Boosting trust and engagement of citizens in democratic processes - BRIDGE

Boosting trust and engagement of citizens in democratic processes – BRIDGE

March – October 2025

The BRIDGE consortium aims to strengthen and expand the scope and impact of partnerships between CSOs and the CoE, anchored in the Reykjavik Principles and the ESC as key mechanisms for engagement. The Reykjavik Principles affirm that civil society is not just a prerequisite for democracy but its lifeblood. BRIDGE operationalises these principles by creating a framework where CSOs can utilise and contribute to CoE standards effectively to address the democratic challenges of today. By doing so, it builds a “bridge” between high-level CoE standards and their practical application.

General objective of the project is to enhance the capacity, resilience, and engagement of CSOs across Europe in promoting democratic values and civil participation by increasing their awareness of existing Council of Europe standards and opportunities, fostering deeper cooperation between CSOs and the Council of Europe, and strengthening their capacity.

Specific objectives

To raise awareness among CSOs about existing Council of Europe standards, mechanisms, and opportunities for civil society engagement.
To increase knowledge and capacity within CSOs to effectively utilise CoE mechanisms, such as the Reykjavik Principles, in their advocacy and operations by organising roundtable discussions to identify current challenges and parameters for the Reykjavik Principles, reaching 298 professionals across Europe.
To create a better understanding of how the Council of Europe operates and how CSOs can actively participate in standard-setting, monitoring, and cooperation processes.

Expected Results

338 people directly engaged through roundtable discussions at national and regional levels and at the European summit.
9 national roundtable discussions conducted, each involving 20 participants, and discussion reports in English.
5 regional online discussions will be held, with 20 participants per roundtable, covering all geographical regions of Europe and discussion reports.
1 European Summit in Strasbourg, involving at least 40 participants, and Summit Report published in English and partner languages.
At least 10,000 individuals reached through the online campaign across multiple platforms.
Mapping at least 20 more inputs on the BePart platform from different regions of Europe.
Pre- and post-event surveys completed by all participants to evaluate knowledge increase and the impact.
1 Catalogue of Civil Participation co-created and disseminated as a practical resource for civil society (also in the story map format).
Catalogue showcasing at least 10 best practices from CSOs across Europe, and downloaded at least 100 times on project’s webpage on Volonteurope website.
At least 5 CSOs become a member of the CINGO.
Empowered civil society: CSOs will gain the tools, knowledge, and confidence to engage effectively with the mechanisms and bodies that exist at the Council of Europe.
Strengthened networks: The initiative will establish resilient, collaborative networks across countries and regions, enabling CSOs to share best practices, foster cross-border cooperation, and advocate collectively for CoE principles.
Tangible resources: Catalogue of Civil Participation will document best practices and strategies, while contributions to tools like the Social Rights Tracker will enhance accessibility and enable practical applications of CoE standards.

The Leas applicant is VOLONTEUROPE (Belgium) in partnership with SOCIAL PLATFORM (Belgium), PROACTIVE GROUP GEORGIA (Georgia), WE WORLD-GVC (Italy), LIGUE DE L’ENSEIGNEMENT D’ILLE ET VILLAINE 35 (France), Kimbé Rèd (Switzerland, operational desk in Guadeloupe), VOLUNTEERING MATTERS (UK), EURÓPA HÁZ (Hungary) and IDC (Serbia).

The project is funded by Council of Europe.