Local Agenda 21 and Culture: Lessons from the Czech Republic

2011 ◽  
pp. 83-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oldřich Hájek ◽  
Jiří Novosák ◽  
Pavel Bednář
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Local Culture ◽  
Agenda 21 ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Local Agenda 21

Sustainable development represents one of the leading concepts of modern society. On the local level, sustainable development principles are implemented by Local Agenda 21 (LA 21), the most influential output of the 1992 Earth Summit. Although culture is not explicitly mentioned in its definitions of sustainable development, there are close links between culture, on one side, and the economic, social, and ecological dimensions of sustainable development, on the other. Culture is an important factor of social cohesion and economic development, and culturally led urban and rural regeneration projects may have also positive ecological impacts. Moreover, the efforts to maintain local culture may be the main impetus in accepting the LA 21 principles in culturally rich communities. This article assesses the importance of culture in the LA 21 implementation process, with two municipalities from the Czech Republic as case studies. Findings point to complex links between LA 21 and culture. Uherské Hradiště is a culturally rich city that is progressive in the LA 21 implementation process; however, our findings show that LA 21 and culture live independent lives in planning processes. Zděchov tells a completely different story of the relationship between culture and LA 21: here, local culture has become the leitmotif of the LA 21 implementation process. The goal to maintain and develop local culture has been the prime motivation behind the decision to accept the LA 21 principles. The case studies share several common characteristics. In both cases, LA 21 has stimulated public interest in both municipalities, and ever more local actors are getting involved in the LA 21 implementation process. A combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches has been applied in this process. LA 21 is also perceived as a good brand for project management, and may be an incentive for innovations in strategic planning.

scholarly journals Benefits of the LEADER method for Local Agenda 21 – Case study from their application in the Czech Republic

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (No. 6) ◽  
pp. 246-254
Author(s):  
Jana Kostalova ◽  
Jan Vavra
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Agenda 21 ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Local Agenda 21 ◽  
Development Tools ◽  
Action Groups

The basic characteristic and comparison of the community-led local development tools: Local Agenda 21, used in public administration generally, and of the LEADER method, used within Local Action Groups (LAGs), is presented in this paper. It analyses their application in the Czech Republic. It discusses the potential synergistic effects of the application of these tools in two rural locations – the areas of two towns (Chrudim and Litomerice), which are leaders in the application of Local Agenda 21 in the Czech Republic. Both towns are members of LAGs – LAG Chrudimsko and LAG Ceske Stredohori. This combination of Local Agenda 21 and LEADER method are mutually supportive. The conclusion discusses recommendations for the improvement of community-led development.

Evaluating Public Participation Mechanisms in LA21 Programs in Malaysia

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 76-83
Author(s):  
Hardev Kaur Latchimanan Singh ◽  
Shamsinar Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Community Action ◽  
Base Line ◽  
Agenda 21 ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Local Agenda 21

Objective - The role of local government in LA21 is important in order to harness local level participation. In Malaysia, as in many other countries, the need to engage the public in sustainable development issues has shifted the focus to more decentralized and bottom up approaches in harnessing public participation in achieving sustainable development. This means that local authorities as the leading partners in LA21 need to work with the local community and the private sector to develop community action plans for sustainability under Local Agenda 21(LA21). Thus, the overall goal of the study is to determine how participation can best be implemented in LA21 programmes in selective councils by evaluating the key participatory mechanisms that have been employed by the councils. Methodology/Technique - This is a qualitative study that was conducted on four specific councils in West and East Malaysia to determine the effectiveness of the participatory mechanisms used in LA21 programs. The main methods of data collection were through the use of semi-structured interviews, focus groups and document analysis. Findings - The overall conclusion is that the councils were still using the conventional methods to encourage public participation and hence were not able to enhance public participation in the LA21 program. Novelty - The study will not only create a framework for local councils intending to implement a bottom-up approach to participation but also establish a base-line description of participatory mechanisms in LA21 programmes to encourage further research in this area of evolving LA21 research. Type of Paper: Empirical Keywords: Public Participation; Participatory Mechanisms; Local Government; Local Agenda 21; Sustainable Development. JEL Classification: H83, Q01.

scholarly journals The Profile of Local Political Elite and Strategy Prioritisation at the Local Level in ECE Countries. Case Studies: Tecuci (Romania), Českà Lípa (the Czech Republic), Oleśnica (Poland) and Gyula (Hungary)

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roxana Marin
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Political Elite ◽  
Political Elites ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Local Elites ◽  
Local Leadership ◽  
Ancien Régime ◽  
Lower Silesia

The paper constitutes an attempt at examining the outlook and strategies of the local political elites in ECE countries. Specifically, the inquiry employs four elite groups in four towns, demographically similar and in developmental strategies: Tecuci (Galați county, Romania), Česká Lípa (Liberec region, the Czech Republic), Oleśnica (Lower Silesia voievodship, Poland), and Gyula (Békés county, Hungary), through the prism of the members of the Municipal Councils, for identifying and analyzing (a) the values, (b) the interactions with other groups, networks of power at local level, and (c) the priorities of the local elites. The level of decentralization specific for each of the four countries is employed as the major explanatory trajectory for the differences encountered; subsidiarily, the explanation focuses also on legacies of the ancien régime, experienced locally. Three models of local leadership in ECE are proposed: “predominantly elitistic”, “democratic elitist”, and “predominantly democratic”, with the prospects of verifying their validity and pertinence in similar cases throughout the region.

The Development of the Communication Skills of Individuals Living in Homes for People with Disabilities

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-70
Author(s):  
Petr Kopečný
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Speech Therapy ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Educational Support ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Given

This paper concentrates on the area of special educational support provided to individuals living in homes for people with disabilities in the Czech Republic and presents partial research results illustrating the state of the provision of speech therapy to users of social services facilities falling under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The subject of the research is an analysis of support for the development of the communication skills of pupils living in social services facilities. The partial results of the research outline the approaches employed by the managerial staff of the given facilities in implementing special educational procedures, describe forms of speech therapy provision in homes for people with disabilities, and compare the attitudes of teachers and social services staff to the development of communication with the importance attributed to it by speech therapists and demonstrated by the case studies performed.

From the Bronze Soldier to the “Bloody Marshal”: Monument Wars and Russia’s Aesthetic Vulnerability in Estonia and the Czech Republic

2021 ◽  
pp. 088832542110438
Author(s):  
Aliaksei Kazharski ◽  
Andrey Makarychev
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Historical Narratives ◽  
Politics Of Memory ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Soviet Occupation ◽  
Historical Monuments ◽  
Historical Truth ◽  
Zero Sum ◽  
Inherent Ambiguity

The article analyzes historical monuments as instruments of Russia’s attempts to impose its aesthetic hegemony in the post-Communist world. Drawing on case studies from the Czech Republic and Estonia, it argues that this hegemony is precarious and vulnerable due to inability to deal with the inherent ambiguity and complexity of historical events and figures. The Russian approach regards historical truth in absolute terms and is underpinned by a zero-sum game understanding of historical narratives. It does not tolerate a multiplicity of perspectives on history and has no appreciation for postmodernist deconstruction of historical symbols. This conflicts with a more diverse, reflexive and inclusive politics of memory as an intrinsic element of cityscapes of Prague and Tallinn where some of the controversial monuments connected with the Soviet occupation have been removed. Russia’s reaction to these changes reveals an inherently vulnerable nature of its aesthetic hegemony which is deeply dependent on recognition of the absolute nature of its historical truth that the monuments are supposed to embody.

scholarly journals Economies of Scale on the Municipal Level: Fact or Fiction in the Czech Republic?

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenka Matějová ◽  
Juraj Nemec ◽  
Milan Křápek ◽  
Daniel Klimovský
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Elementary Education ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Administration ◽  
Government Performance ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Territorial Structure ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Municipal Level

AbstractMany countries have carried out extensive amalgamation-related territorial reforms at the level of local self-government and created relatively large municipalities. The Czech Republic is one of the few remaining European countries with a fragmented territorial structure. There is a lot of discussion in the country about the need for amalgamation, but this discussion is mainly based on political arguments rather than on empirical evidence about the feasibility of amalgamation and its potential to improve local government performance. This paper analyses economies of scale on the local level as a factor that should be reflected in debates about the pros and cons of amalgamation in the Czech Republic. To add to the existing knowledge about the reality of economies of scale on the municipal level in the Czech Republic, we processed the municipal costs of three selected areas on a representative sample of municipalities in the South Moravian Region. The analysis showed that economies of scale can be identified for collecting local fees and for pre-school and elementary education, but not for local administration. Our results suggest that the existence of too small municipalities in the Czech Republic results in inefficiencies and should be addressed.

scholarly journals Inclusive Growth in CEE Countries as a Determinant of Sustainable Development

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Cichowicz ◽  
Ewa Rollnik-Sadowska
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Transition Economies ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Inclusive Growth ◽  
Development Research ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
Eastern European Countries

Pursuant to the concept of inclusive growth, the authors analyze the transition economies of Central and Eastern European countries, which have become EU members (Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia). CEE countries characterized by comparable historic and economic backgrounds now seem to reach diversified stages of development. The objective of the study is to identify the level of inclusive growth among CEE countries by taking into account indicators assigned to its seven pillars. The article’s thesis is that CEE countries represent social and economic heterogeneity as well as varied levels of sustainable development. Research methods included the application of the principal components analysis and the multivariate analysis. For a literature review, the bibliometric analysis was conducted with the visualization prepared by the VOSviewer software. The main findings suggest that Estonia, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic seem to exhibit the highest level of inclusive growth while Bulgaria and Romania represent the lowest level of indicators measured.

scholarly journals Local Agenda 21 and sustainable development: The case of Harran, Turkey

Urbani izziv ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (01) ◽  
pp. 144-153
Author(s):  
Reyhan Genli Yiğiter ◽  
Funda Yirmibeşoğlu
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Agenda 21 ◽  
Local Agenda 21
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