MultiPoD Open Day at the Bridging Borders Festival: Bringing Citizens Closer to Participatory Democracy

On 22–23 January 2026, the MultiPoD project took part in the “Bridging Borders: From the walls of discrimination to the bridges of inclusion” festival in Piraeus through a dedicated Open Day organised by KMOP – Social Action and Innovation Centre. The two-day event attracted around 150 visitors, offering a dynamic space for dialogue, learning and exchange on civic participation and inclusive democratic processes.

MultiPoD was presented through an information stand that invited participants to explore how citizens can actively shape public decision-making. Visitors were introduced to the project’s work on Citizens’ Assemblies, with a particular focus on the recent Citizens’ Assembly on housing. Through accessible discussions, the team connected the Assembly’s outcomes to broader questions around participation, representation and democratic innovation.

A key feature of the Open Day was the opportunity for visitors to view selected moments from the Citizens’ Assembly, helping them better understand how deliberative processes work in practice. These visual snapshots sparked rich conversations around the Assembly’s methodology, the tools already used, and those currently under development within the project.

Participants showed strong interest in the challenges and opportunities of organising Citizens’ Assemblies in multicultural and multilingual contexts. Questions focused on inclusiveness, facilitation methods, trust-building with diverse communities, and ways to ensure that all voices are heard equally. The MultiPoD team also shared insights on how citizens can get involved in future Assemblies, highlighting participation pathways and the importance of long-term civic engagement.

Overall, the MultiPoD Open Day was met with enthusiastic engagement and positive feedback, confirming the strong public interest in participatory democracy and citizen-led policymaking. By bringing complex democratic tools closer to everyday citizens, the Open Day successfully reinforced MultiPoD’s mission to strengthen democratic participation across Europe.