{"id":34984,"date":"2025-06-30T16:37:30","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T14:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eufortrisomy21.eu\/?p=34984"},"modified":"2026-02-10T16:55:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T15:55:48","slug":"together-for-inclusion-first-transnational-meeting-in-brussels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eufortrisomy21.eu\/pt\/together-for-inclusion-first-transnational-meeting-in-brussels\/","title":{"rendered":"Together for Inclusion: First Transnational Meeting in Brussels"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brussels, June 2025 – Partners of the Together for Inclusion: Fostering Self-Advocacy Across Europe<\/em> project met in person for the first time<\/strong> in Brussels for the project\u2019s first transnational meeting.<\/p>\n

Following the online project kick-off in March, this in-person gathering marked a decisive step forward. Over several days, partners worked intensively together to reflect on past experiences, strengthen cooperation, and collectively shape the next phase of self-advocacy work within the project.<\/p>\n

\n

Turning Experience into Action<\/h3>\n

The Brussels meeting focused on a shared question: how can we transform years of practical experience in self-advocacy into a training approach that brings self-advocates closer to real impact\u2014especially at policy level?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Building on insights and lessons learned from previous European self-advocacy initiatives, including the European Self-Advocacy Project, partners reflected on how existing approaches could be further strengthened, refined, and scaled through transnational cooperation.<\/p>\n

While the European Self-Advocacy Project laid an essential foundation for peer-led self-advocacy training, the discussions in Brussels focused on how this new phase of work can go further<\/strong>\u2014deepening knowledge, broadening perspectives, and bringing self-advocates closer to understanding European institutions and policies. This progression was seen as key to supporting self-advocates not only in speaking up, but in actively engaging with the policy processes that shape their rights and opportunities.<\/p>\n

Partners exchanged experiences from national and European contexts, identifying both strengths and gaps in current self-advocacy practices. Discussions explored how trainings can better support self-advocates in expressing their views, understanding decision-making processes, engaging with institutions, and influencing policies that affect their everyday lives\u2014while also preparing them to connect with one another through the emerging European Self-Advocacy Network<\/span><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A key outcome of the meeting was a shared commitment to move beyond isolated activities and toward a more structured, peer-led, and European approach to self-advocacy.<\/p>\n

\n

Human Dignity at the Centre<\/h3>\n

Throughout the meeting, discussions were grounded in a common understanding: we all have human dignity, no one can take it away, and it is the origin of our human rights<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This principle guided reflections on training design, accessibility, and participation. Partners emphasized the importance of ensuring that self-advocates are not passive recipients of support, but active contributors, co-creators, and leaders within the project.<\/p>\n

\n

Strengthening European Cooperation<\/h3>\n

The Brussels meeting also played a crucial role in strengthening collaboration among partners, aligning expectations, and clarifying roles for the months ahead.<\/p>\n

The project is coordinated by EU para Trissomia 21<\/span><\/span><\/strong> (Belgium) and brings together partner organizations from across Europe:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    Bundesverband Down-Syndrom e.V.<\/span><\/span><\/strong> (Germany)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Rejtett Kincsek Down Egyes\u00fclet<\/span><\/span><\/strong> (Hungary)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Team Down<\/span><\/span><\/strong> (Italy)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Associa\u00e7\u00e3o de S\u00edndrome de Down Malta<\/span><\/span><\/strong> (Malta)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    T\u2019Cap 21<\/span><\/span><\/strong> (France)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Fundacja L\u2019Arche<\/span><\/span><\/strong> (Poland)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Asociatia Fantasticii Down Galati<\/span><\/span><\/strong> (Romania)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Universidad Rey Juan Carlos<\/span><\/span><\/strong> (Spain)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Rytmus \u2013 od klienta k ob\u010danovi, o.p.s.<\/span><\/span><\/strong> (Czech Republic)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Inclution gUG (haftungsbeschr\u00e4nkt)<\/span><\/span><\/strong> (Germany)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Together, these organizations contribute complementary expertise in self-advocacy training, education, research, community engagement, and policy work.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Looking Ahead<\/h3>\n

    The first transnational meeting in Brussels laid the foundations for the development of the project\u2019s self-advocacy trainings, the strengthening of European cooperation, and future exchanges with decision-makers at European level.<\/p>\n

    Most importantly, it reaffirmed a shared ambition: to support self-advocates in taking meaningful steps toward shaping policies, influencing public debate, and making inclusion a lived reality across Europe.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Brussels, June 2025 – Partners of the Together for Inclusion: Fostering Self-Advocacy Across Europe project met in person for the…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[105],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-together-for-inclusion"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eufortrisomy21.eu\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34984"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eufortrisomy21.eu\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eufortrisomy21.eu\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eufortrisomy21.eu\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eufortrisomy21.eu\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34984"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/eufortrisomy21.eu\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34990,"href":"https:\/\/eufortrisomy21.eu\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34984\/revisions\/34990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eufortrisomy21.eu\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eufortrisomy21.eu\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eufortrisomy21.eu\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}