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ALDA is pleased to announce that the next webinar in the ALDATalks series has been officially scheduled for September the 24th 2021, at 2 pm CEST.

The event is open exclusively to Members of ALDA, and it will be held online in English, with the possibility of French simultaneous translation.

The Conference for the Future of Europe (CoFoE)  represents a crucial occasion for the European Parliament, Council of Europe and European Commission to listen and collect citizens’ ideas and opinions on the future of the European Union. 

ALDA is organising various activities within the conference, which you are warmly invited to join, but this webinar specifically is a chance to share with members new tools and opportunities to understand how you and your organisation/s can contribute ideas, clarify any doubts and answer every question.

If you are a Member check your email and get the link to register!

Join ALDA’s active participation in the Conference and you too can give a meaningful contribution to the identification of the next European challenges and priorities! 

AGENDA 

  • Explanation of the concept and main objectives behind the CoFoE. By Antonella Valmorbida – General Secretary of ALDA and member of the Steering Committee of the Civil Society Convention
  • Presentation the Civil Society Convention on the Future of Europe, a joint declaration which ensures the effective involvement of citizens. By Ruth-Marie Henckes – Advocacy and Communications Coordinator at EPD – European Partnership for Democracy 
  • Explanation of how the  CoFoE platforms work and how you can contribute with your ideas, comments and suggestions By Sofia Gatteri – Communication Officer at ALDA 

ALDA invites its members to register at the following link!

#TheFutureIsYours

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What is the best way to learn?  Playing of course!

The “Game to EMbrace INtercultural education” – GEM IN project builds on this incentive to promote intercultural education by using non-formal and playful approaches, enhancing the acquisition of social and civic competences to young people.

The purpose of the project is to support intercultural education at school and in non-formal youth environments as a vehicle to foster social inclusion, cross-cultural dialogue and active citizenship by promoting European values.

At the same time, the project intends to provide inputs and policy recommendations for intervention strategies to promote intercultural education and active citizenship through an innovative educational framework.

What is the best way to learn?  Playing of course with GEM IN!

The educational framework’s aim is to be a guide for all the teachers, educators, project managers and people using the game as an educational resource thanks to its complete explanation of all the steps that were taken to create the game and its contents, keeping in mind the values and the methodology promoted through the whole project GEM IN

For example, during the piloting phase of the project in Cyprus, children had the opportunity to learn about another culture and what inclusion means through the game developed by GEM IN; and not even the covid-19 pandemic could stop this learning (by playing) experience when students were able to play and interact with the game online, as well as offering insightful and constructive feedback.

For more information, you can visit the project website.

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It is with great sorrow and profound sadness that we inform you that our colleague, Victor Cotruta, in charge of projects in Eastern Europe with our team in Chisinau, passed away yesterday, September 14th.

Victor will remain in our memory as a great colleague, motivated and committed to its work which he’s always carried on with a rare enthusiasm. But Victor was even a better person, goodhearted, helpful, and a real friend of many of us also outside work.

Victor had an experience of over 25 years working in the field of project management and coordination, with a particular focus on environment, participation and education.

He held a PhD in statistics and was Professor at the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, but his passion was the third sector, thus since 2009 when the Eastern Partnership (EaP) was launched, he was deeply involved in activities related to the promotion of the initiative, managing projects implemented in Moldova and in other EaP partner countries.

Before joining the team, he was already a partner of ALDA, through his own organisation in Moldova, working together with ALDA for the establishment of the Civil Society Forum for Eastern Partnership, where Victor and Antonella Valmorbida, ALDA Secretary General, were members of the Steering Committee for the first years.

We all were lucky enough to work with Victor and got a chance to see what a great man he was. We will terribly miss him.

Our Secretary General will attend the funerals in Chisinau with our colleagues, tomorrow.

In his memory, ALDA is announcing a day of mourning, on Monday September 20th, when all offices will be closed for a time of reflection in our network, with a moment of commemoration. More information will be sent to all colleagues, friends, and partners.

Our deepest sympathies to its family, his close colleagues in our Chisinau office, friends and to all who knew and loved him.

From 

Oriano Otocan, President of ALDA; 

Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General of ALDA; 

The whole Staff of ALDA; 

the Governing Board of ALDA 

The colleagues Delegates of the LDAs

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“It was an interesting trip and thank you very much for this project” – here is the comment of a young participant during the final conference of the project JOURNEY.

JOURNEY – Joint Organization to Unite Rural Networks of Entrepreneurial, funded by the Erasmus+ programme, was implemented by a consortium of 8 organizations from 5 countries: Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The online event was attended by a great number of participants and by several stakeholders, among which:

  • Mr Christelle Philips, Project officer of EACEA- European Education and Culture Executive Agency from the European Commission,
  • Mr Petro Krainik, National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine,
  • Ms Olha Oliinyk, Lead Coordinator of Journey Project and Deputy Head of the Secretariat Head of the Center for Сommunications, Еxternal relations and Fundraising of Vinnytsia Regional Association of Local Self Government Bodies

During its two years of implementation, JOURNEY worked to reduce youth unemployment in the countries of the Eastern Partnership by increasing the entrepreneurship competencies of youth living in rural areas. In this vein, the experts from the Associations “Microfinanza e Sviluppo ONLUS” Mr Matteo Solivo, “DYPALL Network” Mr Mateusz Hoffmann, and “Sustainable development solutions” Ms Silvia Bivol, shared their experience and knowledge in the field of the Erasmus for young entrepreneurs, the involvement of young people in rural entrepreneurship and skills of entrepreneurship.

Check the platform JOURNEY and discover the free online courses

The teams from Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, both mentors and trainees, expressed their positive experience and acquired knowledge and information within the programme.

Coming to the project achievement, JOURNEY proudly achieved all the planned results and objectives:
– 21 mentors trained;
– 1 course of 10 modules in 4 languages for rural youth;
– 9 online trainings (27 hours) for 3 target countries;
– the new web platform “JOURNEY”;
– 3 Stakeholders Committees to discuss about the main problems youth faced and the ways to support them;
– 10 Clubs of Young Entrepreneurs (6 local+1 central Club – in Ukraine, 2 – in Georgia and 1 – in Azerbaijan);
– 3 Follow-up workshops gathered 90 youngsters in Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan (face-to-face!);
– 1 digital Youth Exchange

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“Believe and invest in every single citizen” – with these words ALDA Secretary General – Antonella Valmorbida commented on the key role that democracy plays in our society. Yet, since its very beginning, the Association has been committed to spread democracy as a shared value, as well as a living condition. In light of that, on the occasion of Democracy Week 2021, ALDA is happy to celebrate this anniversary inviting everyone to play an active role! 

Yet, how to, and how is ALDA turning this complex idea into concrete actions? Check out these three examples on how the Association is making democracy a real fact!

1) Democracy is Choice, Freedom, Participation. 

Building conditions that allow people to live freely, to choose freely are among the milestones of Europe, as well as ALDA’s mission. Yet, making this possible is a daily exercise that requires the participation of different actors, and players. Having that in mind, it comes with itself that ALDA not only stimulates civic engagement, and citizens’ involvement; but it is also a crucial player in creating bridges between people and institutions. Thus, since the beginning of the 2021, ALDA is fully engaged in the Civil Society Convention on the Conference on the Future of Europe, having Ms. Valmorbida as elected member of the Steering Committee. Furthermore, the Association is actively promoting several events on the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) platform, and it will be glad to see many of its members, partners and friends online too, shaping the Future of Europe together.

2)Democracy is Synergy and Dialogue. 

Based on these two aspects as well as a multi-stakeholder approach, ALDA is committed to reach common goals together with its great network. Counting on more than 350 members, be they Local Authorities, Civil Society Organisations, and thanks to the 15 Local Democracy Agencies (LDAs), the Association is still investing in the development of a network composed of actors and representatives coming from the different components of communities. Thus, the idea is to support the development of democracy in Europe and beyond, as clearly explained within the ALDA flagship initiative ”European Support to Local Democracy” a valuable manual with concrete examples and tools on how to make democracy a reality.

3)Democracy is Glocal.
By supporting local democracy and citizens engagement in Europe, the Neighbourhood and beyond, ALDA is a strategic partner when it comes to localising Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Hence, when developing its projects, ALDA has the 17 SDGs in mind and designs its activities in order to not only raise awareness on them, but also to stimulate a change and promote concrete actions for their success. As testified by its projects, ALDA is able to turn international goals into a daily and local attitude, which calls on every citizen to join. 

Finally, democracy, as the origin of the word suggests [demos = people], is integral to the society and to its people. Hence, ALDA is very much committed, as demonstrated in more than 20 years of activities, to support citizens, organisations and bodies that are willing to make the difference and work for the implementation of it in Europe and beyond. 

Happy Democracy Week 2021 from ALDA!

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Actions to reform the media sector in Kyrgyzstan are going on, as never before… with Media Dialogue!

On one side, a campaign against hate speech – #ChallengeHate – has been launched on September 6th, by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and the Institute of Civic Development. Such a campaign comes right during the run up to the country’s Parliamentary elections… and that’s not the fate! Indeed, Media Dialogue wants to harness the power of the media in safeguarding conflict-free elections.

For this reason, last Wednesday September 8th, Alexandru Coica, ALDA Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe and Central Asia held a series of monitoring visits with the beneficiaries of the grants, aimed at stimulating a bigger impact at the local and national level.

The actions implemented allowed to test alternative business development strategies in the media sector

These grantees have implemented projects in the field of media entrepreneurship in Kyrgyzstan and the actions implemented allowed to test alternative business development strategies in the media sector and thus demonstrate their efficiency.

The meetings were attended by several organizations, as « TV Academy », LLC « Tentek », LLC « Bakai Nur Mega » (Next TV), PF « New Media » (Temirov Live).

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On September 17th 2021, ALDA is organising a special conference meeting to welcome the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2021.

The event will start at 12pm and will take place in hybrid form, with some participants and speakers in Novo Mesto and others connected online. Organised within the framework of the Week of Culture of Novo Mesto, the Conference will be launched by Antonella Valmorbida – Secretary General of ALDA and Steering Committee member of the Civil Society Convention on the Future of Europe. Ms Valmorbida will give participants a comprehensive overview of the significance and importance of the Conference as a unique opportunity for citizens from all over Europe to freely express opinions and suggestions that will shape European policies in the years to come.

Keeping in mind that in 2021 Slovenia is also celebrating 30 years of independence, the conference aims at offering an exchange platform for a fertile discussion on the recent history of the European Union, its past challenges and future perspectives, taking into consideration the key role of citizens in shaping the future of the Union.

A discussion on the recent history of the European Union, its past, challenges and future perspectives

The first project in the spotlight, the project DESIRE, funded by the Europe for Citizens programme, focuses on the importance of the Schumann Declaration for the constitution of the European Union;  follows the project PERCEPTIONS which is working to identifying and understanding the narratives and (mis)perceptions of the European Union in non-EU countries.  Finally, we will talk about DEVOTE, a project aiming to strengthen the integration of students with migrant background in schools, prevent early school leaving and improve their success in education by providing training, coaching and guidance to teachers.

To join the conference online, register through this link

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With great enthusiasm LDA Kairouan Tunisia organized an art and theatre show – performed by 30 young people with disabilities. Performers, aged between 8 and 30 years old, had different disabilities ranging from mental disability and autism to motor disability and deafness. Yet, this is exactly the plus that made this initiative a touching and great moment.

Resulting from a consistent and committed work of 8-month theatre workshops, the show presented variety of artistic performances from poetry and singing to theatre and dancing. The delight and excitement of participants, their energetic and dynamic movements on stage, and their embodiment of the characters they played echoed the success of the show.

The young performers belonged to three specialized rehabilitation centers for people with disabilities: Association for Supporting the Hearing Impaired (ASDA), The General Association for The Physically Impaired (AGIM), and The National Union for The Mentally Impaired (UTAIM).

Inclusivity is the keyword to social theatre!
« Theatre is for everyone » – Tunisia

More about the show!

Youth with autism and mental disabilities performed choreographies, by wearing traditional outfits. Their vivid and harmonious dancing, inspired by Tunisian folklore, sparked joy and excitement.

Moreover, participants with deafness disabilities performed an amusing theatrical piece based on mime, tackling social and humanitarian issues revolving around justice, perseverance, love, and kindness. Thrilling music accompanied the performers who relied on their expressive facial expressions and agile body movements.

Yet, this in not everything! Wearing white outfits, actors with physical disabilities performed a piece of theatre that addressed discrimination and unemployment as a form of self-advocacy. The story, unfolded in an imaginary land, was located between life and death. Some of the characters yearned for life while others disagreed as they found death the path to salvation from their hardships.

Inclusivity is the keyword to the social theatre!

The objective was to provide a platform for inclusion, personal growth, and soft skills training. The social theatre was a great source of learning through its dramatic games, inclusivity, encouraging expression, and openness to self and others. Indeed, educators and theatre operators noticed the stunning development in the participants’ linguistic, social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills. Driven by passion and joy, pupils learned a set of new competencies and best practices from their teachers and also from each other.

Awareness about worldwide humanitarian issues

Youth actively contributed to the scenario by providing their visions and suggestions about themes, plot, and characters. They also came up with the idea of giving tribute to Palestinian children who lost their lives during the last attack on Gaza. Through their action, they proved that they do not live in a small bubble but are also interested in global and humanitarian issues.

The project aims to promote the rights of people with disabilities and to create a culture of inclusion through theatre. Indeed, the success of this activity is the outcome of the supervision and effort of the whole partners, and also thanks to the unwavering trust of parents and the youth in the importance of their participation and belief in their capacities.

***

This activity is part of the project “Ricomincio Da Te” (Starting from You) co-financed by the Italian Agency of Cooperation for Development (AICs), in partnership with COPE Italy, LDA Tunisia, Kairouan municipality, Social Affairs Tunisian ministry, and the rehabilitation centers in Kairouan ASDA, AGIM, UTAIM.

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On September 2nd and 3rd, at Hotel Continental in the City of Skopje in North Macedonia, the Regional Best Practice Fair was held, organized by the Balkan Network for Local Democracy. The nature of the event was a hybrid meeting, with participants and presenters both in person and through the zoom platform online. 30 participants joined the event, together with the speakers. The latter, thanks to interpreters were able to speak their respective languages, giving to the initiative a great international atmosphere.

Presentations and discussions on data related to several matters, be they: self-government, participation, CSOs, were on the agenda. Moreover, various case studies of individual community practices in the Western Balkan 6 Countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) and among 9 communities regarding topics such as active citizenship, decision-making. Besides, the overall initiative culminated in a digital activity in which participants voted through their phones, while sharing their ideas through the Slido app.

Progress has been made, as clearly demonstrated during the fair

In addition, findings presented by the researchers will be used on a national and regional level as a basis for further development of civil society; as well as advocation for the interests of citizens among the Western Balkans. Hence, getting citizens, especially youth, more involved and informed with local self-government is among the goals of this initiatives. Many examples of mobilization and promotion of values of active citizenship, such as:

  • Youth podcast,
  • An initiative to get local elections back in the city of Mostar,
  • Promotional videos,
  • Spreading of environmental consciousness though a booklet

were among the individual municipality cases presented. Overall, this event showed that there are still ways to considerer, regarding the enrichment of local democracy, but progress has been made, as clearly demonstrated during the Fair. Hence, many best practices were highlighted, and many more are still to be done.

***
This event is part of the project “CSOs Networking for Better Local Democracy in the Balkans”, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA),and implemented by the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN). It included participants from various groups such as CSOs, youth groups, BNLD members, certain national stakeholders, etc.

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In the afternoon of Monday 6 September was held, at the Council Chamber of the Town Hall of Thiene, a training event on the Conference on the Future of Europe and the annexed presentation of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, organised by SEI – European Intermunicipal Service with the collaboration of ALDA+, ALDA’s Benefit Company, which has been working for over 20 years in favour of local realities in Italy and across Europe, promoting the active participation of citizens and helping administrations and associations to access the funding tools offered by the European Union, and beyond.

After the welcome by the local authorities, the meeting opened with a speech by Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General of ALDA on the Conference on the Future of Europe. Valmorbida offered participants a comprehensive overview not only of the meaning and importance of the Conference as a unique opportunity for citizens from all over Europe to freely express opinions and suggestions that will shape European policies in the coming years. More importantly, the Secretary General of ALDA offered a practical demonstration on the use of the online platform that allows citizens to interact, showing them how to register, write their ideas and discuss those of others, search for events in their surroundings.

Since its foundation, ALDA+ supports municipalities in accessing EU and non EU funding for the good of local communities

The conference continued on a European note with the presentation of the New Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union, by Marco Boaria, Director of Programmes & Development Department of ALDA and CEO of ALDA+. This investment plan sets out the budget and priorities on which the European Union wants to invest from now until 2027 – explained Boaria – adding that it is an unprecedented economic investment plan, which together with the 750 billion euro « Next Generation EU » recovery tool, should represent a valuable instrument for the recovery from the covid-19 pandemic.

Finally, Marco Boaria presented the new funding programmes, which municipalities will be able to try to access and obtain precious funds for the realisation of works useful to the territory and citizens.

The meeting was addressed – among others – to the municipalities of the upper Vicenza area active in SEI, the Intermunicipal European Service coordinated by the Municipality of Thiene and involving Breganze, Marano Vicentino, Villaverla and Zugliano – as well as to the Municipality of Malo, interested in actively cooperating with SEI in the near future. The seminar was an opportunity to get informed about the news related to the new programming, in order to plan the SEI’s project activities in the coming months.

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ALDA+ has always been able to provide valuable and professional courses on several topics, and this time is glad to present a new course!

Developed in collaboration with Progetto Sud – Trade Union Institute for International Cooperation promoted by UIL – the labour trade union –   this training will have a strong focus on “Development cooperation: design and management techniques and methodologies”.

The training will start with two sessions on Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th of October, for a total of 5 modules.

Save your spot and register now!

Experts and professional will be at your disposal during the course, whose agenda will develop as follows:

  • module 1 – International development cooperation: actors, actions, themes
  • module 2 – Techniques, methodologies and tools for drafting development cooperation projects: a path to generate change
  • module 3 – EU Project management techniques: the management of a development cooperation project for lasting, sustainable and measurable change
  • module 4 – Financial reporting of projects: aspects, criteria and tools
  • module 5 – Working on a project proposal: reflection, analysis, processing and evaluation of the project idea

Check the AGENDA for more details and contact us by email for further info, at eleonora.bertin@alda-europe.eu

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As ALDA’s engagement in Turkey has becoming more and more intense, a new project focused on gender equality and women participation has just seen its official opening on Monday, September 6th, 2021.

Empowering women in local authorities: here is the title of this ambitious project, funded by the Sabanci Foundation in frame of the Social Change Grant Program and led by KA.DER – Association for Supporting of Women Candidates, the Municipality of Edremit and ALDA.

The project Empowering Women in Local Authorities will encourage women in joining participation mechanisms while mainstreaming gender equality at the local level. Moreover, it foresees the active involvement of 14 pilot provinces or district municipalities from every regions of Turkey, which will work to strengthen gender equality during the 12-month project period, under the guidance of the CEMR’s « European Charter of Equality in Local Life ».

As main goal, the project wants to empower the pilot municipalities for the establishment of Local Equality Action Plans and the implementation of the necessary strategies for including women into urban life and local decision-making processes. It also aims at establishing Gender Equality offices in the targeted municipalities, transferring the Turkish law od 6284 « Protect family and prevent violence against women » and the Istanbul Convention to the citizens, fulfilling gender-based budgeting techniques and designing permanent monitoring and evaluation mechanisms based on these results.

12 months, 1 goal: encourage women in joining participation mechanisms while mainstreaming gender equality at the local level

During this first online meeting all partners and donor were present and virtually met each. The conference started with opening speeches of Nuray Karaoglu, representing KA.DER Association, Selman Hasan Arslan and Tamer Acar for the Edremit Municipality and Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General of ALDA. 

Ms Valmorbida highlighted “the crucial importance this project has not only for the empowerment of the democratic functioning of the targeted local authorities, but as well for the empowerment of citizens, especially  women, to be part of such democratic process”. “Indeed – continued Ms Valmorbida – women engagement and empowerment is not yet acquainted and need to be consolidated« . 

The meeting then went on with the presentation of the project structures and main milestones and expected outcomes, for which the involvement of all project partners is required, reason why the session was followed by a space for questions in order to clarify all remaining doubts on the next steps and procedures.

This project is actually another great opportunity to cooperate with the Municipality of Edremit, which is already a member of ALDA and a partner for other projects. This cooperation is particularly significant because it is a beautiful consolidation of the connection between ALDA and Edremit because the process to open a brand new Local Democracy Agency there is coming to a close. This comes at a moment in time where the importance of  ALDA’s mission – its founding principles and promotion of active citizenship and democratisation – is particularly relevant for the country.

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From the 24th to the 26th of September 2021, the municipality of Lavarone will welcome European partners of the project DESIRE and the Rude Awakening. These 2 projects have similarities and differences that make them interesting. The first one is focusing on raising youth awareness on what the EU means and around the Schuman Declaration. This is done through a co-creative methodology by using art to speak about the EU.  The second one aims to make the museums more attractive for the younger generation. With this aim, a video game on the topic of WW1 has been created. The trailer has been released. (Find it out here)

It will be the first meeting in person for both projects which have started during the COVID19 pandemia. This meeting is a great opportunity to network, exchange best practices and create links between the partners. Lavarone and its peaceful nature is the right place for that. The ambition of the event is above all to start a strong-enlarged network of active and committed realities, linked together by past, present and future projects.

This meeting is a great opportunity to network, exchange best practices and create links between the partners

It will be a pleasure to share what we have done. So, stay tuned to discover what’s happened during the meeting!

→ About the DESIRE project

DEclaration of Schuman: Initiative for Revitalizing Europe (DESIRE) is a Europe for Citizens funded project. The project aims to raise people and especially youth’s awareness on the historical importance and the meaning of the Declaration of Schuman for the EU. The objective is to actively involve youth in approaching history in a proactive way. Through the co-creation of artistic tools, as videos, theatre, games, audio narratives, partners will accompany groups of youth citizens in re-discovering history and in debating on EU values as intercultural dialogue, peace and solidarity. The consortium is leading by Comune di Lavarone (Italy) and composed by Fondazione Belvedere-Gschwent (Italy), Union of bulgarian black sea local authorities (Bulgaria), Municipio de Valongo (Portugal), Danube 1245 (Serbia), Zdruzenie Institut za razvoj na zaednicata (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Administration Communale de Grez-Doiceau (Belgium), Fundacio de la Comunitat Valencia de Patrimoni Insdustrial i (Spain), Kulturni centar Osijek (Croatia), ALDA (France).

→ About “The Rude Awakening” project

“The Rude Awakening – a multimedia journey in the footsteps of frontline soldiers’ everyday life”, is a European project that aims to raise the awareness and interest of younger generations (between 13 to 20 years old) on the topic of war and peace. With the support of digital and audiovisual contents based on the stories of WWI soldiers, “The Rude Awakening” wants to lead a new educational and emotional perspective on war and peace, whereby visitors will learn by doing as they fill the shoes of a soldier all along the museum visit, thus better understanding war memories and soldier life thanks to technology. It’s a co-funded project by the European Union MEDIA programme, a sub-programme of Creative Europe, which gathered Fondazione Belvedere-Gschwent as the lead partner, and as project partners: Comune di Lavarone, ALDA, 101 Percento, Mémoire pour la vie, Gornjesavski Muzej Jesenice, Danube Connect, World of NGOs and the Macedonian Center of Photography. 

For more information on the project and how to join it, please contact the artistic Director, Mr Renzo Carbonera: progetti@fortebelvedere.org

ALDA looks forward to this great event, which serves as a great occasion to discuss together about our common past and history.

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The steering committee meeting (COPIL) of the project AUTREMENT (Urban Planning of the Territory to REinvent Mobility and ENgage Tunisians), held on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, marked the end of the first year of the project.

The AUTREMENT project aims to promote sustainable urban development in the Tunisian cities of Kairouan and Mahdia in order to improve the quality of life of their inhabitants and the attractiveness of the region’s economy and tourism.

The second meeting of the COPIL was an opportunity to review the first year of the project. Ms. Lysiane Humbert, Administrative, logistical and financial manager of the project, and Mr. Younes Aggoun, AUTREMENT head of mission, presented the progress of activities and discussed the project’s prospects at a time when the pandemic is severely hampering the implementation of the action plan.

This conference was marked by the virtual presence of representatives of the three local authorities’ partners of the project: Mr. Radhouen Bouden, Mayor of Kairouan, Ms. Julia Dumay, Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg in charge of international relations, Ms. Loubna Zouari, Deputy Mayor of Mahdia in charge of international partnerships.

One of the flagship events of the AUTREMENT project, « the bicycle parade, has demonstrated the dynamism of this network by gathering several dozen participants

Although disrupted by an unstable health context, this period allowed the coordination office in Kairouan to consolidate its presence on the ground, to launch its collaboration with the local and regional CSOs and to develop a cooperation with local authorities. One of the flagship events of the project, « the bicycle parade », organized last May, has rightly demonstrated the dynamism of this network by gathering several dozen participants. The video of the parade, viewed more than 600 times on social networks, also reflects the enthusiasm of Tunisians for this type of event.

However, the pandemic has not been without impact on the conduct of activities. The postponement of field missions, workshops and citizen consultations, as well as events in Kairouan and Mahdia, limited the action of the AUTREMENT project. The teams had to be creative in adapting to the health situation while carrying out as many of the planned activities as possible. For example, a training on cycling policies for agents and elected officials, scheduled for July 12 and 13, 2021 in face-to-face, took place instead in virtual format due to the deterioration of the health situation in Tunisia.

During the COPIL, the Mayor of Kairouan, Mr. Bouden, praised the resilience of the project teams in the face of the pandemic. Enthusiastic about the year to come, he recalled his commitment to the energy transition and announced the creation of a department of urban mobility in collaboration with the Tunisian Ministry of Transport. He expressed his wish to see AUTREMENT follow this dynamic through concrete actions.

Ms. Zouari, Deputy Mayor of Mahdia, was pleased with the success of the project among the citizens of her city. « The project is beginning to gain visibility in Mahdia and raises expectations, » she said.

Ms. Dumay, Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg, praised the adaptability of the teams and recalled that the project is fully in line with the priorities of ecological, social and democratic transition of the current mandate of Strasbourg and in the logic of sharing experiences and cooperation between municipalities.

For the coming months, capacity building and public space development are the guidelines of the course of action.

The project « AUTREMENT » involves the realization of 7 micro-projects in Kairouan and 3 soft circuits in Mahdia, in addition to the creation of a bike house in Kairouan.

In connection with the developments, awareness-raising activities and citizen consultations are scheduled, responding in particular to the wishes expressed by the elected officials of Kairouan and Mahdia.

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Summer 2021 marked a great moment as far as regional cooperation in the Balkan Region concerns., especially in regard to « Open Balkan » initiative. Thus, Prime Ministers, Rama and Zaev –  from Albania and North Macedonia respectively – and Serbian President Vučić agreed on abolishing border control among the three countries by 2023.

“Open Balkan”, this is the name of the regional cooperation initiative, is considered by Prime Minister Zaev as a key and fundamental action in order to develop both the economy and the everyday life of citizens living in this area. Zaev’s position is backed by the Albanian PM, who believed that “ all countries should be part of this process, because it is a benefit for them and their citizens”.

“Open Balkan” is intended to serve as a way to boost economic growth, foster free movement of people among the countries while supporting and promoting the tourist sector

Similarly, underlined the importance of having all countries involved in the process “because it is a benefit for them and their citizens”. From a general perspective, “Open Balkan” is intended to serve as a way to boost economic growth, foster free movement of people among the countries while supporting and promoting the tourist sector. 

Finally, this initiative was firstly discussed already in 2019, when the three representatives of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia met in Novi Sad, setting the base for the “Mini-Schengen” agreement. The latter took inspiration from the European “Schengen Agreement” – both as far as the name concerts, and – more importantly – in regard to the overall aim of this regional project.

***
This article has been written based on information found at the following link

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Let’s close the JOURNEY project with the final conference of the project and gather online to celebrate the work done by the consortium on 8th of September 2021.

After 3 years of implementation of various activities we can say that this initiative was worthy; having a huge impact on delivering an innovative approach in the field of entrepreneurial potential development in rural youth of the Eastern partnership (EaP) countries.

During the online final conference, the JOURNEY project will present the results of its work . At the same time, project partners will share their experiences while illustrating the main output of the project, be they: the launch of the project website, the deliver of trainings and online courses for youth entrepreneurs. In addition, activities targeted the preparation of mentors, the definition of  capacity building workshops for mentors and young people, as well as the creation of Clubs of Young Entrepreneurs, Youth Exchange.

This day will be also the occasion to gather experts: The latter will share their knowledge and experience in the field of entrepreneurship, while dialoguing with mentors, youth from Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan who have been involved in the project.

The JOURNEY project is to reduce youth unemployment in the countries of the Eastern Partnership and promote the development of entrepreneurial potential of rural youth

If you are interested in joining this event, please register here. The conference will take place on September 8th 2021 at 10h30 (CEST time).

Follow JOURNEY project on Facebook to stay up to date!

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About the “JOURNEY” project

The project “Joint Organization to Unite Rural Networks of Entrepreneurial Youth – JOURNEY” is a 36-month project, which was launched in May 2018 and it proposes an innovative approach in the field of entrepreneurial potential development in rural youth of the EaP countries – Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Rural youth employment in the countries of the Eastern Partnership is one of today’s most discussed topics. These countries need innovative solutions to reduce the level of youth unemployment in rural areas and develop entrepreneurial potential in the green economy for a sustainable development.

Rural youth have few opportunities for self-realization and employment in rural areas, therefore the project is intended to raise the level of knowledge of young people, adopting experience from the countries of the European Union.

It is implemented by 8 partners from 6 countries: Foundation PUBLICA FIDES from Poland, Ganja European Youth Capital 2016 from Azerbaijan, Vinnitsa Regional Development Agency from Ukraine, ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy from France, Kutaisi City Hall from Georgia, FORMA.Azione Srl from Italy, LDA Georgia, Vinnitsa Regional Association of Local Self Government Bodies from Ukraine.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission and co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

→ For more information about the Journey project, contact Viorica Bulat at:  viorica@alda-europe.eu

DOCUMENTS

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On the night of July 25, 2021, the Tunisian citizens spontaneously took to the streets celebrating the president’s exceptional decisions of freezing the parliament for 30 days- and voicing their wide support.

Before the president held an emergency meeting and announced his decisions, riots took place on 25 July despite the strict measures to prevent demonstrations and the fears of the rampant spread of COVID19.

The Tunisians wanted to express their deep dissatisfaction with the status quo. There was a shared feeling that representatives did not live up to the expectations and that they let down their electors.
The deteriorating purchase power, degenerated public facilities, widened inequality gap between the haves and the have nots, and the unprecedented levels of the budget deficit and public debt stirred social unrest.

Local Democracy Agency Tunisia is committed in its turn to reinforce democratic principles and values at local level

Hence, the revolutionary decisions reflect people’s will and demonstrations against both the government and parliament members. The Tunisians are now hopeful that the newly taken measures would lead to vital reforms. They consider it auspicious to reinforce accountability for those who misused their positions and contributed to the economic breakdown.

What about the democratic process?

10 Years ago, Tunisia ousted dictatorship and embarked on a promising yet challenging ongoing process to democratic transition. Today, civil society organizations and media outlets need to play a significant role to raise people’s awareness to actively participate, observe, and evaluate what is happening to ensure transparency, promotion of good governance, rights, and freedoms, especially freedom of expression.

Local Democracy Agency Tunisia is committed in its turn to reinforce democratic principles and values at local level through encouraging dialogue and civic engagement, and also through creating a synergy among all elements of the society.

During this fragile period of transition, it is crucial to create a clear roadmap to maintain democracy and guarantee justice and separation of powers.

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Article written by Afaf Zaddem from Local Democracy Agency Tunisia.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.

DOCUMENTS

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Statement by ALDA Vice President Mr Alessandro Perelli

All4Climate – Italy 2021 brings together all the events dedicated to the fight against climate change that will take place in Italy this year. The aim is to make 2021 a fundamental year for climate ambition. Launched by the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition in collaboration with the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate and with the participation of the Lombardy Region and the Municipality of Milan, All4Climate aims to promote an active and constructive dialogue on the challenges of the climate crisis and encourage the achievement of the objectives of the Paris Agreement. All4Climate represents an opportunity for all those involved in the fight against climate change to make a concrete contribution to the debate ahead of the Pre-COP26 hosted in Milan in September and the COP26 hosted by the UK in November.

The LIFE METRO ADAPT project will participate in the debate from the 21st to the 28th of September 2021 with the multi-days event entitled:

 « Climate change adaptation strategies and measures in the Metropolitan City of Milan ».

The event is the result of the project Metro Adapt – Strategies and Measures for Climate Change Adaptation in the Metropolitan City of Milan, which aims to promote the creation of a solid governance on climate change that is common to all local authorities and to produce the tools that allow them to implement efficient adaptation measures. It will alternate knowledge exchange initiatives with national and international experts with moments of entertainment and guided visits around the territory of the project implementation, with the final objective of bringing the topic of climate change and climate change adaptation strategies closer to public decision makers, technicians, municipalities, citizens, young people and students.

All4Climate – Italy 2021 brings together all the events dedicated to the fight against climate change

Below are the main scheduled meetings:

21st SEPTEMBER 2021:

  • 9.00-10.45 (CEST): International workshop (online): « Climate change adaptation strategies in European metropolitan areas »(EN): The workshop is addressed to national and international local and regional authorities and, specifically, to European metropolitan areas, with the aim of creating a space of dialogue and exchange of good practices of urban climate change adaptation. Furthermore, starting from the climate change adaptation strategy designed by LIFE Metro Adapt, it will boost a co-creation process leading to the co-design of a sustainability plan and to the creation of synergies and future collaboration opportunities among the participants. The meeting will be held online in English.
  • 11:00-13:00: Exchange meeting with the Climate Knowledge Network (IT). The objective of this interesting meeting is to share the Nature-Based Solutions monitoring tool created by the LIFE Metro Adapt Project and to stimulate the creation of synergies among the participants. The event will be held at Cascina Cuccagna, Via Cuccagna 2/4 ang. Via Muratori, Milan, in compliance with the health regulations and the Covid-19 social distancing and individual protection measures in force.
  • 14.30-18.30: Nature Based Solution Walking tour (IT). Participants will be guided through some of the most significant Nature Based Solutions in the Milan metropolitan area. Live guided tours will take place with a limited number of participants and upon registration, in compliance with the Covid-19 health and social distancing and individual protection measures in force.

24th SEPTEMBER 2021:

  • 20:30: Theatre show PALE BLUE DOT – PALLIDO PALLINO BLU (IT): A Jet Propulsion Theatre show by the Arditodesio Theatre Company. An incredible story of hope, wonder, and beauty, by and with Andrea Brunello, directed by Christian Di Domenico, music by Enrico Merlin. The evening will be introduced by the Metropolitan City of Milan and Legambiente Lombardia. After the show, participants will have the opportunity to dialogue with Andrea Brunello and the Project Team. The location is yet to be defined (Milan).

28 SEPTEMBER 2021:

  • 9:30-16:30: Final Conference of the Life Metro Adapt project (IT): The project partners will present the achieved results and the sustainability plan of the project, in order to give continuity to the process started, through the adoption of climate change adaptation measures and strategies in the metropolitan area of Milan. Afterwards, participants will be invited to share their knowledge and experience in three focus groups: i) Knowing the climate; ii) Climate change adaptation; iii) Communicating the climate. The focus groups will be followed by a moment of restitution of the results of the work in plenary session. The event will be held at Cascina Cuccagna, Via Cuccagna 2/4 ang. Via Muratori, Milan. It will be possible to follow the plenary sessions online, through the Go To Meeting platform.
  • 17:00: Photo contest awarding event (IT). Award ceremony for the winners of the photo contest « PhotoAdapt – The impacts of climate change in the Metropolitan City of Milan« .  The contest participants and their companions (maximum 2 per person) will be invited to an aperitif at Cascina Cuccagna, Via Cuccagna 2/4 ang. Via Muratori, Milan. The event will be streamed on the Metro Adapt Facebook Page.

We look forward to seeing you there!