September 25, Prometheus launched the course “Decentralization in Ukraine – Theory and Practice” on the platform of mass free online courses. The course author is Anatoliy Tkachuk, the architect of the reform. An introductory lecture was written by Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman. The course provides comprehensive knowledge of the essence of the reform of local government and territorial organization of power in Ukraine. “Now, the most important thing is to turn decentralization into new opportunities and discuss the growth of territorial communities, the development of territories, primarily rural ones. But in order to use these new opportunities in the best possible way, it is necessary to have a clear idea of decentralization, what levels it involves, why this model was chosen, how it differs from those of Poland, Denmark, or other countries. We want to show how decentralization can work today, how local governments can use their resources and development opportunities under the new conditions,” said Anatoliy Tkachuk, Head of the Institute of Civil Society, at a briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
The course explains how decentralization differs from federalization, what will help get out of the “Kremlin matrix” and clarify the issue of “special status of individual territories” of Donbas. It also explains where local governments can find resources, ensure smart growth and cooperate with other territorial communities.
The course is interactive and provides different formats: lectures, methodical recommendations, which thoroughly elucidate the subject matter, test tasks, discussion of cases, and a forum for further communication. “Each student can listen to the lectures of the best specialists. In our case, this is Anatoliy Tkachuk, architect of the reform. You can join instantly, the course has opened today, and registration will be open permanently for all interested persons from every corner of the country. You can study at your own pace and place convenient for you through downloading a mobile app, using your smartphone, downloading lectures beforehand, etc. Three thousand people have already been registered to take the course. I can tell from experience that this figure will increase several-fold,” said Ivan Prymachenko, co-founder of the Prometheus free online course.
The online course is designed for a wide audience. Decentralization concerns practically all citizens, regardless of whether a person is aware of it or not. Those who complete the course will know more about the opportunities provided by decentralization, the way to effectively influence the development of their city or village. The course will be particularly useful for local authorities, deputies of local councils, lawyers, political analysts, journalists, local activists and people planning to build a political career in the community. “There is a constant demand for a complete picture of the reform. During press-tours to communities, journalists see the picture fragmentarily. They do not understand where everything is coming from and where it is going to. There is a demand for a source from which people can get a complete picture with the prospect of decentralization. This course gives people this picture. We are convinced that if this course reaches a million people, soon people from all over the world will come to Ukraine to study the Ukrainian miracle,” said Yaryna Zhurba, coordinator of communication for the decentralization at Ukraine Crisis Media Center, DOBRE Program.
You can take the course in six weeks from a computer, tablet or smartphone, spending just a few hours a week for lectures, materials, discussions in the forum, testing. Those, who successfully complete the course, will receive a certificate from Prometheus. The training is free. You can register here.
