On 15 June 2025 a Policy Roundtable titled “Towards Inclusive Citizenship: Engaging Youth and Local Citizens in Creative Participation, Activism and Solidarity” took place in Sofia, Bulgaria, bringing together stakeholders to reflect on practical ways of strengthening inclusive citizenship across different local contexts.
The roundtable aimed to contribute to the development of practical policy recommendations and to identify shared priorities for strengthening inclusive citizenship. Among the discussion topics were supporting youth initiatives and civic projects at the local level; building sustainable partnerships between municipalities, educational institutions and civil society organisations; creating and strengthening spaces for participation, dialogue and creativity; promoting solidarity and inclusive practices within local communities; and encouraging the active involvement of young people in public and democratic processes.
Participants also had the opportunity to learn about a range of youth initiatives focusing on women’s empowerment, democracy, advocacy and social inclusion, providing inspiration through real-life examples of civic engagement.
To prioritise the most relevant actions, participants took part in a dot-voting exercise on the printed policy recommendations, identifying the three recommendations considered the most impactful and feasible for implementation. They then split into three groups for a World Café discussion, with each group exploring one of the selected recommendations in greater depth. Discussions focused on identifying the key leading actors and stakeholders, potential challenges, required resources and the first practical steps for implementation.
Finally, each group presented its conclusions, fostering a collective exchange of ideas and further refining the proposed policy actions.
As the final event of the LISTEN project, the roundtable marked an important moment for reflecting on the knowledge, experiences and collaborations developed throughout the project. The discussions demonstrated the value of bringing together young people, local actors and civil society representatives to co-create more inclusive and participatory communities. The ideas and recommendations generated during the event will contribute to sustaining the project’s impact beyond its formal conclusion.
We would like to thank all participants for their active engagement, valuable contributions and commitment to promoting inclusive citizenship, solidarity and democratic participation.
