What we do
Good governance and civic engagement put into practice to support citizens and strengthen local communities all over the globe
To promote good governance and citizen participation at the local level in the whole Europe and beyond, ALDA leads a wide range of actions supporting local, national and international stakeholders in achieving their goals in the fields of European integration, decentralisation, human rights, social inclusion, sustainable development, civic initiatives and much more.
It works with a multistakeholder approach looking at a broad spectrum of the potential resources in the local communities. ALDA represents a wide network of citizens and local authorities fully committed and engaged to support local democracy and the empowerment of local communities through citizens participation, in Europe and beyond.
Since 2020, ALDA has been bringing its experience in local democracy beyond the European borders and the neighbourhood, reaching out to other regions of the world in need of assistance and support in our field of expertise (ALDA going global)
In 20 years of activities, with its members and partners, supported by European institutions and various other donors, ALDA has had an impact on over 25 million citizens of the Enlarged Europe, and further.

ALDA leads its activities through different forms of actions and channels:
Conducting a myriad of projects in the field of good governance and citizen participation at the local level in Europe and beyond, with its members, its partners and the Local Democracy Agencies
Coordinating and supporting the 15 Local Democracy Agencies and 3 Operational Partners
Managing and supporting its wide network of members, made of over 350 stakeholders including local authorities, associations of local authorities, provinces, counties, civil society organisations, and academic institution
Collaborating with European and worldwide networks on campaigns, statements and joint initiatives to let citizens be heard and contribute to the decision-making process of their communities. It cooperates as official partners of the Council of Europe and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and it is a long-term partner of the programme Europe for Citizens and other key policies and programmes of the European Commission.
Supporting local stakeholders’ initiatives by providing ALDA’s unique expertise gained during its over 20 years of activity in the European Union and its Neighbourhood through the establishment of partnerships and the identification of relevant stakeholders to cooperate with, scouting funding opportunities to implement project ideas, and assuring dissemination and visibility of their initiatives
Leading advocacy and lobbying activities, raising the voice of its members and partners in order to orient local, national and European policies in our field of activities to make a stronger and more cohesive Europe, based on the principle of equality, democracy and human rights.
Regional strategies
During its first 20 years, ALDA has developed and refined specific and targeted strategies to achieve its mission in the different regions of the World.
Indeed, it is fundamental to be aware that each area has its own set of peculiar characteristics, being the result of historical, economic and social processes, thus requiring a certain approach.
Read our regional strategies and find out the main objectives and areas of actions we’ve targeted to support local engagement and participative democracy all over the World!