KMOP – Social Action and Innovation Centre implemented a three-part online webinar series between 24 and 27 February 2026, aimed at strengthening the resilience, skills, and cross-border collaboration of civil society organisations (CSOs) across Europe.
The series brought together practitioners and experts under the theme “Protecting and Empowering Civic Space”, addressing key challenges affecting civic actors and offering practical tools to respond to an increasingly complex operating environment.
The first webinar, held on 24 February 2026, focused on the growing legal, institutional, and administrative pressures faced by CSOs. A total of 49 participants explored the concept of shrinking civic space and examined practical strategies to respond to legal threats, administrative barriers, and funding-related constraints.
The session featured Alexandra Gkarani, Coordinator of Common Ground Greece and Community & Stakeholder Engagement Lead for the Heatwaves Project at Mindworks Lab, who shared expertise on civic participation and democratic innovation. Nikos Charalambidis, Executive Director of Greenpeace Greece, contributed practical insights on organisational resilience and responses to legal intimidation and pressures on activism.
The second webinar, organised on 25 February 2026, addressed communication challenges in a context shaped by misinformation and political polarisation. Iasonas Kantas, founder of 4Impact Communications and former Head of Communication and Engagement at WWF Greece, led the session. A total of 38 participants discussed strategies to counter negative media narratives, strengthen transparency, and build trust, while also exploring ways to engage audiences often excluded from public discourse.
Both national webinars exceeded participation expectations, confirming the relevance of the topics and the effectiveness of KMOP’s outreach approach. The combination of expert input and peer exchange strengthened knowledge transfer and practical learning among participants.
The third webinar, held on 27 February 2026, expanded the focus to collaboration and sustainability at international level. It brought together 30 participants from Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, and Cyprus to explore how civil society organisations can build effective consortia, access funding opportunities, and design impactful cross-border projects.
KMOP shared its expertise in European project development, offering practical guidance on partnership building, funding strategies, and alignment with donor priorities. Interactive discussions and breakout sessions further supported peer learning, focusing on consortium dynamics such as partner selection, role distribution, and risk management.
Overall, the webinar series translated project knowledge into practical capacity-building, equipping civil society actors with concrete tools and strategies to navigate an increasingly complex civic environment.
These activities were implemented in the framework of the European project Civic Champions, which aims to strengthen civic space in Europe through monitoring tools, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based policy dialogue.
For further information, contact KMOP at [email protected]