Topic: How to influence the decisions of the authorities?

Author: Anna Rabiega

Addressee:

8th‑grade primary school student.

Core curriculum:

IX. Participation of citizens in public life – civil society.

The student:

4) presents the forms of citizens’ influence on the decisions of self‑government authorities, examples of the implementation of local citizens' initiatives financed from participatory budgets and initiatives undertaken by youth municipal/city councils.

The general aim of education:

The student demonstrates the necessity to cooperate in social life and explains the essence of self‑government.

Learning outcomes:

The student:

• distinguishes ways to finance projects he would like to be implemented in his surroundings.

• presents ways to change the law.

• explains the importance of citizen participation in the decision making process in budget planning as well as the possibility for citizens to influence the law‑making process.

• is able to start an action to gain support for a cause important to him and his community.

Key competences:

• communicating in a foreign language,

• digital competence,

• learning to learn,

• social and civic competences,

• sense of initiative and entrepreneurship.

Teaching methods:

• brainstorming,

• discussion,

• WebQuest,

• teaching conversation using infographics, interactive board and exercises.

Forms of work:

• self‑learning,

• group work,

• whole‑class activity.

Material & equipment needed:

• computers with loudspeakers/headphones and internet access,

• multimedia resources from the e‑textbook,

• interactive whiteboard/blackboard, felt‑tip pen/a piece of chalk.

Lesson plan overview (Process):

Introduction:

1. The teacher presents the goal of the lesson: You will find out in what ways you can influence the decisions of the authorities that concern you.

2. The teacher asks the students what they think is missing in their town, in Poland or in the European Union? He informs the students that they will be working using the brainstorming method, and explains it if necessary. Then he launches an interactive board from the abstract „How to influence the decisions of the authorities?”, where the students can put ideas of projects of civic initiatives related to their neighbourhood, Poland and the EU. The teacher asks the students to justify each of their suggestions.

Implementation:

1. The teacher points out that there are several ways to influence the decisions of the authorities - through a Sołecki Fund, a participatory budget, a citizens' initiative, a European Citizens’ Initiative and a referendum. He asks the students how they understand the expressions. Willing/selected students present their suggestions. The others may supplement it. The teacher verifies their answers and supplements them if necessary.

2. Using the infographics „From idea to reality: how to apply for participatory budget”, he explains to the students what the path from the idea to the implementation of a citizens’ project co‑financed from the participatory budget looks like.

3. The teacher divides the class into five groups. Using the WebQuest method, ie searching for specific information on the Internet, each group has the task to find and prepare three specific examples to present to the classroom:

• implementation of projects financed from a Sołecki Fund (in various places),

• implementation of projects financed from a participatory budget (in different cities),

• a citizens' legislative initiative,

• a European Citizens’ Initiative,

• a referendum (in Poland).

If students have trouble to see the difference between the funds or initiatives, they can use the information from the abstract.

4. Students from each group briefly present information on the examples found by their group. The teacher initiates a discussion on which of the suggestions could be implemented in students’ home town/commune and what other initiatives would in the students’ opinion prove useful.

Summary:

1. The teacher informs the students that in order to summarize the knowledge and practice the skills gained during the class, they will do exercises 1 and 2, in which they are to indicate what number of signatures is needed to submit a citizens' legislative initiative and a European Citizens’ Initiative.

2. At the end of the class, the teacher asks the students questions:

• What did you find important and interesting in class?

• What was easy and what was difficult?

• How can you use the knowledge and skills you have gained today?

Willing/selected students summarize the lesson.

3. Homework proposal:

a. The citizens’ initiative in Poland - look up information online on the instances when the citizens’ initiative was used in the Third Republic of Poland. How often does it prove effective? Are there any proposals for a reform of the institution? What are they about and how are they justified? Do you agree with the proposals? Justify your answer.

b. Listen to the abstract recording to review the material and new vocabulary. Then do the vocabulary exercise at the end of the chapter.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

How to influence the decisions of the authorities?

The democratic system creates a number of possibilities to influence the decisions of the authorities. Here are some examples:

Since 2014 the authorities of rural communities can allocate part of their budget to create a special fund. The residents of the community make the decision on how this fund will be spent by voting on various projects (also submitted by those residents) – they can build a playground for children, a bus shelter or plant bushes and flowers. You can find more information on the internet.

For several years now, in many cities in Poland, the inhabitants can decide how to allocate part of a municipal budget. Participatory budgeting allows the inhabitants to identify, discuss, and prioritise public spending projects, and gives them the power to make real decisions by voting about how money is spent. You can find more information on the internet.

According to the Constitution of the Republic of Poland a group of at least 100 000 citizens having the right to vote in elections to the Sejm has the right to introduce legislation. The introduced project, however, may not concern a draft budget, nor any changes to the Constitution. You can find more information on the Sejm website.

Since April 1, 2012, EU citizens can submit their initiatives to the European Commission. The condition is to gain the support of at least one million European citizens from seven different EU member states within 12 months. The number of votes has to be certified by national offices, and then the European Commission analyzes the initiative, and decides what to do next: draw up a legislative proposal, conduct an additional study or take no action. Eventually, the European Citizens’ Initiative can result in new EU directives, strategies or regulations. The first ECI was the proposal “Right2Water – water is a human right”, which aims at guaranteeing water and sanitation for all in Europe. You can find more information on the internet).

A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate has the opportunity to decide on a particular proposal. There may be a local referendum (concerning, for example, the construction of a landfill or a sewage treatment plant) or a nationwide referendum (concerning for example changes to the Constitution). There were five nationwide referendums in the history of the Third Republic of Poland so far. The highest turnout – 58,85% – was noted at the referendum on the Polish accession to the European Union in June 2003.

In democratic states, citizens have many ways to express their opinions. They can organise demonstrations, work‑to‑rule actions, write letters of protest and petitions or start a blog to gain support for their cause.