The Civic Champions consortium successfully held its Mid-Term Transnational Project Meeting (TPM) in Palermo, Italy, on the 22nd and 23rd of May 2025. The two-day event brought together partners from across Europe to reflect on the project’s progress and set the stage for the next phase of implementation, aimed at protecting civic space and supporting civil society actors across the EU.
The meeting focused on reviewing the overall advancement of the project, which seeks to empower civil society organisations (CSOs) and activists defending human rights and democratic values. A key topic of discussion was the development of a regional monitoring tool designed to collect data on physical, verbal, and cyberattacks targeting CSOs and NGOs. This tool will be deployed in the coming months in Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, and Cyprus, serving as both a reporting mechanism and an instrument for raising public awareness.
During the first day of the meeting, CARDET presented its progress on Work Package 5, dedicated to raising public awareness about the threats facing civic space. The presentation highlighted the Civic Champions Days initiative, which has already demonstrated significant impact in engaging communities and promoting active citizenship. Discussions also covered the project’s growing digital footprint, including social media engagement and news dissemination strategies. Looking ahead, partners began preparations for the final stages of the project, with the closing event scheduled to take place in April 2026 in Brussels.
The second day was dedicated to the Research and Management Committee Meeting. Key administrative and financial matters were reviewed to ensure smooth coordination across work packages and partner organisations.
The Palermo meeting marked an important milestone for the Civic Champions project, reinforcing a shared commitment to safeguarding civic freedoms and supporting grassroots activism in an increasingly challenging environment.
The Civic Champions project aims to strengthen democratic values and civic participation in Southern Europe by enhancing the capacity of civil society actors to become active agents in addressing and reversing the phenomenon of shrinking civic space.
Learn more about the project by visiting its website: https://cardet.org/civic-champions/
Target Groups
Professionals, Policy makers, General public, CSO'sEducation Level
Professional education
