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On the very first day of ALDA Festival and General Assembly, June 7, the Association’s Thematic Hub “Youth empowerment and education”, working on enhancing youth participation and on fostering education and learning opportunities for youngsters, will organise two captivating events in the framework of the TALE and the P-CUBE projects at Maison Hap, Brussels (Belgium). 

Within the TALE project, funded by the European Parliament and focused on the 2024 EU elections, and on young citizens and changemakers’ engagement, the TALE World Café will be held on June 7 at 2pm (CEST). 

Moderated by European Capital of Democracy, this event will represent the opportunity to share relevant information on the upcoming 2024 EU elections with stakeholders and citizens, raising awareness on the EU key priorities, values and institutions, and actively involving them in the democratic process.

Join us for the ALDA Festival and General Assembly to discuss important topics such as Youth and Digitalisation!

Thus, each cluster has produced a coherent and representative sheet to be submitted to key policymakers to ensure that the voice of CSOs is heated and taken into consideration for the elaboration of policies and plans.

In addition to this, ALDA’s Thematic Hub “Youth empowerment and education” will also conduct « Education becomes digital » – the international Final Conference of the P-CUBE project, which will take place on June 7 from 4pm to 5.30pm (CEST). 

This event will focus on digital education, with particular attention to 2023 as « European Year of Skills », and to « digitalisation » as one of the pillars of the Erasmus+ programme. This topic will be introduced by Ms. Marta Markowska, Policy Officer for Digital Education in the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport, and Culture (DG EAC) – European Commission. 

Afterwards, a roundtable discussion will present three concrete case studies from Longlife Learning Platform, ALL DIGITAL, Science for Democracy, and ALDA, related to digital skills, digital education and gaming, offering a specific focus on the P-CUBE game. 

Read the whole programme of the ALDA Festival and General Assembly by clicking here.  

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The first week of May was a hectic time for ALDA, with part of the Association on a mission to Ukraine and another part leaving for Georgia.

From 1 to 4 May 2023, ALDA Governing Board member and representative of Società Cooperativa Sociale Studio Progetto, Mr. Andrea Rilievo, together with the Head of the Development Department of ALDA, Mr. Marco Boaria, flew to Georgia for a trip aimed at strengthening their partnership ties in the country, while getting a taste of the nation’s beautiful culture. 

On May 2 the ALDA team arrived in Kutaisi (Georgia), welcomed by the Executive Director of the Local Democracy Agency Georgia, Ms. Nino Khukhua, who immediately introduced them to the Georgian traditions by having them participate in the Kutaisoba (or Gviriloba) festival. 

The Kutaisoba Festival, or ‘Day of the chamomile’ is held on 2 May each year in the city of Kutaisi. It was established in the early 20th century and commemorates the tradition of schoolgirls in Kutaisi, who sold chamomile tea to passers-by and donated the proceeds to leprosy patients. Hundreds of people arrive in the city from the entire Imereti region of Kutaisi to take part in the celebrations. The programme includes competitions, contests, concerts, flower and handicraft exhibitions in the city centre, while regional gastronomic specialities are served in the area set up near the Mukhnari forest, about one kilometre from Kutaisi.

ALDA’s journey to Georgia was aimed at strengthening its partnership ties in the country, while getting a taste of the nation’s beautiful culture 

The official opening ceremony of the event was held by the entire city administration, among which the Mayor of Kutaisi, Mr. Ioseb Khakhaleishvili, (ALDA member) who warmly received the Association representatives and with whom he discussed future activities and goals to be achieved together, working hand in hand. 

After taking part in this beautiful tradition, the ALDA team met with the entire staff of the LDA Georgia to talk about the organisation’s activities and achieved results, as well as its objectives.

The day after, on May 3, Mr. Rilievo and Mr. Boaria left for the city of Zugdidi (Georgia) where they met the Mayor of the Municipality of Zugdidi (ALDA member), Mr. Mamuka Tsotseria, together with his first deputy, Mr. Konstantine Kakava.

Mr. Tsotseria highlighted how the cooperation between the municipality itself and the Association, established in 2018, has grown considerably and strengthened over time. 

Afterwards, the ALDA representatives had a meeting with Mr. Giga Parulava, Chairman of Zugdidi City Council, and took the opportunity to discuss the cooperation strategy for the future, which includes strengthening self-government, increasing citizen involvement in decision-making, and capacity building of civil servants for the effective functioning of self-government units.

Before returning home, the ALDA delegation had a Masterclass on EU funds opportunities especially concerning the Eastern Partnership area, which saw the participation of 30 persons. 

The Association team returned after three fruitful and very intense days, having consolidated the already strong networks in the country and enriched their cultural and personal baggage, which made the experience in Georgia truly unforgettable.

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As a fulfillment of three years of activities, the last conference of the DEAR project Climate Of Change kicked off on March 27, 2023. The event entitled Change Talks: Civil Society Dialogues on Social and Climate Justice, brought together academics, policymakers, grassroots activists from the Global South and youth representatives to discuss the great human and social challenges posed by the climate crisis.

The conference included two main panels. The first debate on Climate change-induced migration started by reassessing the phenomenon from the results of  the research conducted by the team of the University of Bologna during the 1st year of project implementation. It highlighted how despite the fact that climate change is, and will be, a major cause of migrations around the world, there is still no specific protection status for climate migrants and refugees, according to the Geneva Pact. 

The second round table focused instead on The rights-based road towards a sustainable economic system. Here the researcher Lukas Warning from OxFam Germany clearly highlighted the dangers and vices of the capitalist society we live in. While Karin Schönpflug, economist specialising in gender and economy, emphasized how climate change is more than just an environmental crisis and reflects the bias of economic paradigms that grant the unaccounted exploitation of natural resources around the world.

Watch the video of the Final Conference by clicking here!

As a great moment to act together against the climate crisis, ALDA not only actively participated in organising the conference but also forwarded the invitation to the event to its members. Four ALDA members were involved and could enjoy the discussions sparkled during the conference: 1) Marcelo Gerlach, Trainee in Climate Change from CRISP- Crisis Simulation for Peace, Germany, 2) Konstantine Kakava, Deputy Mayor from Zugdidi Municipality City Hall, Georgia; 3) Nazlıcan Akcı, Training and Projects Expert from Marmara Municipalities Union, Türkiye; and 4) Sevket Kaan Ediz, Officer in the Directorate of Research and Development from Konak Municipality, Türkiye.

The event culminated with the handling of the Climate of Change petition to Clara De La Torre (European Commission’s Deputy Director for Climate Action) by the campaign youth ambassadors. As the petition was signed by more than 100’000 EU citizens, it asks for a number of actions for climate justice that can be summarised in three main points. 1) Keeping global warming under 1.5°C by achieving climate neutrality by 2040, 2) shifting towards a socially and ecologically positive economy, 3) protecting climate change-induced migrants through human-rights and enabling youth participation in these matters.

Watch the video by clicking here.

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ALDA’s commitment to Ukraine and its people has continued unceasingly since that tremendous day when Russia attacked the country. 

More than a year after the beginning of the war, a team from ALDA decided to leave for Ukraine for a 5-day mission, which took place at the beginning of May, with the aim of increasing this ongoing commitment to the nation, strengthening the links already established and creating new ones. 

The support to Ukraine involves the Association in its entirety, by starting from ALDA Governing Board members, an expert Board made of 15 members from 9 countries representing local, regional authorities and civil society organisations which will guide ALDA until 2024.

The support to Ukraine involves the Association in its entirety, by starting from ALDA Governing Board members

As a demonstration of this, Mr. Emir Coric, ALDA Governing Board member and representative of the Municipality of Centar (North Macedonia), took part in this mission, playing a key role for the Association and its partners in the country. 

Participating on behalf of Skopje Centre but also as advisor of the Minister of Local Government of Northern Macedonia, Mr. Coric took part in the mission with the main purpose of involving the municipalities of Northern Macedonia in the ALDA flagship initiative in support of Ukraine. An initiative aimed at establishing collaborations to support ALDA’s work in the country and to become partners of the two new Ukrainian Local Democracy Agencies which will soon be created in Odesa and Vinnytsia. 

In this regard, Mr. Coric’s involvement and useful insights shared during the meetings in the two cities, proved to be fundamental for this purpose. 

“The work done during this mission in Ukraine is essential for ALDA. According to my experience in the Western Balkans the Local Democracy Agencies are an excellent instrument of cooperation in difficult times, both for the reconstruction of the country and the restoration of peace” – stated Mr. Coric. 

Mr. Coric’s presence in Ukraine strengthened even more the already very active role of the Western Balkans in supporting the country and its population. 

Given the geographical proximity of Ukraine and the very similar history between the two areas, the actions of the Governing Board Member were not only dictated by his valuable experience, but also by his deep emotional involvement. 

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Learn more about the mission in Ukraine by clicking here.

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ALDA Governing Board met last 28 April for a special online session that marked some great improvements on the process to become an ALDA Member. While beforehand the procedure to admit new members in ALDA was based only on the analysis of the documents submitted by each new entity applying, ALDA has recently decided to adopt a method more aimed at dialogue and direct acquaintance with potential new members. 

Indeed, started in early 2023, local authorities or civil society organisations wishing to enter the network of ALDA as members are invited to introduce themselves and their motivations to become an ALDA member directly to the Governing Board during a dedicated online meeting taking place regularly during the year.

The reasons for this change are to be found in the ever-increasing importance and value that ALDA places on its members as an integral part of the Association and driver of change in local communities.

The Governing Board gathered specifically to discuss the application of several potential new members

Thus, on April 28th, 2023,  the Governing Board gathered specifically to discuss and give feedback about the application of several potential new members: 

  • Dnipro University, Ukraine
  • Municipality of Karpos, North Macedonia 
  • Municipality of Hani i Elezit, Kosovo 
  • Municipality of Shtime, Kosovo
  • Center for Legal Civic Initiatives – CLCI, Albania

One after another, potential members took the floor and presented their local reality, strategies and challenges to improve local democracy and citizens’ participation, including examples of present and past good practices they implemented in these fields.

As a conclusion to this special Governing Board session, all members presented have been welcome as new members of ALDA.

Thus, we give a warm welcome to all news Members of our network and cannot wait to begin to work side by side in order to keep enhancing local democracy around Europe and its Neighborhood! 

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To learn more about the ALDA membership and its benefits, check out the Membership Infopack and/or contact us to membership@alda-europe.eu 

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On March 4th, the city of Trieste will host the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ALDA – the European Association of Local Democracy – and CEI – the Central European Initiative.

President of ALDA, Mr Oriano Otocan, together with Secretary General of the CEI, Mr Roberto Antonione, and Secretary General of ALDA, Ms Antonella Valmorbida will attend the ceremony. Moreover, Mr Massimiliano Fedriga, President of the “Friuli Venezia Giulia” Autonomous Region will also be among the keynote speakers at the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding.

ALDA is looking forward to this signing ceremony, testifying the fruitful collaboration with CEI

Thus, the capital city of the “Friuli Venezia Giulia” Autonomous Region will be the scenario of this institutional moment, which marks the formalization of this long-lasting collaboration between these two actors. Particularly focusing on the the work of the two organizations in the Balkans region, the Memorandum will further spur the harmony among the two organizations, as already happened within the “WELCOMING project”, aimed at discussing the issues related to migrations and to exchange the best practices and experiences in this field.

ALDA is looking forward to this signing ceremony, testifying the fruitful collaboration with CEI.

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The ‘Enlargement Day’ organised by the Committee of the Regions in cooperation with DG Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), and the European Commission took place on 4 and 5 May 2023 in Brussel, Belgium. 

This year’s ‘Enlargement Day’ faces a changed political reality, with Ukraine, Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina being granted candidate status and Kosovo* as potential candidate for EU accession. Therefore, the EU’s enlargement policy is now at a moment of particular political focus.

The presentations and debates of the working groups and joint consultative committees held during the ‘Enlargement Day’ were dedicated to raising awareness of the local and regional dimension of the enlargement process. Its members exchanged experiences and best practices with the invited guest speaker on how to involve local and regional authorities in EU enlargement policy.

Local and regional authorities play a key role in EU accession

This year’s event also celebrates 2023 as the European Year of Skills, all the seven sub-events of ‘Enlargement Day’ also addressed this topic.  The ‘Enlargement Day’ represented the opportunity to explore the needs and priorities in terms of what skills are needed by local and regional stakeholders and the way to operate in line with EU rules and procedures. Particular focus was put on the current issues such as brain-drain to the EU countries.

ALDA’s regional coordinator for Western Balkans and Director of the Skopje office, Ms. Katica Janeva, followed the event in Brussels and shared the experience of ALDA especially in the part empowering skills of public administration and the issue of brain-drain. ALDA’s work in the Western Balkans focuses on the EU perspective and capacity building of local authorities.

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The ‘Enlargement Day’ is the CoR’s annual flagship event on EU enlargement policy, first held in 2015. Its raison d’être is the growing realisation among the EU institutions and partner countries alike that a country joining the EU needs to prepare not only its central government and administration for accession, but also its local and regional authorities.

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Last week, ALDA’s Middle East & Africa Coordinator Giulia Sostero and Project Manager & Head of Strasbourg Office Apolline Bonfils had the great chance to meet with Tunç Soyer, the Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, who is strongly engaged in local democracy. Our team was in İzmir (Türkiye) together with our partners MAD – Center for Spatial Justice for a coordination and monitoring visit of THE:PLACE programme, which aims to reinforce European Union exchange with Turkish Civil Society Organisations and cooperation between Civil Society Organisations and Local Authorities. 

THE:PLACE – Türkiye Hand in hand with Europe is a Programme for Local Authorities and Civil Society Exchange which aims to build up lasting Türkiye – European Union networks of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that work on local issues and on promoting an exchange aimed to increase their capacity to create meaningful impact in their respective areas of work. THE:PLACE programme aims to favour the empowerment of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Local Authorities (LAs) as actors of local development, through specific capacity building, peer learning and joint cooperation on co-designed common projects. The programme seeks to create quadrilateral partnerships composed of 1 Civil Society Organisation based in Türkiye associated with 1 Local Authority + 1 Civil Society Organisation based in the EU associated with 1 Local Authority.

This visit was the opportunity to meet some current beneficiaries and potential new ones, as the 2nd round of the programme will soon be launched.

Thus, the ALDA delegation met with mayor Tunç Soyer, Head of Social Affairs and International Relations Department in İzmir Metropolitan Municipality; with the vice-mayor Saadet Çağlın, Head of Citizens participation and Urban planning department in Karşıyaka Municipality; with Kaan Ediz, Head of International Relations Department in Konak Municipality; with the President and General Coordinator of BAYETAV Foundation; with the President, International Networks and Youth participation departments of Pi Youth Association. 

The visit also presented the opportunity to further illustrate to the Mayor the possibilities and benefits of joining ALDA’s network and becoming a Member, for which İzmir Metropolitan Municipality will soon present its official request. 

The meeting was an enriching opportunity to exchange best practices and inputs around the importance of enhancing local democracy in İzmir. 

More details are coming soon!

İzmir Metropolitan Municipality (meeting with the mayor Mr. Tunç Soyer, Social Affairs and International Relations Department)
Karşıyaka Municipality (meeting with the vice-mayor Ms Saadet
Çağlın, the Citizens participation and Urban planning department)
Pi Youth Association (meeting with the President, International Networks and Youth participation departments).
BAYETAV Foundation (meeting with the President and General Coordinator)
Konak Municipality (meeting with Kaan Ediz, International Relations Department)

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LIFE METRO ADAPT is a European project, funded by the LIFE programme, which lasted from September 2018 to September 2021. It involved the Metropolitan City of Milan (CMM), the CAP Group, e-Geos, Ambiente Italia, ALDA- European Association for Local Democracy and Legambiente Lombardia.

LIFE METRO ADAPT aimed to mainstream adaptation strategies and measures in the development of a territorial plan for CMM and in the planning and building rules of the 134 CMM municipalities. It  achieved this aim through the adoption of an innovative approach that identifies the role of intermediate governing bodies. The project also managed to promote nature-based solutions to meet a range of objectives, such as the reduction of the flooding risk and the heat-island effect, while also regenerating neglected urban spaces.

The project aimed at enhancing bottom-up initiatives and thus increasing citizen awareness and engagement in issues related to climate change adaptation. The implementation of demonstration facilities directly involved stakeholders from the building sector and engineering professionals working in water management. Furthermore, LIFE METRO ADAPT developed innovative meteorological satellite data and high precision soil sealing maps, in order to produce detailed vulnerability analysis (focusing in particular on heat islands and floods). The aim was to ensure the availability of information specific to each municipality.

Finally, the project’s goal consisted in the development of a network of metropolitan areas in Italy and elsewhere in Europe to enhance the mainstreaming of adaptation policies and measures and support the implementation of nature-based solutions.

LIFE METRO ADAPT mainstreamed climate change adaptation strategies and measures in the new territorial plan of the Metropolitan City of Milan in Italy. This has successfully enhanced bottom-up initiatives related to adaptation throughout the metropolitan area. The project team created an effective governance model, and significantly increased awareness of climate change issues among the general public, technical stakeholders, and local policymakers. They spread the ‘culture’ of climate change adaptation, in particular nature-based solutions (NBS) and sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), through a series of legal and guidance documents.

These results have led the European Commission to recognise the relevance of the project, both in Lombardy and at European level, as an example of successful climate action and to shortlist it for the LIFE Awards 2023.

The Awards recognise excellence in nature protection, environment, and climate action.  A hybrid ceremony announcing the winners is scheduled for 6 June during EU Green Week 2023– the key event in the EU environment policy calendar. A special jury will nominate the winners for this award. However, citizens can make their voices heard by voting for the LIFE Citizens’ Award.  Anyone can vote for the LIFE METRO ADAPT project by following this link!

More than a year has passed since September 2021, and the LIFE Metro Adapt consortium continues to share the results and methods of the project, which have led to its nomination for the Life Award 2023. Below we trace the steps that have brought us here today.

LIFE METRO ADAPT timeline – A successful year later

September 2021

The project came to an end with a very good resonance and a positive response.

February 2022

  • On 22 and 23 February 2023, the Metropolitan City of Milan (CMM)  brought its experience to the TAIEX TRATOLOW international workshop on « Urban Adaptation, Resilience and the SECAP Adaptation Component » taking place in Istanbul (Türkiye). The overall objective of the workshop was to further support and promote exchanges between the beneficiaries (Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye) and urban areas by sharing experiences and good practices. In particular, adaptation efforts in the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP). The focus was on the climate risks of heat and flooding, in particular on local vulnerability, impact and risk assessment, cost/benefit of adaptation solutions, local adaptation planning and implementation of adaptation solutions. In this sense, the Metropolitan City of Milan was invited to present the adaptation measures implemented in its territory through the European LIFE METRO ADAPT project.
  • The Metropolitan City of Milan (CMM) called to share good practices of territorial network development during the workshop of the Interreg Maritime Project ReS_EAU – Nice 27 February 2022. CMM was also called upon in this context to bring its experience, particularly in the area of territorial engagement on the topic of climate change adaptation, which builds on the work done through the LIFE Metro Adapt Project.

March 2022

As part of The Nature of Cities Festival, a 3-day virtual event that took place from 29 to 31 March 2022, the LIFE Metro Adapt project was invited to the webinar “Reshaping Cities: How Urban Areas Can Tackle Climate Change” hold by the LIFE Beware project.

The seed session focused on the topic of Cities’ resilience to Climate Change and, thanks to the contribution of four projects (among which LIFE METRO ADAPT) it highlighted various ways and best practices in which urban areas can successfully address this issue, in an innovative way. In particular, Maria Rosaria Scoppettuolo and Valeria Guerrini from the partner Gruppo CAP presented “LIFE METRO ADAPT – The implementation of Nature Based Solutions in the Metropolitan Area of Milan”, showing the best practices developed within the project and how they successfully impacted the territory.

June 2022

LIFE METRO ADAPT is presented at the National Conference for Sustainable Development of the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition – Tuesday 21 June 2022

September 2022

On 28 September 2022 the Metropolitan City of Milan is called upon to share its work as a case study of the effective territorialisation of the SDGs at the Regional Pre-forum for Sustainable Development: where it brought its experience in the Lombardy region by also talking about the LIFE METRO ADAPT project.

April 2023

LIFE METRO ADAPT is shortlisted for the LIFE Award 2023 under the category CLIMATE ACTION.

June 2023

6 June 2023- LIFE Awards 23 winners revealed.

In addition to the LIFE Award 2023, the LIFE Citizens Award will be launched, where citizens themselves will vote for the best project! Don’t miss the opportunity to vote for LIFE METRO ADAPT at this link!

***

LIFE METRO ADAPT is on Facebook and Twitter

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The European Union was founded on fundamental values such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. 

For more than a year, these same values have been endangered in Ukraine. For more than a year, the Ukrainian people have been fighting to regain their land, their freedom and their democracy. But they are not fighting alone. 

In this significant period, which is the week before Europe Day (May 9), ALDA decides to leave for Ukraine to reaffirm its closeness and constant commitment to the nation and its people.

A team composed by ALDA Governing Board Member, Mr. Emir Coric, ALDA Secretary General, Mrs. Antonella Valmorbida, ALDA EaP, Russia & Central Asia Coordinator, Mr. Alexandru Coica, the Consultant for LDAs development in Ukraine, Mr. Bartlomiej A. Ostrowski and the Director of Foster Europe, Mr. Stefan August Lutgenau, left on Tuesday May 2nd for a five-day mission to Ukraine.

It is fundamental to remember that in Europe there are those who fight every day to get back those same values that we celebrate on 9 May 

Despite the short timeframe, the schedule was tight. The first destination was the city of Odesa, where the ALDA team met several local civil society organisations with whom to have an intense and interesting discussion on their work in supporting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and other disadvantaged groups.

The meeting was followed by the encounter with the Head of the Odesa Rayon Council, Mr. Vitalii Barvinenko, ALDA member and partner, to enhance the already strong partnership and discuss future possibilities of cooperation. 

The second and last destination was Vinnytsia, where ALDA representatives met Deputy Mayor of the Vinnytsia City Council, Ms. Halyna Yakubovych, and signed the official application form to become an ALDA member, and thus begin to develop a strong and resilient relationship, marked by the promotion and support of democracy in Ukraine and beyond.

The mission also served to lay the foundation for a long-term project: the creation of two Local Democracy Agencies in the cities of Odesa and Vinnytsia. As stated by the words of Mr. Emir Coric, ALDA Governing Board Member: “The Local Democracy Agencies proved to be an excellent instrument of cooperation in difficult times, both for the reconstruction of the country and for the restoration of peace”. 

With already two Local Democracy Agencies in the country, LDA Mariupol and LDA Dnipro, the opening of two additional agencies would allow for greater cohesion and would strengthen the bridge created between the Association and Ukraine. 

These intense days served to reaffirm ALDA’s continued commitment to the Ukrainian nation and people, strengthening existing ties and creating new ones, with one common goal: to strengthen democracy, citizen participation and return to a free and peaceful country.

In the important period leading up to Europe Day, it is fundamental to remember that in Europe there are those who fight everyday to get back those same values that we celebrate on 9 May. 

ALDA’s mission to Ukraine ends here, but the Association’s commitment to the country and its people continues unceasingly.

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As citizens and decision makers of tomorrow, ALDA works tirelessly to empower younger generations and amplify their voice on societal utmost topics, such as climate change and social inequality. As a matter of fact, aiming at reinforcing this action, ALDA promoted a debate workshop at the Liceé Fresnel in France, which took place on 27 & 28 February 2023. 

The  workshop, (fuelled by the DEAR project Climate of Change) was meant as an educational activity to provide young students with the necessary and relevant tools to stand and support an argument. Furthermore, as the project’s framework stands, the workshop allowed them to get more familiarised with climate change and issues related to it, such as climate justice and climate induced migration. 

On the first day of the workshop, the facilitators introduced the concept of persuasion and its three modes ETHOS, PHATOS, and LOGOS. These modes are the principles to convince the audience with strong and rational arguments, and each one includes a different approach to the audience.

Click here and watch the video of the #ClimateofChange workshop!

Ethos refers to credibility, ethics or values while the speaker exposes his/her arguments. Pathos, on the other hand, is related to the emotions and feelings the audience experiences. Finally, Logos is equivalent to logic and rationality, meaning that concrete and realistic facts are used to convince the public of statistics or charts.  

On the second and last day of the workshop, the high school students were divided into groups, and the purpose was to put into practice what they learned during the first day, along with developing critical thinking. The activity consisted of elaborating pros and cons arguments on low-cost tourism and its eventual consequences as an economic opportunity or a risk to the environment.

The educational objectives were to present the message in a concise, effective and clear manner; to arouse curiosity and maintain attention while speaking; to control the body, voice and words to send the right signals, and speak with full awareness and confidence. 

In conclusion, along with the workshop activities, the students were introduced to the project #ClimateofChange and the activities implemented so far. Young people’s awareness and voice on environmental issues are fundamental for better solutions.

Click here to watch the #ClimateofChange video!

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Youth is not the future, it is the present: the engine of innovation for the construction of a solid tomorrow’s society. 

ALDA knows it very well and as an active promoter of youth empowerment projects in the local area, participated in the event « What kind of future if we do not invest in young people? », which happened last April 20.

The debate took place at the “Agorà del Centro Culturale S. Paolo” in Vicenza (IT) and was strongly promoted by organisations working with and for youth in the city and its surroundings, including ALDA. In light of the upcoming elections 2023-2028 for the renewal of local administration, experiences, reflections and proposals were presented to the Mayoral candidates and city councillors, who in turn presented the strategy by which they intend to enhance new generations and invest in educational, social and relational dynamics, structures and services with a regard for greater inclusion and active youth involvement. 

Associations’ spokesmen promoting the meeting expressed the local civil society’s shared point of view on urgent issues and needs that have been emerging among new generations, especially after the pandemic. The theme was addressed from cultural, social and health perspectives in the first place, but the active participation of young people in local contexts has been an interesting theme which stimulated ideas that finally put youth at the centre as future citizens and potential local administrators. 

Active participation of young people in local contexts at the centre of the debate

ALDA’s point of view was brought to the table by an historical member and active partner, La Piccionaia, a network of artists that realises and proposes activities of pedagogy of art for children, teenagers and adults. Moreover, associations highlighted the importance of looking out for the future of new generations through the present investment, because it means having an idea and a vision of the City to share with all generations. 

ALDA’s unique expertise gained during its over 20 years of activity as a stakeholder in the field of youth empowerment, engagement and inclusion will continue serving local initiatives that put young people in a position to be heard. ALDA firmly believes that the crucial outcome of this meeting will be strongly considered by future candidates while drafting their election programmes in which hopefully youth will be put at the centre. 

ALDA has confidence in the future of Vicenza and in his next leader that will optimistically turn a large spotlight on young people in the interest of all generations, the economy and the quality of public life.

Open up the discussion, listen to the voice of civil society and build on it to make future choices: a useful exercise and a good practice not only for Vicenza, but to be replicated in different local contexts.

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Since January 2022, ALDA has been implementing the STAND-UP project – STANDing UP against hate in the EU. The project aims to counter hate in the European Union by creating a comprehensive framework for opposing hate crimes that cover all parts of the countering hate crime, reporting, investigation, prosecution and prevention (RIPP) process, embedded in a victim support framework. After the thematic focus groups were held in the countries part of the project implementation namely Italy, Greece and Spain, data were collected and analysed for drafting the content of the STAND-UP Handbook. 

The project impact lies in the cooperation between state authorities; e.g. Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Ordinary Court of Trento and the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Ordinary Court of Venice and organisations. These actors were able to share their expertise and experiences, certainly different, regarding the topic, obtaining a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the problems concerning hate crimes in the three countries mentioned above. 

The STAND-UP Handbook is a useful tool to support the victims of hate crime and hate speech

Thus, the STAND-UP Handbook is intended to be a practical tool for Civil Society Organisations and Law Enforcement Authorities that receive and report hate crimes. It explains how these two institutions can work together to safeguard the targeted group from re-victimisation. The manual contains some practical tools as examples of good practices put in place by several other countries and a checklist of potential questions that can be asked during interviews.  The workbook also comprehends special guidelines on how to address the victim, especially if the victim is part of a minority group. 

The Handbook is a useful tool for hate crime and hate speech victims. It offers practical advice to victims on how to report the crime and whom and where to consult or contact.

For instance, there are names, addresses and contacts of institutions and organisations fighting hate crimes within the three countries involved in the project. 

This Handbook represents an important achievement for the project consortium and a useful instrument for countering hate in the European Union. 

Read the STAND-UP Handbook by clicking here. 

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Are you ready for the Buk Festival 2023? 

The Buk Festival of small and medium publishing is an event conceived by Mr. Francesco Zarzana, ALDA vice president, and organised by Progettarte Officina Culturale (ALDA member), with the intention of giving space and a voice to the hundreds of small Italian and other publishers who present their rich cultural offerings every year.

This year’s Buk Festival will be held in Modena (Italy) on May 6 & 7, 2023. 

But Buk is not just an exhibition: with numerous side events, including book presentations, lectures and debates on major themes, creative literary readings, workshops and meetings with authors and prominent figures from the world of culture, Buk is a landmark initiative on the national and international cultural scene.

This year ALDA will participate in the Festival by presenting  two projects to the public: INCLUDATE and SHAPE.

Join the Buk Festival 2023!

On May 6, at 2.30 p.m., there will be a debate on the INCLUDATE project.

ALDA plays an important role in fostering inclusion through its European project opportunities and capacities. ALDA’s Gender, Inclusion, and Human Rights Hub is active in implementing and developing projects that benefit from European funding such as CERV and Erasmus+ programmes, aimed at addressing and promoting issues, such as gender equality, inclusion, and anti-discrimination. 

INCLUDATE (Educating for Inclusion) is a project developed within the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme. The project activities directly aim at the inclusion of people with fewer opportunities, especially migrants, who are subject to intersectional marginalisation through a combination of ethnic discrimination and socio-economic deprivation. 

Two speakers will participate in the discussion:

1- Ms. Leila Aoujdad, president of “Femme et diversité”, a French organisation based in Lyon. Ms. Aoujdad works to promote the socio-cultural (as well as labour) integration of women from the Maghreb. Her speech will be translated from French.

2- Ms. Vittorina Maestroni, president of “Associazione Centro Documentazione Donna” in Modena – an institution funded by the Municipality and the region of Emilia Romagna.

On May 7, at 11:30am, the ‘Modena international friends’ initiative will be held.

This initiative aims to gather foreign young people in the city of Modena, promoting a small round table among young people entitled ‘HOME’, intended as a place that welcomes. The event will be held in English.

During this initiative, the SHAPE project will be brought as an example. SHAPE « Sharing Actions for Participation and Empowerment of migrant communities and Local Authorities », is a 24 months European project funded by the European AMIF programme and of which ALDA, with the participation of WeWorld, is the coordinator. The project aims to promote the participation of people with a migrant background in democratic processes and in the design and implementation of integration policies at local, national and European level. 

So, what are you waiting for? Join the Buk Festival 2023!

ALDA staff looks forward to welcoming you!

Discover more about the Festival’s programme by clicking here.

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

Almost a year has passed since 9 young people aged 18 to 28 joined ALDA through the project LED – Lighting Europe and Democracy, as civil service volunteers. 

The project, aimed at promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, gave the volunteers the possibility to engage in several activities on topics extremely dear to ALDA such as the promotion of democracy, good governance, peace and the collaboration among countries in Europe and beyond. In addition, it enabled them to acquire new skills for personal and professional development as well as the opportunity of exploring other countries and cultures. 

Having almost reached the end of this year of civil service, the LED project volunteers recount their experience passing the baton to the news ones, who will undergo an amazing journey thanks to the EU LIVES project – Leverage for Initiating Volunteering in Europe and Surroundings.

« It is difficult to condense a year’s worth of experiences into a few lines. Having to make a selection, I would say that this experience was enriching, formative, and, to be honest, the time went by too fast. The ALDA office in Skopje lived up to my expectations in terms of skills acquired and activities implemented. It is good to feel part of the democratisation process in Southeastern Europe. » – Nicola

« I would say that my experience at ALDA was intense and super positive: I’m grateful I had the opportunity to grow both in my job and as a person. » – Carlotta

« This year abroad volunteering for ALDA has been an incredible learning experience. I love having colleagues from all over Europe and beyond and developing relations with both institutions and civil society organisations while living in Strasbourg, the cutest French city I have ever been to! » – Veronica

« It has been an amazing working and personal experience! I have learnt a lot at work, met interesting people from different parts of Europe, and shared precious moments with my colleagues in the wonderful city of Strasbourg. » – Cristina.

« My experience at ALDA these past months has been enriching and challenging: I experienced Brussels vibrating work life, being close to the EU institutions and ALDA gave me the chance to be part of all this, while teaching me skills for life. » – Manal

« During this year at ALDA, I have had the incredible opportunity of learning how to develop a project from knowledgeable and passionate colleagues. I have also experienced the Skopje team’s commitment to local democracy and the European integration of the Western Balkans. Watching the hard work done every day in ALDA, and knowing that you share the same values as the people you work with, made my experience here truly inspiring. » – Alessia

DOCUMENTS

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The Ena Creator project sought to contribute to the creation of a culture of initiative and leadership for 15 young people between the ages of 12 and 16 through reflective, artistic, cultural and design-thinking activities with the aim of integrating them into the community. The project lasted four months, from November 2022 to March 2023.

In addition, the project aimed to build a culture of initiative, leadership and life skills for vulnerable young school dropouts through creative and exploratory ways. It helped introduce them to entrepreneurship and work principles through planning, teamwork and design thinking activities. The aim was to connect them with the local community through field visits and community mobilisation.

The approach used is inclusive and duly adapted to the capacities of the participants and their learning abilities. It is also collaborative in that it relies heavily on the cooperation of various stakeholders, such as CDIS (Public Centre for Advocacy and Social Integration) staff, the LDA team, facilitators, local artisans and family members.

The project is a follow-up to fellow Maroua Ghith’s participation in the Professional Fellowship Program PFP, sponsored by the US Department of State, Bureau of Culture and Education, and administered by Legacy International. The fellow implemented the project with the support of the Local Democracy Agency Kairouan-Tunisia.

The fellow, due to her placement in Washington DC at the Project Create arts centre, endeavoured to contact several key stakeholders, who were extremely important for the project and its objectives. 

The target group consisted of 15 children between the ages of 12 and 16, who belong to the Centre de Défense et D’Integration Sociale (CDIS), a public institution attached to the Ministry of Social Affairs. The mission of the institution is to provide services to vulnerable young people who have dropped out of school and are under the age of 16, in order to protect them from risky behaviour. Young people with disabilities from partner organisations also participated in some project activities.

 The Joint Civil Society and Democracy Organisations’ Priorities for the Defence of Democracy Package aims at strengthening democratic resilience, at promoting, supporting and protecting democracy worldwide

Project activities:

The project implemented 03 sets of activities which included community meetings and multi-stakeholder meetings where more than 20 actors participated. The topic of discussion was the role of culture in the economic inclusion of youth. The first set of activities also included two family meetings on learning and behavioural disorders and agricultural economic inclusion.

The second set of activities consisted in capacity-building training covering communication and leadership, qualities and characteristics of the young entrepreneur, mind-mapping activities to analyse the problems of the local context, and how to plan activities through applying the business canvas model.

Finally, the Ena Creator project included field visits to the National Museum of Islamic Art and a craft workshop using cartoons to create prototypes of monument silhouettes. It was also possible to organise a tour of the old city of Medina, where numerous traditional shops are located.

Results:

The 15 young people gained new knowledge about communication and the approach to communicating their needs and aspirations. They also participated in training sessions on entrepreneurship (e.g. entrepreneurial qualities, ideation through mind-mapping activities and action plans using the Business Canvas model). They developed 03 action plans that they designed in teams.

The project helped participants learn more about their communities and their history through field visits to different cultural sites and explored the different ways in which culture, art and heritage can be harnessed in successful careers.

Furthermore, about 25 local stakeholders (social affairs representatives, civil society organizations, CDIS staff, families, academics, cultural associations, and other actors…etc) participated in the different activities, discussing about the role of culture, heritage, and artwork in the economic inclusion of vulnerable youth, and exchanging ideas and best practices.

This work helped the target group to connect with professionals and institutions. It helped them building their capacities and imagine their future path at a young age and connect with their local culture as a source of identity and social and economic inclusion.

DOCUMENTS

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“We need to better shield ourselves from malign interference. This is why we will present a Defence of Democracy Package. It will bring covert foreign influence and shady funding to light. We will not allow any autocracy’s Trojan horses to attack our democracies from within.” With these words, on 13 September 2022, European Commission President Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, announced the Defence of Democracy Package EC’s initiative, aimed at strengthening democratic resilience, at promoting, supporting and protecting democracy worldwide following the guidelines emerged by the Conference on the Future of Europe. 

The Defence of Democracy Package initiative was welcomed by 47 organisations, among which ALDA, based in Europe and active in the fields of democracy, human rights and rule of law, which decided to gather contributions and recommendations on how to defend their political systems and contribute to strengthening democracy worldwide.

The Joint Civil Society and Democracy Organisations’ Priorities for the Defence of Democracy Package aims at strengthening democratic resilience, at promoting, supporting and protecting democracy worldwide

We welcome the fact that discussions on the Defence of Democracy package have expanded beyond an overwhelming emphasis on foreign interference. Challenges to democracy come from within Europe as well. We collectively insist that any measures made to tackle foreign interference must be made carefully and with due regard for international human rights law, the Charter of Fundamental Values, article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and the European policy-making processes. Without clear assessments and definitions within the measures, there is a risk any proposal can be weaponised against pro-democratic actors by those seeking to undermine democracy. The risk is not theoretical – foreign interference has been used in many countries around the world already to stifle media, journalists, civil society and political opposition.

Due to this, it is extremely important for the European Commission to ensure that the initiatives contained in the Defense of Democracy Package reinforce fundamental rights and go beyond reiterating existing policy initiatives. 

This contribution contains recommendations in several areas namely, civil society, civic space and active citizenship; European elections; disinformation; the online public sphere; independent media and journalism; and foreign interference. As also stated by Mr. Toma Sutic, Member of the Cabinet of the Vice President for Democracy and Demography, Commissioner Dubravka Šuica during the last ALDATalk: “Democracy can only thrive if citizens contribute and participate. Democracy is what happens between elections, not at the ballot box” – said Mr. Sutic. “The European Commission supports and empowers civil society organisations because they safeguard social cohesion and democracy itself” – continued Mr. Sutic, highlighting how an effective action in all of the above-mentioned areas will be essential to protect democracy towards the 2024 European Parliament elections and they should therefore be covered by the Defence of Democracy Package.

Read the full paper here. 

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

Everyone all over Europe and beyond is committed to help refugees from Ukraine. This is the case of the “Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland” as well. Thus, the two countries share a border of more than 500 km, and in these days exactly this border has become a destination of many. Among them: the municipalities located in the Bieszczady and Lesko poviats [counties].

Yet, the towns and cities bordering directly with Ukraine are now struggling to provide care to people escaping the war.  At the same time, these spots are the first places where refugees arrive, right after crossing the border, and this is where they expect to receive help.

“Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland” has launched an initiative in order to provide help to the town and cities located especially on the border

Therefore, on behalf of these municipalities, the “Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland” has launched an initiative in order to provide help, especially in terms of:

  • food products (especially those with an extended shelf life); 
  • bottled water, drinks and fruit juices; 
  • sleeping bags, duvets, blankets, mats, pillows etc.; 
  • personal hygiene products; dressings; 
  • drugs and medicinal products (especially painkillers, protective ointments, disinfectants, anti-inflammatory and anti-emetic agents, etc.)

To enable the proper selection of aid and its transport, the Union provides the following address details of municipalities in need of support:                         

  • Municipalities in Bieszczady poviat [county]: 
    • Czarna Municipality, Mayor – Bogusław Kochanowicz e-mail: uwad@czarna.pl, phone:  (+48)13 461 90 09; 
    • Lutowiska Municipality, Head of the Municipality – Krzysztof Mróz e-mail: gmina@lutowiska.pl, phone: county  (+48)13 461 00 13; 
    • Ustrzyki Dolne Municipality, Mayor – Bartosz Romowicz e-mail: um@ustrzyki-dolne.pl, phone: (+48)13 460 80 00;
  • Municipalities in Lesko poviat [county]:  
    • Lesko Municipality, Mayor – Adam Snarski e-mail: gmina@lesko.pl, phone: (+48)13 469 66 15; 
    • Baligród Municipality, Mayor of the Municipality – Robert Stępień e-mail: gmina@baligrod.pl, phone: (+48)13 468 40 64; 
    • Cisna Municipality, Mayor of the Municipality – Renata Szczepańska e-mail: sekretariat@gminacisna.pl, phone: (+48)13 468 63 38;
    • Olszanica Municipality, Mayor of the Municipality – Krzysztof Zapała e-mail: gmina@olszanica.pl, phone: (+48)13 461 70 45; 
    • Municipality of Solina, Mayor – Adam Piątkowski e-mail: uwad@solina.pl, phone: (+48)13 469 21 18.

 ALDA supports the spread of its Members’ actions, such as “Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland”,  and initiatives to alleviate human suffering, in these terrible times of war.