Don't let them decide without you: Odesa residents urged not to ignore public discussions

The team of the Accent by Intent project decided to dedicate this week's issue to civic engagement and the lack of it.

According to the journalists, the interest in this topic this week was sparked by the presentation of the revised draft city charter, which was offered for discussion by the citizens.

"We often post comments on social media, but avoid real participation: voting, public hearings, supporting important decisions. Can we change the life of the city? Yes, sometimes a few clicks or going to the square is enough. Even in times of war, silence is not an option," the journalists believe.

In addition to discussing the new charter, Odesa residents are regularly involved in other important processes. Examples include renaming streets, voting on monuments, including the future monument to Lesya Ukrainka, which will be erected at public expense.

City residents can also support petitions to honor the memory of fallen defenders. Currently, signatures are being collected for the awarding of the title of Hero of Ukraine to Colonel Kostyantyn Oborin ("Kamikaze"). More than 16,000 of the required 25,000 votes have already been collected.

By the way, in 2023, the Odesa regional organization of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine reviewed the then draft Statute of the territorial community of Odesa, which was submitted for public discussion by the city council, and sent its proposals to the council. According to the experts, the document looked cumbersome, unregulated in terms of approaches to certain provisions, and inconvenient to use for a wide range of stakeholders.

Кирило Бойко