Memorandum signed to launch a citizens’ assembly in Zhytomyr

On June 24, 2025, the BRIDGE project team signed a partnership memorandum with the Zhytomyr City Council to prepare for a citizens’ assembly - a tool of deliberative democracy that involves residents in decision-making through discussion, weighing arguments, and seeking common ground.

What makes this especially significant is that the idea of holding the assembly has received strong support from the local government leadership. Halyna Shymanska, Secretary of the City Council, and Svitlana Olshanska, First Deputy Mayor, demonstrated openness to cooperation and sincere interest in introducing new formats of public participation.

Together with Director of the public utility “City development agency” of the Zhytomyr city council Borys Pakholiuk and representatives of the relevant municipal departments, we have also begun discussions on organizing the upcoming stakeholders’ forum, potential topics for the citizens’ assembly, and how to ensure the process is meaningful, practical, and transparent for the community.

Ahead lies the stakeholders’ forum, selection of a topic from the list proposed by the community, invitation of participants, and the assembly itself, scheduled for autumn 2025.

This will be the first citizens’ assembly in Ukraine to take place in a regional center. We sincerely thank Zhytomyr for the partnership, trust, and readiness to launch this important process together with us.

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