The Youth Cultural Center Bitola, within the framework of the Forum for Civil Dialog, organized public consultative meetings with citizens of the Municipality of Demir Hisar and the Municipality of Krushevo on 10 October 2025.
During these meetings, local priorities were discussed in four areas: public services; local economic development; participatory democracy and good governance; and social support, culture, and sport.
Around twenty participants in Demir Hisar identified the following as top priorities:
- Public services: Construction and reconstruction of local roads and streets, and preparation of a General Urban Plan (GUP) and Detailed Urban Plans (DUP) for Demir Hisar and the larger settlements
- Local economic development: Development of the industrial zone in Demir Hisar
- Participatory democracy and good governance: Digitalization of municipal services and establishment of a Youth Council
- Social support, culture, and sport: Reconstruction of branch schools (with a focus on sports halls and facilities for sports activities)
For the citizens of Krushevo, the priority areas identified were:
- Public services: Reconstruction and modernization of the local street network, and smart water meters with digital monitoring of water losses
- Local economic development: Operationalization of the “Opalenik” industrial zone
- Participatory democracy and good governance: Opening and equipping a Youth Center
- Social support, culture, and sport: Improving conditions in schools (equipment and sports halls)
The activity is part of the efforts of the Forum for Civil Dialog —implemented by six partner civil society organizations (NGO Info-centre, Youth Cultural Center Bitola, Community Center of the Municipality of Struga, Glasen Tekstilec, Spektar from Kriva Palanka, and the Women’s Civic Initiative from Sveti Nikole)—to actively involve citizens in identifying and implementing local priorities in their communities.
The Forum for Civil Dialog is supported by the Olof Palme International Center from Sweden and is implemented within the project “Active Citizens and Participatory Democracy at Local Level” of NGO Info-centre.
