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Kick-off meeting
On December 19th, we officially launched
COTAF – Connected Towns for a Shared Future with an inspiring Kick-Off Meeting that brought together over 160 participants from across Europe - Italy, Spain, Latvia, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
Together with our consortium of partners, we shared the vision, the values, and the roadmap of this EU-funded journey.
Download the programme and the slides:
You can watch the meeting on youtube:
Train the Trainers - Session 1
On February 5th, we started the first of three sessions of COTAF – Train the Trainers, an incredible meeting that brought together over 105 participants from across Europe - Italy, Spain, Latvia, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
Together we are preparing to approach the event of Living Libraries in the right way thanks to the help of professionals.
Download the programme and the slides:
You can watch the meeting on youtube:
Train the Trainers - Session 2
On February 16th, we attended the second session of COTAF – Train the Trainers, an incredible meeting that brought together over 130 participants from across Europe - Italy, Spain, Latvia, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
Together we focused on inclusive facilitation, intercultural dialogue, and ethical methodologies for organizing Living Library events with migrants and refugees. Special attention is given to trauma-informed approaches, ethical data collection, and participatory tools.
Download the programme and the slides:
You can watch the meeting on youtube:
Train the Trainers - Session 3
On March 18th, we attended the third session of COTAF – Train the Trainers, an incredible meeting that brought together over 130 participants from across Europe - Italy, Spain, Latvia, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
The session aimed to strengthen the analytical and strategic competences of partner organisations responsible for implementing Human Library events across the project’s transnational network of towns. This module specifically addressed the measurement of social impact and the translation of citizen-generated insights into policy-relevant knowledge, reinforcing the project’s Theory of Change linking dialogue processes to inclusive civic participation and policy influence.
Download the programme and the slides:
COTAF Living Library Toolkit
This comprehensive toolkit provides a step-by-step framework for designing and scaling Living Library events within the COTAF project. It bridges community dialogue with policy-making, transforming personal storytelling into actionable civic insights for participatory democracy across Europe.
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Gender Equality Living Library in Bologna
The first LL was organized by Fondazione Yunus Italia ETS and took place on April 17th in Bologna, Italy. Originally conceived to address economic violence, the initiative was redesigned into a broader Living Library event to tackle gender equality through an intersectional lens.
The discussion sessions centered around six "Living Books" who shared seven personal stories. These narratives explored complex and sensitive themes, including trans identity and self-determination, workplace harassment, structural vulnerability, consent, migration, and the path to overcoming physical, psychological, and economic abuse.
Download the report:
Gender Equality Living Library in Liepāja
The second LL hosted by Impact Hub Liepāja, was held on April 24th in Liepāja, Latvia.
This session utilized a visual "Life Timeline" methodology, where storytellers mapped out their life achievements and challenges to guide their interactions with readers.
The event focused on building empathy and community cohesion by discussing themes of personal resilience, social integration, migration, and overcoming adversity. Key stories included the integration experience of a Vietnamese immigrant and the career success of a former orphanage resident.
Download the report:
Gender Equality Living Library in Lesvos
The third LL was organized by Movement on the Ground (MOTG) and took place on May 15th on the island of Lesvos, Greece.
The event centered around 9 refugee and migrant women acting as "Living Books." Prior to the event, each presenter collaborated with MOTG staff to create a hand-drawn "Life Map" of their journey. These maps served as visual anchors to help bypass language barriers during small-group discussions.
The topics explored were highly diverse and touched upon post-displacement gender roles, acculturation, access to education and qualifications recognition, risks of economic exploitation, gender-based violence, motherhood, and the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals within the asylum system.
Download the report: