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12th Danube Participation Day

  • Hotel Holiday 4 Zmaja od Bosne Sarajevo, Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine, 71000 Bosnia & Herzegovina (map)

On behalf of all organizers and partners, thank you for your participation at the 12th Danube Participation Day!

It was an honor to have you join us for this event, and we hope you enjoyed the experience.

Watch the recording here

We are pleased to announce that the 12th Danube Participation Day will take place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 4 November 2025.

As an official side event of the 14th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, this year’s Danube Participation Day will explore the theme:

"Local Voices, European Future - The Crucial Role of Communities in Shaping EU Policy and Driving Enlargement"

The event will highlight the contribution of local communities to the EU accession process, exploring how municipalities and local actors can support democratic development, and promote good governance in enlargement countries.

Join stakeholders from across the Danube Region for a day of exchange, participation, and inspiration—including:

  • Engaging Panel Discussions

  • Interactive World Café Sessions

  • The Danube Participation Agora

  • Networking Opportunities

A draft agenda, registration information, and further practical details will be soon available.

Please note that the working language is English.

Save the date and join us in Sarajevo!

SPEAKERS and MODERATORS among others:

Agenda

09:30-10:00 Registration

10:00-10:30 Opening Session – Welcome Address

Moderation: Adla Dizdar Hodžić, Local Democracy Agency Mostar

10:30-12:00 Panel Discussion - Bridging the Gap: Integrating Local Bottom-Up Initiatives into the EU Enlargement Agenda

Moderation: Adla Dizdar Hodžić, Local Democracy Agency Mostar

12:00-12:15 Danube Participation Agora: Introduction of Initiatives

12:15-13:30 Networking Lunch & Agora

13:30-13:45 Introduction to the Danube Participation Day World Café Sessions

13:45-15:00 Interactive World Café Sessions

Mutual Learning and Capacity Building in Local Communities for Shaping EU Policy and Driving Enlargement – Danube Participation Day World Café

All participants have the opportunity to contribute to all themes. Each round will last 20 minutes. ‍‍

At the registration, you will receive colour-coded cards to guide you thorugh the topics of the World Café session. Kindly follow the colours on your cards and move from one table (topic) to the nextin the order indicated on your cards.

World Café – Civil Society: Capacity to Connect: Strengthening Civil Society for Policy Translation and Transformation
Explore needs, good practices and other aspects of civil society organisations.

World Café – Municipality: From Local Action to European Impact: Strengthening Municipal Capacity for Enlargement
Explore needs, good practices and other aspects of local public in their role of local implementers of European policies and values as well as space for community engagement and breeding ground for participation.

World Café – Youth: Generation Participation – Youth in Action for a Stronger Europe
Explore needs, good practices and other aspects of youth involvement to create a culture of participation.

15:00-15:45 Funders Talks: Boosting Development in the Danube Region

Moderation: Adla Dizdar Hodžić, Local Democracy Agency Mostar

15:45-16:00 Closing Session – Passing the Bell

  • Stefan August Lütgenau
    Danube Civil Society Forum/Foster Europe

  • Dženana Dedić
    Local Democracy Agency Mostar

  • George Petrov
    Citizens Participation Forum

  • Claudia Singer-Smith
    EU Danube Strategy – Priority Area 10 “Institutional Capacity & Cooperation”/City of Vienna

Registration is already closed!

Thank you for your interest, we will send you further technical information about the event in the coming weeks. If you have any questions please contact us per email.

 

  • The Danube Participation Day is an annual event that gathers representatives from civil society organisations, local, regional and national public authorities, university and research, and businesses from the 14 EUSDR partner countries, representatives from the EUSDR governance as well as from European and international organisations. The aim is to foster cooperation and participation for better development in the Danube Region. Thus, the Danube Participation Days serves as a platform for exchanging views and perspectives to build trust and strengthen mutual learning. The Danube Participation Day is a forum to share good-practices of participatory governance and projects as well as for getting involved with decision-makers and experts.

    The Danube Participation Day is organised by Priority Area 10 “Institutional Capacity and Cooperation” and the Danube Civil Society Forum together with local partners as well as with support from and in close cooperation with the EUSDR Presidency.

    More information:

    https://danubestrategy.eu/about-the-participation-days

    https://capacitycooperation.danube-region.eu/danube-participation-day

  • The Agora is an open forum or marketplace that allowing participants - especially NGOs, local actors, and project teams—to present their projects and initiatives, connect with partner organisations, and showcase their work. The Agora will not only take place in Sarajevo but will also feature an online component, enabling all participants to connect with interested stakeholders either before the Danube Participation Day or after the event.

    If you are interested in being part of the Danube Participation Day Agora and have questions, please contact

    office@foster-europe.org.

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3rd National Participation Day - Bulgaria
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December 1

2nd National Participation Day - Baden-Württemberg