European Alternatives

European Alternatives is a transnational civil society organisation working to promote democracy, equality and cultural exchange across Europe and beyond. Founded in 2007, the organisation develops projects aimed at strengthening citizen participation, social justice and cross-border solidarity through cultural initiatives, research, advocacy and participatory democratic practices. European Alternatives works with a wide network of partners, artists, activists, researchers and local communities to create spaces for dialogue and collective action. Its activities include organising international festivals, citizens’ assemblies, research programmes and training initiatives on themes such as democratic innovation, migration, digital rights, climate justice and social inclusion. Mission
European Alternatives works to promote democracy, equality and culture beyond the nation-state, in order to imagine, advocate for and implement alternatives for a sustainable future.

We pursue this objective by:
• Articulating a radical, long-term vision of democratic, just and culturally inclusive politics, society and culture that extends beyond the nation-state, for Europe and for the world.
• Experimenting with forms of action that contribute to profound transformations of political institutions, society, the economy and the collective imagination.
• Strengthening capacities, mutual understanding and links between members, activists and organisations that share our values.
• Promoting and defending human, fundamental, civic, democratic and social rights across borders.
Our values
Our values guide the way we work to pursue our mission:
Transnational and local
We believe that local and regional initiatives benefit from a perspective that transcends national borders and interests.
Transdisciplinary
We believe that alternatives emerge at the intersection of disciplines and are enriched by the diversity of expertise and perspectives.
Creative and experimental
We believe in the power of art and culture to open up new imaginaries and in the need to act and learn through experimentation.

Open, inclusive and feminist
We believe in a culturally open society and in diversity as an essential condition for the emergence of sustainable alternatives.
Empowering and participatory
We create spaces where citizens can come together and ensure that our activities and events encourage co-creation and participation.
Anti-Eurocentric
We believe that involving other regions of the world in our thinking and activities is necessary to bring about new alternatives.
Our vision
European Alternatives acts on the conviction that a transnational renewal of our political imagination, our institutions and our practices is necessary to understand and address the challenges facing Europe.
Moving beyond the nation-state is a prerequisite for promoting a more democratic, more egalitarian and culturally open society. Europe, as an idea and a political space, offers the possibility of bringing about this transformation. This is the vision championed by European Alternatives.

An alternative Europe would emerge, in particular, through:
• Supporting and promoting an imaginative and outward-looking policy by giving space to the many existing alternative voices.
• Disseminating new knowledge and narratives, and encouraging critical discourse through accessible tools and spaces.
• Embodying a political European citizenship based on respect for human rights, fundamental rights and civic space, as well as on free movement and critical reflection on legal norms.
• Making the European level more accessible and strengthening its perception as a relevant scale for analysis and action.
• Promote socio-economic empowerment and the inclusion of communities in order to combat precariousness and reduce barriers to participation.
• Create and support transnational organisations and networks.
• Strengthen the capacities of civil society organisations by encouraging collaborative action within their ecosystems rather than isolated action.

Desired social impact
Our aim is to:
Create a dynamic transnational space:
• Bring together and sustain a vibrant ecosystem of transnational activists
• Strengthen democratic practices
• Promote alternatives to far-right ideas and actors
• Increase the democratic capital of the European Union
Reimagine this space:
• Envision alternative futures and champion transformative values (decolonialism, intersectionality, ecofeminism)
• Resist the influence of far-right ideas and discourse
Make this space open to all:
• Demonstrate the relevance of the transnational scale in the struggle for social justice
• Promoting translocal strategies
• Moving beyond nationalist frameworks by countering the exclusionary effects of borders.
Our areas of focus
To implement this vision, our work programme is organised around five key areas:
Imagine
Experimenting with forms of expression and artistic innovation to create new narratives, imaginaries and representations.
Train
Build participants’ capacities in areas related to opening up civic and political space at the European level and promoting new narratives about Europe.

Assemble
Create spaces for deliberation, collective decision-making and direct experience of democracy at community level.
Act
Advocate on behalf of activists and social movements to influence decision-makers at local, national and European levels.
Learn
Develop research-based learning on transnational dynamics, trends, needs, risks and opportunities.