Barcelona en Comú

Tell us briefly who you are and what you do!
We co-lead the Mobilisation Strategy of Barcelona en Comú, working at the intersection between institutions and community organization. Paula is a family and community doctor, deeply involved in community action and activism for public healthcare. Adriel comes from political science and urban policy, with experience in housing and local government. What we share is the commitment to build collective power: helping more people organize, step up, and lead change from their communities.

Who is this session for?
This session is for anyone who wants to organize – whether you’re just getting started or already involved and wanting to go further. Especially for those who don’t yet see themselves as leaders or don’t feel part of traditional political spaces. We focus on practice, not just theory. We’ll work with real tools: how to build trust, make teams grow, and develop shared leadership. The goal is clear: to move from participation to taking responsibility.

What leadership skill is often overlooked?
The ability to grow leadership in others. Too often, we understand leadership as stepping forward. In community organizing, it’s more about looking around you: creating space, building trust, and sharing responsibility so others can lead. That shift changes everything. It turns groups into communities and participation into power.

Can you share something with us that keeps you coming back to the good fight or gives you hope?
Seeing people who never saw themselves as leaders become leaders – the process itself is moving. When the right conditions are created – trust, purpose, and real responsibility – people step up. Not just a few, but many. That’s where real change begins: not in big moments, but in everyday organizing, in relationships, and in the moment people realise they have the power to act – and to think – collectively.