Lutsk City Council delegation has visited Piteå municipality in Sweden
On 12-15 August, Lutsk City Council representatives paid a working visit to Piteå in Sweden in order to study the functioning of the municipality as well as develop a joint youth policy project. The visit was part of the Democratic Resilience training programme of the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD). The delegation from Lutsk included Vitalii Bondar, Director of the Department of Education, Anna Vintsiuk, Head of International Cooperation and Project Activities Department, and Zaryna Datsyk, Head of Youth Policy Division of Department of Youth and Sports.
During the visit, the Swedish partners provided detailed information about the municipality of Piteå, covering key areas such as the main sectors of expenditure, the region's economic, cultural and sports potential, as well as the strengths and challenges of the social protection and education systems. In addition, several working meetings were held to develop a joint project aimed at enhancing the civic competencies of young people through both formal and non-formal education.
The delegation from Lutsk also visited the church town of Öjeby, a settlement where believers have gathered for weekend prayers since ancient times. Representatives from Lutsk were introduced to the activities of the St Mary's organisation, which operates at the church. In cooperation with the municipality, the organisation runs courses for people in need of psychological support. The courses last from 6 months to a year with the possibility of extension and include group communication classes, workshops on sewing, drawing, baking, gardening, furniture restoration, etc.
The delegation got acquainted with the work of the Coleido Cultural Centre. The centre organises exhibitions of local residents' works on a competitive basis, provides grants for cultural and sports initiatives of citizens, and is a platform for meetings and events of youth NGOs’ representatives.
During the visit, the partners developed a concept and action plan for the implementation of a joint youth project.