The process of the GO! 2025 Cross-Border Citizens’ Assembly concluded yesterday, 21 September at the EPICenter in Nova Gorica. The participatory initiative, promoted by EGTC GO and Zavod GO! 2025, was designed to directly involve citizens in reflecting on the impact of the European Capital of Culture Nova Gorica - Gorizia 2025 and its legacy for the cross-border area.

The Assembly consisted of three meetings, held on 23 July at the Nova Gorica City Municipality Council Hall, on 10 September at the EGTC GO headquarters, and on 21 September at the EPICenter. Throughout the process, participants had the opportunity to discuss the changes generated by GO! 2025, sharing experiences, observations and proposals through a structured process of dialogue and collaborative work.

The work began with the collection of citizens’ direct experiences related to GO! 2025. During the first meeting, around one hundred concrete experiences were gathered and analysed, leading to the identification of a number of priorities that were subsequently organised into thematic clusters covering areas such as tourism, culture, community life, accessibility, services and cross-border cooperation.

During the second meeting, participants explored these themes in greater depth by examining data, evidence and expert contributions. Through a participatory methodology based on group discussions and the World Café approach, the Assembly addressed the main issues connected to the legacy of GO! 2025, with particular attention to the cross-border dimension of potential solutions.

The final meeting focused on transforming the priorities identified during the process into concrete recommendations. Working in smaller groups, participants developed proposals for the key thematic areas, defining objectives, possible actions, stakeholders to be involved and the conditions necessary to ensure continuity and further development of the experiences launched within the framework of the European Capital of Culture. The recommendations were subsequently shared and validated by the Assembly.

The contributions collected during the three meetings will now be analysed and systematised by ISIG as part of the monitoring and evaluation activities related to GO! 2025. The outcomes of the Assembly will be included in a final report, which will be presented publicly in the coming weeks and will provide an important basis for reflection on the future of the cross-border territory.

EGTC GO would like to thank all citizens who chose to participate in the initiative, contributing their time, expertise and experience. The quality of the discussion developed throughout the process once again demonstrated the value of civic participation as a tool for understanding ongoing changes and jointly shaping the future of the cross-border area.