The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) is a European public policy think-tank fostering the reform process in Europe through research excellence and policy advocacy. CSD is a non-partisan, independent organisation with a regional focus on Central and Eastern Europe and Western Balkan countries. CSD is widely known in Europe and internationally for its work in a number of areas, notably good governance and anti-corruption, organised and conventional crime, informal economy, energy governance/security, justice, human rights and migration, (de)radicalisation, foreign influence and disinformation. CSD is the National Focal Point of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, and Knowledge and Outreach Secretariat to SELDI – the Southeast Europe Leadership for Development and Integrity (www.seldi.net).

Acavent is a worldwide organizer of scientific conferences, workshops, and exhibitions. Our international company headquarters is based in Vilnius, Lithuania and we already have 10 years of experience in the events industry. Acavent is specialized in creating an academic environment for those who seek new ideas, new achievements, highly skilled academic people, and colleagues all over the world. As a Professional Conference Organizer, Acavent creates, organizes and plans conferences and events in various fields of science. Acavent also offers a thorough list of services required in organizing and holding in-person and online conferences for organizations, companies, and academic institutions. At Acavent, we gather professors, scholars, students, scientists, profit and non-profit organizations, research centers, fast-growing startups, and policymakers, to share ideas, knowledge and skills, to network and foster collaborative interdisciplinary research.

The Esade Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics (EsadeGeo) performs research on economic globalization and its interactions with geopolitics and global governance, creating knowledge on the links between business, economic and social leadership, social realities, and global governance. Its staff, including expert researchers, also provides an interdisciplinary forum where scholars and political, business, and social leaders actively debate international matters and their local impact.

JfM is an non-governmental organization, with office in Iasi, Romania, whose multidisciplinary team and members are based in Europe. The NGO is focused on improving the judicial system for minors in Romania and at EU level in accordance to international ; Our mission is to contribute to a substantial improvement in judicial system related to child victims and to safeguard the rights and best interest of the ; We pay special attention to resolving crossborder family conflicts and to protect children that assist helplessly at the separation or divorce of their parents who may become victims of international parental ; The focus will be on resolving the conflict through specialist litigation or crossborder mediation. The Justice for Minors NGO wishes through the expertise of its team to limit the psycho-emotional trauma of children and to guarantee the realization of his best interest. The voice of the child is important and we make sure that through our projects and through the work of the specialists in our team, the children's thoughts and feelings are being appreciated.  Our Activities mainly are dedicated to: Act as a main point of contact for many families with children and with high value stakeholders; Liaise with other NGO’s and EU institutions and other agencies; Publish articles on our platforms, organise working groups that debate relevant judicial and law issues and raise awareness on important gaps in child judicial system; Listen to Youth voice, empower young members’ decisions and consider their opinions inside the Youth Department within its activities and work; As a multidisciplinary center, we offer legal representation in Court and legal advice, crossborder and family mediation, social expertise, counselling and child psychological support, humanitarian aid including legal advice for ; Our experts represent parents and minors in Courts in litigation and mediation cases in Romania, UK and European Union Member States. Humanitarian activities. Recently, we got actively involved in helping refugees with legal, social, psychological support, ensuring accommodation, food and basic necessities, medical consultation if needed and finding transportation to reach families in other countries. Participate in meetings of the International NGOs we are member and on national platforms we are registered. Research in the field of children’s rights and international cooperation of authorities in the case of child abduction. Organisation of working groups meetings, boarding meetings and conferences. Workshops and seminars on international child abduction, litigation and crossborder mediation in child abduction ases.   In detail, our activities are: Legal Assistance & Mediation in family law, children’s rights and any cases which involves minors One of our recent case involved a Romanian family settled in UK. The parents were accused with parental negligence, following the unfortunate incident of their 1 year child that fall over the bed in a moment of parents’ lack of attention.   Webinars, Training & Conferences - educational courses on children's rights and civil and criminal judicial proceedings involving minors, both at national and European level; - training for specialists working in the field of juvenile justice on child abduction cases (mediation, litigation, cooperation between Central Authorities and others);   C. Publications Articles and studies published on our website;   D. Research - elaboration of research documents, strategies and improvement of juvenile justice system - supporting research activities for juvenile justice specialists;   E. Working Groups Family mediators Group Social Experts and Child .Psychologists Group Youth Department   Each group is elaborating a plan in order to improve the justice system in these field with particular interest on children’s rights, including the administration of evidence in cases involving minors, the terms of which are often disregarded; monitoring the execution of sentences, but also regulating alternatives to custodial measures for minors.   F. Cooperation  Particularly, we have built partnerships with authorities, institutions, associations and other specialists at national and international level aiming to improving the situation of minors - victims or witnesses of crimes, involved in legal proceedings, as parents separation, divorce or child abduction. In the light of international cooperation, we have built an online platform for professionals for exchanging information and best practices.   National Partnerships : Ombudsman (Avocatul Poporului) Psychologist College (Colegiul Psihologilor) The Forum for Civil Society for a better justice, which is the national platform of High Council of Magistrates (platforma "Forumul societății civile pentru o justiție în slujba cetățeanului", CSM) Educational Inspectorate (Inspectoratul Scolar) General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC)   International Memberships: Eurochild EPAPFR European Platform for Access to Personal and Family FRA   Organisations for children rights reached: Children for Children Environmental Rights (;) European Bauhaus (link: ) Youth Press 5. Dijuf, Child Support           G. Activities dedicated to Youth and involving Youth  We have established inside the NGO the Youth Department that includes young professionals and students under 30 years old that are actively engaged in the NGOs activities, including decision-making process and weekly ; The Department is run by our young expert and international legal advisor, a member of NGO’s Board, Madalina ; The activities include mentorship, debates, webinars on children’s rights, writing articles and establishing partnerships with other Youth NGOs.  

he Centre for European Reform is a think-tank devoted to making the European Union work better and strengthening its role in the world. The CER is pro-European but not uncritical. We regard European integration as largely beneficial but recognise that in many respects the Union does not work well. We also think that the EU should take on more responsibilities globally, on issues ranging from climate change to security. The CER aims to promote an open, outward-looking and effective European Union.

Governments should serve their citizens, not themselves. This is why in 2011, government leaders and civil society advocates came together to create a unique partnership – one that combines these powerful forces to promote accountable, responsive, and inclusive governance.Seventy-eight countries and a growing number of local governments — representing more than two billion people – along with thousands of civil society organizations are members of the Open Government Partnership (OGP).

Civil Society Europe (CSE) brings together 22 European networks of civil society organisations (CSO) working towards regenerating the European project around the shared values of Equality, Solidarity, Inclusiveness and Democracy. Our main objectives are to facilitate and enable horizontal and vertical dialogue between European civil society organisations and policymakers and help strengthen CSOs in their activities and relations with the institutions. The organisation was founded in December 2014 in Rome at the close of the European Year of citizens as an initiative of organisations that had worked together in the European Year of Citizens Alliance. Its membership has grown since then to encompass the various sectors of civil society. CSE has been established as an international not for profit organisation under Belgian law since June 2016. CSE is an independent voice promoting a space for structured civil dialogue and citizen’s participation at all levels.

ALDA is a key stakeholder in the field of local democracy, active citizenship, and cooperation between local authorities and civil society in Europe, its neighborhood and in the World, mainly acting through participative methods and decentralized cooperation. As a core element, ALDA supports citizens and groups of citizens in their initiatives aimed at improving their local context, building bridges with local authorities in order to make this change real. ALDA was established in 1999 at the initiative of the Council of Europe to coordinate and support the network of Local Democracy Agencies (LDAs), which are self- sustainable, locally registered NGOs acting as promoters of good governance and local self-government, with which ALDA collaborates in many activities. ALDA is a membership-based organisation gathering today more than 350 members, including local authorities, associations of local authorities, and civil society organisations, coming from more than 45 countries in the enlarged Europe. ALDA is funded through membership fees, as well as project funding from the European Commission, the Council of Europe and other public and private donors.

is the umbrella organisation of Dutch-speaking humanist and freethinking associations in Belgium

Jeunes MR est une organisation de jeunesse politique sur le territoire de la communauté française de Belgique qui rassemble des jeunes âgés entre 15 et 35 ans.Les Jeunes MR partagent les valeurs du parti politique Mouvement réformateur (MR) tout en étant dans une structure indépendante. Leur objectif initial est d’intéresser les jeunes à la politique, notamment pour les sensibiliser aux projets réformateurs.

The European Network of Political Foundations serves as an umbrella network and information hub on topics related to democracy and development cooperation. As such, it provides its members a joint platform to engage into a coordinated dialogue with EU institutions, CSOs and other relevant stakeholders.

Law and Internet Foundation is a Bulgarian NGO & Research centre which supports and performs applied studies, scientific researches, programmes and projects in the field of legal, technological, economic and social issues related to the fast penetration of information and communication technologies both in public and private sectors. The mission of the organisation is to contribute towards the transformation of the society to meet the challenges of the digital world. The main pillars of the values the Foundation rest upon are development of legislation regarding digital environment through legal analyses and ethical reviews, promotion of quality education and lifelong learning, gender equality, protection of children from violence and abuse. To achieve its mission, Law and Internet Foundation initiates innovative and rigorous research projects, education activities, transfer of knowledge and best practices, as well as strong partnerships with national and international institutions.

Brussels-based non-profit media and civil society hub for the exchange of expertise between Ukraine and the EU

ECOPNET (European Cooperation & Partnership Network) is a Brussels-based, politically independent nonprofit network focusing on cooperations and international partnerships, gathering individuals, institutions, universities, academics, scientists, local authorities and companies interested in EU affairs and global cooperation. ECOPNET is also aimed at supporting its members to tackle challenges with the EU policies, as well as promoting the EU values across the ;

The Political Festival of Europe is a yearly democracy festival that aims to gather citizens of Europe over the course of four days to discuss politics and embrace Europe’s rich history and cultural heritage. The Political Festival of Europe takes place in a town called Mariager – also known as the city of roses – an old, idyllic medieval town with crooked houses, cobblestoned streets and timber framed houses. With a modest population of just over 2,500 inhabitants, Mariager town will soon become the place where European democracy will come to life gathering hundreds of thousands of Europeans who want in on the future of Europe. Our mission is to be a place of: Courage – where we dare discuss the future of Europe “Peoplelization” – where we build communities as well as celebrate, showcase, and spread insights to local, regional, and national cultures Inspiration – where we establish debates, dialogues, hearings, and citizen involvement Accessibility – where we create an informal environment for citizens, politicians, and business leaders to meet Anchoring – where we anchor and raise the importance of our democracy for the future of Europe at a local level  In line with our missions, our vision is to “peoplelize” European politics and become a platform, where we strengthen democracy and unity in Europe. We aspire to become the political Olympic Games, where everyone has the possibility of participating in creating the future of Europe. The COVID-19 pandemic has given us all the more reason to create a platform, where we together can discuss European politics and its future. A platform, where people actively can get involved in developing European democracy. The inspiration behind Political Festival of Europe comes from the Nordic tradition of folkemøder –  a concept we want to take to the next level and raise from national settings to a pan-European setting in order to discuss matters that influence everyone in Europe. What is a Folkemøde?  The Danish tradition of Folkemøde [Folk – people; møde – meeting] is a public meeting that dates back to 1839. It is a political event that gathers people with different political views and positions in the interest of democracy. A Folkemøde takes form of informal discussions and speeches across opinions and hierarchy that strengthens active involvement of all participants – every one has a say, every one is heard. After the concept faded away in the 1940s, neighboring Sweden’s own form of folkemøde – Almedalsveckan introduced in 1968 – became the inspiration and groundwork for Denmark to revive the concept on the island of Bornholm in 2011 with their very own annual Folkemøde. It took on popularity fairly fast and has generated thousands of national visitors ever since. So far held at national levels, we aim to expand this concept to the whole of Europe. Here is why. What the purpose of a Folkemøde? The Danish model of Folkemøde is the cornerstone for democracy and pays tribute to the community. The foundation of a Folkemøde lies in dismantling barriers between citizens, politicians and decision-makers in order to bring politics closer to the people and to make society a better place for everybody.  The aim is to lead discussions about how to improve the future of the society and have citizens participate in shaping change. A “folkemøde” aims to: o   Inspire and challenge political views and visions o   Let people meet and listen to politicians they voted for o   Let people have a say and be heard o   Increase trust between citizens and decision-makers and hold politicians accountable o   “Peoplelize”, ;build a community where culture is showcased and celebrated o   Facilitate meaningful debates and anchor them in the political agenda  As cultural heritage is also celebrated in a Folkemøde, entertainment and good food are an integral part of such an event. Hence, at the Political Festival of Europe, you will be able to find arts and crafts, music and gastronomy, alongside the political debates, speeches, workshops, hearings etc.

Századvég Group has been an important player in the Hungarian consulting market for many years, with its macroeconomic analyzes, forecasts of its economic activity and sectoral analyzes. You can rely on experts with extensive knowledge and experience in our macroeconomic, energy, digital and healthcare divisions, and in the planning and drawing up funds from the European Union. The employees, with external experts took part in several sectoral strategy and development policy making and planning in the field of digital economy, healthcare, SME development, energy, financial instruments and development policy coordination.

ILEAnet is an H2020 project, aiming to build a sustainable organisational Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) practitioners network focused on research & innovation addressing LEA challenges, together with a community of individuals interested to exchange and collaborate in this area. By encouraging such discussion between practitioners and experts from academia and industry, the project will stimulate LEA capabilities to influence, develop and take up research, development and innovation (RDI) that is useful and usable for LEAs, and thus help them to tackle the major challenges they face. Scientists are crucial to answer LEAS' needs, and they are involved throughout the ILEAnet project.

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung is a German political foundation affiliated with the German Green Party (Alliance 90/The Greens). Its primary task is political education and advocacy in Germany and abroad. Our main tenets are ecology and sustainability, democracy and human rights, non-violence and justice. In our work, we place particular emphasis on gender democracy, equal rights for minorities and the political and social participation of migrants.Our namesake, the writer and Nobel Prize laureate Heinrich Böll, personifies the fundamental principles we stand for: defence of freedom and human dignity, civic courage, open debate and the acknowledgement of art and culture as independent spheres of thought and action. As a think tank for green visions and ideas, we are part of an international network with 33 offices worldwide and with partner projects in more than 60 countries.The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union represents the foundation vis-à-vis European and international institutions, associations, non-governmental organisations and media based in Brussels. The office is a main point of contact for individuals, groups and organisations from around the world interested in EU politics and policies. The future of the European project and the role of the European Union in the world is at the centre of our activities and efforts.

The MiRI Project (co-funded by the European Union Justice Programme 2014-2020, JUST-JCOO-AG-2018, under Grant Agreement No 831608​) aims at identifying national current practices regarding the right of the child to be informed in civil proceedings, so as to identify common best practices and create guidelines that might or should be applied in all EU Member States, also with the objective of harmonizing and integrating their national systems, both form a procedural and substantive perspective, as much as possible. The most innovative aspect of the project is the elaboration of common best practices on the child’s information in proceedings: even if the need has been highlighted by numerous studies on children’s fundamental rights in civil proceedings, a consensus on the content of such practices still seems not to have been reached in domestic MSs legislation, as the necessary pre-emptive research to find possible common grounds is still lacking. Participants: University of Genoa, Coordinator (Scientific Responsible Prof. Ilaria Queirolo); Universitat De Valencia; Institute of Private International Law Sofia; Sia Biznesa Augstskola Turiba (Latvia); Defence for Children International Italy; European Association For Family And Succession Law. Duration: – (24 months)

The META Group specialises in maximising research impact and solving societal challenges through innovative solutions.With over 30 years of experience, we have collaborated with more than 2,000 consortia and 500 companies across diverse sectors, including partnerships with the European Commission, regional governments, development agencies, investors, research organisations, and start-up. Our approach emphasises pioneering problem-solving, aiming to optimise the journey from idea to market. We offer a range of services including:• Knowledge Valorisation: Assisting in ensuring research results generate impact.• Access to Risk Capital: Helping talents prepare for early-stage funding.• Innovation Policy: Working at the intersection of research and policy to bring innovations to market.• Capacity and Competence Building: Offering training and capacity building to support knowledge-intensive growth.• Technical Assistance: Providing tailored solutions for researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.