Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): The inspiration guide, created for the upcoming municipal elections on October 13, informs voters about candidates and local issues. It includes 35 policy examples to enhance community engagement and improve governance, emphasizing the need for strong local policies in the Flemish periphery.
It has been said that the inspiration guide is a helpful publication created before the municipal elections on October 13, designed to inform voters about the candidates, their beliefs and important community issues. It provides profiles of the candidates, their main ideas and discussions on local challenges, helping voters make informed choices. The guide aims to influence the agreements made after the elections, which will outline the goals for the new city administration. By highlighting key issues and offering suggestions, the guide seeks to direct new officials toward focusing on important problems and finding effective solutions, ultimately shaping the future governance of the city.
What requirement has been implemented in Tervuren for local groups to support the Dutch-speaking community?
The policy guide includes 35 different examples of programs and policies that cities can use. These examples cover many areas like promoting language, welcoming new residents, and housing policies. The guide is designed to show effective ways that cities can improve their local government and get the community more involved. Wets believes that the Flemish periphery, which has its own special culture and social features, needs strong and active policies. He says that local authorities shouldn’t just respond to outside pressures from Brussels but should work hard to create a strong Flemish policy. This includes strategies to help newcomers get excited about joining the local culture, learning the Flemish language, and embracing the regional identity. By doing this, cities can build a strong community and improve connections among residents.
Wets believes that having good policies is really important, and now that there’s a new policy guide, local governments in the Rand can’t make excuses for not taking action. One example from the guide is the ‘Hallo Halle’ project, where people practice Dutch by asking shopkeepers questions. The guide also gives tips on where to find help and funding ideas for schools to support local kids. In Tervuren, local groups must now pay a minimum amount to members living there and support the Dutch-speaking community. This guide will be talked about at the ‘State of the Rand’ meeting on Saturday at CC Westrand in Dilbeek.
