribute to increased formal participation and leadership by women? Are there any good examples and best practices?

Organizers: ICLD together with Swedish Embassy in Tanzania and Act Church of Sweden

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This high-level panel brings together a group of leading politicians from Sweden, Spain, and Ukraine to share their personal stories on the value of letting people decide over the municipal budget. What are their motivations? Why do they believe in participatory budget? What are the limitations and what can be achieved?

Panelists:
Marc Serra, Secretary General of the IOPD and Councilor Barcelona, Spain.
Anna-Carin Magnusson, Mayor city of Nässjö, Sweden
Peter Jansson, President city council of Åre, Sweden
Oleksandr Syenkevych, Mayor of Mykolaiv, Ukraine

Iryna Skaliy, National Programme Officer, Ukraine
Moderator: Ana-Maria Vargas, ICLD


This paneldiscussion is part of ICLD series Local Democracy Talks: icld.se/localdemocracytalks

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Inspired by the Swedish foreign policy initiative, Drive for Democracy, ICLD organises high-level political panels called “Local Democracy Talks”. The aim of the talks is to create a constructive dialogue and exchange of experiences among leading local politicians to strengthen democratic governance.

First out is #LocalDemocracyTalks in Kenya the 2nd March with the theme: "If gender champions rule our cities: Key policies to create a more equal world from below".

Date and time: 2nd March at 12:00-13:00 (Swedish Time) 14:00 – 15:00 (Kenyan Time)

The talk is organised in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi and UCLG Africa.

Welcome by Caroline Vicini, Swedish Ambassador in Kenya, Head of Mission Permanent Representative to UNEP and UN-HABITAT

Panelists:
Adelina Mwau Ndeto, Deputy Governor, Makueni County, Kenya
Amelie Tarschys Ingre, Councilor and Chair of the Education Committee in Lidingö – Sweden
Jimmy Jansson, Mayor of the city of Eskilstuna, Sweden
Nereah Amondi Oketch, Member of County Assembly in Homa Bay County, Kenya
Jacqueline Moustache Belle, Director of the Gender and Youth Department (REFELA) of UCLG Africa
Moderator: Johan Lilja, Secretary General ICLD

More info about Local Democracy Talks: icld.se/localdemocracytalks.

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