03 WHAT WE SET OUT TO ACHIEVE The conference set out to respond to three interlinked challenges: Urgency, as stateless people across Europe - including children - continue to face denial of rights, inconsistent procedures, and discrimination. Opportunity, with growing recognition that sustainable change requires lived experience leadership, innovation, and transnational collaboration. Resource and capacity constraints within the statelessness field, intensified by competition for limited funding. The programme was co-designed by ENS and Statefree with innovation, solidarity and lived experience at its heart. Participatory methodologies, storytelling, creative expression and visual mapping were purposefully integrated alongside technical discussions on law, policy and practice. This approach directly supported Statefree’s and ENS’s strategic goals of building collective power, advancing rights-based advocacy, and demonstrating what participatory, community-centred practice looks like in action. People with lived experience were not only present (a quarter of participants) but actively shaped and co-designed the event as co-organisers, moderators, speakers, facilitators, and volunteers. Participants consistently highlighted feeling safe, welcomed and able to speak honestly, underscoring the importance of intentional design to support dignity, equity and meaningful participation.