We are delighted that our Izmir Citizens’ Assembly for Climate project, implemented by YUVA, has been awarded the 2026 Grundtvig Award by the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA).
This year’s award, given under the theme of “Resilience and Community Building in Adult Education,” highlights initiatives that strengthen social participation, solidarity, and the capacity for collaborative problem-solving through adult education.
The Izmir Citizens’ Assembly for Climate, Turkey’s first citizens’ assembly, brought together randomly selected citizens for learning, deliberation, and collaborative decision-making processes on the climate crisis. The policy recommendations developed within the project aimed to contribute to climate governance at the local level.
The international recognition of this approach, which combines adult education with participatory democracy, once again demonstrates the crucial role that informed and empowered citizens can play in combating the climate crisis.
This award is the second international award our project has received. Last month, YUVA received the ‘Impact Award’ from the Nets4Dem Democratic Innovation Awards. (Details here)
We would like to thank all our project partners, facilitators, experts, and supporters, especially the citizens who contributed throughout the process.
We will continue to work towards a more democratic, inclusive, and climate-resilient future.
