On 12 and 15 June 2026, the LISTEN project organised the two-part policy event “Towards Inclusive Citizenship: Engaging Youth and Local Citizens in Creative Participation, Activism and Solidarity”, combining an online participatory event with a face-to-face policy roundtable in Sofia, bringing together 118 participants from 10 European countries.
The event connected civil society and grassroots organisations, municipalities, youth organisations, cultural actors, educators, researchers and policy-makers to exchange experiences and strengthen dialogue on inclusive citizenship, youth participation, civic engagement and democratic resilience.
The participatory policy process generated 44 initial recommendations across 10 thematic areas, which were assessed and consolidated into 14 final recommendations.
The event used participatory methods including online rating, individual worksheets, dot-voting and World Café sessions with a Policy Roadmap Canvas, enabling participants to identify shared priorities and translate them into practical implementation pathways. The three strongest priorities were participatory cultural activities, mobile and decentralised programmes for rural and isolated communities, and elected youth councils with a genuine advisory role.
The process resulted in three co-developed Policy Roadmaps focused on key actors, challenges, resources, enablers and practical first steps, highlighting trust-building, existing community infrastructure and intentional inclusion as essential foundations for meaningful community engagement. The recommendations and roadmaps provide the basis for the final LISTEN Roadmap and Policy Recommendations for Community-Led Community Engagement.
Learn more about the LISTEN Policy Roundtable here!