Citizen Initiatives Research Articles

Energy Transition in Northern Netherlands: seeking a balance between top-down and bottom-up initiatives

This brief report focuses on top-down and bottom-up processes within the field of energy transition. It aims at gaining a better understanding of the needs of the local energy initiatives. On this basis, policy recommendations are formulated to help the municipality of Groningen to facilitate local energy initiatives, ultimately leading to a more balanced approach of the local energy transition. Thus, this study explored the (mutual) interests, barriers and expectations of the municipality and local citizen initiatives. The theoretical framework is the implementation analysis framework, distinguishing top-down and bottom-up approaches. Specifically, this qualitative (thematic analysis) research study investigates the mismatch in expectations between a number of local energy initiatives and the municipality of Groningen regarding their roles within the local energy transition context. To this end, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with members of the municipality of Groningen, Grunneger Power (a local energy intermediary), and four local energy initiatives. Need and expectation gaps have been identified and potential solutions have been explored. The main findings of the study illustrate the need of professional support for citizen initiatives, at both technical and organizational level, especially in the first phases of their development. Additionally, clear mutual communication on short and long-term planning and ambitions of the involved parties is of key importance for the alignment of the interests and the course of actions. Consequently, a clear context is needed, within which an exchange of feedback on the envisioned strategies, and the subsequent energy saving or generation interventions, can take place in an efficient and effective way. Additionally, such a context increases confidence and provides a clear understanding to the citizen initiatives regarding their role and the level and nature of support they can expect in their intended projects and activities. Based on these findings, policy implications have been drawn.

Editorial: Citizen Initiatives for Global Solidarity (CIGS) in disaster and humanitarian response

Editorial: Citizen Initiatives for Global Solidarity (CIGS) in disaster and humanitarian response

Participation of Energy Communities in Electricity Markets and Ancillary Services: An Overview of Successful Strategies

Energy communities are a transformative force in the electricity markets and ancillary services, reshaping the energy landscape through collective action. This paper explores the successful strategies adopted by these communities, highlighting real-world cases where they have participated directly in the market, or through aggregators, or sold their energy to retailers, which is of paramount importance because it serves as a foundation for those countries that wish to implement these entities as part of their decarbonization plan. It also serves as a model for the development of future citizen initiatives that aim to turn citizens into active users of the electricity system. The paper examines collaborative dynamics within the energy sector, highlighting how these communities optimize resource sharing and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable energy system. The study emphasizes the potential of energy communities in driving innovation and fostering a participatory approach to energy management. The results show that some pilot projects are being developed and several electricity cooperatives, one of the most common forms of energy communities, are participating in energy trading with their members and other entities. More efforts are also needed for energy communities to participate more directly in the market and/or through aggregators.

Socio-spatial dynamics of E-participation: A case study of the Mudamos app in João Pessoa (2017–2020)

Emerging civic technologies can support civil society and the state toward participatory democracy. They offer citizens alternative tools for online participation or e-participation. In this study, we explore the socio-spatial dynamics of an e-participation activity in a city's policy-making process through the artifice of the network analyses. We build upon the idea of a network conceived as an object of human action, considering its social, technical, and spatial elements. We propose a conceptual framework to translate the geographic network of an e-participation activity in the city's policy-making process constituted by six dimensions: vocation, technology, institutional design, spatiality, participation, and the deliberative system. The case study applies the framework to the Mudamos application in the city of João Pessoa, in the State of Paraíba, Brazil. This e-participation tool facilitates digital signatures for Citizen Initiative Draft Bills (CIDB). Despite initial technical, institutional, and financial support, the app did not deliver its potential value. The reasons for low adoption are the lack of economic resources, low levels of civic skills, discontinuation of citizen recruitment, and discontinuation of the partnership between the control agents. Furthermore, socio-spatial inequality was critical in users' access and participation. Our findings suggest that the development of state capacities and participatory literacy are crucial to the success of e-participation initiatives. Consequently, the proposed framework and its application serve as a valuable starting point for researchers and policymakers seeking to understand the socio-spatial relationships involved in this process, offering knowledge to address digital inequalities and increase the effectiveness of e-participation initiatives.

Geosocial networking for active citizen initiatives from a relational approach: A comparative case study in the Malaga region

Geosocial networking for active citizen initiatives from a relational approach: A comparative case study in the Malaga region

Exploring residents’ perspectives on local energy transition in Northern Netherlands

ABSTRACT Given the urgency of global energy transition, small- and medium-sized cities often undergo rapid changes. What is often missing, however, is a better understanding of how residents of those places perceive, and relate to the various aspects of local energy transition process and spatial outcomes. This study focuses on the Hoogkerk district of Groningen in the Northern Netherlands, where we used Q-Methodology to identify shared viewpoints. Our findings reveal three main viewpoints: a) the importance of protecting local spatial and environmental values, b) prioritising energy-saving approaches notably for the vulnerable segments of the society, and finally c) the need for comprehensive district-level planning led by the municipality. These findings underscore the importance of integrated approaches that address both spatial and process aspects of local energy transition. We argue that these insights can support policymakers and the local citizen initiative towards the development of an integrated local energy vision.

Energy Transition in Northern Netherlands: seeking a balance between top-down and bottom-up initiatives

This study focuses on top-down and bottom-up processes within the field of energy transition. It aims at gaining insights into the ways that a more balanced approach can be achieved, by taking into consideration the (mutual) interests, barriers and expectations of the municipality and local citizen initiatives. The theoretical framework of the study is the implementation analysis framework, distinguishing top-down and bottom-up approaches. Specifically, this qualitative (thematic analysis) research study investigates the mismatch in expectations between a number of local energy initiatives and the municipality of Groningen regarding their roles within the local energy transition context. To this end, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with members of the municipality of Groningen, Grunneger Power (a local energy intermediary), and four local energy initiatives. Need and expectation gaps have been identified and potential solutions have been explored. The main findings of the study illustrate the need of professional support for citizen initiatives, at both technical and organizational level, especially in the first phases of their development. Additionally, clear mutual communication on short and long-term planning and ambitions of the involved parties is of key importance for the alignment of the interests and the course of actions. Consequently, a clear context is needed, within which an exchange of feedback on the envisioned strategies, and the subsequent energy saving or generation interventions, can take place in an efficient and effective way. Additionally, such a context increases confidence and provides a clear understanding to the citizen initiatives regarding their role and the level and nature of support they can expect in their intended projects and activities. Based on these findings, policy implications have been drawn.

Top-down and bottom-up initiatives for the Walloon landscapes and their inhabitants

Landscape protection implies selecting values for preservation and legitimising specific interests while potentially excluding others. Literature on landscape protection recognises the need to move beyond the expert-dominated conservationist paradigm. Based on an analysis of laws, decrees, charters, web documents and semi-structured interviews, this research examines the processes and results of public involvement in landscape protection in Wallonia. While ‘democratisation’ of the landscape gains ground in institutional protection tools, citizen initiatives are mostly carried by only a few inhabitants or isolated groups and wield limited influence in the decision making process. Nonetheless, citizens’ groups increasingly invoke landscape interest in local initiatives, expressing a desire to share their values and develop local projects. This observation underlines a gap in participation processes. Rights and responsibilities of the population depend not only on their place in the decision-making process but also on their interests and attitudes towards their landscapes.

Archaeology and the public perception of a Soviet prisoner of war cemetery

Between July 2021 and November 2022, the federal archaeological office of Bremen (Landesarchäologie) excavated the site of a former cemetery for Soviet Prisoners of War and forced labourers. The remains had officially been reinterred at an honorary cemetery in Bremen in 1948. Only a small part of this article is about what the excavation revealed and rather its purpose is to reflect on the situation that has arisen between the federal archaeological office, the politics of Bremen versus two citizen's initiatives at the time of the official closure of the excavation. We set out how local conflicts can emerge from such a highly political topic in an archaeological excavation. We also explore how to manage the public interest while, at the same time, attempting to protect the personal dignity of the buried individuals. We engaged with the historical responsibility the city takes for its industrial sites and its past of profiting from forced labour and with the (often unfamiliar) societal function of the work of archaeologists. The research project aims to identify the people buried and to find out about the status of health provision, food supply and overall daily living in the Soviet POW-camps in Bremen by linking the results of archaeology, bioanthropology and historical sources in a database.

Мужская гимназия имени императора Александра III в системе училищ Бакинской губернии

After the annexation of the Azerbaijani lands to the Russian Empire, the Russian-speaking population gradually began to move to these territories of Transcaucasia, as a result of which there was a need to create educational institutions for immigrants. There was no state-owned men's gymnasium in Baku, but a private gymnasium was opened, established on the initiative of citizens. Subsequently, its status was upgraded to a classical men's gymnasium, the history of which is devoted to this work. The article for the first time examines the ethnic, class, confessional composition, and academic performance of students. The list of subjects taught the financial condition of the educational institution and the costs of maintaining the teaching staff and conducting classes were also in the field of view. Additionally, the impact of the revolutionary events of 1905 on the organization of the educational activities of the men's gymnasium in the Baku province was assessed.

Stopping the Virus; Study on Participatory Journalism and Digital Humanitarian during a Non-Natural Disaster in Indonesia

Philanthropic initiatives during disaster events have become embedded in Indonesian society. It also manifests in a digital humanitarian practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, categorized by the government as a non-natural disaster from 2020 to 2023. The spreading of misinformation and inaccurate data on cases of COVID-19 patients, have become an obstacle in the early stages of efforts to stop fatalities. As the government imposes lockdown and restrictions access to information, the news media as one of the key sources of information is under attack. Thus, citizen initiatives in stopping the pandemic are worth documented as a lesson learned when managing disasters in the future. By conducting qualitative method, this research describes the implementation of participatory journalism in practice related to the data gathering and reporting on COVID-19 cases in Indonesia by "LaporCovid-19" and "KawalCOVID19". This research finds both platforms carry out digital humanitarian practices while organizing citizens and producing, curating, and disseminating information. As the government imposes lockdown and restricted access toward media and journalists, the digital humanitarian practice involves citizens through decentralization, self-organization, volunteerism, and the optimization of digital platforms. The collaboration is a multidisciplinary subject that combines crises management, communications, network collaborative organizational structures, social computing and technology. In conclusion, their efforts offer a model to develop citizen participation in the non-natural disaster using digital apps and citizen resources. The model intertwines participatory journalism and digital humanitarian practices that engage citizens during the pandemic on both digital platforms contribute to other citizens' efforts to prevent and overcome health crises.

Renegotiating Citizen Participation in Local Governance in Africa. The Case of Cameroon

In most African countries, political liberation was supported by spontaneous people’s movements and various constellations of civil society. The post-independent era witnessed the introduction of a one-party system, which fundamentally curtailed these freedoms which were at the centre of the decolonial debate in Africa. The liberal market ideology that pervaded economic and political spaces after 1990 heralded alternatives for civil society to self-organize for political change in the continent. In the Economic Commission for Central African States (ECCAS), the legislative framework for citizen participation in local governance processes and structures encountered steep resistance from political elites. However, exogenous factors, together with home-grown citizen initiatives to advance the well-being of the people, emerged. In post-independent Cameroon, citizen participation in local governance processes was shaped by the rigid political and, subsequently, economic systems that the country experienced. With the demise of the bipolar World, people fashioned different places of engagement through civil society spaces where expectations and conceptions of civic involvement were developed and articulated. This policy paper analyses the regulatory framework for civil society participation in local governance in the ECCAS sub-region. It also examines citizen participation in local governance processes and structures in Cameroon. The paper identifies key challenges inhibiting citizens from freely engaging in civic activities in the country and presents some policy directions ECCAS and the state of Cameroon need to take to facilitate the effective involvement of citizens in the associational life of the sub-region and of Cameroon.

제도분석틀을 활용한 협력적 거버넌스에 관한 연구

Governance has been highlighted as an alternative mechanism to the traditional hierarchical solution method to solve problems in modern society. It has been attracting attention in various fields, by adding a descriptive word “collaborative,” despite the fact that “collaboration” is a key element in the meaning of governance. This raises the need for governance that complements the limitations of the “collaborative governance” led by the administrative authorities. In this study, we aimed to explore the necessity and possibility of “citizen-led collaborative governance” centered on citizen initiative to replace the administration-led collaborative governance. As an example of citizen-driven collaborative governance, we utilized Ostrom's Institutional Analysis and Development Framework to identify factors of citizen initiative in the creation of the Banghakcheon Culture and Arts Street in Dobong-gu, Seoul. This is a case where collaborative governance was established and operational because there was a clear common purpose to solve the inconvenience of the residents due to the existence of the densely concentrated harmful businesses for decades and the position of the city government, which was promoting a regional development strategy centered around culture. Through collaborative governance, all 31 harmful businesses were voluntarily closed, 17 of the vacant spaces were transformed into workshops and public spaces, and the surrounding streets were successfully regenerated with cafes and bookstores. As a result of the analysis through the institutional analysis framework, we concluded that the factors that enabled the citizen-led operation were the capacity of civil society accumulated over the years, the consensus of public-private partnership spread through participatory projects such as village communities in the administration, and the institutional devices and promotion systems such as ordinances that embodied citizen initiative.

Tanks on Monuments, Monument Tanks

The purpose of this outline was to introduce the topic of using armored weapons elements in the erection of monuments. The text discusses the issue of “monuments of gratitude” to the Red Army, which often drew on the motif of the tank monument, using a tank of the liberator of a particular locality. Monuments to the brotherhood of arms between the Red Army and the People’s Polish Army are also discussed. Two unique works that were not created by state order and were not propaganda manifestations are discussed next: the monument in Kasina Wielka and the now demolished one in Zyndranowa. In Kasina Wielka, a local artist designed a monument commemorating Polish soldiers who fell in September 1939. The work uses the turret of a Vickers tank, a real rarity since not a single Vickers tank taking part in the operations of the 1939 campaign has survived to this day. Moreover, it shows the grassroots initiative of citizens who wanted to commemorate the clashes in Kasina Wielka. The second monument was erected in Zyndranowa to commemorate the casualties of the 1944 Dukla operation. Importantly, it was again a grassroots initiative. The text discusses the stages of its creation, along with the actions taken by the authorities to dismantle it. The article is supplemented by a table listing “monuments of gratitude” that used elements of World War II military equipment.

Building bridges between organisations and the local community

Introduction: People long for connection. Yet, our society is increasingly diverse and people can be vulnerable in a number of ways (poverty/(mental) illness/language barriers/...). There is an ever growing need for inclusion, for openness.
 Objectives and methods: Since 2016, I seeked to improve my wellbeing - even to recover - by participating in activities outside of the mental health sector. A chance meeting led to a volunteering opportunity for opgewekTienen vzw, a citizen's initiative in my home town. This led to a string of other opportunities, both for myself and others. I helped members of the community - vulnerable or otherwise - to become participants or to enter this vast network of volunteers and witnessed others do the same. Partnerships were forged between the community, the city and a number of social organisations, between the informal and the formal sector, to increase inclusion, both among volunteers as well as participants.
 Key findings: People can experience (social) recovery, an increased sense of purpose and belonging, as well as significant personal growth through volunteering.There is a degree of chance in entering the volunteer network. Bridges (bridge figures/partnerships) are helpful and often even instrumental in the participation of vulnerable groups, either as volunteers or participants. Bridges can be built starting from either side (citizens/professionals). However, more often than not it is the community that takes the lead. Employees can be volunteers after work without either the employee or the employer taking advantage of this existing link. Some of the strongest leaders in the volunteering community are employed in the social/mental health sector. Inclusion is not always easy for the network of volunteers. Support is welcome, but can be lacking.
 Conclusions: Bridges foster inclusion. 
 Implications: Be open as an organisation and look actively around for citizen's and community initiatives in your area. Even the smallest of informal initiatives can offer opportunities for inclusion.
 Identify, reach out and connect with bridge figures and social entrepreneurs. Explore existing links: volunteers in your own workforce. Stimulate employees and clients to volunteer or participate. Foster interconnection.
 Turn these links into a win-win situation and provide support, not by 'taking over' but by being present.

How caring communities become part of the health system of the future in the Netherlands. Developments, bottlenecks, and impact.

In the past decade the Netherlands has seen major reforms in health- and social care. These reforms accomplished a shift from a social democratic welfare state to a ‘participation society’; people with care and support need to live at home longer and have to rely on their informal network for support. In order to provide an answer to the retreat of state organized support we see an increase of citizens initiatives for care, wellbeing and support in The Netherlands.
 The growing movement of citizens initiatives, or ‘caring communities, is diffuse. ‘They vary in target groups, activities, organisation and goals. However, they have in common that they are filling the gap care and support provisions that the government has left behind. In order to get a better image of this movement, their impact and the challenges they face in collaborating with the Dutch care system, Vilans and the Dutch umbrella organization of citizens initiatives (NLZVE) bundled their forces in a variety of research projects.
 This collaboration started in 2020 with the ‘Monitor on the Movement of Caring Communities’. In co-creation with key figures from the movement of caring communities we developed a survey. The results of this survey (n=346) gave us insight in the activities, goals, partners and bottlenecks of these initiatives and initiated new participatory action research projects. These focused on reliable and sustainable financing for citizen initiatives, how initiatives measure their impact and how caring communities and ‘system parties’ work together.
 Together with different initiatives we explored different financing models and their pros and cons. The lack of sustainable financing options for citizen initiatives is a bottleneck for the development of these initiatives and for durable collaboration with the system parties. Simultaneously we found that many initiatives struggle to show their impact. This impact is often implied (i.e. less loneliness or a healthier population) but hardly mapped. We found that the lack of a clear message about the impact of an initiative hinders a durable financial model. Municipalities and other financiers need to know what the effect of their investment is. To help the movement of caring communities better map their impact and organize sustainable financing we developed, through co-design, two different tools.
 Another bottleneck for caring communities is the collaboration between these communities and the ‘system’. Caring communities often exist because of discontent with and/or inaccessibility of care and wellbeing services. However, we see that when initiatives want to expand their services (i.e. in the field of home- or social care) they have to collaborate, or in some cases even become part of, the care system. Our project focused on how these worlds come together without both of them losing their strengths and identity. The lessons learned will, together with the survey outcome and both tools, presented during the oral presentation. Additionally we will present our next steps, which include a qualitative and participatory research project on the impact of citizens initiatives and a data driven approach to identify the complete movement of caring communities in The Netherlands.

Cross-domain collaboration. Lessons learned from three different communities in the Netherlands

Introduction: Primary care in the Netherlands faces major challenges. Health problems are becoming more complex and care is preferably provided in one's own environment. Application of the concept of Positive Health reveals that non-medical care is sometimes the better option. The aim is for people to be self-reliant, if required in collaboration with informal caregivers or applicable citizen initiatives. We call it collaborative self-reliance. These challenges require reorganization towards a health care system in which citizens, health- and welfare professionals and policy makers collaborate. However, the development of such collaboration is context specific and challenging.
 Aim and Methods: We applied participative action research to identify success factors and barriers to develop cross-domain collaborations in care and support networks, including healthcare and welfare professionals and citizens. Three different communities in the south-east part of the Netherlands were included, a small rural village, a medium sized village and a multicultural city district. Researchers joined the three communities to closely follow the developments and provide support from September 2021 to November 2022. Data were collected through document analysis, observation and interviews. Our approach was informed by community development theory. Interviews were thematically analysed using the qualitative analysis software Atlas.ti.
 Results: Preliminary results revealed several important points of attention. As regards their collaboration, networks should formulate an ambition but also concrete objectives. Because the energy is in the action, the group must prevent it from becoming a discussion group only without taking concrete action to achieve its objectives. Nevertheless, regular meetings are necessary for continuation towards the objectives of the network. For the change process, next to a driving force, a liaison is important to facilitate cross domain collaboration. Knowledge and skills in change management improves the efficiency of the process. Furthermore, it is important to consider the ecological level that the network intends or needs to influence to reach your goal. To involve citizens, a sense of community is a prerequisite. In general, successful networks are not discouraged by not achieving a goal, they reflect and persevere. Final results will be presented during the conference.
 Conclusion: The development of care- and support-networks is a complex and lengthy process in which various barriers need to be overcome. Consequently, it requires commitment and perseverance of all participants. A driving force and liaison are important to keep the process going. Making sound collaboration agreements is valuable for sustainable collaboration.
 Implications: It is recommended to be aware of the socio-ecological level on which the network operates. Networks need to identify concrete objectives and invest in commitment of stakeholders to facilitate sustainable collaboration. It is relevant to identify quick wins at the start in order to conserve the energy and commitment of the group.

Food Solidarity Battles: The Case of Poland After the Russian Aggression on Ukraine

The unprovoked Russian invasion on Ukraine on 24th February 2022 awakened in Poland a tremendous amount of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, including that of food solidarity. Food aid organised by the Polish government was preceded by initiatives of private citizens and NGOs to supply Ukrainian refugees – those gathered at the border and entering Poland – with ready-to-eat food, with more spontaneous food aid continuing after they arrived. It was only somewhat later that these grassroots efforts became coordinated by local governments and state bodies. Direct help was accompanied by two other, bottom-up initiatives, the first of which being attempts to boycott Russian food products, as well as companies and retail chains which continued doing business in Russia post-invasion, and the second being a symbolic renaming of some food products and dishes that indicated Russian origins or influences. This work aims to analyse food aid organised for Ukrainian refugees and people remaining in Ukraine as conducted by various entities in Poland. It stresses the significance of the activism of private citizens and small groups while also presenting the social and cultural implications of the symbolic de-russification of popular foods and dishes in Poland. While discussing Polish food solidarity with Ukrainians, it is important to consider that, one year after Putin’s invasion, about 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees (of which over 87% are women and children) might be staying in Poland long-term (Sieradzka, 2023; Zharova, 2023). The initial impetus for solidarity is, however, wearing off; the new context also includes so-called “solidarity lanes” established by the European Union to transit agricultural products, which have unintentionally put Polish farmers in a difficult position. As food solidarity with Ukraine might be subsiding in Poland, its popularity throughout most of 2022 contributed to a better understanding of relief work in the work zones and augmented the integration of Ukrainian refugees within Polish society.

Emergent volunteerism in missing person cases — A Dutch case study

In missing person cases, police often face spontaneous searches by citizens. This study examined the involvement of police and citizens in a well-known Dutch case. It shows that the relationship between police and volunteers is not static, but changes over time. Initially, citizens are more quickly organized and take charge. As the investigation progresses, different types of volunteers are incorporated into the police structure. Citizens pose dilemmas regarding direction and information sharing, but provide valuable search capacity and expertise. The results show the importance of not opposing citizen initiatives, but rather making contact, establishing structure and coordinating efforts early on.

Participation of public organizations and people of the Middle Volga region in the charity movement during the period of the Russo-Turkish war of 1877–1878

The article is devoted to the history of private charity in the Middle Volga region during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. It analyzes various aspects of the charitable and volunteer movement organized by the population of the provinces of the Middle Volga region. The article shows the role and degree of participation of the population in charitable activities and support for state policy during the war. Special attention is paid to the initiative of ordinary citizens, public organizations and private companies in the formation of the necessary material and technical base, military medical care and gathering donations to the Army.