On 23 – 24 of April 2014 the pilot training for media representatives “Decentralization Reforms in Mass Media” took place. It was organized by the Swiss-Ukrainian project “Decentralization Support in Ukraine” (DESPRO) in cooperation with Kyiv Oblast organization of the National Council of Journalists of Ukraine.

The event was dedicated to the Concept of Local self-Governance and Territorial Organizational Reform in Ukraine, recently adopted by the Government. While addressing the participants, Oksana Garnets, DESPRO Senior Coordinator in Ukraine, said that it was extremely important to clearly and explicitly inform the public about the nature, purpose, and expected results of decentralization reforms.

 
Photo of Dmytro Yurchenko

Mass media representatives were provided with detailed explanation of the nature of the Concept. Within two days they had an opportunity to communicate with the authors of both the Concept itself and decentralization reforms as a whole. Anatoliy Tkachuk (Research and Development Director of Civil Society Institute, Advisor to the Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Volodymyr Groisman) destroyed the major myths associated with the reform, told the audience about the nature and expected results, and appealed to “the fourth power”, asking the media to be alert, attentive and responsible, while highlighting transformations of such importance for the country.

Photo of Dmytro Yurchenko

Also the coaches were represented by such well-known experts as Yuriy Hanuschak, Director of the Institute of Territorial Development and territorial reform ideologue, Ihor Abramyuk, expert of EU project “Support to Regional Development in Ukraine” aimed at strengthening of the institutional capacity and the best practices of local self-government, and Oleksandr Vrublevs’ky, analyst of the Civil Society Institute.

Practical training aspect “Journalist workshop” was covered by the head of political talk show “Freedom of Speech” on ICTV channel, Andriy Kulykov.

Photo of Dmytro Yurchenko

About 50 journalists took part in the training, including heads of press-services of Vinnytsya, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Cherkassy, and Chernihiv Oblast Councils. 

Photo of Dmytro Yurchenko

In the nearest future DESPRO plans to conduct a series of similar trainings all over the country. Project involvement in support of decentralization reforms and public awareness campaigns is constantly being agreed upon with the main project partners – MINREGION. “Authority will be decentralized. We have one month to launch the reforms”, - Volodymyr Groisman said recently in one of his interviews.  The time has come to make great changes. 

Reference:

On April 1, 2014, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Concept of Local Self-Governance and Territorial Power Reforming in Ukraine. The main Concept idea concerns power decentralization in the Country and significant empowerment of local communities. The reason is that it is at the community level, that we can most efficiently provide qualitative and affordable public, social and other services, and ensure establishment of democratic institutes, meeting the interests of our citizens in all life’s spheres and on respective territories, as well as  coordination of interests of the state and territorial communities. According to the Concept, in 2014 all necessary legislative documents will be developed and adopted. The following year they will allow us to start practical implementation of decentralization reforms.