With the aim of strengthening local democracy, increasing youth influence, and contributing to long-term democratic resilience, ICLD has approved a partnership between Berg Municipality in Sweden and the Ukrainian municipality of Krolevets. “This is a unique opportunity for Berg to build international relationships and support Ukraine at the same time. It also strengthens our own…
Karin Perers has long worked as an international coordinator in the municipality of Falun, and for just as long she’s been engaged in strengthening local democracy. She’s passionate about empowering children and young people to have a say and be involved.“Our goal is to create sustainable structures for youth influence that last,” she says. Karin…
Karlskoga Municipality in Sweden has been granted a one-year inception phase together with the Ukrainian municipality of Shepetivka. “We are very pleased to have been granted a partnership through ICLD,” says Tony Ring, Chairman of the Municipal Board in Karlskoga. “Thanks to ICLD’s support, we gain tools to develop our municipality while also helping to…
On 13 May, ICLD held a global webinar, Building Resilient Communities through Local Democracy in Ukraine, gathering local government officials, civil society actors, academics, researchers, and international partners to reflect and learn on the Ukrainian experience and its relevance for crisis-affected communities worldwide, on municipal resilience in Ukraine during conflict. As Ukraine endures the hardships…
Application deadline: 19 June Regional Alumni Coordinator for ICLD The Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) is looking for a Regional Alumni Coordinator for Southern Africa (Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa) to strengthen engagement among alumni in the regions. This is a consultancy role on part-time basis. The role is ideal for a highly…
With the aim of providing older people and individuals with special needs the opportunity to continue learning and developing throughout their lives, the Ukrainian municipality of Chortkiv, drawing inspiration from Litorina Folk High School in Karlskrona, has launched what they call the “Silver Age University”. In the long term, they also hope to offer war…
New municipal partnership projects approved by ICLD, totalling over SEK 8 million. The approved democracy projects will run for 12 months, with a total of SEK 8,160,000 allocated across various initiatives. Partner countries include Botswana, Colombia, Kenya, Uganda, and Ukraine. While the project themes vary, they all share the same objective: to strengthen democratic development…
Dates: October 7–9, 2025Location: Lusaka, Zambia Youth make up a crucial part of the population in Southern and Eastern Africa. Including their voices in governance is not just desirable — it is essential. The ICLD Alumni Conference 2025 brings together local governments, researchers, alumni, civil society, and development practitioners to explore how to translate policies into real,…
What role does local democracy play in times of crisis? This question has been at the heart of ICLD’s recent research collaboration with the Kyiv School of Economics, exploring how Ukrainian municipalities have responded to the profound challenges of war. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, local self-governments in Ukraine have demonstrated that…
When Zambia’s youngest woman mayor joined ICLD’s Women’s Political Leadership Programme, she expected to learn. What she didn’t expect was how deeply the programme – and her Swedish mentor – would transform her outlook, her leadership, and her community. A young mayor with big ambitions Kanungwe Chota Kanyanyamina was elected mayor of Kanchibiya at the…
