CIVITEC Holds 2nd Interregional Meeting in Jaén

The Civitec Project recently held its second Interregional Meeting in Jaén, Spain, hosted by the Diputación de Jaén, bringing together partners from across Europe to exchange best practices on enhancing citizen participation and addressing social exclusion. 

Hugo Marx from Nièvre County Council shared successful initiatives from France, including Imagine La Nièvre, which encourages young people to propose ideas for their communities, and the Citizen Observatory, a platform for collecting local feedback on policies and actions. These examples highlighted the role of youth in shaping future community planning and the value of ongoing citizen input in decision-making.

From Estonia, representatives of Viimsi Municipality showcased impactful projects in social welfare and youth work, focusing on inclusivity in community services. Teresa Amezcua from Jaén contributed on fostering social justice through increased citizen involvement, providing a foundation for many of the discussions.

On the second day, Daragh McDonough demonstrated GIS tools developed in County Donegal, Ireland, to engage citizens in preserving local heritage, showing the potential of technology to connect communities with their history. 

The meeting concluded with a practical exercises involving local stakeholders, exploring how Civitec can support social service delivery in Jaén, fostering a direct link between the project and community needs.
This meeting underscores Civitec's commitment to enhancing social inclusion and citizen engagement across regions, emphasizing digital innovation and collaborative community development.