As part of the Horizon Europe project ScaleDem, and its Translation Hub, we are inviting practitioners, researchers and others engaged in democratic innovation to join us for a one-and-a-half-day participatory reflection workshop at the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in Potsdam, Germany, on 2–3 November 2026.
Somewhere in between
Not every experience in democratic innovation is a success story, or a failure. More often, the reality is somewhere in between.
Promising approaches encounter unexpected resistance. Participation creates new possibilities, and new tensions. Initiatives achieve important things while falling short of other aspirations. And sometimes an apparent setback teaches us something that a success story never could.
These are the experiences we want to explore in Bittersweet Lessons.
Bittersweet Lessons is neither a best-practice workshop nor a failure session. It is a space to step out of the daily flow of projects and reflect with peers on the encouraging, difficult and unexpected dimensions of our work, and on what we can learn from them.
Together, we will exchange experiences, explore recurring tensions and challenges through structured peer reflection, and identify insights that can inform our future work.
You do not need a polished success story or a spectacular failure. Bring your experience, your questions and your curiosity.
Practical information
Date: 2–3 November 2026
Venue: Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS), Potsdam, Germany
Registration: Find out more and register your interest
Places are limited and participation will be confirmed after registration. Limited support for travel and accommodation is available for participants who require it, subject to available funds.
Bittersweet Lessons follows the Chatham House Rule: insights from the discussion may be shared, but comments should not be attributed to individual participants or their organisations.
Cover image by Jakub Zerdzicki on Pexels