The international Town Hall Democracy Forum was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, from June 17 to 19, 2026, as part of the European project ELECTRA – Electoral Literacy Empowering Citizens and Building Resilient Awareness. At this event, the Partnership for Rural Development “Sremski Karlovci – Kovilj” (Partnership K2) was represented by Rajko Marinković, Jelena Petrović, Neda Brajenović and Mirjana Marinković.
The forum was organized by the Greek project partner, the Institute for Social Innovation and Cohesion “Fifty-Fifty”, with the aim of strengthening the democratic participation of citizens, improving the dialogue between citizens and local institutions and encouraging more active involvement of different social groups in decision-making processes.
The event brought together representatives of partner organizations and local communities from several European countries, creating a space for the exchange of experiences, open discussion and joint consideration of the challenges facing modern democracy at the local and European level.
Democratic participation, trust in institutions and involvement of citizens
During thematic sessions and interactive workshops, special attention was paid to the rights of citizens of the European Union, the importance of active citizenship, the transparency of the work of public institutions and the possibilities for improving democratic participation at the local level.
The participants discussed the obstacles that limit the inclusion of citizens in public life, especially young people, women and members of marginalized social groups. They also discussed the importance of building trust between citizens and institutions, as well as the need to develop more accessible and open mechanisms for citizen participation.
A special segment of the program was dedicated to digital democracy, the role of young people in democratic processes, civic education and encouraging responsible participation in elections.
Through work in smaller groups, the participants had the opportunity to exchange experiences from their local communities, look at different approaches to solving common challenges and consider the possibilities for applying successful examples of civic activism and participatory decision-making.
From dialogue to concrete proposals for local communities
A significant part of the Forum was devoted to the joint design of initiatives for the improvement of democratic life in local communities.
Through participative workshops, suggestions for improving cooperation between citizens and local self-governments, increasing transparency in decision-making and creating additional opportunities for involving citizens in solving issues of public interest were considered.
This approach is especially important for smaller and rural environments, where civil society organizations can play an important role in connecting citizens, local institutions and other interested actors.
For the representatives of Partnership K2, which through its activities promotes participatory local development and cross-sectoral cooperation, participation in the Forum was an opportunity to exchange experiences with European partners and learn about methods that can contribute to a stronger involvement of citizens in the development of their own communities.
The ELECTRA project – strengthening the democratic and digital resilience of citizens
The ELECTRA project is implemented within the European Union program Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV), through an international partnership of organizations and local governments from France, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia and Spain.
The main goal of the project is to improve electoral and democratic literacy, strengthen citizens’ resistance to misinformation and digital manipulation, as well as encourage inclusive civic participation.
Special emphasis is placed on empowering youth, women and other social groups that are often underrepresented in democratic decision-making processes.
In the continuation of the implementation of the project, numerous activities are planned in the partner countries, including educational workshops, civil forums, simulations of election processes and activities dedicated to media and digital literacy.
As part of its project obligations, the K2 partnership will organize a dialogue and a workshop on gender equality and democracy, with a focus on inclusive participation in a time of disinformation, which will contribute to the achievement of project goals and encourage more active civic participation in the local community.
The participation of Rajko Marinković, Jelena Petrović, Neda Brajenović and Mirjana Marinković at the Forum in Thessaloniki represents another step in strengthening the international cooperation of the K2 Partnership and the development of local initiatives based on democratic values, open dialogue and active involvement of citizens.
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The ELECTRA project (number 101249778) is co-financed by the European Union within the program CERV – Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values.
