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Champions of Participation: Engaging Citizens in Local Governance. International Learning Event Report 31 May - 4 June 2007, UK.
Summary:
The Champions of Participation event in May 2007, led by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at Sussex University, brought together 44 people (24 from the UK and 20 from 14 other countries: China, Philippines, India, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Bosnia, Spain, Hungary, Bulgaria, Norway, USA) involved in local government to look at the challenges local governments face in responding to growing demands for citizen engagement and more participatory forms of governance. It was sponsored by two UK government departments: the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG). The participants comprised elected officials; city councillors; local government officials and other service providers; community activists; workers from local and national NGOs; academics and representatives of central government.
This report summarises the discussions and debates held over the five-day period which included a two-day workshop, two days of visiting sites in the UK of particular interest, and one day of policy dialogue with UK policymakers in the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) and the Department for International Development (DFID).