COMMUNITY ALPHABET (CA) is an international peer learning program that broadens practical knowledge of inclusive, participatory community development approaches among community leaders and active residents, primarily in Central Europe & Southern Europe.
VISIT THE CA LEARNING WEBSITE!
See videos, case studies, ebooks and profiles of community builders at https://trustcommunity.nadacevia.cz
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PROGRAM VISION
Our vision is to ensure that community initiatives in Central & Southern Europe have the knowledge, tools and support to confidently pursue inclusive participatory processes so that they can play a meaningful role in developing places where:
- people with different opinions and lifestyles work towards shared community goals in an environment of listening, trust, respect and mutual recognition,
- people thrive on a shared yet inclusive identity and strong sense of belonging,
- people enhance the community through use of local skills and resources,
- and people assume shared responsibility.
PARTICIPANTS
The program works with active residents and community practitioners who are nurturing civic engagement at local level. People who are supporting local citizen-led action are in a unique position to help local communities search for common ground, increase social trust and work with divergent views. In 2025-26, we are engaging 30 active residents/community leaders from 7 countries. See https://trustcommunity.nadacevia.cz.
We invite you to hear what CA participants have to say in this video:
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
In 2025-26, CA is engaging 30 community builders in peer exchange and learning opportunities around inclusive participatory approaches. The CA exposure workshop in June 2025 in Czechia introduced key themes and approaches in inclusive participatory community building through workshop sessions and site visits to local community initiatives. A second 4-day workshop/site visit is taking place in October 2025 in Rotterdam, where participants will deepen their understanding, skills, and exchange with peers. Participants also receive peer & expert support linked to their community initiative throughout the program.
2023-2024 PROGRAM
The 2023-24 program engaged active residents and community practitioners from 8 European countries (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Spain, Albania, Sweden). They learned from experts and each other at workshops and online sessions, saw innovative community initiatives during site visits to Czechia, the Netherlands and Sweden, and helped each other as peers. To learn more about their work in their communities, see the videos and case studies on our new learning website at https://trustcommunity.nadacevia.cz.
2020-2022 PILOT PROGRAM
Through the 2020-2022 Community Alphabet pilot program, we guided 26 community development practitioners and program managers from three non-profit organizations from Serbia, Hungary and the Czech Republic (TRAG Fondacija, Via Foundation and Közösségfejlesztők Egyesület – Köfe/Hungarian Association for Community Development) in advancing their knowledge and skills around inclusive community building, participatory mapping, resilience and conflict/tension transformation. The pilot program included online and in-person workshops, a site visit, peer exchange and support and staff guidance to participants as they applied the learning to their practice.
BACKGROUND
Community Alphabet responds to societal fragmentation and citizen disengagement in public deliberation. Disheartened by the multiple stresses that societies face today, many people turn to their closest environment – their neighborhood, district or village – to find sure footing. But even at local levels, it can be challenging to bridge differences in views and experience. Increasingly, it seems, people are fragmented into narrow social bubbles that afford little interaction with divergent viewpoints. When citizens cease to exchange opinions and discuss their differences, when there is little motivation to find shared aspirations amidst those differences, social cohesion becomes strained and fragile.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
To learn more about CA, please contact Helen Lenda at helenlenda@nadacevia.cz.