As part of the Civic Engagement Project, where the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye is the main beneficiary, the Directorate General of Relations with Civil Society under the Ministry of Interior is a co-beneficiary, and the Directorate for EU Affairs serves as the sectoral lead, a study visit was organized to Madrid and Barcelona. The delegation engaged with leading institutions and organizations active in the fields of local governance, civic engagement, and digital democracy. This visit provided a valuable opportunity to gain insights into public policies that prioritize citizen engagement, public–civil society collaboration, frameworks supporting volunteerism, and innovative digital participation tools in Europe.

In Madrid, discussions were held at the City Council on projects driven by digital transformation and volunteer-based participation. Global platforms promoting democratic governance, such as Club de Madrid, were closely observed. Additionally, valuable exchanges took place with the Spanish Volunteering Platform on the coordination and promotion of volunteering.

In Barcelona, participatory decision-making processes within a network of 311 municipalities were discussed with the Participation Technical Office of the Provincial Government. The coordination mechanisms and support systems of local governments were examined through meetings with the Catalan Federation of Municipalities.

Innovative institutions like BIT Habitat, which place digital rights at the core of urban life, were explored on site. At the Canòdrom Digital Democracy Center, the delegation was briefed on Barcelona's strategy as Europe’s first Capital of Democracy, the use of open-source digital platforms such as Decidim, and the details of the 2030 Metropolitan Plan.

Meetings with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and the Observatory for Participatory Democracy allowed for the exchange of global best practices, knowledge production processes, and innovative civic participation methodologies.

This study visit provided a significant capacity-building opportunity for project stakeholders aiming to strengthen democratic local governance. Key areas such as participatory public services, participatory budgeting, and volunteerism were enriched by diverse institutional perspectives, offering a comprehensive learning experience on the multifaceted nature of participatory democracy.

We look forward to translating the knowledge and insights gained into concrete practices in Türkiye to help make inclusive and participatory local governance more widely possible.

#ParticipatoryDemocracy #CivicEngagement #LocalGovernance #DemocraticInnovation #Volunteerism #PublicCivilSocietyPartnership

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