Local Seminars will be held in the 5 different municipalities where partners are located, and are expected to involve around 200 citizens and EU countries representatives.
These local seminars constitute an opportunity to put together citizens and public authorities of the 5 project partner countries sharing information and experiences, debating and reflecting about the different experiences and existing participation mechanisms at local, national and EU. During the local seminars all partners should collect information that can be used during the International Conference “Reinforcing Local Participation for a Democratic Europe” that will take place in Loulé, Portugal,on the 25th, 26th and 27th November 2015.
These local events will enable the different partners to do an informative session, a consultation and a public debate on the efficiency of the existing instruments to allow citizens participation on policy development and decision making processes at different levels. These activities will also allow collecting recommendations concerning the improvement of existing instruments and the development on new approaches to citizens’ participation in such processes.
The Local Seminars goals are to:
– To provide information on existing mechanisms for citizens’ participation at local, national and EU level;
– To make an assessment of the practices and experiences of citizens’ participation at local, national and EU level;
– To collect ideas for different ways that might contribute to improve the existing mechanisms for participation;
– To collect reflections and opinions about the existing information about the mechanisms for participation;
– To collect feedback to enable the finalization of the Action Kit for Participation;
– To engage participants in the dissemination of the Action Kit for Participation and of the existing mechanisms for citizens’ participation so they can act as multipliers close to their peers and within their organizations.
