After months of preparation, the adventure of Brussels Voice 23 is underway! In a first evening workshop at commissioner.brussels, participants got to know each other and the team before learning about the process and sharing their first ideas about mobility.
The warmth of an unexpected September heatwave was still lingering when our selected group of International Brusselers gathered near Schuman for their first workshop. After a welcome from the actors organising the project, the participants had a chance to learn about this year’s process and get to know each other with a quick quiz.
We were especially happy to welcome back two participants from the first cycle of Brussels Voice, where we developed the Manifesto of the International Brusseler and its 22 proposals. Sara and Margot shared their experiences and advised this year’s participants to speak up and get involved – while keeping their ears and their minds open.
The topic for Brussels Voice 23 was chosen by the almost 600 International Brusselers who registered for the selection of participants. They opted for mobility. We presented the three proposals in this chapter of the Manifesto, while reminding participants they are free to develop new proposals of their own.
In the second half of the session it was already time to start working on some ideas. In small groups, the participants discussed what works well in Brussels mobility and what needs improvement. They also shared inspiring examples from the other countries where they come from or have lived. This perspective is fundamental to Brussels Voice 23. We are opening a new democratic space for non-Belgians in the Brussels-Capital Region, and their experiences of life elsewhere mean that Internatonal Brusselers have a lot to offer policymakers. Inspiration came from as close as the Netherlands and as far as Indonesia!
