SALTO PI hosts cross-sectoral Participation Forum in Tallinn

On November 27 and 28, around 150 key stakeholders from 26 European countries, working on democratic participation, came together in Tallinn, Estonia, for the Participation Forum organized by SALTO PI. The cross-sectoral event focused on advancing the horizontal priority of ‘Participation in Democratic Life, Civic Engagement, and Common Values’ within the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Programmes, aiming to provide a space for exchanging experiences, reflecting, and capacity building.

Throughout the two-day forum, professionals from the Youth and Education & Training sectors had the opportunity to participate in and contribute to diverse practice-sharing sessions and panel discussions, as well as engage in dynamic dialogues around the key topics of the forum. In addition, they had the chance to listen to a very insightful keynote speech on the essentials of democratic participation by Cristina Bacalso and the presentation of the Report on the implementation of the participation priority in the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Programmes by Ondrej Barta.

“Our goal was to bring together National Agencies and Civil Society Organisations from all sectors to exchange ideas and find synergies for working together on participation in democratic life in the Programmes and beyond,” said Joana Freitas, head of SALTO PI. “The active participation and enthusiasm for the cross-sectoral approach of the event make us confident that working together to promote meaningful participation is the way forward,” she added.

The Forum included a Cooperation Fair, offering attendees the opportunity to share and learn about initiatives related to participation from the participating civil society organizations and EU institutions. It also included study visits to local NGOs, schools and projects implementing successful participatory practices, providing practical examples of effective civic engagement and a connection to the host city of Tallinn.

This first edition of the cross-sectoral Participation Forum not only highlighted current challenges and opportunities but also paved the way for future collaborations and developments in the Programmes, in order for them to be further used as tools for promoting meaningful democratic participation guided by common values.