09:00

Welcome Desk and Morning Coffee

10:00

Opening Ceremony - Plenary Room
The official opening and speeches by Conference’s Patrons and Partners.

• Stanisław Kracik (Mayor of City of Kraków)
• Carola Gunnarsson (Vice-President of UCLG, Councillor of City of Sala)
• Pedro Aguilera (Secretary General of OIDP, Commissioner of Citizen Participation Barcelona)
• Jarosław Górniak (Vice-Rector for International Relations of the Jagiellonian University)
• Bogumiła Kaniewska (Rector of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Chair of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Academic Schools)
• Adela Gąsiorowska (Deputy Director of the National Freedom Institute – Centre for Civil Society Development)
• Wojciech Firek (Secretary of the Scientific Committee of the OIDP Conference Kraków 2026)

11:00

Opening Discussion - Plenary Room

Democratic Resilience and Renewal: Reimagining Participation from Local Communities to Global Governance

• Diana Dajer (OIDP Advisory Committee)
• Miquel Vidal Bover (OECD)
• Jan Jakub Wygnański (Shipyard Foundation)
• Oleksandra Keudel (Kyiv School of Economics)

moderated by Paulina Pospieszna (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań)

12:30

Conference Photo and Lunch Break – Foyer and Red-Carpet Hall

13:30

Panel 1
Plenary Room

Turning Rights into Action: Local Pathways to Democratic Renewal

• Shams Asadi (City of Vienna)
• Monika Chabior (City of Gdańsk)
• Adam Pustelnik (City of Łódź)
• Tessza Udvarhelyi (City of Budapest, 8th District Józsefváros)
• Fouad Jamil (Kota Kita)

moderated by Adrià Duarte (OIDP, UCLG)

Panel 2
Room 4.A

From Participation to Influence: Community Empowerment, Democratic Innovation, and Resilient Governance

• Annick Batimba (Westminster City Council)
• Reşat Yücel (Baglar Municipality)
• Sergejus Muravjovas (Transparency International Lithuania)
• Grigore Rinja (National Youth Council of Moldova)
• Ani Nikabadze (University of Milan)
• Vadim Georgienko (CTS Partnership Network)

moderated by Monika Florczak-Wątor (Jagiellonian University)

Panel 3
Room 4.B

Participatory Budgeting in Practice: Achievements, Challenges, and Innovations

• Kayla Knight (Participatory Budgeting Project) and Thurgood Brooks (City of Rock Island - Martin Luther King center)
• Rodrigo Sartori Bogo (Federal University of Santa Catarina)
• Gülbahar Kaya (Varto Municipality)
• Łukasz Zakrzewski (University of Wrocław)
• Fidel Gonzalez Perez (Barcelona City Council) and Alicia Mullor Sanjuan (Barcelona City Council)

moderated by Maria Marczewska-Rytko (Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin)

Project Showcase 1 (online)
Room 4.C

A Little Deliberative Hope in Governance

• Sanja Mancheva (Council of Europe)

14:00

Technical break: 5 min

Workshop 1
Room 4.C

Roots of Renewal. Democratic Fabrics as Everyday Infrastructures for Systemic Transitions

• Jonathan Reyes (Democratic Society)
• Anthony Zacharzewski (Democratic Society)

15:00

Coffee Break – Foyer

15:30

Panel 4
Plenary Room

Democratic Innovation and Civic Participation in Contexts of Crisis, Conflict, and Historical Exclusion

• Tessza Udvarhelyi (City of Budapest, 8th District Józsefváros)
• Mauricio Mejia (Mexico City, Práctica Laboratorio para la Democracia, Futuros Comunes)
• Ilyas Adam Hasan (Coalition of Somali HRDs CSHRD)
• Konrad Szpak (The Institute for Public Policy Foundation, Warsaw School of Economics)

moderated by Diana Dajer (OIDP Advisory Committee)

Panel 5
Room 4.A

Are deliberative tools still really innovations in democracy? A reflection on the trajectories of democratic mechanisms

• Ewa Stokłuska (Shipyard Foundation)
• Jan Jakub Wygnański (Shipyard Foundation)
• Joanna Podgórska-Rykała (University of the National Education Commission in Krakow)
• Borys Martela (Jagiellonian University)
• Cezary Trutkowski (Jerzy Regulski Foundation in Support of Local Democracy)
• Eva Mackevica (Field of Dialogue Foundation)

moderated by Ewa Stokłuska (Shipyard Foundation)

Panel 6
Room 4.B

From Constitutional Promises to Democratic Practice

• Bartosz Wilk (University of Warsaw, Sejm of the Republic of Poland) and Karol Chrząstowski (Sejm of the Republic of Poland)
• Johnny Stormonth-Darling (Iswe Foundation)
• John Mubangizi (University of the Free State)
• Rajesh Ranjan (SOAS University of London)

moderated by Anna Rytel-Warzocha (University of Gdańsk)

Project Showcase 2
Room 4.C

Civic Management in Barcelona: Public-Community Collaboration to Strengthen Local Citizen Participation

• Alicia Mullor Sanjuan (Barcelona City Council)
• Fidel Gonzalez Perez (Barcelona City Council)

16:00

Technical break: 5 min

Workshop 2
Room 4.C

Inclusive by Design: Addressing Unmet Needs and Unheard Emotions in Participatory Democracy

• Katy Rubin (The People Act: Legislative Theatre)

17:00

“Dialogue in a Frame” Student Photography Contest Gala – Plenary Room

17:15

Social event – networking – Foyer and Red-Carpet Hall

09:00

Morning Refreshment Coffee

09:30

Plenary Discussion - Plenary Room

Local Governments in The Spotlight of Citizen Participation

• Marcin Bazylak (Mayor of Dąbrowa Górnicza)
• Paulo Esteves Ferreira (Mayor of Valongo)
• Magueye Boye (Mayor of Khombole)
• Marcin Gołaszewski (European Local Democracy Action, Łódź City Council Member)
• Tadeusz Truskolaski (Mayor of Białystok)
• Mateusz Płoskonka (City of Kraków)
• Pedro Aguilera (Commissioner Citizen Participation Barcelona)
• Kaltoum Gachi (Deputy mayor of Rouen)
• Carola Gunnarsson (Councilor of Sala)
• Gertrude Dossa (Deputy mayor of Porto Novo)

moderated by Jordi Pascual (Assistant Secretary General of UCLG)

11:00

Coffee Break – Foyer

11:30

Panel 7
Plenary Room

Investing Heavily in New Generations and their Civism. A Mapping Exercise of Courageous Experiences Worldwide

• Hasanatun Nisa Thamrin (Kota Kita Foundation)
• Sandy Clubb (Future Generations Commissioner for Wales)
• Hilal Gedik (Ankara Metropolitan Municipality) & Ege Dinç (Hacettepe University) & Sevgi Nur Gökten (Hacı Bayram Veli University)
• Fradina Makena (Sauti Yetu Afrika)
• Paulo Esteves Ferreira (Municipality of Valongo)
• Antonello Scialdone (INAPP)

moderated by Giovanni Allegretti (CES University of Coimbra, OIDP)

Panel 8
Room 4.A

What can the world learn from Polish cities? Participatory budgeting - 15 years of experience in engaging residents.

• Mateusz Płoskonka (City of Kraków)
• Mateusz Wojcieszak (Field of Dialogue Foundation)
• Piotr Choroś (City of Lublin)
• Piotr Drygała (City of Dąbrowa Górnicza)
• Wojciech Firek (Jagiellonian University)

moderated by Mateusz Wojcieszak (Field of Dialogue Foundation)

Panel 9
Room 4.B

Transforming Civic Engagement: Tailoring Digital Tools for Diverse Contexts

• Razali Samsudin (Tech for Palestine, Amnesty International)
• Maria Marczewska-Rytko (Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin)
• Dmitriy Sokol (Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica)
• Arnaud Lesur (Consul Democracy Foundation)

moderated by Anna Przybylska (University of Warsaw)

Project Showcase 3
Room 4.C

Strengthening Local Democracy: The European Capital of Democracy and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

• Helfried Carl (European Capital of Democracy)
• Marcin Gołaszewski (European Local Democracy Action)

12:00

Technical break: 5 min

Workshop 3
Room 4.C

Co-creating Youth-Inclusive and Gender-Equal Participation in Local Democracy

• Gertrude Dossa (Porto Novo)
• Jakub Jaworski (Kraków Youth Council)
• Maurine Kouba (City of Ramallah)
• Justyna Ożóg (City of Kraków)
• Diana Ramirez (NextGenC)
• Cécile Roth (UCLG)

13:00

Lunch Break – Foyer and Red-Carpet Hall

14:00

Panel 10
Plenary Room

Making Democracy Irresistible: Creative Approaches to Combating Democratic Backsliding

• Bartłomiej Bodziński-Guzik (Legislative Theatre Centre of Poland)
• Olivier Schulbaum (Platoniq)
• Andrés Falck (CoGlobal)
• Tabz O'Brien (Greater Manchester Combined Authority)

moderated by Katy Rubin (The People Act: Legislative Theatre)

Panel 11
Room 4.A

Public Participation in the Digital Age: From Enabler to Intruder?

• Maciej Nowicki (Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights)
• Dominika Bychawska-Siniarska (University of Gdańsk)
• Marcin Rojszczak (University of Gdańsk)
• Małgorzata Kozak (Polish Academy of Sciences)
• Jakub Fortuna (University of Warsaw)
• Kacper Dudzic (Adam Mickiewicz University)

moderated by Maciej Nowicki (Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights)

Panel 12
Room 4.B

Local Participatory Democracy Under Occupation, Exile, and Shrinking Civic Space in the Eastern Neighbourhood

• Adrien Licha (ALDA)
• Viorica Tudos (ALDA Moldova)
• Liudmyla Yatsiv (ALDA Ukraine)
• Palina Brodik (Free Belarus Centre)

moderated by Adrien Licha (ALDA)

Project Showcase 4
Room 4.C

Co-designing Westminster’s Community Hubs: Deepening Democracy through Inclusive Local Governance

• Annick Batimba (Westminster City Council)

14:30

Technical break: 5 min

Workshop 4
Room 4.C

Defining a Well-Informed and Effective Participation Agenda

• Pablo Garcia Arcos (Gobierno de Cataluña)
• Candela Blanco Martínez (Gobierno de Cataluña)

15:30

Foyer – Coffee break

16:00

Panel 13
Plenary Room

Participation in emergency preparedness and management – the perspective of civil society organizations?

• Monika Miłowska (To Proste Foundation, Mapuj Pomoc Initiative)
• Katarzyna Czetowicz („Aktywne kobiety z Letnicy” Association)
• Filip Pazderski (Stefan Batory Foundation)
• Maria Belina Brzozowska (Shipyard Foundation)

moderated by Adela Gąsiorowska (National Freedom Institute – Centre for Civil Society Development)

Panel 14
Room 4.A

Local AI for Local Authorities

• Giovanni Allegretti (CES University of Coimbra, OIDP)
• Michelangelo Secchi (EUDEMA)
• Nils Munthe, Carola Gunnarsson (Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions)
• Francesca De Chiara (National Research Centre, Italy)
• Ines del Rosario Reineck (Red Innovacion Local)
• Bru Aguiló (Diputació Barcelona)

moderated by Giovanni Allegretti (CES University of Coimbra, OIDP)

Panel 15
Room 4.B

Monitoring Rights, Building Trust: Co-Creating a Standardised Human Rights Monitoring System with EU Cities

• Mateusz Płoskonka (City of Kraków)
• Eric Corijn (Global Parliament of Mayors, Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
• Marshall Wanimo (DeCiDE, Human Rights Cities Network)
• Federica Faraoni (COSEP Social Cooperative)
• Adrià Duarte (OIDP, UCLG)

moderated by Tamara Kamińska (Global Parliament of Mayors)

Project Showcase 5
Room 4.C

Reversing The Gaze on Scaling Democratic Innovations: What Can We Learn from Beyond Europe?

• Léo Police (Missions Publiques)
• Vladislava Gubalova (GLOBSEC)

16:30

Technical break: 5 min

Workshop 5
Room 4.C

From Protest to Participation: Simulating Citizen-Based Monitoring for Democratic Accountability

• Concelia Choma (South African Local Government Association)
• Winnie Manganye (South African Local Government Association)
• Pauline Matsaung (South African Local Government Association)

17:30

Ceremony of OIDP “Best Practice in Citizen Participation” Award

09:00

Morning Refreshment Coffee

09:30

Panel 16
Plenary Room

Schools for Democracy: Participatory Democracy and Civic Education in School Settings

• Ana Luisa de Moraes Azenha (Portulans Institute)
• Sergejus Muravjovas (Transparency International Lithuania)
• Mauricio Mejia (Práctica Laboratorio para la Democracia / Futuros Comunes)
• Eva Mackevica (Fundacja Pole Dialogu)

moderated by Andrés Falck (Coglobal)

Panel 17
Room 4.A

Civil Dialogue Observatory as a laboratory of participatory democracy in Krakow - a decade of research and implementation.

• Agnieszka Hess (Jagiellonian University)
• Michał Bukowski (Jagiellonian University)
• Patrycja Hewelt (Jagiellonian University)
• Anna Kulma (Jagiellonian University)
• Mateusz Płoskonka (City of Kraków)

moderated by Agnieszka Hess (Jagiellonian University)

Project Showcase 6
Room 4.B

Co-designing a Digital Platform for Youth Inclusive Urban Governance in Indonesia and Lebanon

• Hasanatun Nisa Thamrin (Kota Kita Foundation)
• Andrea Rigon (University College London)

Project Showcase 7
Room 4.C

Participatory Democracy in Cities: Inclusion, Engagement, and Trust on both sides of the Atlantic

• Kinga Wojtas (Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw)
• Sam Halvorsen (Queen Mary University of London)

10:00

Technical break: 5 min

Technical break: 5 min

Workshop 6
Room 4.B

Press Play on Participation: Scaling People-Powered Change Across Greater Manchester

• Tabz O'Brien (Greater Manchester Combined Authority)
• Kyra Rowe (Greater Manchester Combined Authority)
• Annette Cloherty (Greater Manchester Combined Authority)

Workshop 7
Room 4.C

Legislative Theatre Workshop

• Bartłomiej Bodziński-Guzik (Legislative Theatre Center, Jagiellonian University)
• Katy Rubin (The People Act: Legislative Theatre)

11:00

Coffee Break – Foyer

11:30

Panel 18
Plenary Room

City of relations: common spaces as a way to include unengaged residents.

• Alicja Zaczek-Żmijewska (Fundacja im. Stefana Batorego)
• Bohdan Skrzypczak (Uniwersytet Warszawski, Stowarzyszenie Centrum Wspierania Aktywności Lokalnej CAL)
• Maria Zięba (Fundacja Ładne Historie)
• Artur Buszek (Miasto Kraków)

moderated by Alicja Zaczek-Żmijewska (Fundacja im. Stefana Batorego)

Panel 19
Room 4.A

OIDP Best Practice in Citizen Participation Award Winners' Session

The panellists will be announced during the OIDP “Best Practice in Citizen Participation” Award Ceremony

Panel 20
Room 4.B

From Test and Innovation to Long Term Work with Inclusion

• Nils Munthe (Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions)
• Ulrika Stöök (Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions)
• Camilla Larsson (Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions)
• Carola Gunnarsson (UCLG)

moderated by Nils Munthe (Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions)

Project Showcase 8
Room 4.C

Building Inclusive Participation Through Democratic Capabilities

Lessons from Horizon Europe Projects INSPIRE and PHOENIX

• Olivier Schulbaum (Platoniq)
• Giovanni Allegretti (CES University of Coimbra, OIDP)
• Katy Rubin (The People Act: Legislative Theatre)

12:00

Technical break: 5 min

Workshop 8
Room 4.C

Democratic design in practice - youth work and selected projects of Europe4Youth Association

• Barbara Moś (Europe4Youth)

From idea to action - young people as agents of social change

• Roman Arabskyi (Rotaract Kraków - Bridge of Unity)

13:00

Lunch Break – Foyer and Red-Carpet Hall

14:00

OIDP General Assembly - Plenary Room

Workshop 9
Room 4.C

Who do we sort for the citizens' panel? Designing selection criteria for participants in deliberative processes.

• Joanna Podgórska-Rykała (University of the National Education Commission in Krakow)
• Sabina Kozłowska (University of the National Education Commission in Krakow)
• Bartłomiej Fitowicz (University of the National Education Commission in Krakow)

15:00

Technical break: 5 min

Workshop 10
Room 4.C

Fostering Skills in Democratic Deliberation Through Live-Action Role-Playing Games (LARP)

• Marcin Słowikowski (Europe4Youth)

16:00

Coffee Break – Foyer

16:30

Closing Ceremony - Plenary Room