iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Thorsten Sterk @thorstensterk.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Democracy is losing trust. Polarisation is rising. Too many people feel they have no real say. Cities can’t afford to respond with token participation. A new @nets4dem.eu & @eurocities.eu guide shows what real democratic innovation can look like. #CitizensAssembly

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Democratic innovation in cities: Resources for local action - Nets4Dem

Across Europe, polarisation is hardening public debate, civic space is...

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 04/08/2026

As a @nets4dem.eu member, we've watched it grow from an idea into real infrastructure for democratic innovation across Europe.

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Open Government Partnership @opengovpartnership.org · 31/07/2026

Nets4Dem 2.0 is here 👏 OGP is proud to join the next phase of @nets4dem.eu, bringing our Participation Action Group into the network to support collaboration and learning on public participation. Together, we’ll connect citizens, policymakers, and governments across Europe. More 👉 bit.ly/4bafzj5

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 15/09/2026

What do a climate team in Vienna, a youth panel in Bilbao and a migrants' committee in Grenoble have in common? They're all rewriting what local democracy looks like 🤝 On this #InternationalDemocracyDay 👇🧵

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 24/07/2026

Nets4Dem is entering its next phase 👏 Over the last three years, Nets4Dem has grown into a connected community of practitioners, researchers and institutions across Europe.

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 29/06/2026

The European Democracy Shield can't be built top-down alone 💯 Information integrity, strong institutions and citizen participation only hold if we build them together. Here's what the speakers at the Nets4Dem conference in Brussels had to say 👇

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People Powered @peoplepowered.org · 16/06/2026

The Democracy Stories Lab is live! An open call for creators to share visual stories about what democracy could look and feel like. 4 winners get $1,000. 5 honorable mentions get $500. Applications open July 14. See the full call + stay updated→ www.peoplepowered.org/news-content...

peoplepowered.org

What does the future of democracy look like? We want your stories — People Powered

We're looking for creators who can tell compelling stories about voice, power, and collective decision-making — with up to $1,000 in awards.

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 09/06/2026

What does democratic innovation look like in a social housing block? In Budapest, it's Safe at Home; with residents in K22, the city's largest social housing building, shaping its future directly with decision-makers. 🏆 Learn more about the winner of our Emerging Innovation Award: bit.ly/3Q4YmQU

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 04/06/2026

Let's talk democracy. Not the headline version, but the one built in neighbourhoods, schools and public squares.

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 26/05/2026

Where can trust in democracy be rebuilt? 🤔 Closer to home than you'd think. At the Nets4Dem Conference, we heard from Frederik Ceulemans, Alderman, City of Brussels: "Dissatisfaction with democratic representation is growing, not only globally, but also here in our cities."

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Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju @ifdtbeograd.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Democratic innovation doesn’t just happen on its own, it requires: ✔ collaboration ✔ experimentation ✔ persistence @nets4dem.eu is building the infrastructure for that change. Here's how: bit.ly/3NGhovD

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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) @tepsa.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

And that's a wrap! 👏 📸 Let's take a look back at the final conference of the @nets4dem.eu project organised with @eurocities.eu: Local Action, European Impact. Strengthening Democratic Resilience, which took place on Tuesday 5 May in Brussels 💡

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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) @tepsa.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

"Enhancing democratic resilience is not an end in itself. Democracy is a system of governance & only truly democratic processes will provide sustainable responses to today's challenges" - Jean-Louis De Brouwer, Director @egmontinstitute.bsky.social, concludes the @nets4dem.eu Final Conference

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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) @tepsa.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

“Systematic change takes time, but, in Turkey, we still need a mindset change and progressive democratic tools need to be implemented" - @erdemvardar.bsky.social, Founding Director, Yuva Association, shares 🇹🇷's perspective on building democratic resilience at the @nets4dem.eu Final Conference.

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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) @tepsa.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Katalin Hegyes from InterGest Hungaria reminds us of the importance of inclusion and representation in democracies⚠️ “Marginalised communities are often excluded from participatory research”, she reminds us at our @nets4dem.eu Final Conference, co-organised with @eurocities.eu.

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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) @tepsa.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

"Certain forms of democratic promotion may be ill-suited for democratic resilience. Citizens' assemblies are highly reliant on international funding, but that cannot replace political will," explains Melisa Ross (Global Citizens’ Assembly Network) at the @nets4dem.eu Final Conference.

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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) @tepsa.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

"Local communities are laboratories for democracy. The majority of democratic innovations focus on the sub-national level first; national and European levels come second," Tara Tepavac from the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory shares learnings from the @nets4dem.eu project✊

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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) @tepsa.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

"Citizens' assemblies increase political knowledge, decrease polarisation, & increase trust. More broadly, they foster a sense of community and social cohesion," Sahib Singh shares some research results at the @nets4dem.eu parallel discussion on democratic innovation.

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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) @tepsa.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

The @nets4dem.eu final conference continues with 2️⃣ parallel discussions: 🔹"Building democratic resilience from the ground up" 🔹"From knowledge to action: what democratic innovation research tells us about building democratic resilience" Follow us here for live updates from both debates 👋

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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) @tepsa.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

"States in Africa, Asia and South America have dealt with similar democratic issues for a longer time than we have. There is a lot we can learn from countries in these regions," reminds us Michael Runey of @internationalidea.bsky.social at the @nets4dem.eu Final Conference.

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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) @tepsa.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

"What matters is not just the overall output, but that any European initiative to defend democracy is a result of a joint process, involving local and European networks," says Daniel Fleischer-Ambrus (@ec.europa.eu) at the @nets4dem.eu Final Conference, co-organised by TEPSA & @eurocities.eu.

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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) @tepsa.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

"Democracy is a joint responsibility. With civil society space shrinking & the erosion of democratic values, it is easy to be negative, but this gathering gives us hope - not as wishful thinking, but as a strategy that democracy can renew itself," Paul Zoubkov opens the @nets4dem.eu conference.

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 05/05/2026

Our high-level 'Local Action, European Impact: Strengthening Democratic Resilience' conference is currently underway in Brussels 🇧🇪

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Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) @tepsa.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

The @nets4dem.eu Final Conference is starting now! We will discuss the importance of local action to strengthen democratic resilience 💪 The event is co-organised by TEPSA and @eurocities.eu 🤝Follow us here for live updates from the discussions 👇

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 28/04/2026

In 2025, we conducted real-world democracy experiments. With the 2nd Nets4Dem Democracy Lab, we brought together local governments, practitioners, and communities to address complex challenges in climate action. Learn more in our Annual Report: bit.ly/3NGhovD @eurocities.eu

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 23/04/2026

Democratic resilience cannot be built by institutions alone 💯 At our 6th Nets4Dem Democracy Retreat, policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and experts came together to explore how the European Democracy Shield can actually work in practice. Learn more: bit.ly/41TEpib

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The European Democracy Shield: From intention to reality | Democracy Retreat #6 - Nets4Dem

The Nets4Dem 6th Democracy Retreat “The European Democracy Shield: from intention...

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 22/04/2026

Ideas aren’t the problem. Execution is. Learn what blocks democratic innovation - and how we’re helping kickstart it: bit.ly/3NGhovD

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Nets4Dem Annual Report 2025: A New Chapter for Democratic Innovation - Nets4Dem

In 2025, democracy in Europe faced both pressure and possibility....

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 21/04/2026

The Nets4Dem Local Action, European Impact: Strengthening Democratic Resilience is insightful for anyone working on democracy, governance, civic engagement or policy 💯 Join us on May 5! Register now 👉 bit.ly/4t0HuJf

bit.ly

The question of how to strengthen democratic resilience is gaining...

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 21/04/2026

Happening right now in Brussels 🇧🇪 At our Democracy Retreat, EU policymakers and experts are currently tackling a key challenge: turning the Centre for Democratic Resilience from ambition into real impact. Stay tuned for their takeaways! @tepsa.bsky.social @egmontinstitute.bsky.social

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 08/04/2026

Join us 5 May in Brussels for the Nets4Dem conference by @eurocities.eu and @tepsa.bsky.social 👏 We're bringing together cities, EU institutions and civil society for insights, collaboration, and even an award for democratic innovation 🏆 Register now 👉 bit.ly/4t0HuJf

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 07/04/2026

Let’s talk impact. What did Nets4Dem achieve in 2025? 🏛️ 90+ public bodies and organisations supported 👥 60+ policymakers and practitioners mentored 📝 400+ research projects analysed 🤝🏽 11 new participatory solutions developed 💬 380 stakeholders engaged in dialogue

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 17/03/2026

📌 The #EuropeanDemocracyShield is a first of its kind: it recognises that foreign information manipulation and disinformation are not marginal issues, but structural threats to Europe’s democratic cohesion and security.

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 23/02/2026

Want expert guidance for participatory democracy initiatives? 💯 Rising Stars Mentorship (free!) connects you with global experts for tailored support. First 2026 deadline: Feb 27. Don’t miss out 👉 bit.ly/4s7Q341

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 16/02/2026

Experts brought together by @ifdtbeograd.bsky.social discuss how connecting academia, civil society and policymakers can turn insights into real democratic change. Exactly how we do it at Nets4Dem 🎯 Watch here: youtu.be/7VgxEZFASWc

youtu.be

From Knowledge to Impact

YouTube video by Nets4dem

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Arantzazulab @arantzazulab.eus · 12/02/2026

🚀Hemos dado el pistoletazo de salida a #DemocracyLab Bilbao, en colaboración con🤝@eurocities.eu, @nets4dem.eu y Ayuntamiento de Bilbao. 🌍Representantes de ciudades de toda Europa trabajan por 3 días para promover la cultura democrática y explorar nuevos enfoques para el desarrollo comunitario.

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Agirre Lehendakaria Center @agirrecenter.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

🧠𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝗯 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗼. 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 We have worked on real challenges and created concrete proposals ready to be implemented. 🔍 More info: f.mtr.cool/rbjmhbmnvc #democracyLab @eurocities.eu @nets4dem.eu @arantzazulab.eus

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 16/02/2026

19 cities, 6 challenges, 3 days, 1 goal: re-engaging young people with democracy! 🇪🇺 At the Nets4Dem Democracy Lab in Bilbao, city teams and experts co-created innovative ways to bring youth closer to decision-making. Sharing their solutions soon ✨ @eurocities.eu @arantzazulab.eus

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 13/01/2026

Opportunity: Prototype meaningful youth engagement! 👇 Feb 10–12, the Nets4Dem Democracy Lab comes to Bilbao! It's a three day interactive space for cities to solve real democratic challenges, learn from Bilbao’s innovations, and co-design solutions. Register by Feb 2 ⬇️ bit.ly/3Ngzcgh

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 12/12/2025

ScaleDem launches open calls to scale democratic innovations across Europe 👏 Organisations can now apply for funding and support through piloting (up to €100k) or twinning (up to €65.5k) programmes to expand proven democratic solutions. More info and eligibility: scaledem.eu/open-calls/

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 12/12/2025

Is it time to rethink the EU’s democracy support toolbox? 🤔 At our 5th Democracy Retreat, experts discussed how the EU can better support democracy in enlargement countries, including through “differentiated democratic enlargement”. How the discussions went 👉 lnkd.in/d2uizYXk

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 27/11/2025

Can EU enlargement survive a new geopolitical era? Russia’s war on Ukraine put it back on top, but progress now runs into institutional gridlock, security threats, and uneven democratic realities across candidates. Our Democracy Retreat today will look into alternativesand solutions 👇

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 19/11/2025

Nets4Dem welcomes the European Democracy Shield! 🛡️ We are proud to have contributed through our recommendations and policy retreat. The Shield reflects key priorities: protecting civic space, strengthening citizen engagement, and ensuring effective enforcement of the DSA and AI Act.

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 18/11/2025

Democracy Retreat Highlights: Youth activism is helping shape EU policies, but tokenism, underrepresentation and funding cuts block progress. What’s needed? Lower voting ages, real power-sharing, early civic education and new governance models! Learn more 👉 nets4dem.eu/democracy-re...

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 18/11/2025

Applications are open for our Democratic Innovations Accelerator (DIA)! ⏰ We'll be supporting 40 selected participants working on youth-led participatory programs with free mentoring, training and tools. Apply by Nov 30: nets4dem.eu/democratic-i...

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 10/11/2025

Welcome DEMOTRUST to #Nets4Dem! Based in Thessaloniki, they’re advancing transparency, participation and civic trust to build resilient democracies 👏 #MeetTheNetwork #DemocraticInnovation

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 10/11/2025

How can we turn knowledge into impact? ✍ @ifdtbeograd.bsky.social brought together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in Belgrade to explore how democratic innovation can strengthen democracy in practice. Key takeaways 👉 lnkd.in/ew3MCGdn

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 17/10/2025

Scaling democracy isn’t copy-paste 🎯 At the #DemocracyRnD Conference, together with @scaledem.bsky.social and #DemoReset, we explored how to scale democratic innovation: 🌍 Out 🏛️ High 🌱 Deep & 💪 In ...growing democracy in both reach and depth!

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 16/10/2025

Join the changemakers - live from Belgrade! 🇷� How can democratic innovation move from research to real policy? The #Nets4Dem workshop by @ifdtbeograd.bsky.social brings together experts to bridge research, practice and policy, and tackle this! 💻 Attend the workshop on Zoom: bit.ly/4hn3HfC

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ScaleDem project @scaledem.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

Join us online for the launch of the #ScaleDem Policy Report on “Scaling Democratic Innovations: Emerging Practices for Future Policies”. Discover insights from 100+ EU-funded projects on making democratic innovations lasting, impactful, and embedded in institutions. scaledem.eu/events/webin...

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Nets4Dem @nets4dem.eu · 15/10/2025

An inspiring week of exchange for #Nets4Dem 👏 After a great #OGP Global Summit, we’re now in Brussels for our Annual Members’ Meeting and the #DemocracyRnD conference, welcoming new members and co-hosting a workshop with @scaledem.bsky.social on scaling democratic innovations.

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