Our Vision for the Future of Democracy

We believe that community movements have the potential to pave the way towards environmental, social, and cultural innovation from local to global scales, influencing decisions that protect these causes and safeguard the collective's well-being.

Commonground Initiatives was born from a desire to work towards a world where community leadership is at the forefront of local development and is a key enabler for shaping sustainable, inclusive, and democratic futures for all and at a larger, global scale.

Our vision is to see diverse community representatives recognised and actively embedded in local to global decision-making mechanisms, positively influencing governance model, and leading the way to policies that reflect collective interests. 

Our organisation was born from the desire to work towards this vision and do it alongside the same people we know hold the power to make it happen: communities on the ground.

We commit to turning this vision into a tangible reality by enabling, connecting, and co-creating with local groups and organisations to revitalise long-term and sustainable community engagement, participation, and influence. 

Instead of top-down approaches, we want to support locally led, adaptation-based strategies that empower underserved and peripheral communities to take the lead in shaping democracy on their own terms. By strengthening local movements and leadership, we help build civic agency, ensure that community voices are heard, and actively shape decision-making processes.

Our Focus is on the Mediterranean Region

Threats to democracy, pluralism, and collective well-being are becoming increasingly pressing in many places. While we acknowledge this problem affects many regions and communities around the world, it takes a unique shape in the Mediterranean and Southern Europe.

In this region, communities often face the compounded effects of democratic backsliding, social and economic disparities often brought by historical hierarchies between North-South Europe or Global North-South, and environmental threats such as desertification, rising sea levels and extreme heat. 

This region, rich in history and cultural diversity, also holds immense potential for grassroots community leadership and locally driven solutions. 

By working alongside communities in these territories, we seek to support inclusive governance models that respond to present challenges and foster long-term resilience, ensuring that those most affected by these transformations have the chance to actively shape their own futures through solutions that work for them.