Have you attended community forums before? Well, we organized one in Palermo, Italy. The event Community Forum: European Citizens Needs was happening from 8th to 10th of September 2021 at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Palermo. The event was organized by the organization L’Unione degli Assessorati alle Politiche Socio-sanitarie dell’Istruzione e del Lavoro, in collaboration with the Municipality of Bolognetta, and it was the first event of the project Social Innovation Network.
The Community Forum’s aim was to assess the needs of the citizens and citizens’ services in Europe. 31 participants from Italy, Macedonia, Spain, and Croatia gathered to discuss the needs and the issues the marginalized communities in Europe are facing and to give feedback and recommendations on what should be done. Many positive practices on social innovations were presented, and potential partnerships were created.
The project is a partnership between the Centre for improvement of the quality of life of the persons with intellectual disability and their families PORAKA NOVA from Struga, Macedonia, L’Unione degli Assessorati alle Politiche Socio-sanitarie dell’Istruzione e del Lavoro from Palermo, Italy, Youth association ‘Youth in the EU’ from Sibenik, Croatia and Solidaridad Sin Fronteras from Madrid, Spain, and it is funded by Europe for Citizens program.
The project encourages the transfer of know-how and good practices, promotes intercultural learning and actives European citizenship, promotes the concept of solidarity and democratic and civic participation, as well as enhances Europe for Citizens visibility. The importance of networking with the civil society is presented to the local authorities, especially in the age of digitalization; also the power of the social innovations initiated and led by the civil society.
The next event will be held in Madrid, Spain between 6th and 8th of October 2021, and will be organized by the association Solidaridad sin Fronteras, in a form of Public Debate: Solidarity, Civic Actions and CSOs as a tool for Social Impact. The Spanish event will focus on explaining how solidarity and civic actions and organizations can be a tool (solution) for making a social impact.
