This September, the first Citizens’ Assembly was launched in Kaunas District – a new way of involving residents in decision-making, giving people an opportunity to explore an important issue in depth, hear expert insights, discuss different perspectives and jointly develop recommendations for the municipality.
Residents of Kaunas District were invited to take part in the Citizens’ Assembly, and a diverse group of people of different ages and from different parts of the district was selected at random from among those who expressed an interest in participating. The aim is to ensure that a range of experiences and perspectives are represented in the Assembly.
This time, participants are seeking an answer to a specific question: how to ensure that all groups of residents make use of preventive healthcare services. During a series of meetings taking place from September to December, participants will hear information provided by experts, discuss the issue, share their insights and jointly develop recommendations.
“The value of a Citizens’ Assembly lies in bringing very different people together around the same table, giving them an opportunity to listen to one another and jointly seek solutions that matter to the whole community. Every person’s experience and willingness to participate are important, as is the municipality’s commitment to hearing directly from its residents. This kind of participatory democracy strengthens mutual trust and helps to create more sustainable decisions that better reflect the real needs of society. We hope that the process launched in Kaunas District will not only help identify concrete solutions but also demonstrate that residents’ voices can become a meaningful part of decision-making,” says Gaja Šavelė, Head of Strategic Programmes and Advocacy at the National Coalition of NGOs.
Once the Citizens’ Assembly has completed its work, the recommendations developed by residents will be presented to the leaders of Kaunas District Municipality. Their consideration and implementation will subsequently be monitored. The aim is to ensure that residents’ insights and proposals are heard and contribute to municipal decision-making.
“It is encouraging to see how Swiss-Lithuanian cooperation is being translated into concrete initiatives that give people more opportunities to get involved and contribute to decisions that matter to them. Activities like these show that the value of investment is measured not only by the projects implemented, but above all by the change they create for people and communities. We hope that the experience of the Citizens’ Assembly will encourage even more active dialogue between residents and decision-makers,” says Brigita Nikonovičė, Senior Project Manager at the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA).
The Citizens’ Assembly is organised as part of the project “Strengthening the role of NGOs and increasing their transparency”, financed by the 2024–2029 Lithuanian–Swiss Cooperation Programme “Civic Engagement” and national co-financing.
