Between December 2024 and March 2025, the various partners of the consortium dedicated themselves to the study of the state of the art of community solidarity and the participation of underrepresented communities.

In an initial phase, questionnaires were applied to more than 200 people, which provided us with clues for the development of the remaining diagnostic activities.

Between interviews and focus groups, more than 180 people in Portugal, Greece and Sweden participated, as well as about 6 members of the European Parliament from various political spectrums. The target audiences of these moments were activists, leaders of local civil society organizations, social organizations, municipalities and public service officials.

The following topics were addressed:

• Experience and level of community participation
• Experience and level of solidarity in the community
• Motivation, expectations and challenges regarding participation
• Opportunities and conditions to participate
• Perceived social support
• Perceived social cohesion
• Trust in local Civil society organisations and public institutions
• Existing partnerships
• Political priorities and strategies for participation and solidarity
• Political Vision for Participation and Solidarity
• Idealized future for participation and solidarity/ plans for the future
• Access to information and the flow of communication
• Participatory and solidarity practices
• Existing mechanisms for participation
• Gaps in Participation

The results of the questionnaires point to notable differences in the perception and practice of civic participation in the three countries.

In Portugal, the most common forms of participation are direct help to neighbours, participation in local events and voting. In Greece, voting is considered key, but volunteering and community participation are also prominent, from direct action to involvement in NGOs and demonstrations. Sweden has a more diverse perception of participation, with support for neighbours and associations, and participation in events, as significant aspects of participation and solidarity.

In Portugal and Greece, the most important values for participation are cooperation and inclusion, and in Sweden, inclusion and justice. The common idea that participation strengthens solidarity emerges in all countries.

While the basis of solidarity lies in mutual aid, the priorities for its local manifestation and its link to participation vary significantly between contexts.

The interviews and the Focus Group with CSOs, Local Authorities and Municipal Decision-makers deepen and confirm the results of the surveys, evidencing an understanding of participation as civic responsibility, democratic involvement, collective action for a common purpose, recognizing the importance of solidarity, especially in crisis situations.

CSOs are considered key elements of proximity and capacity to reach communities, but challenges persist – financial challenges, leadership concerns and even difficulties in cooperation with public entities are mentioned across the board.

Trust in public authorities is scarce. Challenges such as the feeling of indifference from these institutions, excessive bureaucracy and lack of political will are pointed out as obstacles to more meaningful participation. Barriers such as lack of time, lack of motivation, lack of information or dissemination, and lack of opportunities and accessible spaces were also identified as challenges shared by CSOs in the three countries.

There is no consensus on whether the opinions of citizens are considered. If, on the one hand, most people and CSOs feel that they are not heard in certain contexts, most institutional representatives mention the existence of mechanisms to promote participation and report analysing and using the proposals of the communities on some occasions.

The evidence suggests that the challenge may lie in the effectiveness, dissemination and accessibility of participation and solidarity mechanisms, access to information on how and when the information collected is used, and deep distrust in institutions and people in political decision-making positions also seems an important challenge to be addressed. The need to improve participatory mechanisms is recognized by the authorities themselves, and we hope to be able to shed some light on this topic and support local authorities in this effort within our project.

In the following phases we will use this information to develop training actions and Think Tanks at national and international level. Keep following us to learn more!