The event was organized by Swiss-Ukrainian project “Decentralization support in Ukraine” (DESPRO) in cooperation with Association of small towns of Ukraine and All-Ukrainian association of village councils and took place on 3^rd June 2014 in Poltava. It was attended by village heads, mayors of small towns and rayon councils heads.

At the beginning of the session, dedicated to the Concept of local self-governance and territorial power reforming, recently approved by the Government, one could feel strong opposition to the reforms from session’s participans. It was a result of bad awareness of local self-government representatives. The majority “read something in Internet”. Still, few of them read the Concept. Thus, for a day they actively and even fiery debated with trainers, ideologists of decentralization reform. They were represented by Anatoliy Tkachuk (Research and development director, Civil Society Institute, Advisor to Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of regional development, construction, housing and communal services of Ukraine), Yuriy Hanushchak (Director, Territorial Development Institute and ideologist of administration and territorial reform) and Ihor Abramyuk (expert of EU project “Support to regional development in Ukraine” in the sphere of institutional capacity and best practices of local self-governance strengthening).

 Film “On decentralization and federalization” was presented to the audience. Film was made in the technique of drawn infographic.

 DESPRO will continue to raise awareness of local self-government representatives in the sphere of decentralization reforms.