Foligno is a city of 60,000 inhabitants in the Umbria region of Italy. Several civic groups have formed in Foligno to encourage citizen participation and discussion. These include Foligno 2030, which targets people aged 15-45; Foligno in Comune, a left-wing political group; and Plethos, a think tank for people aged 16-25. The groups try to form new ideas through open debate and discussion rather than consensus, welcome diverse viewpoints, and empower citizens to participate actively in public spaces. They focus on discussing immediate community needs and problems. Plethos specifically aims to educate young people in political discussion. However, the groups could improve by having more female

1. Citizens joining the discussion
Encounters and participation in a 60 000 inhabitants city
young greens southtyrol, March 13th 2019

2. 1. A self-convened community
2. Foligno 2030
3. Foligno in comune
4. Plethos

3. Foligno
. 3rd city in region Umbria
. Industrial center since the 60s, recent
cultural and turistical switch
. Tourists go there for climbing and hiking,
historical manifestation Quintana, the
cultural manifestations held during the year.

4. 1. A self-convened community
. ANPI, Foligno in Comune
(Sinistra Italiana, Rifondazione
Comunista), Rete degli studenti
medi
. Professors take part in the debate
. Money is collected to pay for the
meeting room

5. 2. Foligno 2030
. Targetting people aged 15-45
. Coordination group: around 20 people aged
25-30, most of which studied or worked
outside the region
. Systematically driven civic laboratory

6. 2. Foligno 2030

7. 3. Foligno in comune
. Resulted from the merging of Sinistra
Italiana, Rifondazione Comunista, Art.1-
MDP and Potere al Popolo!
. Humanist, proud left-wing community

8. 3. Plethos
. Think tank, components aged 22-25,
now 16-25
. Confronting with people as young as 14,
during information days organized in high
schools

9. What can we learn from Foligno?
1. Preference for discussion
Rather than gathering consensus around a single idea, the groups
try to formulate new ideas through confrontation
2. Pursuit of difference
The groups welcome strangers not to grow in number, but to acquire
new critical standpoints
3. Citizens’ empowerment
The groups use technical means, encounter, provocation and
questions to help citizens to participate actively
4. Use of public space
Open meetings are considered useful for everyone and organized in
spaces which are everyone’s
5. Doing what matters
Participants to the gatherings talk about their immediate needs,
problems and aspirations
6. Young people education
Plethos educates to discussion people who wouldn’t otherwise be
taught how to express and discuss their political ideas.

10. What can Foligno learn from us?
1. Female representation and leadership
All the groups seem to loose the occasion of being female-led
2.Ecological transition
Not having set energy, economical and cultural transition towards
sustainability as an objective, the groups often find themselves
contemplating a lack of possibilities beside the redistribution of the
(shrinking) possibilities offered by contemporary economy.