Local GCE policy and actions: rebuilding trust in democracy globally.

This webinar, co-developed with PLATFORMA, will explore how local policies and community-based Global Citizenship Education strengthen civic engagement, counter disinformation, and connect local realities to global challenges. By showcasing inspiring local practices from Europe, we will highlight how local and regional governments, together with local stakeholders, can lay the foundations for democratic resilience by fostering solidarity, intercultural dialogue, and inclusive participation.

It will be hosted on Zoom on June 17, at 13:00 (UK). 

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This event is the second event in the new ANGEL Research to Policy Webinar Series, which focuses on key issues identified by policymakers through GENE’s policy learning processes — offering insights, evidence, and dialogue grounded in real policy needs.
 

Concept

Trust in democracy is in decline across the globe. Rising inequalities, disinformation, polarisation, democratic backsliding, and unresolved historical injustices are eroding citizens’ confidence in democratic institutions. Yet, this crisis is not abstract; it is experienced most directly at the local level, in communities where people live, learn, and engage with governance.

This webinar will examine the role of local Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in addressing these challenges and restoring trust in democracy. Local GCE empowers people to become active co-creators of democratic life, building inclusive spaces for dialogue, critical thinking, and collective action. By connecting local experiences with global realities (from climate change to migration, from colonial legacies to digital disinformation) GCE nurtures solidarity and a sense of shared responsibility while countering polarisation, disinformation and hate discourses.

The discussion will showcase inspiring practices from European local and regional governments. Participants will gain insights into how local and regional governments, together with educators, civil society organisations and other local stakeholders, can mobilise GCE to promote inclusive participation, empower marginalised voices, enhance intercultural dialogue, and strengthen the bonds between citizens and democratic institutions.

• This event will be accessible in both English and Spanish via simultaneous translation.

PLATFORMA is the pan-European coalition of towns and regions – and their national, EU and global associations – active in city-to-city and region-to-region development cooperation. They act as a hub of expertise on European local and regional governments’ international action, and aim at boosting European local and regional governments’ contribution to EU development cooperation policies and international frameworks. Visit their website.

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Speakers

• Moderator: Rocío Ballesta Orta is Officer on Global Citizenship Education at PLATFORMA, the pan-European coalition of local and regional governments, led by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR). In this role, she leads the policy work on Development Education and Awareness Raising, engaging with EU institutions and stakeholders to strengthen the role of local and regional governments. She also coordinates key initiatives such as the European Days of Local Solidarity (EDLS) and the PLATFORMAwards. With a background in gender equality advocacy, including previous roles at CONCORD Europe and the European Commission, she brings strong expertise at the intersection of development, gender, and civic engagement.
• Paolo Beltraminelli is a Swiss engineer and politician from the Canton of Ticino. A graduate of ETH Zurich, he served as a member of the Ticino Grand Council (1991–2011), Municipal Executive of Lugano (2004–2011), and Minister for Health and Social Affairs in the Government of Ticino (2011–2019). Since 2022, he has represented Switzerland in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and currently serves as Third Vice-Chair of its Governance Committee.
• Mónica Fernández Vidal. Cooperation Technician at eLankidetza - Basque Agency for Cooperation and Solidarity. She has been linked to the world of cooperation and solidarity for over 20 years. She began her professional career in the NGO sector focusing on education, and since 2014, she has served as a Cooperation Technician at eLankidetza—Basque Agency for Cooperation and Solidarity. In recent years, her work at eLankidetza has focused on overseeing projects related to Education for Social Transformation, as well as leading and promoting the monitoring commission for (H)abian 2030, the Basque Strategy for Education for Social Transformation. She advocates for a transformative education that commits to global justice, celebrates diversity, and promotes the sustainability of life, equity, and solidarity.
• Josu Millas is social intervention technician at BLB/ACPP Euskadi since 2019. He is one of the coordinators of the project "Strengthening capacities and building alliances against hate speech from an intersectional feminist perspective," supported by eLankidetza. Assembly for Cooperation for Peace (BLB/ACPP Euskadi) is a non-profit, secular, and independent NGO that defends democratic values through a commitment to social and economic justice. We act both locally and globally with the aim of transforming the structures that perpetuate inequality and injustice. ACPP works to change the "rules of the game" through daily action—taking a clear stand—and focusing on achieving an equitable society where everyone has the opportunity to live with dignity. Our work spans from international cooperation to local community intervention and public awareness.
• Laia Fursa Fargas. Head of the Global Citizenship Education and Outreach Unit within the International Relations Department of the Barcelona Provincial Council. Over 15 years of experience working with human rights and international development cooperation organizations in Latin America and Spain. In 2021, she began her career as a specialist in Catalan public administration, first at the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation, and in 2022 she joined the Global Citizenship Education team at the Barcelona Provincial Council.
• Yassin El Attar is Policy Advisor for Diversity and Antiracism in the Belgian City of Leuven. He holds a master’s in political science. He is mainly responsible for Leuven’s accession to the European Coalition of Cities Against Racism and the implementation of its membership through the programme ”Leuven Without Racism”. Further, he is responsible for the execution of the broad diversity policy for the City of Leuven. That consists of community-building, an inclusive society and integration.
   

ANGEL Research to Policy Webinar Series

This annual series, hosted by ANGEL but created in partnership with Global Education Network Europe (GENE), is designed with policymakers in mind, creating a shared space to bridge silos, connect researchers with policymakers, and support better, research-informed policymaking in global education.

• Read about the Series in full, and see the other dates

The ANGEL Network

This event is hosted by the Academic Network for Global Education & Learning, the international forum examining the research on, and practice of Global Education & Learning.