The fourth experiential workshop of the European “Guardians of the Coasts” project was implemented on 20 August 2026 by FOTOESSA – Centre for Education, Research and Action, as part of the project’s adult capacity-building programme. The workshop was designed for a small core group of six active citizens living and working in the Municipality of Saronikos who are currently developing a local collaborative initiative.
Unlike the previous workshops, which explored storytelling, the relationship between people and place, and collective memory, this workshop focused on the internal functioning of a citizens’ group. Its central question was not “What is the correct formula for a successful team?” but rather what specific people need in order to cooperate with trust, continuity and effectiveness. From the outset, participants were invited not to judge personalities as “good” or “bad”, but to observe experiences, behaviours and needs.
The workshop opened with a self-assessment test through which participants privately identified how they perceived their current position within the group. This was followed by a recognition game using real personal facts that participants themselves had chosen to share. The numerous incorrect guesses and the surprise generated by the revelations offered a simple but powerful insight: even people who already know each other are familiar with only a small part of one another’s experiences, abilities and personal histories.
The main part of the workshop revolved around three personal questions: “What’s in it for me?”, “What can I contribute?” and “What am I afraid of?” Expectations included building collaborations and relationships, gaining experience and knowledge, engaging younger people, personal development, meaningful use of individual skills, and improving both the natural and social environment. The mapping of contributions revealed a substantial pool of resources already present within the group: time, experience, networks, organisational and communication skills, educational know-how, technical and practical expertise, creativity, facilitation capacity, field support and a willingness to contribute personally.
The “What am I afraid of?” exercise was conducted anonymously. The written fears were redistributed, and each person was invited to speak about somebody else’s fear as though it were their own. This transformed individual concerns into shared material for empathy. Fears included lack of respect, betrayal or behind-the-scenes conflict, bureaucracy, burnout, ideas being ignored, unclear boundaries of cooperation, extreme or incompatible positions, and losing the enjoyment associated with voluntary participation. More importantly, the exercise translated those fears into collective needs: support, understanding, respect, trust, clear communication, practicality, open discussion, flexibility and psychological safety.
Cooperation was then explored experientially through “Two Hands – One Pencil”. Working in pairs, two people were asked to draw different hidden subjects simultaneously while holding the same pencil and without speaking. During reflection, participants identified the importance of giving one another space, non-verbal communication, alternating initiative and prioritising the joint task over individual control. Participants themselves described the process in terms of “giving space”, “cooperating” and “getting the work done”.
The material generated throughout the workshop was then used to formulate an initial picture of how the group would like to function. Desired qualities included support, understanding, flexibility and adaptability, communication, acceptance, open discussion, honesty, effectiveness, practicality, action, courage, ethics and democracy. Conversely, participants identified behaviours and dynamics they wanted to avoid: distorted communication, cliques, misunderstandings, party-political fragmentation, extremist positions and incompatibility. Practical commitments also emerged, including remaining engaged with the group, following developments, using email for communication, providing timely feedback, identifying potential future members, exploring funding opportunities and proposing next actions. Democratic decision-making was explicitly identified as an important principle.
The workshop did not produce – nor was it intended to produce – a finished manifesto. It achieved something more appropriate for this stage: it revealed a strong shared value base alongside a continuing need to converge around a clearer common strategic direction. During the final reflection, participants noted that while there were strong commonalities, mutual respect and an ethical foundation, different individuals were still imagining the emerging initiative through their own experiences and aspirations. This diversity was not regarded as a problem, but as pluralism that now needs a shared reference point and strategy.
The fourth workshop therefore highlighted a fundamental aspect of capacity building for active citizenship: before a group can act effectively in the outside world, it must learn to see, hear, trust and make use of the people already within it.
Collaboration does not begin with unanimity. It begins when different people can create space for one another and transform difference into shared action.
