Palermo, Italy | 6-10 July 2026
The Voices for Change (VFC) Final Partnership Meeting brought partners together in Palermo from 6 to 10 July, hosted by InformaGiovani, a youth organisation working on human rights, social inclusion and active citizenship in the city.
The meeting gathered partners from 8 countries, including representatives of local communities from Italy, Palestine, South Africa, Ecuador, Kenya, Estonia, India and Turkey.
Reviewing the project, planning the close
Five days were spent evaluating what the project has achieved and mapping out its final phase. Partners reviewed results so far, strengthened the Volunteer Rights Framework, and developed the advocacy and communication resources that will carry the project through to its closing.
Much of the discussion turned on a single question: how do local communities get a voice in the policies that shape climate justice? The contexts around the table were very different and so were the specific demands, but the direction was shared – carry the concerns that emerge on the ground to international decision-makers, and push for answers with clear deadlines, clear responsibility and real accountability mechanisms. Partners also planned the upcoming EmpowerEU Summit, a European seminar that will bring representatives of EU institutions into structured dialogue on climate justice.
Art as a way in
One thing that sets Voices for Change apart is the role art plays in participation. Through a creative process developed inside the communities involved, needs, experiences and proposals are gathered, turned into shared narratives, and carried all the way to the places where decisions are made. The Earth Artivists have been preparing new work for the project’s final stretch — more on that soon. A just transition can only be built by listening to the people who live with the effects of the climate crisis every day.
Reclaimed spaces
The programme also included visits to a youth and community centre and to a confiscated Mafia villa, which will soon become InformaGiovani’s new office and community space. It was a concrete illustration of the project’s own logic: spaces taken back from harm can become places for inclusion and active citizenship. More updates from the project’s final phase are on the way.
Find out more: https://ccivs.org/voices-for-change/
