Young People’s Hackathon, Athens 22-23 of June

The Institute of Research and Training on European Affairs – I.R.T.E.A. implements a two-day International Event on June 22 and 23, 2023 on the topics of Digital Participatory Democracy and the use of digital tools to enhance participation.

The event is organized as part of the “Digital Civic Participation v2.0 (DCP v2.0)” program, funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values ​​(CERV) program of the European Union (CERV-2021-CITIZENS-TOWN), with the participation of representatives of the project partners from Romania, Poland, Lithuania and Italy!

During the 2 days, participants will have the opportunity to attend talks by experts on digital participation tools, presentations by partners on good practices in this field in Greece and Europe, but at the same time, to discuss and express their opinions them, as well as to participate in workshops regarding digital democracy, participation and digitization in their countries and Europe!

I.R.T.E.A. invites all those interested to participate in the event to register their participation in the participation form HERE.

The event will take place on the two days of June 22 and 23, 2023, at the Triaena Business Center (Leoforos Mesogeion 15, Athens).

About the project

In recent years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for quick and flexible decisions, regulatory power has shifted to individual governments and local authorities. This results in the creation of doubts as to whether there is sufficient social representation, while the substantial participation of all members of society in the receiving process is more important than ever and a key factor for sustainable economic, environmental and social results.This project comes to study the digital tools of participation, the needs of society and to what extent they are expressed through them, but also the effectiveness of the use of said tools at the local level. Through participation in the project activities, it is sought to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the way of life and functioning of local societies as well as the study of changes in the means and ways of participation in the context of the pandemic.

The “DCP v2.0” project also aims to record and analyze the digital tools used in EU countries. and the creation of an easy-to-use manual on how and in what circumstances they can be used. The purpose of the handbook is to be easily usable by all, so that its use in the decision-making process at the local level is further expanded.

The actions of the project concern the following:

• The study and investigation of existing tools and methods of citizen participation
• The presentation of these tools to all members of society with practical examples and in a manner understandable by all, making them accessible and implementable.
• The training, education and empowerment of both young people and municipal employees with the digital tools of participatory democracy.
• The identification and exchange of “good practices” in the field of digital participation among European municipalities
• Strengthening digital participation with the ultimate goal of increasing the direct involvement of citizens with digital tools.

During the project, young people from Poland, Italy, Lithuania, Romania and Greece, as well as representatives of the Partner Municipalities, will contribute to the achievement of the above objectives with the help of methods and tools of non-formal and informal education in context of project activities.

More specifically, the actions that will be implemented are the following:

• At the local level, each partner will record and collect data about the digital tools used, as well as the analysis of the needs of the local community
• Then an international conference will be held in Greece with the aim of exchanging and promoting good practices between public authorities and civil society organizations
• Each partner will hold a workshop between young people and municipal employees
• Finally, an international Hackathon will be held in Greece, with the main axis being the application of digital tools and methods at the local level.

The project will last 24 months and the target groups are young people aged 15-30 as well as municipal employees working in the Youth sector, who are interested in being informed and participating in the process of shaping participatory democracy tools and innovative e-democracy tools for their Municipality.

Stay tuned for the news of the project and our other actions!