PROJECT PARTNERS:DAUGAVPILS CITY COUNCIL (DAUGAVPILS PILSĒTAS DOME), Daugavpils, LatviaKAUNAS CITY MUNICIPALITY (KAUNO MIESTO SAVIVALDYBES ADMINISTRACIJA), Kaunas, LithuaniaLODZKIE REGION (WOJEWODZTWO LODZKIE), Lodz, PolandCITY ADMINISTRATION OF MAGDEBURG (LANDESHAUPTSTADT MAGDEBURG), Magdeburg, GermanyCEIPES (CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE PER LA PROMOZIONE DELL’EDUCAZIONE E LO S), Palermo, ItalyMUNICIPALITY OF VEJLE Vejle, DenmarkACTA CENTER (ASOCIATIA CENTRUL EUROPEAN PENTRU INTEGRARE SOCIOPROFESIONALA), Oradea, RomaniaADIMAN (ASOCIACION PARA DESARROLLO INTEGRAL DE LA MANCHELA CONQUENSE), Casasimarro, Spain.

11 events have been carried out within this project:

DeCoDe – Challenges of Regional Centres: Depopulation, Control, Development

Europe for Citizens project Nr. 595269-CITIZ-1- 2017-2-LV-CITIZ-NT DeCoDe “Challenges of Regional Centres: Depopulation Control, Development – best practices”

Daugavpils City Council, as a lead partner, together with project partners from different EU countries and cities, has launched the DeCoDe project in the framework of the Measure “Networks of Towns” of Action 2 “Democratic Engagement and Civic Participation” of the European Union programme “Europe for Citizens”.

The project involves 8 partners from 8 countries: Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Romania, Italy, Denmark and Spain.

The project aims to create an international, sustainable network of European cities, which are regional centres in their countries, in order to share experiences on depopulation and return migration processes and their impact. This project was organized within the framework of the European Union program “Europe for Citizens”


Events 1, 2

Participation: The event involved 54 citizens, including 36 participants from the city of Daugavpils (Latvia),

3 participants from the city of Kaunas (Lithuania), 3 participants from Lodzkie region (Poland), 3 participants from the city of Magdeburg (Germany), 1 participant from CEIPES (Italy), 4 participants from the city of Vejle (Denmark), 3 participants from ACTA CENTER (Romania), 1 participant from ADIMAN (Spain)

Location / Dates: The event took place in Daugavpils, Latvia, from 23/05/2018 to 24/05/2018

Short description: Kick-off meeting

Day 23/05/2018 (Event 1) The aim of the event was to discuss project implementation steps, time table, activities, expected results, as well as check if information in project application is up to date. Representatives of the organizations involved in DeCoDe project discussed the implementation of project activities, financial aspects and the coordination among the partners and between the project coordinator and the partnership, about the communication and dissemination strategy. Chosen general themes on depopulation were divided between partners for further project meetings. Study visits were organized.

Day 24/05/2018 (Event 2) The aim of the event was for project partners to obtain the impression of what is depopulation and reemigration, how it influences all the spheres in the cities and discuss what can be done in the project to control it. Meeting was organized with participation of representatives from different spheres. Each partner (municipality of NGO) presented their situation in the context of depopulation. Policy Analyst in the Areas of Migration and Integration, Officer from Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Re-emigration coordinator in Latvia together with all participants of the event discussed different aspects of depopulation issues, exchanged experience. Partners of the project got acquainted with the practical experience how the municipality works with challenges of regional centers and reemigration in Daugavpils and Latvia. Study visits were organized.

Events 3, 4, 5

Participation: The event involved 42 citizens, including 5 participants from the city of Daugavpils (Latvia),

24 participants from the city of Kaunas (Lithuania), 3 participants from Lodzkie region (Poland), 1 participant from the city of Magdeburg (Germany), 3 participants from CEIPES (Italy), 1 participant from the city of Vejle (Denmark), 3 participants from ACTA CENTER (Romania), 2 participants from ADIMAN (Spain)

Location / Dates: The event took place in Kaunas, Lithuania, from 09/10/2018 to 11/10/2018

Short description: Depopulation with focus on economy, business opportunities

Day 09/10/2018 (Event 3) The aim of the event was to share experience between partners on the best practices to decrease depopulation with focus on economy, business opportunities. The exchange of experience between Kaunas and all involved partners by the means of discussions was managed. Partners concentrated on common problems to find common solutions – also new experience on business opportunities for depopulation decrease.

Day 10/10/2018 (Event 4) The aim of the event was to organize a seminar and increase knowledge on the local and international background on the main theme of the relation between depopulation and economy in depopulation decrease and reemigration increase. The event was conducted with different methodologies: session with presentations from experts and from partners, study visits, seminar with discussions, work groups involving local citizens. Study visit was organized to Kaunas "Jonas Jablonskis High School" (topic of discussions "Towards Multiculturalism and Multilingualism").

Day 11/10/2018 (Event 5) The aim of the event was increase knowledge on the local and international background on the main theme of the relation between depopulation and economy, as well as get a clear vision on future tasks with the project. Project coordinators meeting was organized, best practices amongst the partners were identified.

Events 6, 7, 8

Participation: The event involved 35 citizens, including 4 participants from the city of Daugavpils (Latvia),

2 participants from the city of Kanas (Lithuania), 2 participants from the city of Magdeburg (Germany), 19 participants from CEIPES (Italy), 2 participants from the city of Vejle (Denmark), 3 participants from ACTA CENTER (Romania), 3 participants from ADIMAN (Spain)

Location / Dates: The event took place in Palermo, Italy, from 11/02/2019 to 13/02/2019

Short description: Depopulation with focus on youth depopulation

Day 11/02/2019 (Event 6) The aim of the event was to increase knowledge on the local and international background on the main theme of youth depopulation and increase sense of participation of the European life. Networking was organized between partners to exchange best practices, and experience in control of youth depopulation.

Day 12/02/2019 (Event 7) The aim of the event was to organize a seminar for project partners and local citizens to exchange experience of advantages and disadvantages for control mechanisms of youth depopulation in project cities across Europe. The project partners had an opportunity to take part in “World Cafe” meeting and exchanging of good practices with other local organization and institutions working on this field, which is popular working method in Sicily. First Step: Evaluating the needs and the causes of depopulation, focusing on problems related with 3 aspects: Education, Work, Local Community Involvement. Second Step: Sharing the good practices, the ideas and the opinions about how to develop good strategy for facing the depopulation process in each of those fields. Third Step: Plenary Discussion. After this activity groups presented their best practices, ideas and initiatives on the solving depopulation issues.

Day 13/02/2019 (Event 8) The aim of the event was discuss obtained experience and increased knowledge on the local and international background on the main theme of youth depopulation, to discuss identified transnational best practices that could be adopted locally by project partners. Coordinators meeting was organized.

Events 9, 10

Participation: The event involved 53 citizens, including 6 participants from the city of Daugavpils (Latvia),

4 participants from the city of Kaunas (Lithuania), 33 participants from Lodzkie region (Poland), 2 participants from the city of Magdeburg (Germany), 1 participant from CEIPES (Italy), 2 participants from the city of Vejle (Denmark), 2 participants from ACTA CENTER (Romania), 3 participants from ADIMAN (Spain)

Location / Dates: The event took place in Lodz, Poland, from 28/05/2019 to 29/05/2019

Short description: Focus on best practices in depopulation control

Day 28/05/2019 (Event 9) The aim of the event was to increase knowledge on the local and international background on the main spheres, which are influenced by the depopulation, as well as identify transnational best practices to be adopted locally. Project partners got acquainted with depopulation issues in the Lodzkie region presented by representatives of the Regional Centre for Social Policy, Regional Labour Office or European Social Fund Department at Marshal’s Office of the Lodzkie Region. Networking was organized to share ideas on Depopulation Control Action plan.

Day 29/05/2019 (Event 10) The aim of the event was to discuss best ideas and earned experience on the topic, as well as debate on structure and outline of the Depopulation Control Action Plan, exchange experience. The session was chaired by the team of researchers for the Faculty of Regional and Social Geography at the University of Lodz. The partners agreed to form a common understanding and definition of the best practice since for each one of the partner the presented activities and implemented actions are of different scope. Study visits were organized the TULI LULI pre-adoptive centre and hospice for children and Łódzkie Cultural Centre - activities to support senior citizens, University of the Third Ages from Lodzkie Region.

Events 11

Participation: The event involved 110 citizens, including 77 participants from the city of Daugavpils (Latvia),

6 participants from the city of Kaunas (Lithuania), 4 participants from Lodzkie region (Poland), 5 participants from the city of Magdeburg (Germany), 2 participants from CEIPES (Italy), 6 participants from the city of Vejle (Denmark), 4 participants from ACTA CENTER (Romania), 6 participants from ADIMAN (Spain)

Location / Dates: The event took place in Daugavpils, Latvia, from 14/11/2019 to 15/11/2019

Short description: Dissemination of results

The aim of the event was dissemination conference “Challenges of Regional Centres: Depopulation Control, Development – best practices”. Project partners, local citizens, representatives from Daugavpils University and national government of the Republic of Latvia participated in the conference. Depopulation Control Action Plan was presented. Two panel discussions were held to discuss the future of Europe in the context of regional development with the participation of all conference participants, who had an opportunity to express their views in online polls. The conference outlined the topicality of depopulation as a common challenge for the EU, as well as the role of different institutions in regional development. Additionally, a meeting in was held in regional level institution in Daugavpils, that was a great opportunity to find out more about the development experience of Latgale region in the context of depopulation, as well as to talk about the activities addressing depopulation issues in a regional context in countries that are involved in DeCoDe project. Commissioner in front of the Demographic Challenge of the Government of Castilla La Mancha (Spain) and General Director of Institutional Relations and European Affairs of the Government of Castilla La Mancha (Spain) gave a presentation about implemented activities in their region and development strategies. Study visits were organized. Project results were concluded and evaluated.