On Tuesday, 26 May 2026, at 6:00 p.m. (CET), we look forward to welcoming Ljiljana Čumura, a master of sociology, and project manager, with vast experience in the governmental and international NGO sectors. In her lecture Ljiljana will share the story from her project “The Services of Support – A Step Towards Independent Life” as an inspiring example of what’s possible when communities come together. The project brings to life the values of social inclusion, intergenerational support, volunteerism, and solidarity – the kind of democratic values that matter most when put into practice.
The event will be held in English, with translation into German, Bulgarian, Romanian, Serbian and Ukranian.
On 15 September 2026, colleagues and partners from across the Danube Region and other European countries came together for the online training “Potential Funding Opportunities in the EU Context.”
The session was organised within the framework of the project “New Voices on the Danube” and conducted by our colleagues from Priority Area 10 (PA10), Andreea Prasacu and Claudia Singer-Smith.
A total of 30 participants from 8 Danube countries took part in the session.
Claudia Singer-Smith introduced the aims and activities of Priority Area 10 (PA10). Andreea Prasacu then presented an overview of potential EU funding programmes and financing opportunities for future projects and provided initial guidance on how to identify suitable funding opportunities and prepare for future EU project applications.
The meeting also offered participants the opportunity to exchange ideas, connect with potential project partners and explore possibilities for future cooperation across the Danube Region.
For the first time in one of our online training sessions, we used Wordly, which provides automatic live text and audio translation in several languages. This helped make the international exchange more accessible and enabled participants to follow the session in their preferred language.
Short Report
The short report from the session is available here:
Short Report: Online Training – Potential Funding Opportunities in the EU Context [Read the short report]
In his lecture “What Does Solidarity Mean?”, Oskar Brabanski explored the philosophical and biblical origins of the concept as well as its limitations.
The lecture was held in German, with translation into English,
In his presentation “ Ethics of Educational Research: An agenda for discussion ”, Dr. Busher addresses key ethical questions in educational research. He reflects on why ethical frameworks are essential for the quality and credibility of research and shows issues such as informed consent, the protection of participants from harm, researchers’ moral responsibility, confidentiality, and data protection.
He also highlights how ethical considerations arise at every stage of a research project and why particular care is needed when working with vulnerable groups or sensitive topics.
From reception to creation – putting participation into practice
How can we actively shape our society? How can ideas become real projects that make democratic participation visible and accessible?
We invite individuals and groups to submit creative project ideas that strengthen democracy through social participation. We are looking for activities that show that democratic engagement is not limited to elections or party politics, but can also be experienced in everyday life.
Projects should encourage people to take action, implement an idea, and document it so that others can be inspired to adapt similar approaches in their own context. Projects may focus on local issues or include international perspectives. There are no limits to creativity.
Funding
The four most convincing project concepts will be selected by an internal jury and will each receive €400 in financial support for implementation. The funding is provided within the framework of the Fit4Democracy programme. In addition to the grand prizes, there are also smaller special prizes.
Who can participate?
Individuals or groups of all ages from the Danube region and other European countries are welcome to apply.
Content focus
Project ideas should show how democracy can be practised in everyday life. Relevant are projects that address at least one of the following aspects:
Communication and co-determination
Dialogue, debate culture, and perspective-taking
Anti-discrimination, diversity, and tolerance
Community spirit, solidarity, and cohesion
Possible formats include discussion rounds, workshops, storytelling cafés, participatory activities, games, videos, improvisational theatre, or actions in public space.
