a European networkof local actors of change

23-26 June 2016

a European networkof local actors of change

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About CitizensLab...................................................4

Network Members..................................................8

Meet the kickoff meeting Facilitators.............44

Meet the CitizensLab team...............................46

Meet our Partners................................................48

About CitizensLab is an opportunity for local actors of change to create a new European network. The aim is to strengthen and connect active citizens from all sectors that are passionate about their local community. They engage in finding innovative solutions to challenges in their neighborhoods – be it as volunteers or in their jobs.

The project is implemented by MitOst in cooperation with Stiftung Mercator, Robert Bosch Stiftung and the European Cultural Foundation.

The European Union has been accompanied and shaped by a critical and constructive civil society from its beginning. Besides organisations and networks acting on a European level and European Think Tanks, there is a strong civil society that does not primarily advocate Europe or the European Union, but is rather engaged in concrete activities on a local level, nevertheless they can have a great impact also on the European dimension if collaboration and synergies are fostered.Local initiatives have the potential to become social innovations that generate at the same time social change and a transformation of local and national institutional frame-works that can be then disseminated throughout Europe. This personal involvement led by a sense of responsibility for the common good, increases solidarity among citizens and the sustainability of our society. CitizensLab is a concrete opportunity to strengthen actors of change as multipliers, to deepen the local impact of their work and to connect them in a European movement.

Why a European network of local actors of change?

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Through an open call and a selection process 35 local actors will meet for the first time in Berlin in June 23 -26 to lay the foundation of a network where active citizens can come together and connect. They will exchange knowledge and learn from their peers to strengthen the quality and impact of their local work. This European network can also serve to increase the influence on decision-making processes and policies on different levels.

The founding members are presented in this booklet, among them are cooking enthusi-asts organizing guerilla dinners as a means of crowdfunding for local projects, social media geniuses connecting neighbors online and offline through a local social network and literature lovers empowering and engaging youngsters with spoken word poetry and storytelling. But also enthusiastic clerks from public administration strengthening participatory citizenship through their work will all meet at the kick off meeting.

All of those passionate social changers will kick-off the network in Berlin from June 23 -26 2016.We will have the opportunity to get to know each other, to share our expertise and challenges and to learn from each other’s stories. We will reflect on the role of civil society in Europe; discuss about participatory processes and their influence on social change; think about collaboration and how the network could support the impact of our initiatives. Finally we will set the common approach of the network and its governance structure and come up with tools to keep the network alive.

After the kick off meeting, network’s members can engage in different ways to keep the network alive and meaningful:

-Use mobility grants to visit other members of the network to further foster peer-to-peer learning processes.

-Receive small grants to develop creative ideas to implement activities/projects locally in partnership with the network members.

-Get the support and mentoring of the network members for specific challenges and obstacles fostering a culture of “collaborative or collegial consulting”.

In the beginning of 2017, an additional 20 members will be selected to become part of the network that will meet again in March 2017, in Brussels.

Who are the active founding members of the CitizensLab network?

What will actually happen?

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About

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MitOst is a Berlin-based non-profit and non-governmental organisation that promotes cultural exchange and active citizenship in Europe and its neighbouring regions. The organisation was founded in 1996 and has 1.400 members in 40 countries. International understanding and civic engagement are the basic principles of all MitOst programmes as well for the manifold voluntary projects of its members.The annual International MitOst Festival brings our network together.

Adeshola Tunde Adefioye (Elsene, Belgium)

Organisation: Urban Woorden VZW & KVSWebsite: www.facebook.com/urban.woorden; www.kvs.be Status: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsCommunity development, Freedom of expression, Urban issuesTarget Groupsyouth, people with migrant backgrounds, prisoners

I am curious about the world around me. This curiosity has taken me to different lands and allowed me to gain an insight into different worlds. I have gone from trekking along the Himalayas to surfing the waters of the Pacific Ocean and I have been fortunate to gain deeper perspectives on how the lives of "womyn" of color intersect at many different crossroads. A Forrest Gump of sorts (according to some a renaissance person) I have never allowed my oppressions to define me but instead tried to redefine and overcome them. This resilience has also allowed me to create a non-profit in a land where a few years ago I did not speak the language. Now I sit at KVS (The Brussels City Theatre) as a city dramaturg at one of Belgium's revered theaters, thanks to the path-breaking work I did at Urban Woorden.I am passionate about working with the local community to create a space for the youth to express and empower themselves, to feel inspired to be the best version of them-selves. Urban Woorden uses poetry as a tool for youth engagement, hosts workshops in schools and prisons and organises events and open mics for young people. Therefore, I have been fortunate to impact social reality in the Flemish context by asking how to create more diversity in the podium arts and in culture in general.

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Pavlina Petrova (Brestovo, Lovech district, Bulgaria)

Organisation: Vibrant Village Foundation - Bulgaria (VVF)Website: www.zhivoselo.orgStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsCommunity development, Education, MigrationTarget Groupsyoung people, particularly low qualified and permanently unemployed

I’m Pavlina – economist, Bulgarian by place of birth and citizen of the world by soul. I’m tireless to discover different people, situations, areas and places, my children, friends, everyday life. Challenging myself as well as fascinating people around me in community activities, which the surrounding world calls adventures, is what I am in love with. Vibrant Village Foundation is my most recent initiative and excitement. 30 people from different Bulgarian places and areas of expertise develop what is meant to become a good practice of community interaction, which can be easily transferred to other small communities, with emphasis on those endangered by depopulation. We have the will to re-awake the Bulgarian village – the “sleeping beauty" of sustainable development. In order to achieve its goals, Vibrant Village Foundation is forming a Centre for Motiva-tion, Development and Professional Orientation which creates conditions for the motiva-tion, development and professional orientation of young people, supporting their personal development, encouraging the release and growth of their talents and increas-ing their professional competence and skills.

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Yanina Taneva (Sofia, Bulgaria)

Organisation: Ideas FactoryWebsite: http://ideasfactorybg.org/ifactoryStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsCommunity development Target Groupssocial innovators, civic activists, social entrepreneurs, elderly people, changemakers

The trust in the power of the “challenging environment” to be an incubator for unique social innovations that enhances the quality of human relations is the air that I breathe and the water that I swim in. I’m probably addicted to the radical thesis that the course of our human evolution depends on unleashing our creative potential as societies, organisations and individuals. And this is why now is the exact time to redefine visions of our future. And it`s urgent. I work as a “catalyst” and a „fuel” for small ideas and imaginative people with extraordi-nary potential for social change. I’m a strategic communicator by profession, an enabler of shared visions, lecturer, trainer, blogger and traveler, co-founder of Ideas Factory and its director at the moment as well as of Changemakers Academy, Social Innovation Challenge and Granny residence. In my pocket I always wear … a red clown nose. The Ideas Factory is about catalyzing processes for creating positive social change. Our aim is to activate the potential for innovation in everybody who is willing to actively participate in changing their environment. At Ideas Factory we are passionate to catalyse positive social change trough enhancing social capabilities of collective intelligence, empathy and socially innovative thinking that gives the key to a newly shaped system and world of social justice and fully expressed human potential.

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Linda Öhman (Uppsala, Sweden; Finland)

Organisation: FutureLab EuropeWebsite: http://www.futurelabeurope.eu Status: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsConflict resolution, Political engagement, Community developmentTarget GroupsEuropean youth and policy makers

My local community is my extended family. It is the people I bump into regularly and interact with, the events filling everyday life. Although it is part neither of my private life nor my closest circle of family and friends, my local community is there and makes up the framework of my life.Due to studies and work I have moved frequently for the past years, and so my local community has often been redefined. Building it up from scratch is always a struggle, but once in place, it is rewarding to interact with the people around me, sharing their opinions and concerns, relying on one another for help. Not until I know my local community, I feel like home in a new place.Regardless where in Europe I have been, the local communities have faced the challenge of weakening societal cohesion. However, bringing people together provides an easy fix everywhere. What drives me in engaging people is not only my own sincere interest in people, but also their joy when getting to know their community and realising how fascinating it is. Local communities are the backbone of democracy, and need to be nurtured. My best practices are very simple: “bring people together and give them time to innovate”.FutureLab Europe is a think tank that promotes the voice of young Europeans. It brings together people aged 20 to 30 from across Europe and creates a truly European network. The core aim of FutureLab's work is to make the EU a citizens' project, and so the think tank engages in the topics of European democracy, equal opportunities, and European identity. Members engage in European affairs by writing blog entries, organising events together and participate in various events addressing European issues. 11

Marlene Haas (Frankfurt am Main, Germany)

Organisation: Lust auf besser leben gGmbHWebsite: www.lustaufbesserleben.de/labl-frankfurtStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsSustainability, Community development, Urban issuesTarget Groupsmicro businesses (local economy), citizens and associations in urban areas

I´m a passionate urban change maker. I worked as event manager for cultural and social events until I got in touch with sustainable trade fairs. I recognized that there is a huge gap between what citizens knows about sustainability, how small companies are supported in sustainable development and how local economy, citizens and NGOs unite for local empowerment. So I decided to build a local community for sustainable develop-ment with tools and programmes to support a better life. To show that there is no straight system, but a bunch of ideas, behaviours or also prejudices which all in all are the system of what we call society. In Labl.Frankfurt we receive a direct feedback if our work, our concepts for sustainable change and development, lead to an impact or if they fail the needs of the community. It also is a great feeling to link people with similar questions or complementary needs, so they can solve their challenges in common - the new way to face the challenges: together instead of competitive. So for me, it is a great chance to enable citizens for European exchange and to foster new ideas for a sustainable, positive and 'low level' participative development which leads to a bigger impact than a parliament in Bruxelles can do. And it is our responsibility to do that! We can't just sit and wait, it is our idea of Europe which needs to be filled with action.

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Martin Pairet (Berlin, Germany)

Organisation: European AlternativesWebsite: http://www.euroalter.comStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsCivic rights, Community development, Political engagementTarget GroupsEuropean activists, CSOs, artists and academics

I am Martin, a French now living in Berlin. I have been working in international non-profits for years, supporting first the organic movement and later fundraising for campaigns on climate and social justice. I am passionate about people organising at every level to fight for their fundamental rights and to challenge systems that create inequalities, exclusion and poverty. I am particularly keen to exchange with local, national and transnational groups and learn about their ideas and their approaches to organise their community towards achieving their goals. For that, I believe in the power of both informal and formal learning and exchanging, and I am convinced that intensive discussions and debates should be mixed with activities such as walking, cooking, gardening and crafting. It is amazing to see that European citizens are currently creating new forms of transnational engagement to the public life and are organising themselves to show politicians that regular citizens can take decisions and solve the problems their community face.I am now working for European Alternatives, a transnational network of activists and citizens fighting for more democracy, equality and culture beyond nation states. We empower individuals and organisations to act in a coordinated way throughout and beyond Europe to imagine, demand, and enact alternatives and influence decision-making. We believe that social and political change requires artistic and cultural engage-ment as much as other forms of engagement, fostering a renewal of society not limited to one sector.

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Cicek Bacik (Berlin, Germany)

Organisation: Daughters and Sons of GastarbeitersWebsite: www.gastarbeiters.deStatus: open literature platformTopicsMigration, Political engagement, EducationTarget GroupsGerman majority and migrants

I am a child of a Turkish guest worker (Gastarbeiter). I immigrated to Berlin at the age of eight. I grew up in a foreigner ghetto in Spandau, a district of Berlin. The guest workers and their families lived mostly in the shadow of the rear buildings and had little contact with the German community. The children of migrant workers were mostly affected by the isolation. As a young girl, I started to write about my experiences and my fight to break out of the isolation. The descendants of guest workers don’t dare to reflect about their painful past. The past is often erased or forgotten. By hiding our origins we extinguish the main pillar of our identity. I have established an open literature platform Daughters and Sons of Gastarbeiters. In public readings we perform our family histories that are accompanied by image projections from the family album, film and music. The stories are intended to stimulate a public debate about the relevance of immigrants in German society. Nowadays ethnic and religious backgrounds play an important role in public debates, it is important to draw our attention to the concrete reality of life of immigrants in order to fight the populist alienation rhetoric and mechanisms of exclu-sion. Many European countries are affected by migration. Recently many refugees from war and crisis regions enter Europe. Migration was and is an extremely important issue that should not any longer be treated as a marginal issue particularly today. At the same time, we observe a shift of right wing movements and social polarization in many European countries.I want to be an active founding member of CitizensLab to create a common "we" feeling in Germany and in Europe that is free of racism, hatred and exclusion.14

Lilian Jüchtern (Darmstadt, Germany)

Organisation: European Forum for Freedom in Education (EFFE)Website: http://www.effe-eu.orgStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsEducation, Civic rightsTarget Groupspupils, parents, teachers, initiatives and educational organisations, stakeholders in education, local national and European authorities

I like to travel and to see places for the first time. I like to meet and get to know people and I find it truly amazing in what ways we are different and what we share. I really love to be able to spend time without a fixed schedule and to “get lost” in whatever story a place or a person has to tell. In my work I am inspired by the natural curiosity and creativity of children. I believe that all children and young people in Europe deserve educational environments that will give them confidence in their own potential to shape the world they live in.I believe that the people of Europe need to build personal relationships to each other to share experiences and examples of good practice, to exchange tools and methods and to work together on local challenges.The European Forum for Freedom in Education (EFFE) promotes equity, freedom and diversity of education across Europe. We aim to facilitate exchange of ideas and the transfer of know-how amongst agents in education and other stakeholders. We believe that education is a task of society as a whole and encourage educational organisations to engage in trans-sectorial collaborations, to use community resources and to invite people from different professions to work with children and young people.

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Sven Stegemann (Berlin, Germany)

Organisation: Open StateWebsite: www.roc21.openstate.cc; www.openstate.ccStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsCommunity development, Migration, SustainabilityTarget Groupsmakers, refugees, shelter managers, nerds

I am a co-founder of Open State, an organisation which pioneers, fosters, and scales the tools for a livable society and thriving economy beyond consumerism. I have been working as an organisational developer, systemic process consultant and communica-tions expert in different settings, until recently and over the course of four years at the BMW Foundation. I am a philosopher and economist by education, and later pursued a master`s programme with foci on sustainability science and social innovation. In an earlier life I worked at a bank and accidentally studied the flaws of our financial system. I also ran an internet startup during high school. Open State works on the big challenges of our time such as climate change and the migration crisis. We think it now needs an innovative, interconnected approach - a complex solution to a complex problem. This can only be achieved within local commu-nities, in single shelters or camps, to be scaled step by step to hundreds of other local communities and places after the concept has been proven. One of our goals is to leapfrog beyond the migration crisis mode with a concept called Refugee Open Cities (ROC21). It �s an open-source roadmap that activates the vast human potential of refugees by transforming camps into inclusive cities, bunk bed halls into makerspaces and emergency homes into self-sustaining living environments. The nurturing environment of ROC21 will speed up the inclusion and independence of refugees. It empowers and breaks through the enforced idleness, preventing aggressions and criminality. Learning, teaching, engaging with each other and creating a shared message:“We can handle this – together, cool and confident!”16

Elina Makri (Athens, Greece)

Organisation: oikomediaWebsite: http://www.oikomedia.comStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsCommunity development, Political engagement, Conflict resolutionTarget Groupsmedia professionals

I am a journalist based in Athens, but I travel a lot in Europe because I do European journalism. What does that means: I have a near pathological interest for the future of the news business and European coverage. But what I see around me is not enough; we do not learn enough about the other European societies. We do learn about their political heads but not about their societies. So I want to change that. Back in 2005, many of my compatriots did not understand why I cared so much about Europe. Ten years later, we only talk about Europe. Back then, I wanted and still want to explain very passionately what is the debate in other European countries, to expose my local community to other realities and thinkings. Oikomedia started later, out of the need for foreign correspondents to understand the reality of "my" local community and not report about it behind a computer screen in Brussels. Oikomedia is a professional social network for media professionals created by journalists and techies in Greece (mainly) and Italy. A targeted platform for a professional category that has specific needs: Media companies and professionals (local journalists, camera-men, fixers, and photographers) need to be able to trace other professionals in order to exchange information, knowledge and sources.

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Angeliki Tseliou (Athens, Greece)

Organisation: Kalliga Square Citizens AssociationWebsite: www.facebook.com/plateiakalligaStatus: An open, informal active citizens groupTopicsCommunity development, Urban issues, EnvironmentTarget Groupslocal community, active citizens groups, the city of Athens, governmental bodies, institutions of the public sector

I was born and raised in the area around Kalliga Square in the 6th Municipal District of Athens and, when I became a mother, it was in this same neighborhood that I chose to raise my daughter. However, the area had been deteriorating through the past two decades, due to negligence of the authorities, increasing criminality and the economic crisis. In 2011, when I discovered that a recently formed group of active citizens had taken the initiative to actively intervene in order to improve our living area, I was thrilled. Ever since, being a key member of the group has been a unique experience that has given me a chance to understand how municipal, governmental agencies, NGO’s and other bodies normally work and learn how to work with people and groups of different perspectives and opinions, under the light of the common goal.Kalliga Square Citizens Association is a team of committed volunteers, working persis-tently since 2010 for the improvement of the quality of life in the 6th Municipal District of Athens. The basic poles of our action include social solidarity, urban environment and culture in the public space. We seek to strengthen the bonds between the residents (Greek citizens and immigrants) by organising social awareness, environmental and cultural campaigns, while exercising pressure to the municipality and governmental bodies for solutions. We believe in the power of a network of active citizens, and we creatively coordinate with the efforts of other groups with a similar approach.

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Eleni Zontirou (Athens, Greece)

Organisation: 6th District Council-Municipality of AthensWebsite: www.cityofathens.grStatus: public institutionTopicsCommunity development, Urban issues, SustainabilityTarget Groupscitizens of 6th district of Athens

I am an elected member and President of the local board of the 6th Municipality of Athens where I have lived all my life. I am interested in politics for the benefit of all residents. The 6th district is the most diverse and vivid area of the city and I believe that the dynamic of the area is basically due to a harmonic cooperation among active local communities. We develop our local district board as a space where we try to meet and support new ideas and methods to implement activities that strengthen communities, support people in need and illuminate the local identity.My passion is to encourage and empower the residents to understand each other, to participate and work on solutions to their everyday problems. Supporting these communities to develop their own activities brings to the surface the authentic needs of people, the possible "uses" of all the assets the community has, which can develop new, inventive and very often much cheaper solutions, a practice that ensures the sustainabil-ity of their interventions through ownership building and active participation. I am very excited to be part of the CitizensLab network because I want to assist my residents to shape the society they want to live in.

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Argyro Bartata (Thessaloniki, Greece)

Organisation: FEAST GreeceWebsite: feastgreece.wix.com/feastgreeceStatus: Start up initiativeTopicsCreative economy, Sustainability, Urban issuesTarget Groupscreative industry professionals, non-profits, cultural industry professionals, grassroots communities, social impact entrepreneurship

I am Argyro and I hold a track record of planning and coordinating cultural projects with national reach for independent artists, institutions and major Greek festivals for the last 15 years. I am passionate about upgrading the creative class, transforming the Greek cultural ecosystem and looking for new collaborative working methods. Shaping a new social mentality towards citizens' active participation to support local creativity is the reason why I founded FEAST Greece, a start-up that fosters cultural entrepreneurship and the arts with offline crowdfunding events.FEAST Greece is a creative platform devoted to promoting and practising crowdfunding tactics, as a means of empowerment for local creative communities and professionals. We combine two beloved Greek habits: dinner and socialising. We organise open guerilla dinners in unexpected places, aiming to activate local crowds to fund new ideas. FEAST Greece practises a social experiment to democratise finance for alternative creative projects in Thessaloniki. Thus, we provide a platform for creatives to implement their ideas and projects. Through FEAST Greece, they can improve their work and their position in the harsh economic environment. The empowerment of independent creators and local actors is what drives us at FEAST Greece. At the same time, we provide the conditions for a creative and productive interplay between members of local communi-ties. Synergies and collaborations that have been generated because of FEAST Greece motivate us to continue working with local communities. 20

Melina Kalfanti (Athens, Greece)

Organisation: Generation 2.0 - Institute for Rights, Equality and DiversityWebsite: www.g2red.orgStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsMigration, Discrimination, Gender & sexualityTarget Groupssecond generation migrants, refugees, LGBTQ community, victims of intersectional discrimination

Athens has a hectic, tense urban environment, where people of different ethnic origins, national identities, racial groups, sexual orientations and gender identities come together and try to coexist. It is natural, therefore, that in this environment, incidents of discrimina-tion and feelings of hatred and racism spring up, at the same time with movements of solidarity that celebrate multiculturalism. These two opposite dynamics work together to create an extremely interesting community with which to work. My work focuses on the intersection of racism, sexism and homophobia, trying to bring together groups of people facing discrimination for entirely different reasons, in order to work past their differences and reach a common ground, to understand that their fight is a common one.Generation 2.0 - Institute for Rights, the organisation I engage in, was formed in order to defend the Second Generation's right to Greek citizenship. Children born and having finished school in Greece had previously no legal right to citizenship. This was accom-plished last year, so the focus of my organisation shifted towards community building and integration of immigrants, which was not solved by the legal accomplishment. More specifically, my work within the organisation aims at people facing intersectional discrimination, such as LGBTQ migrants, which is one of the hardest situations in terms of discrimination. Trying to battle racism within the LGBTQ community and homophobia within the migrant one, is a very tough, and therefore engaging work.

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Ildikó Simon (Budapest, Hungary)

Organisation: Cromo FoundationWebsite: www.cromo.huStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsCommunity development, EducationTarget Groupsindividuals, communities, organisations

I am a social politician and psychodrama therapist as my graduation. I have been working as trainer and organisational development expert for 25 years. In the past 12 years I have spent many days with community organisation as well as community development and my attention turned to social entrepreneurship as one of the only exit for people living in poor rural area, very often they are Romas. Working with and for people I even more believe in the power of people, who want change. And I have not changed in my views that this can best be helped locally. I get passionate about the enthusiasm of proactive people, when working with them. When they realise that they are personally responsible and that they have the ability to make a change. The change of view of locally active people inspires me, that they are able to influence their living circumstances, their closer environments and by showing a good example they can inspire more people, decision makers and thus a whole society. Cromo Foundation was established in 2002 to contribute to local, regional cooperation of non-governmental, business and governmental actors to strengthen a participatory, active, democratic society in Hungary. Our strategy is to initiate, cooperate, test and deliver. Cromo has been working in the field of community and organisation develop-ment over the last decade supporting dozens of communities, organisations on the way to efficiency and sustainability. We broadened the range of our activities with social entrepreneurship development helping community initiatives.

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Gaspar Horvath (Budakeszi, Hungary)

Organisation: MiutcankWebsite: http://blocal.coStatus: social network platformTopicsCommunity developmentTarget Groupsneighbours in cities

I'm Gazsi from Budapest, one of the co-founder of blocal.co, the first local online social network platform in Hungary. I studied engineering and business, I worked in different industries, but all the time I had the feeling that I have to make something more valuable. Before that I was involved in different projects from physical theater through guerilla gardening to video projects. I've seen what a big effect and impact we could make. In 2014 we started to build an online social network for neighbours to strengthen community development, a culture of sharing and to build trust among citizens. I believe in the power of the communities and I know we can change our world with a proactive attitude.Miutcank.hu/blocal.co is a local social network platform were people, neighbours, and businesses can easily connect and become a community and organise themselves. Users who are annoyed by alienation voluntarily help each other by sharing their knowledge, values and tools.

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Levente Polyák (Rome, Italy)

Organisation: EutropianWebsite: http://eutropian.orgStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsUrban issues, Community development, Creative economyTarget Groupsarchitects, planners, public administration, civic groups

I am co-founder of Eutropian and work on urban regeneration processes that use existing resources and connect community groups with public administrations and innovative businesses. Passionate for cities and the people who form them, I share my time between Rome, Vienna and Budapest, combining the best of these worlds, and trying to change the worst. At Eutropian we help people to speak and work together. We support the dialogue between civic organisations and administrations to develop together plans and strategies for cities. We combine the European and local neighbourhood dimension with a variety of stakeholders from civic organisations, administrations, research institutions and private sector. Our domain in urbanism applied to community-building, urban regeneration, food networks and communication strategies.

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Michela Sechi (Milano, Italy)

Organisation: Radio PopolareWebsite: www.radiopopolare.it Status: CooperativeTopicsFreedom of expression, Urban issues, Creative economyTarget Groupsradio listeners, internet users, local communities, civil society

I work at Radio Popolare, Milano, the most important journalists-owned Italian radio network. My boss is the public: 16.000 listeners who donate 90 euros/year to support "their" radio station. They own my desk, my computer, my chair, the building where I work: they have bought them for me. They are always welcome for a visit, and they visit often the newsroom. But they never interfere, they never give orders or censor what I write or say. Sometimes they bring presents: apple pies, chocolate, tiramisù... But the most important gift is the freedom that - together with my colleagues - I can enjoy.The secret of the long life of Radio Popolare is that it is giving a sense of belonging to a community to the listeners. They aren't just "passive" listeners. They participate in the life of the radio by calling live, by atte nding free concerts in the radio's auditorium, by visiting our newsroom, by participating in parties, games and other initiatives organised by the radio. There have been many events/flashmobs against racism, against pollution, in solidarity with migrants and asylum seekers. NGOs and the civil society can always rely on Radio Popolare to get a space to speak about their projects.Radio Popolare's message is: In countries where there is not enough freedom of information, citizens can organise themselves and create their own radio station. It's possible to be independent and financially survive. We think that Radio Popolare's experience can be (and should be) replicated in other cities and countries in the world.

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Chiara Organtini (Terni, Italy)

Organisation: indisciplinarteWebsite: www.caos.museum; www.ternifestival.itStatus: private organisation running a cultural venue owned by the city councilTopicsCommunity development, Creative economy, Urban issuesTarget Groupsformer industrial workers, cultural users from 25 to 50, youngsters and in general local communities in transition

I love question marks rather than full stops, I believe in “if..” rather than simple present, I am intrigued by thresholds and collect doorsteps: I love irony but hate ironing as a personal fight against flatness: for this future facing attitude of making unforeseeable connections and meanings, provoking short-circuits sometimes, I committed my work to arts and creative production. At CAOS and Ternifestival we produce arts and experiences able of engage people emotionally, create new understanding and make transformations happen.Indisciplinarte is a private organisation active in cultural production and project manage-ment based in Terni, Italy. We are a small team of people who believe in arts and creativity as driving forces of local development and growth, an asset for social and economical opportunities able to open up new perspectives. Since 2009 we run CAOS arts centre, a creative space born from the renovation of a former chemical factory.What is moving me forward and towards CitizensLab network is a real and urgent feeling of unbalance: a backpack of experiences and knowledge not equipped enough to provide on my own the right answers to a changing world and its shifting paradigm: this double pole, a heavy backpack and lack of solutions moves me ahead and makes me eager to share and co-create with peers in order to reshape future models and practices able to serve local and global issues.

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Francesco Saija (Messina, Italy)

Organisation: Parliament Watch ItaliaWebsite: www.parliamentwatch.itStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsPolitical engagement, Community development, Civic rightsTarget Groupscivil society, public administration

I'm Francesco Saija and I'm a Phd in Political Philosophy. My parents come from the opposite sides of Italy, Sicily and Lombardy, and, after a life split in both those places, I decided to live in the south. This is a precise choice: beyond the beauty you have to accept the compromises that this land brings necessarily, without losing the will to engage yourself for changing the rules. We, the volunteers of Parliament Watch Italia, live in Sicily and Calabria, two regions that are particularly lacking political transparency and accountability, where corruption of public authorities and the criminal power of mafia and ‘ndrangheta suppress social innovation. The consequence is a loss of legitimacy of the state and local authorities, leading citizens often aiming to extra-legal channels in order to see their rights recognized. After the bloodiest period of our lives, with a series of mafia murders in the beginning of the 90s, the answer of citizens was the birth of volunteer antimafia networks. We believe that volunteer networks are as well the strongest answer to fight the lack of political transparency and accountability: that’s why all PWI activities are co-financed with and promoted through voluntary effort. Our first project aims at organising and educating a volunteers’ network that empowers citizens to make their political needs debated and that promotes transparency and accountability.

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Jekaterina Lavrinec (Vilnius, Lithuania)

Organisation: LaimikisWebsite: http://laimikis.ltStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsCommunity development, Creative economy, EducationTarget Groupsusers of public spaces (children, youth, parents with children, active citizens, seniors)

I am a Vilnius-based urban artist, researcher and educator in Urban Studies. As an assoc.prof. at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University I teach courses in Urban Studies and together with my students I run and curate the annual week for urban interventions "priARTink" (pARTincipate!). I currently work on inclusive cultural regeneration of the wooden Šnipiškės neighbourhood. In my practice I implement arts-based research approaches and focuses on the issues of urban perception, temporal urban solidarities and cooperation, usability and regeneration of public spaces. I am co-founder of the NGO Laimikis.lt that serves as interdisciplinary platform for participatory arts, social design initiatives, research and non-formal learning. Our mission is to promote participatory urban culture by launching site-specific creative communities’ initiatives in underused public spaces. We enjoy creativity in various forms, but the process of developing the social networks of mutual trust based on cooperative activities that revitalise public spaces is a special kind of art for us. Our method is to co-design public spaces by launching cooperative sustainable initiatives that bring people together. We create conditions for people to co-create things that bring joy to public spaces.

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Andrea Rossi (Perdaxius, Sardinia, Italy)

Organisation: Associazione CherimusWebsite: www.cherimus.netStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsCommunity development, Migration, Rural issuesTarget Groupscitizens of Perdaxius and of the Sulcis region, in particular children, teenagers and families

I am Andrea from Italy. I am the vice-president of Cherimus, an art association based in the Sulcis-Iglesiente region (Sardinia). Cherimus is a Sardinian word that means “we want” – we want to forge a new relationship between the contemporary art world and local initiatives, both cultural and economic. Working with communities, for us, is both a way of preventing social fragmentation and of reinserting art at the centre stage of public life. Cherimus participates, through the language of contemporary art, to the develop-ment of the social and cultural heritage - past and present - of the Sulcis Iglesiente region. This area is characterised by a series of problems arising from its current isolation and gradual depopulation, the massive presence of abandoned mining sites and the vestiges of an archaic past that is still reflected in everyday habits and customs. We believe that art should not only deal with the production of artifacts, but should be able to reflect on and offer new perspectives on common problems. Through its poetic approach, art can provide well-thought solutions to the questions of identity and integration, which could hardly be addressed ‘technically’. One of the principal aims of Cherimus is to develop strategies that are capable of overcoming the isolation of peripheral communities by bringing them into contact and creating connections with apparently distant cultures.

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Ed Santman (Schoonhoven, Netherlands)

Organisation: Changes & ChancesWebsite: http://changeschances.comStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsEducation, Creative economy, Community developmentTarget Groupspeople at the edge of society

I develop multi-disciplinary art projects with people at the edge of society, like drug abusers and prisoners. In most of my projects I approach the arts also as a tool for non-formal learning. My ambition is to help my target group to develop basic skills. Co-creation and teamwork are essential elements in all my projects.Changes&Chances operates at the intersection of art, education and society. Apart from creating stronger communities, the essence of our work is the use of art as a tool for developing social and employability skills. We developed an internationally recognized certificate for the validation of the acquired skills, thus improving our target groups’ chances in society.These certificates have recently been internationally recognized within the European qualification framework (EQF).I have visited several community (art) projects and citizen initiatives in various countries in recent years and I was involved in some of them. I felt like there are reasons to embrace optimism, even though many people these days might think that Europe as a cultural concept has no future. To me it feels like this society might be close to a turning point, social change is possible. I believe that smart strategies and timing can have much impact these days.

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Sjoerd Bootsma (Leeuwarden, Netherlands)

Organisation: Leeuwarden-Fryslan European Capital of Culture 2018Website: www.2018.nl Status: public institutionTopicsCommunity development, Creative economy, SustainabilityTarget Groupscitizens of Leeuwarden, Fryslan in The Netherlands

I firmly believe that everyone has a responsibility to work together with their neighbours to create the best possible neighbourhood to live in. In my work I try to help communi-ties to open up and criss-cross with other communities near and far. In my opinion, all the different relations between all these communities and cooperations is 'Europe'.Back in 2010 some friends and I transformed part of an old prison in Leeuwarden into a music venue: Podium Asteriks – a music location with a focus on new talents. From this location multiple festivals were created. It’s what helped to build the idea to nominate Leeuwarden as European Capital of Culture 2018. With a positive outcome – my city, Leeuwarden, is European Capital of Culture in 2018. The programme is all about new approaches to face the urban challenges including the relationship between city and countryside, strengthening the economic climate in a sustainable way, and diversity. With a programme developed in close cooperation with citizens – more than 900 projects were subscribed–, our team is engaging them to think about the future and to think of solutions for urban challenges. At the heart is our concept of 'iepen mienskip' (open community). Be they cultural, social, economical or ecological, the challenges facing Leeuwarden are the same challenges facing cities and regions throughout Europe. In our programme we address these issues and work as much as we can from all sorts of local communities. I really believe in the power of art and culture as a catalyst to bring people together!

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Mpanzu Bamenga (Eindhoven, Netherlands)

Organisation: Inclusion Leaders NetworkWebsite: https://www.facebook.com/Incleaders/Status: MovementTopicsMigration, Political engagement, Community developmentTarget Groupsinclusion of leaders from different sectors: business, education, media, bank, politics, civil society, art, etc.

We are living in a world of increasing populism, extremism and terrorism. This trend leads to a more and more devided world, to more polarisation and fear in society. We need inclusive leadership to achieve positive change in society, to secure our fundamen-tel values, and to lead the people towards a more inclusive society where everyone is participating and contributing to a better world. With my local community I am trying to push this agenda forward. My organisation, Inclusive Leadership Network, is about empowering high potential inclusion leaders from different sectors, such as community, civil society, NGOs, business, government, media, arts, education; and aspiring political leaders from diverse backgrounds. We are empowering them by training, networking, coaching, alliances, working on concrete proposals or community projects to reach a more inclusive society.I believe that different (local) leaders can strengthen each other at the European level. Due to globalisation the world is more and more connected. People working for a positive change should also be connected, learn from best practices, and strengthen each other to form a relevant network of inclusion leaders, to think about concrete actions and getting the means to put the ideas into practice. Especially now that popu-lism, extremism and terrorism are increasing, it is important to unite and work on effective strategies to bring a more inclusive society.

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Nick Connaughton (London, United Kingdom)

Organisation: Arcola TheatreWebsite: www.arcolatheatre.com Status: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsPolitical engagement, Creative economy, Gender & sexuality Target GroupsLGBT, BAMER, disengaged Youth

I run the Creative Engagement Department at Arcola Theatre, one of the UK's leading off-west end venues, housed in a converted warehouse in Dalston, East London. This means finding creative, thought provoking and new ways to use the power of theatre to influence the world around us. Arcola Theatre is all about community, equality, sustain-ability and development. We believe that diversity makes for better art, and for a more flourishing arts scene. We support various BAMER groups (Blak, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugees), have a thriving LGBTQ+ community, and have workshops each week for aproximately 100 local young people. Arcola is at the center of the community, and the new talent passing through all the time allows my team and I to create such exciting and ground breaking work that wouldn't be possible in many other places. I feel that our work in the community is also very important in helping those who may generally be overlooked by theatre to find a creative outlet, which is incredibly important both to me and Arcola Theatre as a whole. I’m particularly motivated by the buzz of working across a network. It’s very rewarding working closely with others who share the same common goal. I’d like to take on a challenge and to feel more connected across Europe. We believe that theatre has the power to drive radical change, and are also the world's first Carbon Neutral Theatre!

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Tiago Castro (Ílhavo, Portugal)

Organisation: 4iS - Platform for Social InnovationWebsite: www.facebook.com/4is.inovsocialStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsUrban issues, Community development, Creative economyTarget Groupsstudents, elderly, unemployed, professionals of cultural and social sectors

I'm Tiago. I'm an urban planner, cultural manager and actor/performer. I'm curious by nature so I'm constantly seeking for knowledge within a broad range of subjects. I'm an observer and a listener. I love the arts and culture in general, nature and the ocean in particular, and the simple pleasures of life. In the past eight years I've been working at or participating in initiatives and projects that involve local communities, mainly linked to urban issues. The experience of working and engaging several initiatives within my local community reinforced my will of working as a facilitator and actor of change. Engaging people to work together is a big challenge specially in a country like Portugal where participation is very low. Being part of the group of people across the country (a mighty few), that are trying to change that, is challenging and exciting because we can actually make the difference. 4iS – Platform for Social Innovation aims to create a social value culture supported on social innovation practices through sharing of knowledge, services, projects and social enterprises. 4iS supports academic and non-academic communities by creating, develop-ing and placing activities and cross-sectoral framework programmes for social innovation, based on sustainability, active citizenship, culture, creativity, education, employment, social entrepreneurship, health and wellbeing. I consider myself an actor of change and I do want to keep working, learning and sharing with others, because I believe that it is the only way for us to achieve a greater good. For me, it is all about the people. They are the true asset in a community.34

Serban Oncescu (Bucuresti, Romania)

Organisation: Asociatia Civicus Romania Website: http://www.civicus.roStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsCivic rights, Community development, EducationTarget Groupsyouth in Romania and EU

I'm fond of freedom and I do not let things as they are, when it comes to injustice or wrong settlements. That's why I chose to try to change things a little, not only to complain. Our passion comes from the fact that changes cannot happen without action. We want to see changes made now and to seed an attitude towards change for the better. As young people are both the best vector for change and the most fun group to work with, we focus on them and involve them in the quest to change. We had the opportunity to work on several projects in the field with the youth and found startling results. Therefore, we bet this is the way to change and the change must be made by youngsters for youngsters, as the future belongs to them.Asociatia Civicus Romania supports young people to understand the society they live in and help them integrate and associate. We assist citizens in their relationship with public authorities and try to show them the rights of their citizenship in order to participate in public policy development. We also assist in demanding information about the way public funds are used.

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Cristian Mladin (Alba Iulia, Romania)

Organisation: Alba Iulia MunicipalityWebsite: www.apulum.ro; www.facebook.com/primariaalbaiuliaStatus: public institutionTopicsCreative economy, Community developmentTarget Groupscitizens of Alba Iulia, Romania; people with institutional, economical, social and/or cultural interests and local artists

As a resident of Alba Iulia and being passionate about local culture, innovation and interaction with creative people, I consider that my work at Alba Iulia Municipality is placed at the crossover between the needs of the common inhabitant and the affirma-tion desire of the local artists. Alba Iulia Municipality is a public authority with a high potential for growth and develop-ment, focussed on institutional, economical, social and cultural interest of more than 63.000 inhabitants.The administration of the municipality is dynamic and open to its residents and visitors, and is constantly valorising the cultural and economical potential of the city, including the cultural and creative sectors. In its actions, the municipality is in direct relation with the citizens and permanently contributing to improving the provided quality services, by reducing the bureaucracy and enhancing its e-administration services. Among our activities and objectives, we ensure the provision of public services for the inhabitants in a sustainable manner respecting the equality of opportunity. We promote social and economic development and a safe and healthy environment. We encourage the involve-ment of citizens and NGOs in the local government matters and make sure the citizens benefit from a healthy living environment and from good living conditions.I am currently involved in an extraordinary project concerning the creative community of Alba Iulia, a very beautiful and old city of Romania. Giving this unique conjuncture, I'm trying to find ways to connect the innovative with the past. This is one of Europe's greatest ideas. Do we have the power to assume the exigency of this reality?

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David Juarez (Barcelona, Spain)

Organisation: Straddle3; Arquitecturas Colectivas Website: http://straddle3.net; http://arquitecturascolectivas.netStatus: non conventional company / network of collectivesTopicsUrban issues, Civic rights, SustainabilityTarget Groupsgrassroots collectives commited to urban transformation

I'm a restless inhabitant, architect and co-founder of Straddle3, a multidisciplinary collective mostly working with grass-roots organisations. I am also an active member of the Arquitecturas Colectivas network. As an architect and activist, I've been committed to the idea of the “Open Source City” and to the implementation of the “Right to the City” concept. I believe that city-making should be inspired by models such as Free Software and Wikipedia, so as to become more accessible, inclusive, horizontal and democratic.Straddle3 is a multidisciplinary collective that works in open source projects related to the living environment. These projects range from transforming vacant urban lots into community spaces, to building houses out of recycled materials, co-designing and co-building public parks with their future users, contributing to the creation of participa-tory cultural centres, and designing free software tools for collaborative place-making. Arquitecturas Colectivas is a network of individuals and collectives interested in participa-tory urban development.In these times of multifaceted crisis (environmental, economic, cultural, demographi-cal…) I am concerned, but also optimistic about the role of grassroots collectives in shaping society and the environment. Besides, I have always believed that networks have huge potential to transform, due to their 'synergetic' properties. In my opinion, recent events in my own country and city show how civic initiatives can find ways to deeply influence society at many levels, introducing new channels for participation, creativity, transparency and accountability in public spheres. 37

Ebru Gökdag (Eskisehir, Turkey)

Organisation: Anadolu University, Center for Theatre of the Oppressed-TurkeyWebsite: www.anadolu.edu.trStatus: public institutionTopicsDiscrimination, Education, Civic rightsTarget Groupsoppressed people

My passion lays in being an active citizen who tries to transform things for the better with the help and solidarity of the real people of her community. This cannot be achieved alone; courage to fight and transform what is oppressive comes from the community. I am founding member of CTO-Turkey (Center for Theatre of the Oppressed-Turkey), formed by a group of women and implemented as a sort of network. Although the work we do is very political, we are above and beyond politics. We are using Theatre of the Oppressed-Techniques (TO) to fight any kind of oppression anywhere in Turkey. Mostly using these techniques, I have been an active citizen of my community for a long time working with many different groups on different issues. With the help and support of my university – Anadolu University – I am able to work within my community in Eskişehir and also conduct field work in other areas of Turkey. Coming from a university helps me to work in many different areas which would have been impossible without the affiliation to an university.I would like to help to establish solidarity with the poeple who work and fight for their communmities. Solidarity is the most important thing when you want to transform things for the better. I believe being an active citizen has to become a momevent. A movement so effective that it can transform the EU for the better.

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Handan Saatcioglu Gurses (Istanbul, Turkey)

Organisation: Komşu Kapisi Maçka Dayanisma DernegiWebsite: http://komsukapisi.org; http://facebook.com/komsukapisiStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsCommunity development, Conflict resolution, Freedom of expressionTarget Groupslocal communities

I am passionate about working on different elements of the local community. It gives me a platform to communicate face to face with other people from different backgrounds; exploring what is our need collectively, rather than individually. “Komsu Kapisi” means "Neighbour's Door"; and it's all about knocking on your neigh-bours’ door or make the neighbours knock on "Komsu Kapisi's" door. The idea came up after Gezi Park Protests (2013). De-centralised civil demonstrations had led to various community forums. Komsu Kapisi is the direct result of the different people's forum located at Maçka district. It is designed like a small village house in the center of the city where local people feel welcomed for their own social-political-cultural activities. It aims to promote direct participation of local people to gather and to debate about the common problems in the neighbourhood – to create "a strong local network", with "face to face" contact. Komsu Kapisi urges awareness for different ideas in the local neighbour-hood and provides a platform to use "public space" for all kinds of social-cultural-political activities.To go a step further on this issue, I imagine a new idea of citizenship beyond its classical definitions. Keeping in mind that our world is becoming more interdependent in global consequences, we need to invent new customs and rituals rather than passively promote the revival of citizenship. I believe, this begins in our local community and corresponds with global dynamics.

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Ayse Görür (Istanbul, Turkey)

Organisation: Association for the Development of Social and Cultural LifeWebsite: https://www.facebook.com/www.sosyalkulturelyasam.orgStatus: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsDiscrimination, Migration, Education Target Groupsgroups under risk, especially refugees

My association SKYGD conducts projects (in cooperation with other NGOs, local and public institutions) with groups under risk or subjected to social and/or economical exclusion since it has been founded. These projects are oriented towards the needs of target groups and susceptible to be adopted and applied by them. As an art-based NGO, we work with all the disadvantaged groups. We carry out powerful art projects compre-hending art workshops such as drama, painting, hip-hop etc. with groups under risk.Since 2013, the association has started to work mainly with Syrian refugees, the general missions are to support art and culture activities in regions where social and cultural life has been damaged or reanimate these activities in regions where they have been weakened because of natural disasters, war and terror. Experiences on/about different groups have shown that creative activities are powerful means of communication while establishing relationships or restoring injured relations with/among all kinds of groups. Accordingly, one can benefit from the restoring strength of art and enable the skills, perceptions and relationships that have been interrupted.

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Gerry Proctor (Liverpool, United Kingdom)

Organisation: Engage LiverpoolWebsite: www.engageliverpool.com Status: non-profit (e.g. NGO)TopicsCommunity development, Urban issues, Sustainability Target Groupscity centre residents

My name is Gerry and I’m born and bred in Liverpool UK. I really enjoy working with people who live in the apartments of the city centre and waterfront and trying to raise the profile of quality of life issues. In the UK there is little history of community activity amongst those who live in urban city centres. In Liverpool we have almost 40,000 residents living in apartments in areas where no-one has previously lived (waterfront docklands for instance). Founded in 2007, Engage links them together and becomes a voice to speak with stakeholders and those who make decisions about the direction the city is taking. We provide an independent forum where people with the will to develop inclusive City Centre neighbourhoods can work together towards this common goal. The role of Engage is to enable open discussions that are democratic, balanced, informed and an accurate reflection of our collective needs and aspirations. Our key role is to ensure that this reflected opinion is valued and influential in the city. Engage is unique in the UK as a grass-roots social enterprise changing the way we live in our cities. We are challenging the transience of the current model of city living based upon students and young people by calling for apartments to built catering for families and the elderly. We have a long way to go but we have the energy to continue the struggle!

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Meet the Kickoff meeting Facilitators

Yael Ohana is a specialist of intercultural political education, international youth work and youth policy. She founded and runs a small independent educational consultancy called Frankly Speaking - Training, Research, Development (www.frankly-speaking.org) through which she conducts projects to assist a variety of clients ranging from youth organisations to multilateral cooperation institutions in their efforts to support civil society development, citizen and youth participation and democratic development around Europe. Yael has a background in European studies, human resources development and political science. She has lived and worked all over Europe, especially Central and Eastern Europe. She currently lives in Berlin, Germany.

Alex Farrow works at the intersection of research, policy and journalism, attempting to improve the lives of young people through knowledge, training and expression. At Youth Policy Labs, Alex leads on consultancy projects, supporting national governments and UN agencies to design, implement and evaluate national youth policies. As a campaigner, Alex was Co-Director of the UK Youth Climate Coalition and is a trainer and facilitator with activists on campaign skills, strategy and impact evaluation. With a background in youth participation and democracy, Alex worked for the National Youth Agency and the British Youth Council, as well as freelancing extensively with organisations in the youth development sector. Alex received his MSc in Organizational Behaviour from Birkbeck College, Uni. Of London, with a research project that explores the career expectations and narratives of the millennial generation in today’s workforce.

Yael Ohana

Alex Farrow

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Jon Worth is founder and partner in techPolitics LLP, an agency dedicated to developing social media strategies and websites for politicians and political campaigns. TechPolitics works for EU institutions, campaign organisations and companies in the EU politics arena. In a personal capacity Jon has been blogging at www.jonworth.eu about European Union politics, and the influence of the internet on European political systems for the past 10 years. Prior to working in website design and strategy Jon worked in professional training in the UK civil service, primarily in written communications and EU politics. He holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Merton College, University of Oxford, and a MA in European Political and Administra-tive Studies from the College of Europe, Bruges.

Jon Worth

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Meet the team

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Lisa Schulze supports the project CitizensLab since the beginning of March as project assistant. She holds a master’s degree in East European studies and dedicated herself to cultural and literary studies in Berlin and the Czech Republic. During this time she was also working with the European Capital of Culture Office in Pilsen to foster participatory urban development through culture. Moreover she is active in intercultural youth exchange.

Alice Priori

Lisa Schulze

Alice Priori is Project Manager of the European CitizensLab network at MitOst since March 2016. She is a cultural anthropologist engaged in the sectors of international cooperation and development, gover-nance, youth and civil society participation and intercultural exchanges. Before moving to Berlin, she was working for about five years in the Middle East area with the GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Interna-tionale Zusammenarbeit) and with local organisa-tions. Alice is passionate about unconventional and interactive forms of civil society expressions and participation.

Meet Our Partners

Ann-Kristin Montino is a Project Manager at Stiftung Mercator, responsible for the Europe portfolio focusing on projects that foster active participation in a “Euro-pean civil society”. In her daily work she wants to help make Europe known for its chances and to support building bridges. Ann-Kristin has worked in different positions at Mercator. In her last position as organizational development manager she facilitated change within the foundation. Believing strongly in active citizen-ship and change she volunteers as a German teacher for refugees. Ann-Kristin studied American Studies, History and Cultural Anthropology at the Universities of Tuebingen and Warsaw.In CitizenLab, Ann-Kristin represents Stiftung Mercator in the project consortium.

Ann-Kristin Montino

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Marjolein Cremer

Jacob Düringer is a Program Officer at the Robert Bosch Stiftung based in Stuttgart, where he is responsible for European integration projects within the Topic Area International Relations – Europe and its Neighbors.Prior to joining the Robert Bosch Stiftung, he worked for the Berlin-based Schwar-zkopf Foundation, directing its communication strategy as well as projects in the area of political education on EU issues. Jacob has been involved in international exchange programmes for many years as a volunteer.In CitizensLab, he represents the Robert Bosch Stiftung in the project consortium. Jacob studied Political Science and European Studies at the Free University of Berlin, Università degli Studi di Roma Tre, as well as the University of Osnabrück.

Marjolein Cremer is Senior Advocacy Officer at the European Cultural Foundation, based in Amsterdam. She is responsible for policy development, coordination and initiating advocacy actions that highlight the contribution of culture to Europe. Within ECF’s thematic focus to Connect Culture, Communities and Democracy, she is co- developing the advocacy strategy together with 6 cultural partner organisa-tions from across Europe. Together with these organisations ECF developed participative strategies involving citizens and civil society in decision-making processes, to work towards a different European picture – one growing from the bottom up, through cultural actions.Previously she was Project Manager EU at the Netherlands Institute for Heritage and Coordinator of the International Visitors Programme at SICA. She has her Master degree in Arts, Policy and Management (University of Groningen, NL).In CitizensLab, she represents the European Cultural Foundation in the project consortium.

Jacob Düringer

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A Programme by MitOst e.V. with support from Stiftung Mercator and Robert Bosch Stiftung

in cooperation with European Cultural Foundation

Publisher:MitOst e.V.

Alt-Moabit 9010559 Berlin

Contact:Alice Priori: alice.priori@mitost.org

Lisa Schulze: lisa.schulze@mitost.org

Design and illustrations:Rossthesign

© MitOst June 2016

www.citizenslab.euwww.mitost.org

A project by In cooperation withWith support from