Results Administration roup first trip!

Valga/Valka

Narva/Ivangorod

Svetogorsk/Imatra

We meet:

-        both mayors

-        Katre

-        Both leaders of youth councils

-        chairman, vice chairman (Narva)

-        youth house

-        Slawa (international adviser)

-        Specialist for EU-projects

-        Guy from the college (development, without shoes)

-        vice mayer, economics, youth person, development (Svetogorsk)

-        Imatra: mayor, economy

-        Sami (youth)

-        Researcher from Lapperanta

Youth Participation

- Is there a youth council/team/group/Kompetenzteam? In every town?

- Are there common meetings?

- Do places exist where the youngsters from both cities can meet each other?

- Do communication exist?

-        two councils

-        structur is different

-        cooperation startet after the meeting in Frankfurt (Oder)

-        3 common meetings since 2012

-        councils want to work together, but leaders sometimes don´t want to

-        Valka do not have elections, everybody is allowed to come there

-        Valga: voting in schools, everybody can participate

-        Big Valga/Valka meetings: Youngsters could participate but they didn´t

-        youth council in Narva, elecions in schools

-        no language problem (everybody is able to speak russian)

-        youth center

-        No youth council in Narva (probably) -> other system

-        Inviting each other

-        both have a youth council, but different age groups and different interests.

-        Plans for a cross border parliament with the regions

-        Cross-border-events (like tolerace rock)

-        Youth workers in Finland are not able to speak Russian, althouth the center is open for everybody

-        Youth council in Imatra is operated bei youth service (for 1 year now)

-        Youth workers in Finland in nearly every school

-        Russia: not so many youngsters, lots events like breakdance, sport games, simulation of economic activity, youth policy, healthy lifestyle…)

-        Svetogorsk youngsters meet every week

-        Russia: Everybody can be a part of the youth council, but the administration has to say ok) (democracy in Russia seems to be different)

Administration

(people who work for the townhall)

- Are there meetings together?

    -> Do people who decide about the same topic meet?

- What about common development? Common strategies? Common projects? Common marketing (e.g. a logo)?

- How often do the mayors meet?

- Who is organizing these meetings?

- Is there staff only for cooperation?

- Which language is used? (for information/documents; during discussions/meetings; in public spaces?)

- Are there beside the formal meetings also informal meetings (e.g. sport events)?

- Do the mayors have open hours/open doors also for the people from the citytwin?

-        Big Valka/Valga meetings once per month

-        Common marketing (one city, two states)

-        Projects! (train station, art school)

-        Informal meeting (football game, lunch (mayors)

-        No stuff only for cooperation

-        Smaller meetings of departments

-        meetings only when it is necessary

-        tourism strategie (Narva is a city on the border, good for tourism)

-        they don´t see the cities as one city

-        language: some people in the Estonian administration are not able to speak estonian language

-        common development plan 2007-2013, plan to evolve a new stategie after the elections in Russian in autumn

-        every year agreement

-        Imatra wants to interact with other cities

-        Workgroups who meet quiet often

-        Departments do not work together, but they call the specialist

-        Event calender

-        Neighbourhood-programm (booklets in the hall of the border in Russian language from Imatra)

-        Cementary: there is a contract between the countries, people care for old graves (although some graves are nowadays fields and not cementaries anymore)

Council

- Are there meetings together?

    -> Do people who decide about the same topic meet?

- What about common development? Common strategies? Common projects? Common marketing (e.g. a logo); common targets?

- Who is organizing/ preparing these meetings?

- Which language is used? (for information/documents; during discussions/meetings; in public spaces?)

- Are there beside the formal meetings also informal meetings (e.g. sport events)?

-        not so closed

-        they ask for representatives for official events

-        different systems

-        smaller

- council meets 3 times a year

-        meetings yes, especially during projects

-        working group (members from the council are part of that group)

Influence

- Is there an influence of state policies/administration?

- Do other people have an influence on the cooperations?

- How do personal contacts influence the relationship?

-        cross-border Programs

-        EU: understands that there is a difficult situation, but they have not understand yet what we need (how much money)

-        Problems to make the situation of Valga/Valka clear in the state administration (Riga, Tallinn)

-         

-        Huge state-influence on the Russian side

-        Tallinn is not listening when people from Narva try to explain their situation

-        Local administration/ government in Finland can decide about everything

-        In Russia, the city can decide nothing

-        People from Finland only cross the border to get cheap cigarettes, fuel, alcohol

-        Different taxes

-        BORDER! No Schengen: It takes ages to cross the border

-        Human traffic; Mafia

Public services

- Do the cities support each other? (e.g. in case of fire; hospital; police; rescue)

- Events: Do they invite the other officials?

-        cooperations between hospitals, police.... EVERYTHING

Thank you Schengen J

-        cooperation of police (Russian people can call the police in Estonia)

-        people cross the border to get medicine in Russia (not only because it´s cheaper but also because they have different products)

-        Events: meeting of Santa and Father Frost in the middle of the bridge, invitations of officials

-        Events: Meeting of Santa Clause and the Russian Version

-        Planning a train to St. Petersburg

-        No bus between the citys

Economics

- Is there cross-border public transport?

- Is there cooperation of power companies? (e.g. water, electricity?)

- Is there cooperation of companies owned by the city (e.g. sports, culture)?

-        No public cross-border transport yet, but planned (from busstation to busstation)

-        Power plant for both parts of one (!) city

-        but competition between companies

-        cooperation yes, but not so close

-        level of income/lifestyle is different

-        would like to have cross-boder-transportation, but problems because Russia is non-EU-country

-        no

-         

Citizen level

-        Russian Black market for Estonia comes from Latvia and the other ways around…

-        Lunch in the other city

-        Relatives, separated families, marriages

-         

-        Relatives, separated families, marriages

-        People meet a lot

-        Administration organize it a lot (seniors, school teachers)

-        First born child gets a gift

-         

-        Relatives, separated families, marriages

-        Cheap fuel/cigarettes/alcohol

-        People from Finland use cheap services (hairdresser…) in Russia

-        Russians use skiing, spa and other public possibilities in Imatra (fishing, Biketours…)

-        Russians buy fish in Finland

Valga/Valka

Narva/Ivangorod

Svetogorsk/Imatra

We meet:

-        both mayors

-        Katre

-        Both leaders of youth councils

-        chairman, vice chairman (Narva)

-        youth house

-        Slawa (international adviser)

-        Specialist for EU-projects

-        Guy from the college (development, without shoes)

-        vice mayer, economics, youth person, development (Svetogorsk)

-        Imatra: mayor, economy

-        Sami (youth)

-        Researcher from Lapperanta

Youth Participation

- Is there a youth council/team/group/Kompetenzteam? In every town?

- Are there common meetings?

- Do places exist where the youngsters from both cities can meet each other?

- Do communication exist?

-        two councils

-        structur is different

-        cooperation startet after the meeting in Frankfurt (Oder)

-        3 common meetings since 2012

-        councils want to work together, but leaders sometimes don´t want to

-        Valka do not have elections, everybody is allowed to come there

-        Valga: voting in schools, everybody can participate

-        Big Valga/Valka meetings: Youngsters could participate but they didn´t

-        youth council in Narva, elecions in schools

-        no language problem (everybody is able to speak russian)

-        youth center

-        No youth council in Narva (probably) -> other system

-        Inviting each other

-        both have a youth council, but different age groups and different interests.

-        Plans for a cross border parliament with the regions

-        Cross-border-events (like tolerace rock)

-        Youth workers in Finland are not able to speak Russian, althouth the center is open for everybody

-        Youth council in Imatra is operated bei youth service (for 1 year now)

-        Youth workers in Finland in nearly every school

-        Russia: not so many youngsters, lots events like breakdance, sport games, simulation of economic activity, youth policy, healthy lifestyle…)

-        Svetogorsk youngsters meet every week

-        Russia: Everybody can be a part of the youth council, but the administration has to say ok) (democracy in Russia seems to be different)

Administration

(people who work for the townhall)

- Are there meetings together?

    -> Do people who decide about the same topic meet?

- What about common development? Common strategies? Common projects? Common marketing (e.g. a logo)?

- How often do the mayors meet?

- Who is organizing these meetings?

- Is there staff only for cooperation?

- Which language is used? (for information/documents; during discussions/meetings; in public spaces?)

- Are there beside the formal meetings also informal meetings (e.g. sport events)?

- Do the mayors have open hours/open doors also for the people from the citytwin?

-        Big Valka/Valga meetings once per month

-        Common marketing (one city, two states)

-        Projects! (train station, art school)

-        Informal meeting (football game, lunch (mayors)

-        No stuff only for cooperation

-        Smaller meetings of departments

-        meetings only when it is necessary

-        tourism strategie (Narva is a city on the border, good for tourism)

-        they don´t see the cities as one city

-        language: some people in the Estonian administration are not able to speak estonian language

-        common development plan 2007-2013, plan to evolve a new stategie after the elections in Russian in autumn

-        every year agreement

-        Imatra wants to interact with other cities

-        Workgroups who meet quiet often

-        Departments do not work together, but they call the specialist

-        Event calender

-        Neighbourhood-programm (booklets in the hall of the border in Russian language from Imatra)

-        Cementary: there is a contract between the countries, people care for old graves (although some graves are nowadays fields and not cementaries anymore)

Council

- Are there meetings together?

    -> Do people who decide about the same topic meet?

- What about common development? Common strategies? Common projects? Common marketing (e.g. a logo); common targets?

- Who is organizing/ preparing these meetings?

- Which language is used? (for information/documents; during discussions/meetings; in public spaces?)

- Are there beside the formal meetings also informal meetings (e.g. sport events)?

-        not so closed

-        they ask for representatives for official events

-        different systems

-        smaller

- council meets 3 times a year

-        meetings yes, especially during projects

-        working group (members from the council are part of that group)

Influence

- Is there an influence of state policies/administration?

- Do other people have an influence on the cooperations?

- How do personal contacts influence the relationship?

-        cross-border Programs

-        EU: understands that there is a difficult situation, but they have not understand yet what we need (how much money)

-        Problems to make the situation of Valga/Valka clear in the state administration (Riga, Tallinn)

-         

-        Huge state-influence on the Russian side

-        Tallinn is not listening when people from Narva try to explain their situation

-        Local administration/ government in Finland can decide about everything

-        In Russia, the city can decide nothing

-        People from Finland only cross the border to get cheap cigarettes, fuel, alcohol

-        Different taxes

-        BORDER! No Schengen: It takes ages to cross the border

-        Human traffic; Mafia

Public services

- Do the cities support each other? (e.g. in case of fire; hospital; police; rescue)

- Events: Do they invite the other officials?

-        cooperations between hospitals, police.... EVERYTHING

Thank you Schengen J

-        cooperation of police (Russian people can call the police in Estonia)

-        people cross the border to get medicine in Russia (not only because it´s cheaper but also because they have different products)

-        Events: meeting of Santa and Father Frost in the middle of the bridge, invitations of officials

-        Events: Meeting of Santa Clause and the Russian Version

-        Planning a train to St. Petersburg

-        No bus between the citys

Economics

- Is there cross-border public transport?

- Is there cooperation of power companies? (e.g. water, electricity?)

- Is there cooperation of companies owned by the city (e.g. sports, culture)?

-        No public cross-border transport yet, but planned (from busstation to busstation)

-        Power plant for both parts of one (!) city

-        but competition between companies

-        cooperation yes, but not so close

-        level of income/lifestyle is different

-        would like to have cross-boder-transportation, but problems because Russia is non-EU-country

-        no

-         

Citizen level

-        Russian Black market for Estonia comes from Latvia and the other ways around…

-        Lunch in the other city

-        Relatives, separated families, marriages

-         

-        Relatives, separated families, marriages

-        People meet a lot

-        Administration organize it a lot (seniors, school teachers)

-        First born child gets a gift

-         

-        Relatives, separated families, marriages

-        Cheap fuel/cigarettes/alcohol

-        People from Finland use cheap services (hairdresser…) in Russia

-        Russians use skiing, spa and other public possibilities in Imatra (fishing, Biketours…)

-        Russians buy fish in Finland