It is official: ALDA General Assembly is coming soon and with it a whole week of special events under the banner of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

***

ALDA is extremely proud to announce that its General Assembly 2021 is going to happen on Friday, June 25^th, at the end of an eventful week starting on Saturday, June 19^th.

Taking place completely online for the second time in its history (and hopefully the last!), ALDA General Assembly 2021 and its related events will follow a common theme, being ALDA as key stakeholder in stimulating productive dialogue and participation in the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Participation, Involvement, Dialogue, Citizens, Union, Shared Solutions, Democracy: those words are not only ALDA’s main values, but also the pillars of the CoFoE, whose main objective is to encourage citizens to share ideas on the Europe we want to live in and thus shaping our future together.

Within this framework, the General Assembly and the related events will match with the set of topics identified by the CoFoE (i.e. Climate change and environment, digital transformation, migration, European Democracy,…) and will serve to stimulate reflection and discussion on key issues for our future.

As we approach the General Assembly, on Thursday June 24^th ALDA Governing Board members will gather online, accompanying our members and networks in a crescendo up until the General Assembly and the Final Conference on Friday, June 25^th

IMPACT guidelines: social integration through performing arts is an innovative methodology resulting from the contribution of artists active in the field of social inclusion through arts coming from seven different countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Italy, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. The aim of the guidelines is to facilitate the design and implementation of workshops for social integration of migrants and local citizens, through the use of theatre and performing arts.

The promotional Video for Digital Education is a visual documentation of what the IMPACT project meant for the refugees and locals on personal level. Furthermore, it intends to show, to interested parties, how the proscribed strategies and pedagogy of methodology from the developed guidelines can be used during workshops.  The aim of the video is to promote cohesion, tolerance and joy to the outside by selling the methodology and showing the results of a self-directed group in a visual way.

The Guidelines and the Video for Digital education are easily accessible on the ALDA webpage and YouTube so the future artists and social workers can get inspired and us this unique methodology in their communities.

***
The project IMPACT is funded by the Erasmus+ programme and is implemented by the Coalition of Youth Organizations SEGA in cooperation with VIFIN – Videnscenter for Integration – Denmark, as lead partner, ALDA – France, La Piccionaia – Italy, LDA – Montenegro, LDA – Bosnia & Herzegovina, Association for Developing Voluntary Work – Novo Mesto and the Urban Development Center – Serbia.

As ALDA’s engagement becomes deeper stronger in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) area, we are very glad to announce that ALDA, in the person of the EaP regional coordinator Alexandru Coica, is actively engaged within the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (CSF EaP), as far as the Association Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova concerns. 

Signed on 27 June 2014, the Association Agreement entered into force on 1 July 2016, and according to article 442 a Civil Society Platform (CSP) should have been set, so that to have Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) –  from both EU and Moldova– involved “in order to keep them informed of, and gather input for, the implementation of this Agreement ».

Besides, the Platform organises regular meetings to discuss and share ideas, while making recommendations to the Association Council. 

“In order to keep them informed of, and gather input for, the implementation of this Agreement »

During the seventh meeting – held virtually on 30-31 March 2021 – the CSP tackled different key aspects and, among them, one can find:

•   The welcoming of the agenda of the  President of Moldova; without forgetting, yet, the concern on the polarisation of the country;
•   The attention on the Transparency International Index, focusing on the level of corruption in Moldova, as well as the dichotomy on salaries between male and female workers and the welcoming of the EU Focal Regions Programme;
•   The focus on the climate change, especially the willingness of the Republic to reduce emission by 70% by 2030

Furthermore,  the occasion served as a moment to discuss two issues more in depth. Starting with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions both on the social and economic development, CSP recognised and appreciated the EU and its Members States’ solidarity in supporting Moldova – through, for example, “Team Europe”. Yet, the importance of having an efficient communication strategy on vaccination campaign has also risen. 

In addition, on economic development,  the second issue above-mentioned, participants to the seventh meeting called on the Moldovan Government to postpone fiscal payments for companies and individual entrepreneurs and to increase unemployment subsidies. Furthermore, they also urge the need to have civil society involved, especially when it comes to discuss and define policies to address the current health crisis and its negative outcomes.

Finally, the overall health sector has been addressed also as far as its digitalisation concerns. The latter has been seen both as an opportunity to make the most of the EU4Digital initiatives; and as risk – meaning that it should not lead to cuts in services.

ALDA has actively contributed in this process and within the EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform, in order to make a concrete step forward while sharing its valuable knowledge and expertise.

Today, May 17th 2021, the ALDA Governing Board met online again, paving the way throughout our annual General Assembly, which will take place online on the 25th June in the framework of a week of events ALDA is organising towards the Conference on the Future of Europe.

The meeting was an occasion for debate and growth. Members of the Governing Board discussed several topics; from ALDA staff to LDAs, while focusing especially on strategies’ implementation, and on the role that ALDA will play as a global actor. Thus, as ALDA is enlarging, becoming day by day an even more strategic partner for institutions, local authorities and the world of organised civil society; the GB is now laying the foundation for making another step forward. Starting from our 20 years of experience and expertise in engaging people, associations and third parties from all over the world, the GB discussed about the concrete path to be followed in the upcoming months and years.  

In addition, ALDA – benefitting from newly elected Governing Board members’ networks – proposed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with LEADER France. The latter, created in 1997 on the initiative of rural territories involved in the European rural development programme LEADER, represents 339 LEADER territories, both of mainland France and overseas. 

ALDA is enlarging, becoming day by day an even more strategic partner for institutions and CSOs

Moreover, considering ALDA’s mission in promoting and stimulating local actors’ engagement, at today’s Governing Board meeting, the opportunity to join the “Paese dell’acqua » (“Land of water”) cultural association. Addressing the issues of water resources’ development and protection, “Paese dell’Acqua” facilitates the creation of a national and international network of professionals, while collecting good practices and promoting research.

As said, discussing the future steps to take, today’s meeting served as the occasion to prepare the General Assembly, which will take place during the second half of June. The Governing Board is sure that this year’s General Assembly will be a great opportunity for discussing and reflecting on the role of ALDA in light of the great challenges posed by the health-crisis and the role that the association has played at European level, providing great support to partners and institutions.

When it comes to concretely support and fund citizens’ engagement, as well as the implementation of rights and European values, a key tool to bear in mind is the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme – also known as CERV. The latter will tackle those areas, previously targeted by both the “Europe for Citizens” programme and the “Rights, Equality and Citizenship ” one. Yet, for the seven upcoming years, projects will all merge under this single programme –  CERV.

More into details, CERV has to be understood as a programme targeted to protect and promote both rights and values, which are enshrined in the Treaties, as well as in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Furthermore, it is intended to support CSOs and stakeholders actively involved in promoting democracy and citizens’ engagement at different levels: from local to international.

Support CSOs and stakeholders actively involved in promoting democracy and citizens’ engagement

Besides, the programme is divided into four pillars, each of which is focusing on a specific area: 

1. Union values: to protect, promote and raise awareness on rights. Within this pillar, financial support is given to CSOs working in this sector, and active in the strengthening of the democratic  framework;
2. Equality, Rights and Gender Equality: to promote rights, non-discrimination, equality, including gender equality. Projects supported by this pillar are targeted to – for example – fight discrimination, protect rights of the child and prople with disabilities;
3. Citizens’ engagement and participation: to encourage citizens’ involvement in the democratic life of the Union. This pillar is also designed to foster exchanges among Member States, and to raise awareness on the European history;
4. Daphne: to support and promote the victims of violence. Projects under this pillar are aimed to prevent and fight all forms of gender-based violence, of violence against children or other groups at risk

Concerning the budgetary aspect, the latter amounts to over 1.55 billion euros. Hence, CERV programme is included within the Cohesion, Resilience and Value heading, which is one of the seven ones listed within the Multiannual Financial Framework.  

In addition, CERV opens up to CSOs, stakeholders and any interested parties to join the CERV – Civil Dialogue Week 2021 taking place from May 25th to May 28th 2021.

As project developers, democracy and citizens’ participation promoter, ALDA is glad to learn that not only the final budget allocated has doubled, but also that great support has been given to these programmes, and to each player engaged in this sector. Thus, ALDA has always been committed to concretely turned values and principles of these programmes into concrete actions. For example, when it comes to “promote Unione Values” (pillar 1), one can think of the recently implemented DESIRE Project; focusing on the Schuman Declaration; or the successfully concluded GET UP project, when tackling “Equality, Rights and Gender Equality” (pillar 2). Last but not least, since day one ALDA has been a strategic partner to the European Commission, a relationship strengthened by worthwhile and constant “structural dialogue”, which has positively impacted on a wide number of communities in the EU and beyond.

Useful links:

• EU Regulation – establishing CERV
• Civil Dialogue Week – Agenda
• CERV – Published calls