Principal/Financier: European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and European Commission

Coordinator: ASSOCIACION AMIGOS DE EUROPA (AADE) – Spain

Partner: LIETUVOS VIETOS BENDRUOMENIU ORGANIZACIJU SAJUNGA (LVBOS) – Lithuania

The project aims to strengthen civic engagement and democratic participation among local communities in Lithuania by valuing community leaders, promoting European-level learning, and jointly developing sustainable participatory tools.

The project addresses the problem of declining civic trust and limited citizen involvement in local decision-making. It strengthens capacity, stimulates debate, amplifies citizens’ voices, and promotes European values through a combination of local, national, and transnational activities.

The project will realize:

• Capacity building for community leaders through five training events, including study visits to Italy and Spain to learn innovative engagement practices.
• Ten regional civic forums throughout Lithuanian counties, involving citizens, local authorities and NGOs in discussions about democracy and community voice.
• A digital civic engagement campaign (“VoCo Dialogues”) combining large-scale online sessions (minimum 101 participants) and co-creation workshops with European partners.
• The design and pilot phase of citizen feedback mechanisms in two Lithuanian municipalities, enriched by international exchanges and tested in live community events.
• Three final civic forums in Lithuania, Italy and Spain to share results, reflect on outcomes and inspire further participation. The project is being implemented by a national network of Lithuanian community organizations in collaboration with ISIG (Italy) and Amigos de Europa (Spain).

VoCo promotes civic action rooted locally but informed at the European level – grounded in practice, nurtured by people and built to last.

THE ROLE OF ISIG

Under the project, ISIG plays a central role in coordinating, hosting and facilitating exchange and training activities, contributing to the development of civic skills and participatory governance practices.

The institute is organizing a study visit to Italy aimed at providing civil society actors with tools, skills and motivation to promote effective democratic initiatives. In this context, ISIG is hosting a transnational visit involving representatives of Lithuanian civil society and local Italian stakeholders, facilitating a structured exchange of best practices and methodologies in the field of civic participation.

ISIG also contributes to the promotion and development of civic tools and local campaigns aimed at strengthening inclusive and organized citizen participation, both in Lithuania and Italy. To this end, it supports the implementation of civic forums and the creation of spaces for dialogue between local communities and decision-makers at the municipal level.
In this context, ISIG has created a key document to respect and promote the rights of children and minors, the Child Protection Policy.

As part of project activities, ISIG also promotes online exchange sessions dedicated to digital tools and campaigning methodologies for local civic action. These activities expand opportunities for participation through digital tools, storytelling, and collaborative content production, with a focus on the inclusion of youth and people living in remote or peripheral areas.

Finally, ISIG organizes the concluding civic forum in Italy, with the aim of disseminating the project results, engaging stakeholders in a structured discussion, and fostering the sustainability and replicability of the practices developed both locally and at the European level. To complete the journey, the institute hosts an international event dedicated to presenting the results and promoting dialogue at the European Union level.