TRANSFORMED’s third Community Engagement Symposium in Ioannina brought local authorities, civil society and communities together to exchange knowledge and strengthen participatory governance.
TRANSFORMED brings local authorities, civil society and community representatives together in Ioannina to strengthen participatory governance and shape more inclusive local solutions.
From Limassol to Alexandria and now Ioannina, TRANSFORMED continues its series of Community Engagement Symposia, bringing local authorities, civil society organisations, community representatives, and project partners together to exchange experiences, strengthen participation, and explore practical approaches to social inclusion.
The third Community Engagement Symposium took place in Ioannina, Greece, on 24–25 September 2026, hosted by TRANSFORMED project partner Youth Center of Epirus. The two-day event provided a space for diverse stakeholders to share local experiences, examine challenges, and collectively explore how participatory governance can help shape policies and programmes that are more responsive to community needs.
The Third Community Engagement Symposium bringing local voices and perspectives to the table
As with the previous symposiums, the Ioannina edition was honoured to welcome a diverse group of local and regional practitioners, civil society representatives, youth leaders, and community-focused organisations.
The programme brought together the Deputy Mayors of the Municipalities of Ioannina, Pogoni, and Rhodes, the President of the Oraiokastro Youth Council, Municipality of Oraiokastro, Thessaloniki, the President of the House of Europe, and a Representative of Refugee Week Greece, alongside TRANSFORMED project partners and other local administrations and civil society representatives.
Their contributions offered perspectives on the role of local governance in responding to community needs, strengthening civic participation, and fostering meaningful cooperation between local administrations and civil society.
The symposium also built on the cross-Mediterranean exchange established through the first two editions in Limassol and Alexandria, creating a continued space for partners and local administrations to learn from one another and connect local experiences with wider regional challenges.
Knowledge Exchange Sessions Led by TRANSFORMED Project Partners Exploring Governance Approaches
Sessions led by the five TRANSFORMED project partners showcased the key principles and approaches shaping their respective governance models and community-serving programmes. Through practical examples and shared experiences, the sessions sought to deepen participants’ understanding of participatory governance while encouraging their active engagement in shaping and implementing community-focused initiatives. The symposium also provided a space for open dialogue on the role of local administrations in advancing social inclusion, drawing on national case studies from Greece to demonstrate how local governance structures can shape inclusive policymaking, strengthen community participation, and address social inequalities at the local level.
Turning shared experiences into practical tools
The discussions and recommendations emerging from the symposium will contribute to the next phases of TRANSFORMED, supporting the development of practical tools, methodologies, and approaches that can help local administrations and civil society organisations strengthen community engagement. The symposium also provided participants with an overview of upcoming opportunities under the project’s Agora Work Package, which will further support dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration between communities and local actors.
The ideas generated in Ioannina will build on the outcomes of the previous Community Engagement Symposia and feed into the project’s continued efforts to strengthen participatory governance across the Mediterranean. The Community Engagement Symposium series will continue with its next event, bringing the TRANSFORMED partnership and its growing community of civil society and local administrations together once again to continue the conversation.
About The TRANSFORMED Project
TRANSFORMED, Fostering Transnational Knowledge for a More Inclusive and Participatory Mediterranean, will support local administrations and civil society organisations in co-designing community driven programmes, sharing successful governance models, and strengthening the capacity of local actors to better respond to the needs of their communities. The project is led by Anna Lindh Foundation (Egypt), the project brings together four partners: International Committee for the Development of Peoples (Italy), Cultural Movement of Limassol EPILOGI (Cyprus), Rene Moawad Foundation (Lebanon), and Youth Center of Epirus (Greece). The total budget is €1.1 million, with 89% co-funded by the European Union.
For more information, please visit the TRANSFORMED Project website pages here and here.
For project enquiries:
Egypt: mohammed.hafez@alfsecretariat.org
Cyprus: info@eaymc.org
Greece: youthcenterofepirus@yahoo.gr
Italy: francia@cisp-ngo.org
Lebanon: psaadeh@rmf.org.lb
For press and communications enquiries:
thouraya.bouchamia@alfsecretariat.org and mariam.elgiziry@alfsecretariat.org
The contents of this press release are the sole responsibility of the Anna Lindh Foundation and its partners and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union or the Programme management structures.
Last Update
03/10/2026
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