Funding Body: European Union – European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program, call 2025-CITIZENS-CIV
Duration: 2026–2027 (22 months)
Coordinator: Asociación Amigos de Europa (AADE) (ES)
Partners: Institute of International Sociology of Gorizia (ISIG) (IT); Lietuvos Vietos Bendruomenių Organizacijų Sąjunga (LVBOS) (LT)
VoCo – Voice for Communities: Civic Engagement for Europe strengthens civic engagement and democratic participation among local communities in Lithuania by developing the skills of community leaders, promoting learning and exchange at the European level, and co-designing sustainable tools for participation. The project addresses the decline in civic trust and the limited involvement of citizens in local decision-making processes.
The program combines local, national, and transnational activities and brings together experiences from Lithuania, Italy, and Spain. Training, civic forums, digital tools, local pilot projects, and European exchanges help strengthen communities’ ability to participate in public debate and engage in dialogue with institutions.
Objectives and Activities
VoCo develops skills, opportunities for dialogue, and tools to make civic participation more accessible and sustained. The project includes:
- five training events aimed at community leaders, including study tours in Italy and Spain focused on learning about innovative practices in civic engagement;
- ten regional civic forums in Lithuanian counties, bringing together citizens, local authorities, and nongovernmental organizations to discuss democracy and community participation;
- the “VoCo Dialogues” digital campaign, consisting of large-scale online sessions and co-creation workshops with European partners;
- the design and testing of mechanisms to gather feedback from citizens in two Lithuanian municipalities, combining international exchange with pilot testing during local events;
- Three concluding civic forums in Lithuania, Italy, and Spain to share the results, reflect on the outcomes of the process, and promote further forms of participation.
Expected Results
VoCo aims to strengthen the capabilities of organizations and community leaders and to expand opportunities for citizens to participate in local decision-making processes.
The project also involves the development and testing of civic feedback mechanisms in two Lithuanian municipalities and the co-creation of participatory tools and practices informed by the exchange of experiences with Italy and Spain. The transnational dimension makes it possible to integrate practices developed in various European contexts into an initiative rooted in Lithuanian local communities.
The role of ISIG
ISIG coordinates and facilitates some of the exchange, training, and participation activities planned by VoCo. The Institute’s responsibilities include organizing a study visit to Italy, which brings together representatives of Lithuanian civil society and local stakeholders for a structured exchange of practices and methodologies focused on civic participation and participatory governance.
The work also includes contributing to the development of civic tools and local campaigns, as well as organizing online exchange sessions focused on digital tools and campaigning methodologies for civic action. The activities also address the use of storytelling and collaborative content creation, with a focus on engaging younger generations and people living in outlying or remote areas.
The Institute is also responsible for developing a Child Protection Policy dedicated to safeguarding the rights of girls, boys, and minors involved in its activities, as well as for organizing the concluding civic forum in Italy and an international event dedicated to presenting the results and fostering dialogue at the European level.
