Citizens In Action in Iceland

In this bilateral initiative two members of Citizens in Action visited the Icelandic NGO SEEDS, with the objective of networking, sharing and transferring knowledge, experience and best practices, aiming to strengthen the co-operation of the two organizations. The visit took place in Reykjavik, Iceland, from the 22nd to the 29th of December 2019. In this meeting, the two organizations presented their way of work and operation, common difficulties on issues related to their common field of work (volunteering, citizenship, cooperation with local actors, communication policies, etc.). There were visits to local actors and stakeholders working with SEEDS. Youth and active citizenship policies were discussed. The local organizations, initiatives of solidarity and the actions that have taken place in the city in recent years, especially after the onset of the economic crisis in Iceland, were presented and discussed, as well as possibilities and plans of cooperation between the two organizations in both joint actions and financial proposals related to the EEA Grants (Increased citizen participation in civic activities). The choice of this partner stems from the common field of activity, which is co-operation with local bodies for the creation of non-profit-making charitable projects and their support by volunteers, both locals and coming from other countries. The partner SEEDS organized the logistics of the visit and the relevant meetings that were held. In the months following the visit Citizens in Action created a documentation video, printed project/program promotional flyers and organized an online presentation meeting with the participation of relevant local actors, bodies, organizations and volunteers.