KMOP – Social Action and Innovation Centre convened civil society actors, practitioners, and community professionals in Athens to address rising pressures on civic space in Greece and to explore practical responses for strengthening democratic participation.
On 23 January 2026 in Piraeus, within the framework of the Bridging Borders festival, KMOP hosted a national conference that turned civic space challenges into a structured public dialogue. The event created a space where participants examined current risks, shared field experiences, and discussed concrete ways to reinforce civic engagement. The wider festival programme on inclusion, participation, and social cohesion further expanded outreach and connected the discussion to a broader public audience.
The conference brought together representatives of civil society organisations, educators, youth workers, non-formal education professionals, psychologists, social workers, and practitioners working with vulnerable communities. This diverse group enabled a practice-oriented exchange on the realities shaping civic space in Greece and the wider region.
The programme combined documentary screening, presentation of project findings, a moderated panel discussion, and interactive dialogue. Participants discussed key structural challenges, including legal and administrative constraints, Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), pressure on journalists, surveillance and privacy concerns, defamatory rhetoric, and increasing political polarisation.
Participants also highlighted concrete examples of resilience within civil society and analysed how these pressures affect daily professional practice, particularly in migration, education, equality, and community support work.
A central part of the conference featured the Early Warning Mechanism (EWM), an innovative tool that identifies, documents, and responds to threats to civic space. KMOP presented the mechanism and invited participants to test its relevance and provide feedback on its usability in real working contexts.
Overall, the participatory design of the conference enabled structured exchange and helped participants translate evidence into practice, strengthening civic engagement and democratic participation in Greece.
KMOP implemented these activities in the framework of the European project Civic Champions, which strengthens civic space in Europe through monitoring tools, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based policy dialogue.
For further information, contact KMOP at [email protected]