Socio-cultural centres serve as vibrant hubs where culture, community, and sustainability converge. They have the potential to act as catalysts for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collective action, making them indispensable in addressing the multifaceted challenges confronting our global society. In a rapidly changing world riddled with complexity, they are uniquely positioned to play a pivotal role in steering transitions in a manner that is just, impactful and lasting.
Through close collaboration with more than 100 its members, ENCC carried out an action-led research effort aimed to identify, develop and amplify roles that align with and contribute to just sustainability transitions.
The findings highlight that socio-cultural centres build on local and global synergies, aligning local actions with global sustainability goals. They leverage cultural activities and community engagement to ensure that initiatives are effective at the community level and contribute to broader international objectives. Despite significant contributions, these centres often face challenges such as limited resources and difficulty influencing policy, underscoring the need for enhanced support and recognition from policymakers, funders, and networks.
This report also offers recommendations to policymakers and networks, to maximise the effectiveness of socio-cultural centres. Integrating these centres into broader policy frameworks and sustainability strategies is crucial. This integration should include not only financial and infrastructural support but also recognition of their role as agents of social change. Future strategies should focus on building enabling and supportive support systems and fostering an ecosystem that enhances the capacity of these centres to lead transformative changes.
Recognising and empowering these centres is imperative to ensuring that sustainability transitions are genuinely just and reflect the diverse values and needs of all community members.
