Aim of the event
- ensuring that all relevant stakeholders at national and transnational level are informed, involved and engaged. It is a priority for the project to contribute to the visibility of the project’s community-based participatory processes.
- engaging with the user groups of the research as well as with the wider society to raise awareness on the topic of the project.
- promoting external cooperation and liaison activities, building internal and formal relationships with other relevant projects and initiatives.
Results
In each territory/community least 1 opening workshop was organised to involve stakeholders and representatives of the communities to make decisions about the most suitable communication and dissemination strategy and media to be used. In this way the communities’ members were empowered in defining how to communicate the local measures, outcomes and the related participatory processes.
The involved communities, with the guidance of the CO-GREEN activators developed local strategies and operations (e.g. development of relevant content to be disseminated). In each community in the last months of the project public assemblies or round tables were organised. The involved stakeholders participated (activators, inhabitants, NGOs, local public authorities, etc.) and were invited to contribute to drafting local action plans for further implementation after the end of the project.
Altogether 703 participants took part in all activities under Event 15 (335 from Poland, 160 from Italy, 88 from Croatia and 120 from Greece).
In Greece the opening workshop took place in General High School of Mouzaki Karditsa the same day with event 11.1. The project (objectives, actions, workflow) was presented in order to be highlighted, emphasizing the importance of public participation and the support of green activators in local communities for a successful green transition.
Specifically for the green activators, there was an extensive discussion on their role and the skills they developed through their 40 hours of training which resulted in the creation of two comprehensive proposals focusing on green initiatives that the Karditsa community can implement to address real challenges. Also, during the workshop, the main issues that have already been identified in previous Events, were presented to participants and a questionnaire focusing on green transition issues for Karditsa was distributed to all. A total of 51 participants completed the questionnaire, expressing their community priorities in crucial environmental issues. Number one priority appeared to be preventing the effects of non-green management e.g. flood protection as Karditsa flooded twice in a three-year period. Choosing the most effective way of engaging citizens through various methods such as public meetings, interviews, questionnaires, focus groups and local referendums seemed to be interviews and questionnaires. Last, participants expressed their opinion on the most efficient way to encourage public participation which is using active and passive media e.g. social media, sms, emails, local television and radio.
A public meeting was held on 19 January 2024 in the Hall of the Municipal Theatre of Mouzaki, Karditsa, in the framework of a conference organized by the NGO ITAMOS-Mouzaki on Local Government and Citizens, aiming at the connection and interaction of the Municipal Authorities with the Civil Society. At the beginning, the CO-Green project was presented and in particular the objectives, the actions, the workflow, the participatory processes, the important role and the significance of the training of green activators and last the results of the actions implemented so far. It was clearly shown that the relationship between local authorities and civil society is a pillar for the development of sustainable and participatory societies. This interaction, when it is constructive and continuous, leads to a number of benefits for both citizens and institutions. Also, that ensuring the participation and commitment of all stakeholders at national level is important and contributes positively to empowering and raising awareness of the green transition in societies.