DOCUMENTS

AT A GLANCE

ECRC project is conceived to foster the development of a stimulating environment for increased citizen participation on the national and European level through improved citizen organisations’ capacity and the establishment of effective civil society infrastructures.
The specific aim of the project is to create Citizen Resource Centres that will gradually develop into a common European citizen’s centre. They will have the characteristics of a civic resource centre on European matters, assisting the process of civic capacity building for effective participation in the European policy-making process.

OBJECTIVES

The project aims at achieving the following objectives:

  • Motivation and support for the NGOs and local authorities with regard to planning and strategic management of the project cycle of the “Europe for Citizens” Program;
  • Support the development of Europe-centred profile of functioning resource centres in the 7 EU countries in terms of resources, experience and knowledge, and build synergy among them;
  • Establishment and development of the capacity (knowledge and skills) of citizens, so that they are capable of actively participating in the policy-making;
  • Development of long-terms partnership between the different stakeholders (NGOs, local authorities, research centres) and enhancement of their knowledge of their importance as active civil moderators for the Programme;
  • Promotion of inter-cultural dialogue and European values, such as democracy, active civil society, citizenship, through the application of interactive innovative methods to popularise of the Programme.

ACTIVITIES

The project foresees 7 steps, having impact both at the local and at the European level.

Following the partnership building phase, the process is planned as follows:

  • Training for citizen moderators;
  • Establishment of 7 national and 1 European citizen’s centres and networks;
  • Local workshops under EfC Programme;
  • International meeting for citizens’ centres;
  • Open days at the local level;
  • Production phase;
  • Evaluation and follow-up.

DOCUMENTS

AT A GLANCE

This project aimed at providing an unbiased platform for debate and exchange of experiences and/or best practices on youth employment, young entrepreneurship and creativity by bringing together youth workers, youth leaders and young people. Its main objective was to search for a new way of thinking about work and entrepreneurship, more suitable to present time and to the current economic situation.
The activities carried out within NEW were a seminar in Arzignano, Italy; five National Youth Initiatives, one for each partners’ country, namely Italy, Greece, Malta, France and Czech Republic, and a Trans-National Youth exchange in Pelhrimov, Czech Republic.
All the activities involved about 1350 young people in the 5 countries, but also stakeholders, institutions, local enterprises that actively participated to develop the activities of the project.

OBJECTIVES

NEW envisages to achieve the following objectives:

  • Create an unbiased platform for debate and exchange of experiences;
  • provide best practices on youth employment, young entrepreneurship and creativity by bringing together youth workers, youth leaders and young people;
  • search for a new way of thinking about work and entrepreneurship, more suitable to present time and to the current economic situation, and trust worthier from young people.

ACTIVITIES

  • Seminar in Arzignano

A seminar took place in Arzignano, Italy, from 11 to 16 June 2012, which involved 35 youth leaders and youth workers from the different partner countries. The event provided a platform for reflection, discussion and exchange of good practices, around the topic of entrepreneurship. The Seminar was based on working groups and other non-formal learning activities.
During the seminar, the leader of the different national groups were directly involved in the activities flow: there were short evaluation and check meetings every day to discuss about the proposed activities and they become really an important support to develop and lead them. Every day all national groups were involved to develop simple activities like energizers, but they had also the opportunity to organize national evenings and national workshops about youth entrepreneurship.
Thereafter, each partner organization organized in its territory a youth initiative (between September 2012 and September 2013) to experiment and put in practice the ideas developed during the seminar, to give everyone an opportunity to be directly and actively involved in doing something concrete around the topic.

Round-table agenda

National youth initiatives took also place in the partners countries:

  • The Youth Initiative in Italy: “CreaCult”

A group of five Italian participants to the first phase of the project, the seminar in Arzignano, decided to raise the opportunity offered by the project to realize a local youth initiative about creativity and entrepreneurship. They were supported by the local Municipality (especially the Youth Policies Councillor), a mentor of the “Studio Progetto Social Cooperative” and the Youth Information Office. They helped the group of young people to find out their own personal resources and capacities, discuss about their thoughts and wills, inform themselves about the local context on the selected theme, focus the ideas to develop firstly their main goal and then the activity to be realized, the development phases and the division of tasks among them on the basis of their interests and capacities.
“CreaCult” represents an entrepreneurship experience doubly important for the young people involved: on one hand it fostered the diffusion of art in the everyday life and the visibility for the young artists who exposed their works, on the other hand the project realization itself was a real challenge which permitted to the organizers to prove and develop their personal and professional skills. The initiative ended with a final event which took place on 16 June 2013, where the young artists painted in the main place of the city on a mobile installation together with all the people who wanted to prove themselves in this way, producing spontaneously a common big work on a “false wall”.

  • The Youth Initiative in Greece: Info-point on awareness & networking for entrepreneurship

A group of young people, supported by ADEP SA, organized an info-point at their premises. The main aim was to transmit initial information on the matter of youth entrepreneurship and help those interested in it, to identify programmes they can exploit as well to reach the correct local bodies, so that to continue their effort without losing time and effort.

  • The Youth Initiative in Czech Republic: Active Youth Meeting

Four short seminars were organized about interculturality, youth opportunities and active citizenship.
The programs included various activities, like welcoming, introduction of programme, first block about opportunities for young people, presentation of EVS volunteer about his or her country and culture, group work on a particular topic connected with first presentation, presentations of group work, final discussion and evaluation of the whole event.
All the activities were run with non-formal education methodology, non-formal education methods – energizer, work in groups, evaluation. The partner organization helped the involved young people with all the preparation, realization and evaluation of the local activities, in collaboration with local high schools, internet servers and NGO organizations. The activities then involved young people from 13 till 30 years old.

  • The Youth Initiative in Malta

The Local Councils’ Association hosted a two-day event on the 6th – 7th May 2013 at the IPSE Training Facilities in Marsa.
The participants were carefully selected by the Local Councils’ Association so as to have the right mix for the project. At the end were chosen 18 participants in all to participate with their ages varying from 19 to 24 years of age.
The event featured various presentations and activities by key stakeholders in Malta dealing with youth unemployment and developing of skills.

  • The Youth Initiative in France: StrassTips

The French Youth initiative StrassTips gathered five young persons living in Strasbourg who opened a website with the aim to describe the climate for youth life and employment in Strasbourg and gave tips to interested individuals to establish in the city and develop their activities.
They would like to encourage young people to stay in Europe and support to the young exiled people. The aim of the activity was to inform students, recently degreed, unemployed young people about the opportunities and possibilities of the European market, helping them since the first step in their countries until their arrive in Strasbourg.
It supports the youth people to create more and equal opportunities in education and in the labour market (“employability dimension”) but also to promote the active engagement, social inclusion and solidarity of all young people (“participation dimension”).

  • The Youth Initiative in France: StrassTips

The final phase of the project is represented by a youth exchange (14 – 21 July 2013), which allowed participants to discover and become aware of different social and cultural realities, to promote mutual learning and to develop a entrepreneurial spirit by reinforcing their feeling of being European citizen.
Participants also had the opportunity to interact with the local community, through the town visit and the planned meetings with local stakeholders.
The overall outcome is the creation of a common-thinking platform among the participants and the promotion of an European vision of young people future in work and entrepreneurship.

DOCUMENTS

AT A GLANCE

TIC-TAC gathers 13 project partners and 10 associate partners from Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Macedonia, Malta, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. It is designed to increase awareness about the European Union, the Europe for Citizens Programme and opportunities for increasing citizen participation at local and European level. It promotes the four actions of the Europe for Citizens Programme and encourages quality projects under this programme among ALDA’s members and partners.

OBJECTIVES

The project aims at establishing partnerships between different stakeholders, local authorities, civil society organisations and research centres. It mainly raises their awareness about the importance to act as active citizenship activators and promote a greater sense of ownership of the EU and European values. The project aims also at providing training, information and cooperation opportunities within Europe for Citizens that would contribute to creating new partnerships and networks.

ACTIVITIES

The work-programme foresees the following main activities:

  • An international training course held in Brussels on 29th-31st March 2012 focused on the Europe for Citizens programme;
  • 12 Local Information Days disseminate the Europe for Citizens objectives locally
  1. Bratislava (Slovakia), April 21, 2012 – Event poster – Event agenda
  2. Osijek (Croatia), May 5th, 2012 – questionnaire for citizens, communication with citizens, dissemination of material, processing of feedback from citizens.
  3. Ireland, May 11th, 2012 – event organised by Leafair Community Association.
  4. Rubick (Albania), May 17th, 2012 – The Association of Albanian Municipalities (AAM) organised, in cooperation with the City of Rubick, a one-day event during the Saint “Buemi” Day. The Info-day was dedicated, among others, to the presentation of TIC-TAC and included different activities (workshops, cultural animation) on cultural traditions of the region and the European cultural heritage.
  5. Vejle (Denmark), May 22th, 2012 – event organised by the Municipality
  6. Sofia (Bulgaria), June 1st, 2012 – event organised by the Association of European Partnership in cooperation with the Municipality of Sofia
  7. Gazi Baba (municipality of Skopje) and Valandovo (Macedonia), June 12th and 14th, 2012 – two events organised by the Center for Institutional Development (CIRa). Skopje event agenda – Valandovo event agenda
  • An international 3-day Citizenship Fair, October 29th-31st October 2012 in Malta promoting exchange of good practices among partners and debating about the main challenges faced by local and European stakeholders in the field of democracy and citizen participation.

ASSOCIATE PARTNERS

Beside the project partners, TIC-TAC project benefits from the cooperation of 10 expert associate partners:

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DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

AT A GLANCE

The aim of the project TOYS is to tackle racism and discrimination among youth in sport by promoting social inclusion and integration, volunteering and active citizenship. The topic is particularly relevant due to the recent prevalence of high profile cases of racism and discrimination in the sporting world.
To tackle this issue that is evidently also manifested at the local level, a 5-day seminar encompassing numerous activities, debates, discussions and workshops, as well as indoor and outdoor sport activities, will explore the possibility of using sport in youth activities as a tool to challenge racism and discrimination.
The seminar will promote values such as volunteering, mutual understanding and cultural diversity among youth; core principles of European citizenship. By promoting these activities and values, TOYS hopes to contribute to the fight against discrimination and racism.

OBJECTIVES

TOYS envisages to achieve the following objectives:

  • To promote anti-discrimination and tolerance through sports
  • To highlight the strong relation between sport, healthy habits and active citizenship in a wide sense
  • To foster the European Year of Citizens, using sports as a way for civic engagement
  • To promote the social and personal development of the participants by using not only the critical thinking approach but also participants bodies through sport activities
  • To promote fundamental European values, such as democracy, solidarity, tolerance and respect for human rights
  • To strengthen the bonds between youth organisations with similar objectives in order to development a network of grass-roots sports institutions across Europe united in their stand against discrimination.

ACTIVITIES

The project’s main activity is a 5-day Seminar in Mesagne, Italy.

The seminar is conceived as a platform for discussion and exchange of good practice, based on theoretical and practical inputs on social inclusion, volunteering and active citizenship related to sport.

TOYS will bring together 46 participants from 9 countries such as Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Georgia, Italy, Kosovo and Moldova, taking part in this 8 months project.

The activities foreseen are:

1) Preparation phase

  • Promotion of the project by all partners at local and European level
  • Selection of suitable facilitators and speakers by all the partners
  • ICT tools will be used by facilitators/speakers to get in contact and define the detailed programme and methods of the Seminar; interested young people will also be invited to take part in the “on-line” preparation phase to give their contribution of ideas;
  • Recruitment of participants
  • Definition of accommodation, board, travel details, emergency and communication strategy issues

2) Implementation phase

Workshops, discussions, working groups, indoor and outdoor sport activities; public debates, role plays, intercultural activities, visits to institutions/organisations dealing with the topics of the project.

3) Evaluation and follow-up phase

All participants, together with the professional staff of all partners and facilitators and/or speakers, will define strengths, weaknesses, best practices and appropriate methods.

DOCUMENTS

AT A GLANCE

POPEYE brings together eight partners from six different European countries, namely France, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Croatia and Italy. The aim of the project is to involve disadvantaged youngsters from rural areas in their territories’ life, to provide them with a deep understanding of their areas’ economic and environmental demands and problems and of their potential role in local public life.

At the same time, POPEYE will meet the needs of the communities and youth the project is addressed to, by enhancing rural sustainable development through the promotion of organic farming while educating youngsters in environmental protection and providing them with professional contacts with local organic farmers.

OBJECTIVES

The project aims at achieving the following objectives:

  • The promotion of active participation in society among disadvantaged young people;
  • The enhancement of the sense of belonging to their communities and to Europe among the participants;
  • The raising of the participants’ environmental consciousness;
  • The creation of potentially professional opportunities and contacts around the participants;
  • The promotion of dialogue among young people and their communities and local authorities on relevant social themes and on issues regarding youth.

ACTIVITIES

POPEYE foresees 7 steps, having impact both at local and European level. Most of the activities will be implemented at the local level and through local contacts. ALDA will create a model of development of the activities and set the standards for their implementation, but their concrete management will be a partners’ task.

  1. Preparatory Activity: During Activity 1, each partner will identify and involve 40 economically, culturally or socially disadvantaged young people aged 15-25, living in its geographical area. The participants will be selected by the partner organisations, possibly in collaboration with local authorities so as to better identify the target groups in the areas concerned.
    During this same phase, the partners, in collaboration with local authorities and/or local associations of farmers, will identify and contact organic farmers potentially willing to cooperate with the project.
  2. Educational Activity: During this phase of the project, each local partner will organise a 5-days’ educational event for its participants, consisting in a 2 days of seminar and 3 days of training on ICT and digital mapping. At the end of this phase, each partner will select 10 participants willing to further contribute to the project. They will be the ones who will take part in the following activities.
  3. Digital mapping: During the third phase of the project, the selected participants (10 per partner) will contact the organic farmers of their geographical area and collect data about their geographical position, their features as producers and sellers as well as their characteristics as potential hosts of trainees.
  4. Development of the website: Each group of 10 participants will set up a “national” webpage bringing together all the information collected on the ground. The website, through dedicated filters, will list all the farms “mapped” under several items: country, typology of production and its special characteristics, characteristics of the proposed traineeship, availability of the traineeship in a certain period of time.
  5. Local dissemination events & promotion of the website among potential users: Each group of participants will organise a local event for disseminating the project results within the local community and especially among young people. Activity 5 will also be an occasion for promoting the concrete output of the project, the website, among other young people. Thus, not only the results of the project in terms of higher youth participation and lowered marginalisation will be disseminated, but a concrete tool for bringing young people closer to organic farming will be promoted among potential end users.
  6. Final international event: The event will be held in Strasbourg in February 2014. It will reunite 70 young participants (10 per partner) and 1 representative from each partner organisation. Each national group will be invited to showcase the results obtained during the project, with a particular focus on the involvement of its local community and local authorities in the project, on understanding its relevance and on planning its follow-up.
  7. Evaluation & dissemination: The evaluation activity will involve all the partners and the participants, which will contribute to define the results reached by the project in all its phases.
    The project results and especially its concrete output, the website, will be promoted by the instruments of dissemination provided by ALDA and its partners (organisations’ websites and newsletters and contacts with local and international media).

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

AT A GLANCE

My EU gathers 14 partners from Albania, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Macedonia, Malta. Its main idea to provide a well structured dialogue among twinned or keen-to-cooperate towns, with specific reference to active participation in political life of specific target groups: women, youngsters and immigrants.

OBJECTIVES

The project aims at increasing specific interests and expectations of citizens about EU political agenda and empower citizens to play a full part in the democratic life of the EU, through public debates that involves citizens, citizens associations and policy makers, therefore stimulating a sense of ownership of European identity through democratic dialogue.

ACTIVITIES

The work-programme foresees the following international events:

  1. Brescia, Italy, 2-3 February 2013, conference “Immigrants and politics” providing opportunities to raise awareness about immigration policies in different European countries, and show the importance of political rights to favour own migrant integration and, in the end, their commitment to policy-making process of their country of residence.
  2. Strasbourg, France, 25-27 June 2013, conference “Youth and politics” which will be the occasion to inform young people about EU institutions and to consider it as a way to take part to civic life in general so as to influence the decision-making process.
  3. Skopje, North Macedonia, 9-11 December 2013, conference “Women and politics” raised awareness about motivations for lack of female participation all over Europe and enhanced motivation to be engaged in politics, as a means to favour gender balance in all life sectors,
  4. Mellieha, Malta, 29-31 January 2014, Final conference which summarized the debates and points raised during the whole project. It helped raising awareness of citizens about their central role in the construction of the European democratic process and, in broader terms, of the power of the bottom up approach to build a policy which is relevant and consistent with citizens needs and priorities.

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DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

AT A GLANCE

The 8-day Training Course will exploit the rich potential of creativity, entrepreneurship and innovative techniques for highlighting communal solidarity, self-confidence and self-reflection in the work with young people at risk or in situation of social exclusion and marginalisation in geographical and rural isolated areas.
The Training Course will also promote the sharing of best practices in the field of youth work. Non-formal educational methods will be employed for training youth workers on how to work with target groups from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

OBJECTIVES

The project aims to achieve the following objectives:

  • To promote young people‘s commitment to fostering social inclusion and solidarity by reducing the risk of marginalization and social exclusion in isolated rural areas;
  • To empower citizens to play a full part in their communities’ life;
  • To foster citizens’ participation through volunteering;
  • To foster citizens’ sense of ownership of the EU;
  • To promote intercultural dialogue;
  • To contribute to an inclusive society

ACTIVITIES

The project envisages one main activity: the Training Course in Palermo, Italy.
The Training Course seminar is conceived as a platform for discussion and exchange of good practice, based on theoretical and practical inputs on rural development and youth employment in rural areas also by using non-formal educational methods.
The Training course will involve 40 participants from 18 European and Neighbouring Countries: Italy, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Turkey, Hungary.

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

AT A GLANCE

The project aims to enforce the role of older and senior citizens in active participation in the EU civic and democratic process. It brings together 11 organisations from all over Europe in order to stimulate EU cooperation in the field of active ageing and European citizenship projects. Active ageing, intergenerational dialogue, active citizenship of seniors, new Europe for Citizens Programme 2014-2020.

OBJECTIVES

The goals of RePlaY are:

  • to promote interaction and sharing of best practices among organizations working at EU level, generating new ideas for a process of empowerment for citizens, especially older ones, using the values of diversity in culture, experience and background
  • to promote volunteering and active citizenship for older Europeans as tools for social inclusion, while valorizing their experience, knowledge and role in the construction of European identity and values
  • to provide participants with information, tools and competences to apply for new projects, expand their networks and create new partnerships thus deepeningcooperation between partners belonging to pre-existing European networks
  • to expand partner networks by involving local organizations, thus increasing quality through sharing of local knowledge, ideas and experience
  • to generate a cascade effect by allowing to partner organisations to pass what they have learnt from the project to other actors at a local level. Each of these networks will then in turn be able to reach new partners and create new links, potentially reaching new targets across Europe.

ACTIVITIES

  • Replay InfoShare

RePlaY InfoShare is a 7-day meeting (14 to 21 May 2013) involving 22 participants of the 11 partner organisations from 9 EU countries, Albania and the Former Republic of Macedonia. It aims to exchange experience and good practices on the topic of active ageing and intarnational dialogue among experienced organisations that work with EU funded projects. During the seven- day meeting they discussed and analyzed the new Europe for Citizens Programme 2014-2020.

  • Replay Booklet

From June to November, was created a booklet with the contribution of all partners. The booklet will be developed by the end of the project, printed and digital version will be available and translated in all partners’ national languages.

it will contain:

  1. a collection of best practices concerning active ageing, intergenerational dialogue and active citizenship of senior citizens
  2. the presentation of the new Europe for Citizens Programme 2014-2020
  3. guidelines and tips for future applicant on how to develop a good project
  • Replay Training

RePlaY Training is a 7-day course addressed to local organisations (22 participants) from all partner countries working on active ageing and interngenerational dialogue with less or no experience in EU cooperation projects.

It aims to:

  1. empower them to actively participate in European programmes
  2. strength capacity building
  3. promote networking
  4. enhance cooperation and creation of international partnership
  • Replay InfoDays

An InfoDay will be in each partner country at the presence of local authorities and local organisations in order to show project results, disseminate RePlaY booklet and provide information about the Europe for Citizens Programme 2014-2020.

DOCUMENTS

AT A GLANCE

REACTION project started from the core topic of the WELCOME project, which was focused on the resource WATER, and opened the horizon to other resources that local authorities should base their action on, particularly in times of crisis. Thus, the project aims to reinforce the networks between municipalities by strengthening their cooperation on thematic axes, all linked by the key word “resource”.

ACTIVITIES

The project focuses on specific elements which the municipalities should consider as resources and appropriately activate, in order to promote the citizens wellbeing and the good development of the community.

It is structured on three different thematic events, each of them developing and debating around one specific resource deemed essential for the good development of the European citizenship:

  • event 1: “The local resources” – Spittal an der Drau (Austria)
    It will be aimed to reflect and promote the cooperation and synergy among the relevant stakeholders at local level, such as LAs, CSOs, the business community and so on, in the perspective that the multisectoral and multiactors strategy can be a winning solution to overcome the crisis
  • event 2: “Citizens as a reasurce for the development of local communities” – Marghita (Romania)
    Citizens should represent the main resources for the well-being and the development of the local communities. This event will reflect on the core role of the citizens in EU and will promote those participatory mechanisms that help citizens to be real protagonists in building up of Europe (i.e volunteering)
  • event 3: “Europe as a resource” – Sacile, Brugnera, and Porcia (Italy)
    Nowadays nobody in Europe can live without Europe. The idea of this event is to reflect on and promote the positive impact that the EU has at the local level, as well as on the promotion of the quality of the life of all the citizens of the EU. In order to ensure a wide impact of the action, beside the international events each partner will activate in its territory an awareness and networking path, aimed to mobilise local citizenship on the topics of the project.

RELATED NEWS (LEGATE AL PROGETTO)

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

AT A GLANCE

The aim of COHEIRS is to support active participation of citizens in the EU democratic life and more specifically in the implementation of the precautionary principles, as detailed in Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (EU), through the establishment of citizens panels focused on health and environment.

These groups of “civic observers”, duly supported and guided, will monitor the condition of the environment by paying special attention to those violations and misconducts directly or collaterally threatening the public health. At the same time, they will be progressively inscribed and involved in an international network, which will support their efforts, advocate on their behalf at the EU level and coordinate the drafting of recommendations to be addressed to the relevant local, national and European decision makers.

OBJECTIVES

COHEIRS aims to achieve the following objectives:

  • Empowering citizens to play a full part in their communities’ life;
  • Fostering citizens’ participation through volunteering;
  • Fostering citizens’ sense of ownership of the EU;
  • Tackling environmental and health related issues both at local and European level;
  • Encouraging environment friendly policies;
  • Promoting intercultural dialogue;
  • Contributing to an inclusive society

ACTIVITIES

The project foresees 8 steps, having impact both at local and European level.

Following the partnership building phase, the process is planned as follows:

  • Preparatory phase
  • Local workshops and set up of “civic observers’ group”
  • Training of multipliers
  • Establishing of “information and coordination units” at the local level
  • Local thematic workshops
  • International thematic workshop
  • Local dissemination évents
  • Dissemination campaign

PROJECT PARTNERSHIP

Besides the implementing partners, the project benefits of and rely on the cooperation of expert and dissemination partners.

Expert partners:

  • French Society of Environmental Medicine (ISDE-France), France
  • Italian Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE-Italy), Italy

Dissemination partners:

  • RECREATURA_arts&culture, Spain
  • Amministrazione Comunale di Lecce,Italy
  • Municipality of Monfalcone, Italy
  • Patto Territoriale Soc. Cons. A.r.l. Oristano (P.T.O.), Italy
  • Central and Eastern Europe Citizens Network (CEE CN), Slovakia
  • Civil Kollégium Alapítvány (Civil College Foundation), CKA (CCF), Hungary

STAY CONNECTED

Get the latest updates on COHEIR on the project’s website: https://sites.google.com/site/coheirsalda/home

RELATED NEWS

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

AT A GLANCE

LEADERS aims at developing a global partnership of organizations working with young people interested in environmentally friendly societies and capable to act locally to enable a better environment and life for all. This project works on enabling young people to acquire skills and enhance their employability, but also promotes a better intercultural understanding among youth in the world.

OBJECTIVES

Through this global partnership, the partners will facilitate the exchange of best practices, skills and knowledge relating to the Seventh Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on environmental sustainability.

LEADERS aims to achieve the following objectives:

  • Improving the mobility of young people and youth workers, as well as youth employability;
  • Promoting youth empowerment and active participation;
  • Fostering capacity-building for youth organisations and structures in order to contribute to civil society development;
  • Promoting cooperation and the exchange of experience and good practice in the field of youth and non-formal education;
  • Contributing to the development of youth policies, youth work and the voluntary sector;
  • Developing sustainable partnerships and networks between youth organisations.

ACTIVITIES

The selected youngsters will take part in a training event on 17th – 21st June 2014 where they will learn ‘green skills’ that they will then be able to apply to their local communities.

These participants will return to their countries and regions, where they will initiate local active groups involving other young people (from July until November 2014). Those local groups will then identify the local needs and develop ideas for grassroots activities with an environmental character. They will then implement those activities in schools, local gatherings and associations where they will raise the understanding of other youth on these specific issues in their region/city/community.

To conclude the project, a final conference will take place in Senegal in November 2014 bringing the partners and participants together to strengthen the youth network and stimulate intercultural learning and tolerance. The participants will present their grassroots projects focusing on environmental sustainability, highlighting the green skills developed by the participants and their ideas for other projects and activities locally as well as globally.

ABOUT THE MDGs

The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest. The UN is also working with governments, civil society and other partners to build on the momentum generated by the MDGs and carry on with an ambitious post-2015 development agenda. (www.un.org/millenniumgoals/)

The general site on MDGs
A more specific site on MDG 7
The Prezi for the project

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

AT A GLANCE

The project is designed to tackle youth unemployment by providing a training course to youth workers from all the project countries. Participants will then turn into multipliers, in order to transfer the acquired know-how to youth organisations in the respective countries. This project promotes the participation and inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities.
The idea of a training course is based on the need to gather together youth workers with experts that will equip them with competencies and knowledge on employment in the social work sector. The course will transfer technical skills (i.e. CV and Motivation Letter writing techniques, hints to pass a job interview, working with e-job databases), social competencies (the capacity to listen to others, to cooperate), and will enhance their civic disposition (strengthening youth sense of personal responsibility, motivating them to actively take part to their community life and to elaborate fresh ideas specifically in the context of youth unemployment).
The inter-cultural element of gathering together youth from different countries will encourage a sense of European unity and promote inter-cultural exchange of ideas and good practices. The intent of this process is to stimulate youth spirit of initiative, creativity and entrepreneurship, and motivate them to actively engage themselves in civic processes.

OBJECTIVES

  • to foster youth employment through providing youth with the skills and knowledge to easily approach the labour market;
  • to increase youth active participation in society

ACTIVITIES

The training will take place in Casarsa della Delizia (Pordenone, Italy) and will last 7 days. Its main aim is to inform, motivate and enable youth workers to face the problem of youth unemployment, focusing on social work and the cooperative sector as an opportunity in this sense. The training course aims to equip participants with the right competencies that will help their integration into the labour market and to transform participants into multipliers with the capacity of raising awareness on self-development opportunities among youth in their countries, especially in youth centres and organisations.

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

A sunny Strasbourg welcomed the Governing Board members, the delegates of the Local Democracy Agencies (LDAs), members and colleagues of ALDA for the Association’s most important event of the year, ALDA General Assembly 2022, and related events.

Indeed, from May 5th to 7th, the network of ALDA gathered together, for the first in-presence Assembly since 2019, for 3 days of conferences, trainings and round-tables, culminating on 6 May 2022 with the ALDA General Assembly, entitled  “Supporting Local Democracy, Supporting Peace and Resilience”. 

Moreover, this 3-day occurrence took place within the framework of the Strasbourg Summit, underlying ALDA’s involvement and commitment in the Conference of the Future of Europe and its follow-ups.

No words can explain the thrilling and enthusiastic atmosphere of the moment, smiling faces and happy chats all over the hall of Region Grand-Est Headquarters, main venue of the Assembly. The conclusion of the Conference on the Future of Europe and the current war in Ukraine were not only at the centre of the Assembly, but also among colleagues, friends and delegates’ topics of discussion. 

Gathered all together in the Hemicycle room, Mr. Oriano Otočan, President of ALDA, posed a question to the whole audience: “who would have said that a city in Ukraine, where ALDA established the Local Democracy Agency, would become a symbol of resistance to terror?” Nobody could answer. Nobody has an answer to it. Nonetheless, President Otočan recalled that “the first Local democracy agencies were established in the former Yugoslavia following the war period as a support of the Council of Europe for the establishment of peace, tolerance, and the democratic development of the society at the local level”. There is, in other words, a peaceful answer to war times as demonstrated by the history of ALDA itself.

As recalled by President Otočan there is  a peaceful answer to war times as demonstrated by the history of ALDA itself, in its path towards democracy and resilience

The necessity of peace, and support to civilians in Ukraine was expressed by  Mr. Christian Debève, Regional Councillor and President of the Cross-Border Outreach, Europe and International Relations Commission, Region Grand Est; while Gilles Pelayo, Head of Unit of the programme Europe for Citizens Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), stressed how “ALDA is a strategic partner in working with the civil society and for its participation” especially in these hard times.

Similarly, Ms. Martine Dieschburg-Nickels, Vice-President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, underlined how the commitment and work of the Congress and that of ALDA are both directed to provide solutions and answers to overcome this crucial period “characterised by multiple crises on the European continent and worldwide”. Among them the one of the environment is definitely a crucial one as well. Thus, Mr. Thibaut Guignard, Mayor of Ploeuc-l’Hermitage, President of Leader France, by mentioning the “Climate of Change” project as a positive initiative, further called for the necessity of coherent and united actions within this framework.

Environment, democracy, human rights were at the heart of the initiatives that ALDA has developed within the Conference on the Future of Europe platform in order to animate it, involving youths and people to join this bottom-up exercise, while sending clear messages to the institutions. Thanks to this effort, as well as the role of Ms. Antonella Valmorbida, in the Civil Society Convention on the Conference on the Future of Europe, ALDA during the 2021 has always worked in order to make people’s voices heard, calling for a Europe closer to its citizens.

Coherently with its mission in promoting democracy, and protecting human rights, while considering the deep and strong bond that ALDA has with its LDAs, and considering its commitment in providing assistance to Ukraine, Ms. Tetiana Lomakina, delegate from LDA Mariupol, has been appointed as Chair of the 2022 Assembly. This decision brought the audience to its feet, for a moment of profound emotion. Being closer to people, showing support to Ukraine can be understood and carried out in several ways. Appointing Ms. Lomakina as Chair definitely stressed the will of the Association to further work closely and hand in hand with colleagues from the LDAs and friends in Ukraine: together calling for a peace.

Listening to inspiring speeches, learning from the experiences and expertise of other institutions and Local Authorities marked an occasion for the audience, and guests to gain a broader knowledge on the surrounding realities as well as possible and potential solutions.

As previously mentioned, the ALDA General Assembly, as is customary, includes a series of related events, this year focusing on the environment, within the Climate of Change project, and on Solidarity with Ukraine, together with EPIC project partners, JEF Europe and within the Strasbourg Summit.

***

Events related to the General Assembly

  • Climate of Change and the role of youth
  • Solidarity with Ukraine

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

Taking care of the environment means taking care of our own lives, our neighbors and people sharing the planet with us. Yet, each year water resources are diminishing, and the negative effects of pollution are leading to a climate change, which has to stop now. 

With the will to turn UN SDGs into a concrete reality, while spreading the culture of environmental respect, and working to implement the green transition,  ALDA is very active on the topic of climate change adaptation, especially as far as Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) concern.  Therefore, believing in a bottom-up and participative approach, the Association is delighted to share some relevant material that was developed in the context of three European projects managed by ALDA.

Starting with the Erasmus + “Green Skills 4 Cities Project” which has just started and it is aimed at creating a transdisciplinary education platform targeted to civil servants and local administrators and focusing on the development of skills in the field of NBS for cities.  If you are interested in knowing more about the project and give your input for the design of the curricula, please fill this survey (15 minutes).

Fill this survey and have your say on Nature-Based Solutions and cities!

Similarly, Life Beware Project is intended to develop a strategy for adaptation to climate change and flood risk in urban and rural areas, through the implementation of NBS and the active involvement of the local community. The project produced an online on demand Training on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), targeted to Municipalities, public technicians and local administrators that are interested in replicating the pilot interventions implemented and tested by the project. The training is in Italian with English subtitles and it’s available here. 

Last but not least, Life Metro Adapt Project which targets the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation strategies (i.a. Nature-Based Solutions) in a metropolitan area, specifically the Metropolitan Area of Milan (CMM). The project designed a practical handbook that offers an overview of the methodology used by the project that allowed the CMM to both develop NBS on the territory and to implement them in the Territorial Plan. The handbook is available here in english. 

Join ALDA, its team and partners to turn green goals into fact!

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🇺🇦 Read the news in Ukrainian

DOCUMENTS

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Nearly a year after the launch of the Conference on the Future of Europe and the related online platform, this ambitious experiment has officially reached its end, all in all in a successful and satisfactory way.

On Monday, May 9th 2022, Antonella Valmorbida, ALDA Secretary General, together with colleagues from the Strasbourg Office were pleased to be invited to the closing ceremony of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Indeed ALDA, in the person of Ms Valmorbida and many other colleagues, actively joined this bottom-up approach, by being fully engaged in the Civil Society Convention on the Conference on the Future of Europe, both as Member of the Steering Committee, and as Chair of the Democracy Cluster.

Generally speaking, during the last 12 months, European randomly selected citizens were invited to give their opinion on the future of the European Union, to discuss the improvement and issues that the EU will have to tackle in the coming years.

Ms Valmorbida and many other colleagues, actively joined this bottom-up approach to ensure citizens’ participation, to reduce the gap between institutions and people for the Europe of the future

This debate and collaboration among citizens and politicians culminated in a report centered around 49 proposals that include concrete objectives and more than 320 recommendations for the EU institutions to follow up, based on nine topics: climate change and the environment; health; a stronger economy, social justice and jobs; EU in the world; values and rights, rule of law, security, digital transformation, European democracy, migration, education, culture, youth and sport.

In a closing ceremony, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, President Emmanuel Macron on behalf of the Council Presidency and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen received the above-mentioned report.

Yet, one question remains: how will institutions now follow up effectively on these proposals, each within their own spheres of competence and in accordance with the Treaties? First answers and feedbacks will be delivered during a dedicated event, which will take place to update citizens in autumn 2022.

ALDA together with other Civil Society Organisations, and European partners will keep its commitment to closely follow the process, willing to ensure citizens’ participation, while reducing the gap between institutions and people.

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

Ukrainian flags, rag-dolls wearing traditional clothes, pictures of Ukrainian cities: this is the image that each of the participants got when entering the “Aubette” Hall – Place Klebert, in Strasbourg, on Friday 6 May 2022 in the occasion of ALDA General Assembly.

Dozens of people were there just for one single reason: peace. Young people, children, old ladies and men concealed pain and suffering behind smiles and greetings. Nobody could ever imagine such a terrific reality for the Country of Kiev. Nobody.

Discussing, sharing and showing concrete support to Ukrainian citizens is a daily commitment for ALDA, which, together with the Young European Federalist (JEF) and within the Strasbourg Summit, organised the event “Solidarity with Ukraine: Testimonies of war”.

“Solidarity with Ukraine: Testimonies of war” to urge institutions, other organisations, single citizens to call for immediate peace and end of war

Right at the eve of the closing of the Conference on the Future of Europe, and the Europe Day, the two organisations urged institutions, other organisations, single citizens to call for immediate peace and end of war. 

Testimonies came from different realities, yet all aiming at the same goal: Tetiana Lomakina, from LDA Mariupol gave her opening speech, showed a sadly well-know brutal situation in her Country, in which people are suffering, yet very much committed to speak up for their freedoms in her city and all over Ukraine. Mariupol, one of the most attacked area, as recalled by Antonella Valmorbida, was, and still is, the hometown of one of the two Local Democracy Agency, which is a place of democracy, a place of positive change, a place which today is facing an unjust war.

Marta Siciarek, from Gdansk Region and Partner of EPIC Project, stressed the solidarity actions expressed from Poland towards Ukraine: the red and white Country is thus welcoming hundreds of hundreds of refugees. Similarly Christelle Savall, Vice-President of JEF Europe, underlined the need of welcoming Ukraine as a candidate Country to join the Union.

Future hopes, needs and actions which have to be taken to support the Country of ​​blue sky above the yellow field of wheat, as expressed by Andriy Sadovyi, Mayor of Lviv. At the same time Iryna Orel, from Promote Ukriane, underlined the need to design a quality information space showing real events taking place in Ukraine. Similarly, in a gentle and powerful voice Inna Volkova, from the Odessa Regional Council, after having showed pictures of bombing, hanging the demaged flag of Ukraine, she called for “Slava Ukrainii”.

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DOCUMENTS

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AT A GLANCE

It is essential nowadays to develop and improve our intercultural competence with emphasis on intercultural sensitiveness because we don’t have to travel to another country to face with different culture, different cultures come to us, and different cultures are around us. That is a really positive change nevertheless we have to learn to handle our fears and learn to understand, tolerate and accept each other and to learn to live together. Youth workers have to be prepared for that and provide support for young people they work with to become interculturally sensitive for each other and go through the phases of intercultural sensitiveness and understand their and others’ reactions.
Milton J. Bennett made a fantastic theory called “Developmental model of intercultural sensitiveness” which can be used in youth work and put it in practice in everyday lives and work of youth workers. The academic model can be adapted to youth work activities which gives opportunity for youth workers to support young people to understand each others and improve their abilities to function together even they represent a Muslim and a Jewish family.

OBJECTIVES

  • Getting acquainted with the theory of Milton J. Bennett: Developmental model of intercultural sensitiveness;
  • Develop and improve intercultural competence through the model as recognising phases of the model: Ambiguity; Getting to know other culture; understand other culture; Tolerance of differences; Acceptance of differences; Appreciation of diversity; Adaptation; Ability to function in other culture.
  • How youth workers, youth leaders, teachers and social workers can put the theory into practice can be used in practice in the daily work with young people with fewer opportunities
  • Invent new Key Action 1 Mobility projects for young people and youth workers to further spread the practice

ACTIVITIES

The project will be built on a capacity building seminar is aimed at putting the Developmental model of intercultural sensitiveness into local and European youth work practice.

The specific objectives of the project will be:

  • To be acquainted on the Developmental model of intercultural sensitiveness made by Milton J. Bennett;
  • To adapt the academic model to youth work reality through self –assessment and dialogue space;

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

AT A GLANCE

Consisting of a training course, transnational youth initiatives, and a final seminar, CHARM focused on helping – through non-formal learning actions – young people from 5 different countries to improve their skills and actively participate in the life of their communities. Beyond the form of art expression, music is used as a tool for non-formal learning and youth development: music-related activities focuses on such themes as self-entrepreneurship, promotion of good relationships, and prevention of bad behaviours. The project also plans to disseminate this “new idea” of music, as well as raising awareness on the importance of youth working and youth policies.

OBJECTIVES

CHARM aims to achieve the following objectives:

  • stimulate the involvement of Arzignano municipality and other municipalities and partners in European youth and non-formal education activities;
  • promote youth active citizenship and to develop youth skills and competencies, also for facilitating their entrance in the labour market;
  • share a common way of thinking about the use of music as a tool for promoting non-formal learning in Europe, and to develop a long-term network focused on this topic;
  • exchange best practices among partners and learn from one another’s experience.

ACTIVITIES

Three main activities will take place during the 18-month life-span of the project.
In May 2014, a 6-day training course involving 40 people will be organized in Arzignano (Italy), serving as a platform for discussion and exchange of good practices related to music as a tool for education. It will be followed by transnational youth initiatives to be hosted in Italy and Bulgaria to give participants the opportunity to be directly, actively involved in the process of developing music as a tool for non-formal learning. Finally, a seminar will be organized in Strasbourg in Spring 2015 so as to draw conclusions and summarize all the ideas and approaches developed during the course of the project.
Overall, at least 150 persons from various counties are expected to be directly involved in the project.