We interviewed Ignazio Bacile di Castiglione, a 19-year-old Italian man, who decided to support the recently established Local Democracy Agency (LDA) Moldova in Cimișlia, thus contributing to a better and more democratic local community. Read more about his experience through his own words.
A. Moldova is not among the top destinations for young professionals. Why did you decide to support the work of the recently established Local Democracy Agency in Cimișlia?
I. Working and living in a country such as Moldova may not be easy since it is still less developed than European countries, and you may encounter many cultural differences. However, my desire to contribute to a better and more democratised world made me accept the offer of ALDA to support the LDA work in Cimișlia without a second thought. If I had chosen a country like France or Italy, I would not have got the same stimulating (and exciting) experience I am living right now here in Moldova.
A. What is the state of play for local authorities and local democracy in the city and in Moldova, in your view? Can you compare it with other European communities you have lived and worked in?
I. In my opinion, there are some positive premises for the process of democratisation here in Moldova. At the same time, several things need to be changed and improved. For instance, having visited many local authorities around Cimișlia , I noticed that they are all well functioning and proactive. On the other side, among local people, there is a general feeling of mistrust towards the corrupted central government. From my point of view, Moldova lacks a central power which can coordinate and channel the local authorities towards democracy. Moreover, in contrast to many European countries, I think that the promotion of democracy in Moldova is limited by many factors, such as a poor economy, the phenomenon of migration, the difficulty which national and local firms have to face every day because of the lack of customers and thus, the low profits. This turns into a vicious circle; that’s the reason why I believe that only an economic boom can boost the democratisation process and I am confident this change will be possible in few years.
A. Where do you see the LDA in three years? And where do you dream you will be by then?
I. At the moment the office of LDA Moldova has been opened for only 3 months and we are still taking the first steps. However, everyone here is putting a lot of effort in our tasks and I am sure that in the long run LDA Moldova will have achieved excellent results. In particular, I expect a higher and stronger connection between our reality and the local authorities and above all with local people, who are the only ones that can truly make democracy happen. In three years, I expect to complete my studies and to start my professional career. Ideally, I would like to work for NGOs (maybe ALDA?) or international organisations. Where? I would like to travel a lot and perhaps move to Asia for a period of my life.
A. Thanks a lot, Ignazio! Your energy is key to developing the work of LDA Moldova, as well as to shape a better, fairer society.
Useful resources:
We interviewed Ignazio Bacile di Castiglione, a 19-year-old Italian man, who decided to support the recently established Local Democracy Agency (LDA) Moldova in Cimișlia, thus contributing to a better and more democratic local community. Read more about his experience through his own words.
A. Moldova is not among the top destinations for young professionals. Why did you decide to support the work of the recently established Local Democracy Agency in Cimișlia?
I. Working and living in a country such as Moldova may not be easy since it is still less developed than European countries, and you may encounter many cultural differences. However, my desire to contribute to a better and more democratised world made me accept the offer of ALDA to support the LDA work in Cimișlia without a second thought. If I had chosen a country like France or Italy, I would not have got the same stimulating (and exciting) experience I am living right now here in Moldova.
A. What is the state of play for local authorities and local democracy in the city and in Moldova, in your view? Can you compare it with other European communities you have lived and worked in?
I. In my opinion, there are some positive premises for the process of democratisation here in Moldova. At the same time, several things need to be changed and improved. For instance, having visited many local authorities around Cimișlia , I noticed that they are all well functioning and proactive. On the other side, among local people, there is a general feeling of mistrust towards the corrupted central government. From my point of view, Moldova lacks a central power which can coordinate and channel the local authorities towards democracy. Moreover, in contrast to many European countries, I think that the promotion of democracy in Moldova is limited by many factors, such as a poor economy, the phenomenon of migration, the difficulty which national and local firms have to face every day because of the lack of customers and thus, the low profits. This turns into a vicious circle; that’s the reason why I believe that only an economic boom can boost the democratisation process and I am confident this change will be possible in few years.
A. Where do you see the LDA in three years? And where do you dream you will be by then?
I. At the moment the office of LDA Moldova has been opened for only 3 months and we are still taking the first steps. However, everyone here is putting a lot of effort in our tasks and I am sure that in the long run LDA Moldova will have achieved excellent results. In particular, I expect a higher and stronger connection between our reality and the local authorities and above all with local people, who are the only ones that can truly make democracy happen. In three years, I expect to complete my studies and to start my professional career. Ideally, I would like to work for NGOs (maybe ALDA?) or international organisations. Where? I would like to travel a lot and perhaps move to Asia for a period of my life.
A. Thanks a lot, Ignazio! Your energy is key to developing the work of LDA Moldova, as well as to shape a better, fairer society.
Useful resources: