• Organised by EU CAP Network
  • CEST
  • English
  • Radisson Hotel Kaunas - Kaunas, Lithuania
  • In-person

The EU CAP Network is organising a ‘Workshop on LEADER and Social Resilience’ on 16-17 June 2026 in Kaunas, Lithuania. The workshop took place over one and a half days and will include field visits to Local Action Groups (LAGs) and relevant projects.

The workshop on LEADER and Social Resilience brought together LEADER stakeholders, including LAGs, Managing Authorities, National Networks and project holders. It focused on the role of LAGs in strengthening social resilience in rural communities in the context of ‘triple challenges’ (ecological, economic, social) facing Europe’s rural communities. Discussions covered both long-term crisis preparedness and the capacity to respond to short-term crises. The workshop also presented experiences on how LAGs can effectively and efficiently use both internal and external resources to improve social resilience, crisis preparedness and crisis responses in rural communities.

The objectives of the workshop were to:

  • Deepen LEADER stakeholders’ understanding of the concept and importance of social resilience in local rural communities and the factors contributing to it, particularly its role in anticipating, withstanding, and recovering from crises related to security, civil defence, climate change, disinformation or migration;
  • Explore how LAGs in the EU (including in the Eastern Border Regions) can improve social resilience in the long-term, including local governance, community engagement, capacity-building, and cross-sector cooperation in crisis contexts;
  • Explore methods by which LEADER and LAGs can strengthen / improve social resilience in rural areas in practice, especially in addressing climate risks, migration pressures, defence and information-related threats; and
  • Showcase examples of various challenges and LAG / community responses to these in different Member States, including addressing challenges related to climate change, security and civil defence, migration, as well as disinformation and media literacy.

Please find more related work in the links below:

 If you have any questions, please contact us at: implementation@eucapnetwork.eu.

Programme

English language

Final Agenda - Workshop on LEADER and Social Resilience

(PDF – 296.61 KB)

Additional info

Venue

Radisson Hotel Kaunas

K. Donelaičio 27 Kaunas 44240 Lithuania Lithuania

Organiser
EU CAP Network

EU CAP Network

EU CAP Network

Support
EU CAP Network

CAP Implementation Contact Point

EU CAP Network

Resources

Documents

English language

Useful Background Literature on Social Resilience Selected by Prof Elena Pisani

(PDF – 328.28 KB)

English language

Building a Scientific Narrative Towards a More Resilient EU Society

(PDF – 1.37 MB)

English language

Centre for Social Inclusion, Rehabilitation and Community Integration, Bulgaria

(PDF – 833.21 KB)

English language

Rural youth supporting climate resilience, Portugal

(PDF – 5.9 MB)

English language

Community support to Ukrainian refugees, Czechia

(PDF – 2.66 MB)

English language

Citizen Crisis Resilience Network, Poland

(PDF – 1.21 MB)

English language

Swedish Sea Rescue Society, Sweden

(PDF – 3.58 MB)

English language

Civil emergency capacity building, Sweden

(PDF – 1.19 MB)

English language

Local support network in action – solidarity, cooperation and quick action, Poland

(PDF – 6.34 MB)

English language

Community Connection project, Ireland

(PDF – 5.77 MB)

English language

Preparing citizens for the defense, Czechia

(PDF – 4.72 MB)

English language

Climate adaptation pilot project in Daia, Romania

(PDF – 11.73 MB)

English language

Housing Network for Refugees in the Leipzig Muldenland, Germany

(PDF – 4.01 MB)

English language

Focus Topic “Waterbody Development” in the LEADER Development Strategy, Germany

(PDF – 757.06 KB)

English language

Terezia and Bernard Social Centers - Elderly Care Services, Romania

(PDF – 628.24 KB)

English language

#BeElectionSmart: an EU-wide pre-election campaign, European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO)

(PDF – 726.98 KB)

English language

Report on “Democratic Defence: Identity, Resilience and the new Frontlines of European (in) security”

(PDF – 302.65 KB)

English language

Resilience and Cooperation - A Guide in Polish for Local Action Groups and Non-Governmental Organisations. How to Strengthen Local Communities' Preparedness for Crisis Situations

(PDF – 2.33 MB)

English language

Template for preparing a local preparedness plan (in Swedish) - Developed in cooperation with crisis preparedness officers of Motala Municipality, Sweden

(DOCX – 215.32 KB)

Presentations

English language

Introduction, Peter Toth, EU CAP Network

(PDF – 790.77 KB)

English language

Overview and context, Iwona Lisztwan, DG AGRI, European Commission

(PDF – 513.88 KB)

English language

Understanding disinformation, Paolo Cesarini, European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) and School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute

(PDF – 1.95 MB)

English language

Social resilience, crisis preparedness and crisis response – an overview of relevant concepts, Professor Elena Pisani, University of Padova, Italy

(PDF – 1.82 MB)