AT A GLANCE
ALDA‘s purpose with this project, is to create and develop an Interregional Network whose overall objectives are: to exchange good practices, to promote innovation and know-how by multiplying relations between towns across Europe in the context of the Local Democracy Agenices’ network. The project will strengthen the links between 20 associations from 7 countries participating towns that are particularly involved in citizens’ participation issue and the promotion of EU values in the process of EU integration.
We plan to follow a dynamic method developing international activities supported by local working groups:
- 3 international events: a study visit (on decentralised cooperation and European Active Citizenship), a summer school (tackling EU policies and values on cooperation) and a final meeting on Policy Making
- Local initiatives (not mentioned in the grant calculator) will gather ideas and resources at the local level towards possible twinning initiatives
- A web-site and diverse support-material for local working groups and for the promotion of a complex structure as a multiple network of towns.
OBJECTIVES
The general objectives of the project are:
- Fostering citizens’ participation and interaction with local and EU institutions through debates on how to improve citizens’ involvement in public life at the local level.
- Raising awareness on EU common values such as democracy and participation, promoting thus Active European citizenship and European identity. By gathering together EU and pre accession countries, we will promote a shared identity in the wider Europe.
- Promoting the involvement of citizens in the EU decision-making process through expressions of local democracy. Making ordinary citizens aware of their responsibility and of the power that they can detain, we try to give them a greater sense of ownership of the EU.
- Creating a network that will promote intercultural dialogue. During international events citizen, particular attention will be paid to multilinguism and cultural diversity.
The most significant expected result is the creation of a Network of Towns that encourages town-twinning as a tool for a long lasting cooperation, especially in the field of citizens’ participation. We wish to create a wide-scale network to encourage the multiplication of cooperation agreements. Special attention is given to the EU integration process, focusing thus on eastern-western cooperation.
EXPECTED RESULTS
Through this project at least 250 persons of 7 different countries will acquire new information, knowledge and skills in the field of town twinning and contribute, thanks to their “new” role, to the setting-up of the multilateral network. At the local level, they will give thus higher importance to the implementation of local policies in the field of citizens’ participation, supporting civil society groups involved in the specific field.
The project will also directly reach 720 people through the different activities (local and international). The project will also have a relevant impact on a wide number of people who are indirectly involved in the project: especially through the publication, structured as a methodological tool, a wide number of citizens and civil society organizations will acquire new skills to better participate in the life of the community and to interact within the local authority also in the framework of twinning agreements.
Concerning the extension of the project, the project seeks to have an impact on different levels:
- local/national, through the local workshops and the awareness campaign
- European, through the international events
- transnational, through the final outputs
- e-dimension, mainly through the website
In terms of outcomes, we expect to create at least 10 new twinning agreements, having thus an impact on 10 different local communities.
MULTIPLIER EFFECT
The present proposal is based on the wide experience of ALDA in networking and seeks to set-up a network of networks of tows, multiplying thus the potential relations, chaining partners’ members in a large communication platform. All the partners belong to significant and relevant network at the European level and, therefore, grant an added valued in terms of multiplying effects. Another expected effect is the widening of citizens’ activities by further familiarizing them with the concepts of European identity and active citizenship.
