OLYMPICEU – The European Values Olympiad is a European cooperation project funded by the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme.
The project aims to strengthen democratic participation, promote social inclusion and encourage active citizenship through cooperation between local authorities, institutions and communities in Greece and Italy.
Through a series of transnational events and participatory activities, OLYMPICEU supports the exchange of experiences and the development of practical approaches capable of fostering more inclusive and accessible civic participation across Europe.
Title: Promoting Social Inclusion and Accessible Civic Participation
Location: Pyrgos, Greece
Date: 24–28 January 2026
The second transnational event of the OLYMPICEU project was hosted in Pyrgos, Greece, and represented the second operational phase of the project implementation.
Building upon the reflections and findings generated during the first event in Ancient Olympia, the Pyrgos meeting focused on the practical dimension of social inclusion and civic participation, exploring how local communities and public institutions can reduce barriers that prevent citizens from actively engaging in democratic processes.
The event marked an important step in the transition from the identification of participation challenges towards the development of practical and accessible approaches capable of supporting more inclusive forms of civic engagement.
The activities carried out during the event were designed to:
Particular attention was devoted to the identification of obstacles that may limit participation opportunities and to the exploration of solutions capable of improving access to civic life for all members of the community.
The event combined institutional meetings, thematic workshops, participatory sessions and facilitated discussions.
Participants engaged in collaborative activities aimed at examining challenges related to civic participation and accessibility, while local authorities and stakeholders contributed to the discussion through the exchange of experiences and perspectives from different local contexts.
The programme encouraged interaction, dialogue and mutual learning, creating opportunities to analyse practical approaches for improving communication, outreach and participation mechanisms within local governance processes.
Special attention was dedicated to inclusive participation models, accessibility issues, citizen engagement strategies and the development of solutions that can contribute to reducing barriers to civic involvement.
The Pyrgos event represented a key implementation stage within the OLYMPICEU project.
The discussions and activities carried out during the meeting contributed to the development of practical reflections and initial approaches aimed at strengthening inclusive civic participation and improving accessibility within democratic processes.
The event also reinforced cooperation among partner municipalities and supported the progressive development of project actions focused on creating more inclusive, participatory and resilient communities.
The outcomes generated during the event provided an important basis for the subsequent phases of the project and for the continued promotion of European values through local action and citizen engagement.
The Event Description Sheet (EDS) relating to this activity is publicly available through the OLYMPICEU project documentation and forms part of the official project deliverables submitted under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme.
Official Event Report (Event Description Sheet – EDS)
This page forms part of the dissemination and communication activities of the OLYMPICEU project and complements the official Event Description Sheet submitted to the European Commission.
OLYMPICEU – The European Values Olympiad has received funding from the European Union under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Project Coordinator
Hellenic-Italian Chamber of Commerce of Athens
Official Project Website
www.olympiceu.eu
Project Development and Technical Support
PAOLETTY S.r.l.
www.paoletty.com
