From Voices to Action: Empowering Participatory Governance

The third Policy Brief of the Phoenix H2020 project has just been published:

"From Voices to Action: Empowering Participatory Governance" is authored by Fátima Alves and Diogo Guedes Vidal from the Societies and Environmental Sustainability Research Group at the Centre for Functional Ecology – Science for People & the Planet, which is part of the Associated Laboratory Terra at the University of Coimbra, along with its Extension at the Open University of Portugal.

This policy brief emerges at a crucial moment when discourse on citizen participation is proliferating. Yet, institutional mechanisms still resist genuinely integrating the diverse voices of society into decision-making processes.

The analysis developed in the Territorial Commissions for Co-Design (TCCDs) reveals not only the enormous potential of public participation to enrich and legitimise policies within the framework of the European Green Deal but also highlights structural challenges:

• Persistent gaps in representation, especially among young people, rural communities, and marginalised groups;
• Participatory fatigue challenges the sustainability of deliberative processes;
• A lack of real institutional linkage of participatory process outcomes to public policy.

However, there are also strong signs of hope:

• Active participation increases citizens’ political and ecological literacy;
• Collaborative processes foster a sense of belonging, civic responsibility, and mutual trust;
• Hybrid models (digital/in-person) broaden accessibility and inclusion, provided there is adequate support.

The recommendations put forward are clear:

• Compensate participation with time allowances, transport, or social support;
• Strengthen channels for continuous and transparent communication;
• Integrate results into decisions from the outset, with genuine political involvement;
• Promote a culture of reflective and adaptive evaluation.

For the ecological transition to be just, it must also be democratic and co-created.

We invite you to explore the document provided below and discover our strategies for intercultural dialogue in healthcare and their implications for the future.