Workshop

Finding affordable, quality student housing is a universal challenge across Europe making it the perfect real-world issue to test out new civic technology. On June 10th, the IDEAL project brought this topic to the table during a specialized 90-minute workshop in Dijon, France. Facilitated by Fabienne Trotte from Relais Culture Europe (a member of the IDEAL consortium), the session put the IDEAL digital platform and mobile application directly into the hands of the people it i

Navigating government bureaucracy can often feel like wandering through a maze. Between paper requirements, confusing portals, and fragmented departments, citizens frequently struggle to access basic services. Early this May, Leaders International, acting as the Belgian pilot partner for the IDEAL project, took a major step toward finding innovative solution for this issue by hosting an innovative pilot meeting. The core of the event was a Mapping Lab: a collaborative space w

In Austria, our partner Caritas Vienna successfully started their women dialogue groups last month. Small groups of women, mainly Dari and Arabic speakers, meet every two weeks to discuss topics of interest and test the IDEAL platform and app. The first meeting was all about getting to know each other and sharing life stories filled with strength and inspiration as well as a first touchpoint with the IDEAL tools. The second meeting centered around challenges in finding a jo

The IDEAL project has officially kicked off its pilot phase in Thessaloniki, marking an exciting step forward in building more inclusive and participatory spaces for dialogue. In close collaboration with the association ANORASIS, a group of people with visual impairments came together to set the foundations of the pilot and begin a process that places lived experience at the center. From the very first session, the tone was clear: this is not just about testing a platform — i

Democratic participation is expanding across Europe. Yet a persistent question remains unanswered: who is actually in the room? For many people, including newcomers, people with disabilities, and those who do not speak the dominant language of public life, participation is nominally available but practically inaccessible. The barrier is often linguistic, cultural, or a matter of trust. You can open a platform to everyone and still end up with the same voices. This is the prob

On 19 February 2026, the Digital Inclusion Day organised by the Job Center of the Municipality of Athens at the Serafio Cultural Center brought together policymakers, practitioners, innovators and community actors around a crucial question: How visible is democracy to those who are often rendered invisible , and how can digital tools help change that? Among the practices presented, the IDEAL project stood out as a concrete, research-based response to the growing need for in

In Paris, La Maison des Réfugiés (House of Refugees) is an emblematic space: a resource center dedicated to learning, support, and socio-professional integration. It promotes solidarity and inclusion, while raising awareness about exile and migration, making it the ideal venue for the IDEAL workshop organized by Relais Culture Europe in November 2025. The IDEAL session adopted a cultural and artistic tone, in line with the mission of Relais Culture Europe . The discussion w

Deliberation and political participation are fundamental rights that are out of reach for many vulnerable or marginalised groups....