About the European Civic Academy
The European Civic Academy was launched by the European Civic Forum in 2016 to connect and build bridges between civil society and academic agendas, to provide space for civil society actors to discuss with academics and identify priorities and possibilities for collaborations related to the role of CSOs in enhancing civic and democratic spaces in Europe. The objectives of the European Civic Academy are threefold: (1) mapping civil society needs in terms of research priorities; (2) enable civic actors to gain knowledge about existing research, methodology and approaches to inspire a strengthening and a renewal action framework; (3) increase awareness among academic researchers about civil society needs and priorities and identify collaborative opportunities for future research. Six editions have been organised so far: in 2016 in La Rochelle (France); in 2017 in Brussels; in 2019 in Slubice (Poland); in 2021, online; in 2022 in Florence (Italy); and most recently in Brussels in 2023.
ECA 2023: What future for Europe? Building collective empowerment towards just and inclusive societies
On 19-20 September, 100 activists, civic actors and academics gathered at the University of Kent’s Brussels School of International Studies for the sixth edition of the European Civic Academy. This year, the discussions focused on the theme “Building collective empowerment towards just and inclusive societies”.