The POWERINGCITIZENS project officially launched with its first Transnational Project Meeting (TPM) in Berlin, Germany. Held at the Comparative Research Network premises on September 30 and at the Europäisches Haus Berlin as part of Democracy Action Days 2024 on October 1, the event brought together representatives from six participating countries: Germany, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, the Netherlands, and Albania.
Representing Greece, INZEB’s Managing Director Alice Corovessi and Administration Officer Eleni Papadopoulou actively participated in discussions, bringing valuable perspectives to this milestone event.
The day started with warm welcomes and networking over coffee. Participants engaged in an ice-breaker activity, setting the tone for the day ahead.
The first day of the TPM included a welcome and introduction session, during which the agenda and meeting objectives were presented. The project partners discussed the aim and objectives of the POWERINGCITIZENS project, incorporating the activities’ roadmap and plans. The consortium discussed the next steps in the project, including the upcoming research reports. The session concluded with a presentation of the forthcoming conferences and training activities planned for the project, and an engaging Q&A session encouraged partners’ feedback and collaborative problem-solving.
On Tuesday, October 1st, 2024, the second day of the POWERINGCITIZENS kickoff meeting unfolded as part of the Democracy Action Days 2024. Held at the Europäisches Haus Berlin, this day brought together participants to explore vital topics of energy democracy, anti-racism, and civic courage in local governance. Specifically, the panel entitled “Energy Democracy across Europe”, featured discussions on citizen participation in Europe’s energy generation, supply, and decision-making processes. The roundtable discussion titled “Powering Citizens as a project to address energy poverty and democracy. An impossible possibility?” brought POWERINGCITIZENS consortium members together to debate the challenges and opportunities within the project. Eleni Papadopoulou represented INZEB in this discussion.
The following sessions included the ACCT #Impact—Embedding Anti-Racism and Civic Courage in Local Democracy, which focused on addressing racism and fostering inclusivity through grassroots efforts, and an Interactive Anti-Racism Lab, a hands-on workshop on testing and refining the ACCT curriculum. This workshop equipped participants with tools to combat discrimination and promote civic courage, particularly in underserved communities. The Democracy Action Days 2024 concluded with a panel discussion on “Embedding ACCT into Local Contexts” that tackled the pressing question: How can we effectively fight discrimination in our communities? Civil society representatives, migrant groups, and local politicians shared strategies to empower active citizenship, particularly in regions where democracy faces challenges.