From May 9th to 12th, IREI organized a study visit for 4 employees of the Centar Sarajevo Municipality to the municipality of Reggio Emilia in Italy. Our goal was to establish deeper connections and exchange knowledge between these two municipalities in the areas of digitalization and citizen participation in decision-making. The visit was funded through a grant from the Central European Initiative (CEI).
At the beginning of the visit, we had the opportunity to talk to the municipal representatives for youth policies in Reggio Emilia. They introduced us to the programs that support young people implemented in their area. After that, we visited the SD Factory, a space that young people manage and use. We had the chance to see the different activities offered in that space.
During the visit, we had important meetings with the municipal councilor responsible for participation, Lanfranco De Franco. He introduced us to the methods of involving citizens in decision-making in Reggio Emilia and introduced the Consulte project. Consulte involves creating advisory committees in 33 districts in Reggio Emilia, whose representatives hold regular meetings with the councilor responsible for participation (from the government) and representatives of the opposition (who have no voting rights but serve as observers to oversee and monitor the regularity of the process) to agree on projects to be implemented in their district. Additionally, we visited the Ars Aevi exhibition, which was created during the siege of Sarajevo in 1992.
At the end of an intensive day, we had the opportunity to discuss budget planning in Reggio Emilia with municipal officials. They presented the current budget for 2023 and the process of digitalization and online applications they use for administrative procedures.
On the second day of the visit, we focused on visiting and meeting with representatives of the IT office in Reggio Emilia. We learned about the work of the system maintenance sector, digital archives, and the technology management unit. We were introduced to the basic concepts, structure, and functioning of the unit, as well as their collaboration with regional authorities.
We also visited the San Pietro Cloister, a well-known “Open Laboratory,” where we saw how unused urban spaces have been transformed for the benefit of citizens. San Pietro used to be a Benedictine monastery that has been converted into business spaces for start-ups and an event venue. We also admired the large outdoor space where a children’s festival of photography and film takes place.
As part of the complex, we had a meeting with representatives of the Cloister who presented the Hamlet application and shared the achievements of the Digital Freaks start-up, which used the space to develop their ideas. Hamlet is an interactive application designed to allow citizens of Reggio Emilia who are interested in participating in decision-making to provide their suggestions, comments, and criticisms to the authorities through software used by both the authorities (councilors, mayor, and municipal services) and citizens in order to receive a faster and clearer response to their inquiries.
We then visited Mondinsieme Interreligious Center, which promotes interculturality and interreligious dialogue. The center brings together representatives of minorities, and we dedicated the meeting to the development and promotion of their goals.
The last stop before leaving as part of our visit to Reggio Emilia was the local center “Sergio Stranieri.” We had the opportunity to hear how local communities organize themselves to address social problems within their community, such as working with children from dysfunctional families, organizing study visits, camping trips, and excursions for children from lower-income backgrounds, and more.
Representing IREI on this visit was Project Coordinator, Adi Pašić, while from the Centar Sarajevo Municipality, attending were Haris Sijarić, Deputy Mayor in the Department for Local Economic Development and Local Self-Government, Elma Tuzlić, Deputy Mayor in the Finance Department, Aida Buljubašić, Head of the Investment Department, and Samir Širić, Head of the IT Department.
Within the project “Strengthening Relations and Knowledge Exchange between Sister Municipalities Centar Sarajevo and Reggio Emilia,” we would like to thank the E35 Foundation and the Municipality of Reggio Emilia for their warm hospitality and excellent organization. We look forward to the organization of the next visit in the fall of this year!
