First Talent for Governance scholarship programme successfully completed

From 20 September until 2 October the Talent for Governance ran its first scholarship programme . Emilia Gjeroska, Thulani Twala and Sylvia Solis Lopez attended the training course ‘How to use the power of your citizens’ the first week. Among others, they followed lectures by international experts, shared experiences from their own municipalities,  visited several citizen participation projects in Dutch Municipalities like the Fathers’ centre in the Hague. 

The weekend started off with a meeting with young civil servants for the ‘Young the Hague’ the network of young civil servants working for the municipality of the Hague. Saturday they went on a ‘Greeters tour’ through the city of the Hague.

The second week began with a preparation session for the ‘internship’ week that was to come. Thulani went to the municipality of  Smallingerland where he met with Aldermen,  discussed among others safety policies  and how to engage young people into the decision-making processes. He also went on a interesting bicycle ride around town.

Emilia was a guest in the beautiful town of Huizen. Which was a bit calmer than the municipality of Bitola where she works, but had to offer her some valuable insights in citizen participation. She was impressed by how clean and peaceful the town was.

Sylvia went “ deep into Dutch culture in Bernheze”, like she has put it. It was a very warm welcome and a richly filled programme with involvement of the mayor and visits to social projects, the field of  Sylvia’s expertise.  Also she learned that even though Mexico and the Netherlands are very different, in the core the goals of every municipality are very similar and therefore the contacts she has made this week are extremely valuable.

All three scholars have expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the Municipalities and the enthusiastic civil servants that they met, the experts from the first week, young the Hague, all of which made possible through Talent for Governance and its supporters!

We will stay in touch with them, and also with so many other civil servants, through the Talent for Governance Network!