As part of its ongoing mission to foster participatory democracy and sustainable local development, ALDA is proud to play a key role in the FIC-Fighters project—a Horizon Europe initiative tackling the environmental and social legacy of phosphogypsum (PG) waste stacks across Europe.
On 24 September 2025, ALDA brought together a diverse group of citizens in Veles, North Macedonia, for the project’s first local participatory event. The goal? To engage residents directly affected by the PG site—locally known as “White Hill”—and co-create a vision for its transformation.
ALDA’s Role in FIC-Fighters
Within the FIC-Fighters project, ALDA leads the design and implementation of local participatory processes in all six pilot sites across Europe. These initiatives are not just about gathering feedback—they are about empowering citizens to actively shape the decision-making around environmental justice and just transition.
In Veles, ALDA coordinated the first in a series of deliberative and co-creative workshops that will take place in Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Romania, Croatia, and North Macedonia over the course of the project. The methodology focuses on inclusive, dynamic, and locally adapted formats—ensuring that every voice is heard, from youth to elderly, from farmers to former workers.
Fifteen citizens, aged between 17 and 80, participated in an engaging, hands-on workshop. Through group works and storytelling, they explored the environmental, health, and social challenges associated with the PG stack—and collectively imagined future possibilities for the site.
Key Concerns
Participants identified several pressing issues:
- Pollution of air, water, and soil with invisible but damaging effects
- Health problems such as anemia and respiratory illnesses
- Lack of transparency and citizen involvement in monitoring and decision-making
- Decline in agriculture and increased outmigration from the area
Vulnerable Groups
The discussion also focused on who bears the greatest burden of these impacts:
- Individuals with chronic illnesses;
- Farmers and their families;
- Pregnant women, children, and elderly citizens;
- Former industrial workers exposed to PG over time.
Community Priorities
With ALDA’s facilitation, citizens collaboratively defined a set of local priorities:
- Launching recycling initiatives (voted as the top priority);
- Ensuring transparent environmental monitoring;
- Strengthening citizen consultation in future decisions;
- Transforming the PG site into a green and recreational public space.
Opportunities & Obstacles
The community sees hope in the idea of a green transformation and even in the potential reuse of PG waste for extracting critical raw materials. However, high costs and institutional inertia remain major challenges. Citizens called for stronger youth involvement, cross-sector collaboration, and consistent support from national and European actors.
“We want to be involved—not just informed. The future of White Hill must include us.”
— Local participant, Veles
Building Momentum Across Europe
This event in Veles is just the beginning. In the coming months, ALDA will coordinate similar local workshops across other project sites, always with the goal of empowering citizens and ensuring that regeneration strategies are shaped by those who live closest to the impact.
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