Community-Based Approach and Systems Perspective, Symposium in Brussels
On March 26, the King Baudouin Foundation hosted the symposium “Mobilising community voices & mainstreaming solutions to societal challenges.” The event, co-organized by the Agirre Lehendakaria Center (ALC) and Genio, brought together representatives from the European Commission and philanthropic foundations to discuss how to incorporate a community-based approach into social innovation initiatives aimed at generating systemic impact.
The conference began with a clear premise: challenges such as homelessness, long-term unemployment, and social exclusion cannot be resolved through isolated interventions and, in most cases, fail because they have not been able to connect with the social and cultural dynamics of the local area. As has been observed in the initiatives promoted by the European Commission, effective technical solutions are designed, but society does not adopt them. The symposium highlighted the need to adopt new approaches that amplify hidden voices and enable the co-creation of portfolios of collaborative experimentation.
The program featured keynote presentations that demonstrated how to translate this complexity into concrete solutions:
-European Context: Representatives from the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and DG EMPL analyzed current opportunities for integrating social innovation into cohesion policies and the New European Bauhaus.
-Experimentation Portfolios: ALC detailed how to transition from a management approach based on expert opinion to one that combines it with community insights, using digital tools and AI to strengthen decision-making.
-Scaling and System Change: John Healy and Niamh Lally (Genio) shared their experience in scaling national innovations that have succeeded in transforming policies and funding streams in Ireland.
-Large-Scale Job Creation: Marta Solsona (Fundación “la Caixa”) presented the experience of the innovation portfolios for employment promoted by the Work4progress program.
During the afternoon discussion, participants explored how future calls for European funding could combine a community-based approach with a systemic perspective. Attendees, including representatives from the King Baudouin Foundation, Philea, and the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, agreed that the “hidden factor” in driving systemic change is the genuine integration of voices that are typically excluded from the design process. The goal is for Europe and major philanthropic institutions not only to fund projects but also to promote portfolios of experimentation capable of learning and evolving alongside citizens.