Taking the Fear Out of Local Politics

At Via Foundation, we believe that cities and towns need the engagement of active citizens in order to function well. There are various ways to revitalize towns and community life – organizing community events is one way, serving on town council is another. In our program Taking the Fear Out of Local Politics, we help people considering running for local council prepare to take on leadership roles in the municipality.

In 2022, we had: 

48

program participants

38

of whom ran for local council

70% 

of whom were women

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The Taking the Fear Out of Local Politics program consists of several parts. Participants take part in: 

  • Learning and sharing sessions in person and online, focused on practical knowledge and personal development.
  • Tailored mentoring with people who have experience in municipal politics.
  • Accelerator mini-grant for the participant’s project to help them on their journey into municipal politics.

LONG TERM PROGRAM GOALS

By the 2026 local elections, we will:

  • support 60 active people so that they are better prepared to engage in local politics 
  • extend learning opportunities to another 150 people in topics related to municipal politics 
  • distribute CZK 440,000 ($20,000) for mini-grants that will help participants on their journey into municipal politics   
  • reach out to active people in regions where no one has attended the program so far, and involve disadvantaged groups.