Citizen Participation University: Building Power through Organizing
The Citizen Participation University is an international convening of organizers, activists, movement leaders, community development workers, adult educators from different countries across Europe and beyond. It will create a generative space to connect and think critically about our practices in relation to the current context and crises, learn from each other’s struggles and experience, and to develop our collective capacity to organize and build power to win systemic change.
The CPU is an open-air, bottom-up learning and teaching space. It has a proven track record of forging common strategies and deep collaborations that fuel our work in the months and years ahead. It is a space to build bonds of solidarity with those building power from within different communities across Europe. It is a place where we connect the dots between the local fights and the big picture.
This residential training will focus on transformative ways of working across communities, organizations, localities and countries and develop skills for translocal and transnational organizing. The key themes will include transversal, transnational and trans local organizing; organizing in times of crisis, citizen participation, and coalition building.
The learning methodologies will be inspired by “critical pedagogy” and participants learn from each other through dialogue, peer-to-peer learning, learning-by-doing and creative methods.
Who can participate?
Organizers, activists, movement leaders, community development workers, adult educators from different countries in Europe and beyond.
Objectives
-
Share experiences and practices on organizing for systemic justice
-
Analyze the intersections between systemic injustice
-
Develop strategies for organizing in times of crisis for justice
-
Network, build solidarity and alliances among movements in Europe
Programme
The program begins Wed 5th July afternoon and it ends Monday 9th July evening. Travel days are 5th July and 10th July. More information about the programme will be shared in the coming weeks.
Team
The Citizen Participation University will be led by the European Community Organizing Network team and hosted by the Civil College Foundation, with contributions from invited collaborators. Participants who would like to share their experiences or host a session, are invited to contact the organisers.
Application
To participate, please complete the application form at this link until April 30th.
Finance
Participation fee is: €450. We will ask participants or their sending organisations to cover travel costs and make a financial contribution towards the running costs of the event. Should participants not be able to cover the costs, kindly let us know at organize.europe@gmail.com and we will assess the possibility of offering partial scholarships.
Logistics
LOCATION: Civil Kollégium Alapítvány(CKA), 6090 Kunszentmiklós, Kunbábony tanya, Hungary. About 70 km south of Budapest (+36-1-788-3632, E-mail: info@cka.hu)
TRAVELING TO CPU
If you have never been to the CPU, please note it takes about 2-3 hours with local transport from Budapest to Kunszentmiklós. We will arrange a pick up from Kunszentmiklós train station. Here’s how to plan your local transport from Budapest to Kunszentmiklós:
-
By Car: Use this address for your GPS: Civil Kollégium Alapítvány (CKA), 6090 Kunszentmiklós, Kunbábony tanya, Hungary.
-
From the Budapest airport: After arriving at the airport, look for the bus stop outside. Choose bus 100E. Look for a ticket machine for a bus ticket (900 HUF) or buy one from the driver (same). Travel on the bus until the Astoria stop, then change for the red line metro (number 2) in the direction to Örs vezér tere, buy one more ticket at the machine (350 HUF) and then ride 3 stops, and take off at Keleti pályaudvar (Keleti railway station). At the railway station, look for Kunszentmiklós-Tass at the departure board. There is a regular train every half hour/hour. At the railway station you have to buy a ticket (approx. 4 EUR). The train to Kunszentmiklós lasts about 1h 20 minutes. We’ll wait for you in Kunszentmiklós.
-
From Budapest train station: If you arrive at the Budapest train station you may arrive at one of these 3 stations, Keleti, Nyugati, or Déli. From each of these stations you will need to take the Metro to Keleti Station. There look at the departure board for the train heading to Kunszentmiklós-Tass. The train runs every hour at 20 minutes past the hour and the trip lasts 1 hour and 20 minutes (e.g. Departure 8:20- Arrival 9:40) Here are the directions from each of the train stations to Keleti station. (here are links to the Metro Website and Railway website):
-
From Nyugati pályaudvar (Western Railway Station): Go outside and take Metro No3. (M3) in the direction of ‘Kőbánya-Kispest’. Change at Deák Ferenc tér, to Metro M2 to direction ‘Örs Vezér tér’ and get off at Keleti Station.
-
From Déli pályaudvar (Southern Railway Station): Go downstairs and take Metro No2. (M2) in the direction of ‘Örs vezér tér’. Get off at Keleti Station.
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD
You accommodated will be booked from July 5th to July 9th either on-site in tents /shared rooms or off-site in shared rooms. If you choose to stay in a tent, and you have one and can bring it, please do so! If you do not have a tent and have informed us beforehand, we will provide it. If you stay in a room, we will make sure there is bed linen and a towel. It is modest accommodation with limited privacy, but in beautiful surroundings. If you are arriving earlier or leaving later than the planned dates, please communicate it to us.
Meals at CPU will be primarily vegetarian, but non-vegetarian food will also be available. Please inform us if: you have any special needs for food. There is an on-site cafeteria which has a few food items that you could buy at your expense with cash or credit card at a friendly price (e.g. espresso coffee, some soft drinks, beer, snacks and sweets).
INTERNET
The venue has wireless internet-access although it may not always be stable. You may need to purchase your phone data if you will need a stable internet connection in those days. We have some connecting cables, but if you have your own connecting cables it is always a good idea to bring them.
