From 6 to 8 August 2024, partners and participants of the EU for Global project met for the kick-off event in Brussels, Germany. Around 30 people participated in several workshops and activities, and together, co-designed the blueprints of the project.

Workshops, undertaken by several experts from European civil society organisations and institutions:

1. Workshop 1: Direct Democracy - What instruments of participation exists and what are the successful examples of their use globally?
2. Workshop 2: The European Citizens Initiatives: what exactly is this unique EU instrument of direct democracy, what has led to success stories and what is still there to be improved?
3. Workshop 3: The Conference on the Future of Europe, Citizens’ Panels, and Have Your Say Platform – discussing both promising and flawed characteristics of these processes at the EU level with a representative of the Citizens' Dialogues Unit of the European Commission.
4. Workshop 4: Democratising Global Governance – discussing the gap between the rich set of participatory tools at the EU level and the lack of powerful direct democracy mechanisms at the international level.

Outcomes of the event thanks to discussion of participants and partners:

• Toolkit on the Citizens’ Panels: guidelines on their organisation and structure
• A communication strategy – internal to the Consortium and external for the public
• Documentation of creative strategies to reach target audience and underrepresented groups with a focus on local needs and specific application to local contexts

• Recruitment strategy for speakers and experts to invite to the self-organised Citizens’ Panels
• Collection strategy for citizens’ recommendations from local and transnational panels, ranging from digital and paper-based options, as well as traditional text-based methodologies but also artistic ones with the objective of being inclusive of all participants’ needs.
• Defined timeline of Citizens’ Panels
• Defined strategy for the Online Consultation