CITIZENS

The “CITIZENS” project is an innovative initiative aimed at strengthening civic participation in Europe, particularly with regard to Europe’s key challenges: democracy, migration, gender equality, and European identity. By establishing Citizens’ Councils in five European cities, a platform is created where citizens from diverse social, cultural, and demographic backgrounds can discuss current challenges together and develop collective perspectives for the future. These Citizens’ Councils serve as forums for participatory discussions and working groups in which citizens actively participate in shaping solutions to these issues.

The methodological approach is based on a bottom-up approach designed to directly incorporate citizens’ voices and ideas into political decision-making processes. The Citizens’ Councils regularly hold topic-related discussions and organize citizen surveys to capture the opinions and perspectives of a broad population. The results of these discussions and surveys are consolidated in international meetings and discussions, in which political decision-makers also participate. Within this framework, the findings will be presented, discussed, and summarized in position papers intended to serve as a basis for policy measures and strategies.

The “CITIZENS” project contributes to promoting democracy, equality, and inclusion in Europe, significantly supporting key EU initiatives such as the European Democracy Action Plan, the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy, and the EU Action Plans to Combat Racism and for European Citizenship. By creating an inclusive and participatory political discourse, the project makes an important contribution to strengthening democratic governance in Europe and to the realization of the overarching goals of the European Union.