COOPERATING FOR COLLECTIVE IMPACT
On the 4th of February KEHSIA took part in the “Laboratoire du Faire Ensemble”, a participatory seminar – organized by WE CITIZENS asbl – bringing together youth organisations, institutions and social economy actors with the shared ambition of strengthening collaboration and laying the foundations for a future community of practice.
The day was designed as a highly interactive learning space, marked by movement and dialogue, collective reflection and practical exercises aimed at creating the conditions for open conversations and honest questioning. Rather than focusing on predefined solutions, we were invited to share experiences, challenges and aspirations, and to collectively question existing professional practices.
LEARNING COOPERATION THROUGH PARTICIPATION AND SHARED PROCESSES
At the beginning, we got to know each other using the Sustainable Development pala as a framework. By choosing one or more SDGs, we worked on our professional practice and professional interest, shared a recent proud project, a current difficulty and topics we intended to work on. A key shared interest was the common goal of developing a shared understanding of the needs of a more just and inclusive society.
A central theme of the seminar was the understanding that cooperation is not about losing one’s identity in favor of the collective. On the contrary, we highlighted how identities, values and organizational cultures represent an added value when they are placed in a complementary relationship. Through a dynamic debate we were invited to explore the vision of cooperation and youth and reflect on what cooperation really means in our daily professional realities. The discussions emphasised that cooperation requires time and trust, that clear frameworks are essential, even when informality is preserved, that impact and sustainability matter more than short-term efficiency, and highlighted the importance of coordination in collective action.
REFRAMING YOUTH PARTICIPATION
A significant part of the seminar focused on youth engagement. We reflected on the risks of developing projects for young people without genuinely including them, despite the fact that young people already have experiences, opinions and practices, and they engage in diverse and often informal ways.
Different levels of involvement were explored from informing, consulting and co-constructing with a clear warning against symbolic participation.
Thanks to the seminar we reinforced the importance of creating spaces where young people can progressively gain autonomy, recognition and confidence, rather than being reduced to target groups.
REFLECTIONS, CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES
One of the highlights of the day was a future-oriented exercise, inviting participants to imagine an “ideal scenario” ten years ahead. We envisioned a youth sector characterised by stronger cooperation, better complementarity between actors, and projects more closely aligned with young people’s aspirations.
This projection exercise allowed us to identify both enabling factors and barriers, as well as professional practices that either support or hinder collective impact. The reflection helped reconnect daily practices with long-term meaning and shared purpose.
Building on this work, the World Café format provided a collaborative and participatory setting to further explore current professional practices through structured group discussions. This collective process enabled us to pool the different proposed scenarios, discuss them, and jointly identify priorities, ultimately contributing to the definition of a shared vision and common focus areas.
These insights will feed into the next phase of the project: an Erasmus+ small-scale partnership that will unfold through a cycle of eight hybrid workshops between April and December 2026. This action-training process will focus on cooperation and collective impact strategies, with the goal of building a sustainable community of practice among youth sector stakeholders in Luxembourg and beyond.
By combining reflection, experimentation and collective learning, the Laboratory demonstrated how cooperation can move beyond discourse and become a lived, structured and impactful practice.