The project, coordinated by REVES, is about understanding, developing and networking civic spaces for a better protection of rights
B.RIGHT SPACES

The project "B.RIGHT SPACES - Better rights in better civic space. Understanding, developing and networking civic spaces for a better implementation and protection of rights" builds on the assumption that civic spaces can be better promoted and protected by the synergetic action of local public authorities, NGOs, CSOs, citizens, according to the principles and practices of subsidiarity and cooperation. Civic spaces are serving as strongholds for citizens’ activism in Europe, supporting democratic participation, the protection and promotion of civil and political rights, economic and social rights, in a perspective of progressive recognition and expansion.

Call: CERV-2023-CHAR-LITI
Project ID: 101142977

The B.RIGHT SPACES project is based on the belief that civic spaces are strongholds for citizens’ activism in Europe and support democratic participation. It assumes that civic spaces can be better promoted and protected through the synergetic action of multiple stakeholders, specifically local public authorities, civil society organisations (CSOs), Social and solidarity economy entities, and citizens, according to the principles and practices of subsidiarity and cooperation.

The project articulates in the following integrated steps:

> OBSERVE AND ANALYSE: What are the distinctive features of different forms of civic spaces in Europe?
The research pathway is aimed at understanding the characteristics of civic spaces in Europe, through:

    • Field research, to identify and analyse the conditions that influence the success of existing civic spaces
    • Literature review
    • Mapping of current good practices and models of civic spaces
    • Participatory experts’ reviews

> LEARN AND NETWORK: How can good practices be exchanged to encourage the development of civic spaces?

The exchange and mutual learning pathway includes a set of interconnected actions:

    • Transnational missions and study visits in the five project territories (Rome, Torres Vedras, Barcelona, Turin, and Warsaw)
    • The local policy labs as platforms for the participatory validation of the B.RIGHT SPACES concepts and hypotheses on promoting and protecting civic spaces
    • The webinars to further explore the features of civic spaces, existing policy frameworks and stakeholder engagement models

> FOSTER CIVIC SPACES: Who are the key stakeholders in the construction or consolidation of civic spaces?

The B.RIGHT SPACES’s proposal to support & promote civic spaces includes:

    • The international Symposium about the role of institutions in promoting public-community collaboration policies
    • The B.RIGHT SPACES’s Charter for the Defenders of Civic Spaces
    • The setup of the B.RIGHT SPACES platform for Advocacy and Protection of Civic Spaces, hosting the cartography of mapped EU civic spaces
    • The formal engagement of REVES through its original Commission for Civic Spaces 
    • The policy recommendations for local authorities, to advocate for policies that protect and enhance civic spaces, ensuring they remain integral parts of our communities and continue to support democratic engagement and social well-being

The B.RIGHT SPACES project is carried out by a consortium of 10 Partners from Belgium, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain:

The project has officially started on March 1st, 2024. It will last 24 months, until February 28th, 2026.

The B.RIGHT SPACES NEWSLETTERS

Click on the links below for the periodic issues of our newsletter!

The main results of our “OBSERVE AND ANALYSE” phase

Click on the links below for the original research reports!

The main results of our
“LEARN AND NETWORK” phase

Click on the links below for the key materials about the B.RIGHT SPACES missions and webinars

  • The Transnational Missions and Study Visits
  • The Webinars of Spring 2025  (Project Deliverable #3.3) and their revised Programme. The webinars were designed to enrich ongoing policy conversations and participatory initiatives taking place across the five project territories. By complementing the B.RIGHT SPACES local-level focus groups and policy debates, these sessions provided a broader framework for reflection and exchange

The main results of our “FOSTER CIVIC SPACES” phase

Click on the links below for the materials concerning the Barcelona Symposium and the Charter!

  • The Barcelona Symposium (June 11th, 2025)

  • The EU Charter for the Defenders of Civic Spaces (Project Deliverable #3.4). The Charter emphasises that effective civic spaces rely on more than infrastructure or service delivery alone. They inherently depend on trust, the development of social and relational capital, as well as on inclusive shared governance. It is framed as a “living” declaration that invites ongoing dialogue, reflection and refinement based on practical experience and evolving challenges.

Disclaimer

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.