Democracy and Governance Practice Retreat 2021: In Crisis and Beyond

Join the Open Governance Network for Europe for the first annual retreat for European civil servants and society

June 21-25, 2021

Join participants from the European institutions, EU member states governments, and national and European civil society to share, learn, and develop new understandings and skills in democratic participation, transparency, and accountability toward stronger policymaking, public services, and ultimately better democracy, fit for crisis and beyond.

The retreat is led by the Open Governance Network for Europe (an initiative of Democratic Society and OGP), hosted and sponsored by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU, and organised in partnership with the European Commission, European Partnership for Democracy, Hertie School, Netherlands Helsinki Committee, OECD, and the UN Human Rights Office.

This inaugural retreat will be held over one week, with a variety of interactive sessions focusing on the following themes:

• democracy and governance
• civic space
• civic participation
• rule of law, transparency, and accountability
• future of practice for better climate policymaking

The retreat aims to help civil servants and civil society together learn and share new approaches to policymaking and public services that are found to help improve civic trust in governments and strengthen democracies in crisis and beyond. Through workshops, panel discussions, lectures, exercises, and meetings, retreat participants will discover how to build new governance approaches into everyday practice, and gain new knowledge together with peers across the European institutions and member states, as well as with leading thinkers and actors across civil society and international organisations.

Learn more and register here.