Croatian institute for local government, in cooperation with its partners (Europe House Slavonski Brod, Europe House Vukovar, SOS telephone Virovitica and Local Democracy Agency Sisak) organizes a conference in Belišće within the project „Citizens' participation in rural development“.

The conference is to take place on 16 September 2011 in the Great Council room in Belišće (Kralja Tomislava 206) at 10:00 o'clock.

The aim of this project is democratization and strengthening of rural areas by networking of existing LAGs (Local Action Groups) through LEADER EU program.

There will be presentations on LAGs situation in Osijek-Baranja, Brod- Posavina, Vukovar-Srijem, Virovitica-Podravina and Sisak-Moslavina Counties and opportunities of their better networking and cooperation. The conference also includes discussions on LAGs current problems.

The conference speakers are the following: Marina Koprivnjak – coordinator of the Croatian network for rural development, Ivan Ciprijan – senior consultant for LEADER approach and rural network and Snježana Tolić – an expert associate on the project (University of Agriculture in Osijek).

The project is funded by the National Foundation for civil society development and Osijek-Baranja County.

There have been organized two more educations within the project „Citizens’ participation in rural development“. On 6th July, in the Small Council room of the Osijek-Baranja County, there has been organized an education on „Methodology of drafting a development strategy of LAG area“, and on 7th July, in Dom Dragutina Tadijanovića in Slavonski Brod, there has been organized an education (in partnership with Europe House Slavonski Brod) on „Rural policy and rural development in the context of EU accession“. Snježana Tolić has given lectures on both of these presentations.

The project is funded by the National Foundation for civil society development.

Croatian institute for local government organized series of educational trainings linked to the project „Citizens’' participation in rural development“ in the period from April until June 2011. The purpose of this project is development and strengthening the rural areas by establishing and networking of the existing Local Action Groups (LAGs) and support to the other initiatives of the active civic participation in the community life.

The series of educational trainings took place in Vrpolje (04/04/2011), Đakovo (13/04/2011), Virovitica (28/04/2011), Vukovar (11/05/2011 and 08/06/2011) and Sisak (02/06/2011). The following topics were presented: establishment of Local Action Groups and its structure towards LEADER principles, procedure of LAGs establishment based on the example of LAG „Karašica“, importance of LAGs for regional development and its functioning within the context of EU rural politics, methodology of drafting development strategy of LAG areas and other similar topics.