From 10 to 12 September 2025, Georg Wiesinger, Katrin Hofer, and Somaye Latifi participated in the third SERIGO Consortium meeting, which was hosted by the Slovak partners from the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University. The meeting coincided with both the Forum Carpaticum 2025 and the second SERIGO Community of Practice (CoP) workshop, all taking place at this Faculty in Bratislava, Slovakia. The programme also included a field trip to Ostrovany (Eastern Slovakia).
On 10 September, Katrin Hofer and Somaye Latifi presented first insights of BAB’s case study at a SERIGO-associated session at Forum Carpaticum. Their presentation highlighted the Silberberg Association as a form of social innovation in rural areas, under the title 'The Role of the Social and Solidarity Economy in Strengthening Rural Communities: Insights from the Silbersberg Association in Lower Austria'. The day concluded with an internal SERIGO project team meeting to discuss specific pilot actions.
The following day, 11 September, the second SERIGO Community of Practice (CoP) workshop took place. Taking the format of a World Café, this workshop offered an exceptional opportunity for cross-sectoral and cross-regional dialogue, bringing together practitioners, researchers, and stakeholders to explore innovative, effective approaches to enhancing the social inclusion of marginalised groups.
Afterwards, the project team travelled to Prešov to visit the Slovakian pilot actions. On the morning of 12 September, they continued to the municipality of Ostrovany, a rural community facing multiple challenges, particularly related to the vulnerabilities of its Roma populations. Local stakeholders shared their experiences and discussed programmes aimed at empowering the community in different areas, such as employment opportunities and quality housing.
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