MARÍA JOSÉ PALACIO
Urban Health Strategist
Bridging Research, Design, and Policy to Build Healthier, Resilient Cities
Freenity
Strengthening Civic Engagement through Digital Collaboration




Role:
Location:
Community Coordinator
Mellieha, Malta
​
​
Overview
Freenity is a platform designed to strengthen civic engagement and participatory governance by building structured collaboration networks. It fosters knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, and collective action across communities worldwide, focused on addressing urban, environmental, and social challenges.
Key components of the approach include:
-
Camps: Co-creation spaces enabling participants from diverse regions to share experiences and co-develop locally adapted solutions.
-
Facilitator Trainings: Capacity-building sessions for local leaders, civil society actors, and development practitioners to sustain, replicate, and expand community-led initiatives.
-
Volunteering: Structured opportunities for professionals to provide mentorship, technical expertise, and support to grassroots projects through remote engagement.
-
Community Creation: Development of action-oriented communities using innovative digital infrastructure and social techniques to foster collaboration, team-building, and successful project implementation.
As part of the team, I contributed to the coordination and implementation of strategic initiatives, supporting community development processes and strengthening participatory systems through structured methodologies and stakeholder engagement.
​​​
Key Responsibilities
-
Coordinated multi-stakeholder collaboration between Freenity, local NGOs, and community leaders.
-
Developed and monitored work plans, timelines, and deliverables.
-
Facilitated participatory workshops to co-design community media strategies.
-
Managed budgeting, logistics, and reporting for project implementation.
​
Impact & Results
-
Launched 3 fully operational community media platforms.
-
Trained 20+ volunteers in media production, storytelling, and content management.
-
Increased global engagement and visibility of community issues through storytelling.
-
Strengthened ownership of the platforms with long-term sustainability strategies.
​
Skills Demonstrated
-
Strategic planning and coordination
-
Team leadership and cross-cultural communication
-
Stakeholder engagement
-
Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E)
-
Report writing and donor communication​​