From the beginning of the 9th edition of the Challenger program, participants went through a competitive learning process, applying a series of skills and knowledge necessary to address the issues faced by young people in Moldova.
As local elections were scheduled for the fall of 2023, the 9th Challenger edition was dedicated to the capital and the priorities of Chisinau residents.
Stage 1: Questionnaires distribution and problems identification!
Traditionally, in the first stage, participants went out of their comfort zone, to question people. Divided into 5 teams (corresponding to each sector of the capital), participants interviewed 1775 Chisinau residents to find out the main issues at the city, sector, street, apartment, or courtyard level.
The result showed that the biggest obstacle for Chisinau residents is represented by traffic jams caused by unauthorized parking and the poor condition of roads. At the end of this stage, participants engaged in debates.
The topic investigated and debated was: "Courtyard arrangement is primarily the responsibility of the residents of that courtyard." By presenting arguments for and against, teams practiced their skills in argumentation, public speaking, and debates on a rather complex topic.
Stage 2: Research and Debates!
Approximately 50 participants were selected to participate in the second stage of the program. In this stage, participants (divided into 5 teams corresponding to Chisinau's sectors) developed strategies to solve the main problems identified by the city's residents interviewed in the first stage, namely - traffic jams.
Young people identified the most congested intersections in each sector, analyzed them in detail, and proposed solutions to alleviate traffic congestion. The 10 ideas for improving urban mobility were tested through a debate competition, resulting in 10 traffic improvement strategies, two for each sector of the city.
Stage 3: Promoting Proposed Solutions
The third stage of the program continues the efforts to raise awareness among citizens about the traffic jam problem, but also serves as motivation for local authorities to address the issue.
The 10 strategies were presented to residents, candidates for councilor and mayor positions, and municipal authorities. The project's culmination: At the end of Challenger 9, an initiative group was formed, whose members aim to continue interacting with residents and authorities to solve issues related to urban mobility.
Among the objectives of the initiative group are:
- Promoting alternative transportation and developing the necessary infrastructure;
- Cooperation with local authorities, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders;
- Advocacy for quality public policies related to sustainable urban mobility;
- Implementation of community education projects.
If you also want traffic in Chisinau to improve, join the urban mobility initiative group at challenger.moldova@gmail.com.
„Challenger” program, is implemented by „Comunitatea Plus”, with the support of National Democratic Institute branch in Republic of Moldova and the USAID. Opinions expressed within this material do not necessarily represent the position of NDI Moldova and USAID.