On 9 April 2025, ALDA led the first of two Team Europe Democracy (TED) Working Group 2 (WG2) LABs, titled “Strengthening Local Community Engagement and Democratic Governance Resilience in Situations of Fragility.” Held online and in closed format, the LAB convened a diverse group of local actors, democracy practitioners, EU institutions and Member State representatives for an in-depth, action-oriented discussion on sustaining democratic engagement in fragile contexts.
Drawing from ALDA’s 30 years of experience in local democracy and participatory governance, the session explored practical approaches to reinforce local engagement, build resilience, and maintain democratic governance even under pressure. The event built on insights from the October 2024 TED WG2 webinar, highlighting the urgency of context-sensitive support and long-term partnerships in areas affected by fragility.
Why it matters
According to the OECD’s States of Fragility 2025 report, nearly 1.9 billion people live in high or extreme fragility. The LAB underlined how inclusive, local democratic processes can act as both stabilising forces and enablers of civic and political participation—empowering communities to co-create solutions, navigate risks, and sustain peace.
What was discussed
The 90-minute roundtable focused on:
- Identifying five key principles from existing instruments such as the 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance, the ELoGE benchmark, and ALDA’s sub-granting practices;
- Sharing best practices and experiences from the field, including peer-to-peer partnerships in Uganda, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Tanzania;
- Developing five concrete recommendations to guide EU and MS democracy support programming, with a focus on flexibility, coordination, and grassroots empowerment.
Who contributed
Moderated by ALDA, the LAB featured contributions from local practitioners and institutional actors, bringing together a rich exchange of perspectives on how to remain effectively engaged in fragile contexts while reinforcing local ownership and democratic values.
What’s next
A comprehensive outcome document will consolidate the shared practices, guiding principles, and recommendations discussed during the LAB. This will feed into a second Harnessing LAB, aiming to further shape strategic, coordinated action under the Team Europe Democracy initiative.
Local democratic governance is not only a stabilising force, but a driver of resilience. With this LAB, we advanced a shared commitment to keep local voices at the heart of global democratic responses—especially where they are most needed.
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