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How art can be a mean for social inclusion?

The Association for Developing Voluntary Work Novo Mesto worked on the implementation of the project IMPACT – Inclusion matters! and its activities, including the involvement of local artists and migrants living in a local community. Moreover, the Association studied the major impact it had on them.

Art breaks down the barriers to integration by encouraging individuals to recognize themselves as the main actors in the integration process – do not wait for others to change or influence your future. Rather start at your own, unleash your own abilities and use your gifts.

Art breaks down the barriers to integration by encouraging individuals to recognize themselves as the main actors in the integration process

On the one hand, the expression of art provided a creative space for children from a migrant background to explore and express identities, to deal with discrimination and social exclusion and to promote intercultural dialogue. These components play an important role for the local community in daily life.

On the other hand, art is an excellent tool for identifying migrants’ in the destination country. Art not only helps them to express themselves but opens for them the possibilities to make their voice heard and to reach equality with the community. It, therefore, has a transformative role, by contributing to community cohesion, structural integration, and social change.

By conducting the workshops, the local artist involved in this project observed another impact, namely that the importance of the artistic expression is a fundamental tool for promoting self-esteem, that it facilitates the expression of emotions as well as the processing of traumatic experiences, opens up the possibilities for reconstruction of their emotions and has an encouraging effect on living life from the start.

In this way, art breaks down the barriers to integration by encouraging individuals to recognize themselves as the main actors in the integration process – do not wait for others to change or influence your future. Rather start at your own, unleash your own abilities and use your gifts.

Through the structured workshops, in which migrant children as well as native children participated, was developed a strong relationship between the two groups. It is often difficult to convince children at school to include migrant peers in their team or group outside school or during school breaks, but art really does play an important role in this sense. It helps creating a link between them. It creates a lot of space to step into feet of other children and feel their emotions, which are often difficult to understand.

This project not only had an impact on the migrants and artists who participated in the workshops, but also encouraged youth workers, social workers working at DRPDNM (Association for Developing Voluntary Work Novo Mesto) day care center to include more art and to promote the creativity of migrants in their integration curriculum. The inclusion of the arts in the integration process benefits everyone: workers, artists, migrant children, their parents and the local community as a whole.

It is often difficult for children to transfer what they learned at the day care center to their home and community. So far, it has been successful to integrate their creativity into this process. The impact here goes beyond the mare inclusion of art and the integration of an individual migrant and it also has implications for the whole community.

Written by:

Tjaša Kozjan

Project Coordinator (Erasmus+), Association for Developing Voluntary Work Novo Mesto

This blog is part of the IMPACT project – Inclusion Matters! using Performing Arts towards Cohesion and Tolerance, co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Programme. 

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October is a remarkable month in Serbia. On the one hand, October 9th celebrates the National Giving Day, a recurrence underlining the importance of accessibility for people with disabilities. On the other hand, October 10th marks the anniversary, in the distant 1892, of the birth of the writer and diplomat Ivo Andric, Serbian Nobel Prize Laureate.

If you are wondering what do accessibility and this well-known writer have in common, the answer stands in our CoCo Tour project!

CoCo Tour project has the overall objective of securing a smart inclusive and sustainable growth of a targeted area through the implementation of a specific strategy based on community tourism.

How we choose to remember the past and how we choose to move forward are the critical issues of today. What does cultural heritage mean in different national and regional contexts? Who can claim it as theirs, and who decides how it is preserved, displayed, or restored? How to share cultural heritage?

Kristiyan: In a national context, cultural heritage is thought of as something to be proud of. This is a relic left from the past to commemorate the glorious history of ancestors. It is used by the national governments as a tool for the formation of national consciousness, especially among adolescents. In the textbooks they are described as “strongholds of Bulgarian spirit” or “fortresses of Macedonianism”. Excursions are often made there with the task of consolidating the official national narrative in the students. In a supranational context, cultural heritage can unite the communities. In this regard, the attempt of the Council of Europe to develop Cultural Routes is indicative. They act as channels for intercultural dialogue and promote a better knowledge and understanding of European shared cultural heritage.

The project aims at securing a smart inclusive and sustainable growth through a strategy based on community tourism

Within this framework, the Local Democracy Agency Montenegro, as project partner, has been working on the promotion and the establishment of an eco-museum and a community museum in Herceg Novi, in order to emphasize and strengthen smart and sustainable tourism along with accessibility in this fundamental branch of the economy.

And here we come: CoCo Tour project ensured the restoration of the house of the famous novelist Ivo Andric, located in Herceg Novi, in which will be installed the aforementioned eco-museum, paving the way to the establishment of an authentic and innovative touristic offer for the local community.

Such a community museum will be exploited and promoted by individuals, associations of citizens, businesses and institutions, which gathered at the initiative of the LDA Montenegro to present and get to know each other, in accordance to the spirit of the initiative. Indeed, the museum is not the bare exhibition of objects, but rather represents the zeitgeist of the current way of life of the community through the presentation and the preservation of the historical and cultural heritage through crafts, legends as well as culinary-related objects. Moreover, several environments of the museum will ensure the accessibility to people with disabilities, no matter if the disabilities are permanent or temporary.

To celebrate the anniversary of the birthday of the recognized writer, a series of video concerning the project and the stakeholders of the community museum were produced, showcasing not only the Herceg Novi example, but presenting 4 other eco-museums in the Mediterranean area, namely in Korfu, Himara, Tricase and Mezzolonghi.

On this occasion, the video production focused on the points that marked the life of Ivo Andric in Herceg Novi or represented the spirit of the time he lived: from his recently restored house to the Buffet Beograd the writer used to visit across many old town stairs, from the former Boka Hotel Park to the famous promenade Pet Danica.

A special attention was given to the part of the building that depicts very well the way of life in Andric’s time and is also part of the heritage represented in the community museum. It is Villa Galeb – Tito’s villa in Igalo, which tells the story of one epochal peak in life of citizens of ex-Yugoslavia. At that time, every community of Yugoslavia could give and produce its best so here you can find best from the Brac Island, the best Macedonian weaving and tapestry as well as the best Bosnian crafted furniture.

In addition to the eco-museum, which is the main part of the project, the LDA Montenegro will also organize trainings about the accessibility for tourism subjects and stakeholders, in cooperation with the partner organization “Magna Grecia Mare” from Tricase (Italy).

***

CoCo Tour project is financed by European Union’s IPA CBC ALB-ITA-MNE Programme (INTERREG) and has been implemented by the Albanian Development Fund, as lead organization, together with the Municipalities of Herceg Novi, Himara, Tricase and the Association Magna Grecia Mare.

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An interview to Kristiyan Kovachev, historian, guest lecturer and PhD candidate from the South-West University “Neofit Rilski” in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria Interviewed by Ana Frangovska, art historian and curator.

Kristiyan Kovachev is a guest lecturer at the Southwestern University “Neofit Rilski” of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. He conducts seminars in Anthropology of the Middle Ages, Cultural Anthropology and Theory of Culture. He participated in the organisation and logistics of the conference “Culture, heritage and tourism for small towns” (2019) and was part of the team working on the project “Field archaeological excavations along the route of the Struma Motorway, lot 3.2 …” conducted by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He has a Master’s degree in “Medieval Bulgaria: State, Society, Culture” from the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. As a historian whose PhD thesis is related with medieval Ohrid, he is a very relevant  interlocutor in the framework of our project “Shared or contested heritage“.

We do have heritage that can evoke different – sometimes difficult or competing – views and emotions, depending on the approach and viewpoint. The challenge of dealing with such divergence lies in the attempt to simultaneously convey these different views and voices when presenting this heritage to the public. Do you agree and do you think that this is an essential task when dealing with heritage and histories that speak to different people in different ways?

Kristiyan: Yes, I think so. I think that this is an essential task that could be solved scientifically – beyond the emotional – by presenting those “alternative stories” (outside the official national narrative) that complement definitions such as “shared history”, “common heritage”, and so on.

Do you engage in cross-border cooperation with professionals from North Macedonia and do you find any difficulties in its realisation?

Kristiyan: Yes, I do. My doctoral thesis is related to medieval Ohrid and I am in constant communication with representatives of the University of Skopje, the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Institute of National History in Skopje, various museums and the Macedonian Orthodox Church. I haven’t encountered any difficulties in our collaboration.

Have you worked on collaborative projects dealing with shared memories and histories?

Kristiyan: Yes. In 2018 I participated in a project related to the study of the process of construction of the popular historical narrative in Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

Can you suggest some new and creative approaches for the presentation of  facts relating to shared or contested heritage?

Kristiyan: Firstly, a good approach is to shift the focus – from the great national stories to the daily life of ordinary people – how they lived and thought the world around them. Currently, many researchers tend to focus not so much on the study of politics and wars (glorious victories and great kings) whereas on culture, placing the research focal point on “microhistory.”

Can you think of an example of a case study of shared or contested heritage related to your particular field of interest (ethno-music, history, archaeology, contemporary art, art history etc.) and how would you approach its presentation? 

Kristiyan: Ohrid, which I am exploring, is a disputed area between Bulgarians, Macedonians, Serbs and Albanians. Serbian claims to Ohrid provoked Ivan Snegaroff to write “History of the Ohrid Archbishopric” in 1924. Today Ohrid is within the borders of the Republic of North Macedonia. However, Bulgarians (including some historians) insist that Ohrid is Bulgarian territory. In 2019, Albanian flags were placed on key historical sites in Ohrid. All this shows us that Ohrid is a disputed territory. At the same time, however, we can talk about Ohrid in a different way. The cultural heritage of Ohrid, which is a sacred place for Bulgarians and Macedonians, would benefit from a new reading as a “shared Balkan” and “shared European” heritage, without distorting historical facts and without opposing the countries’ interests in their current borders. This would be possible by presenting the “alternative story” – the one that will not divide us as for example, the history of art and culture. However, this could happen by adapting the modern Western conceptions of nations as “imagined communities”” (according to Benedict Anderson) and as a product of the 18th-19th centuries. Excluding nationalist discourse, medieval Ohrid can be seen as a place of contact between East and West, which is also depicted in its image system (frescoes, icons etc.).

How we choose to remember the past and how we choose to move forward are the critical issues of today. What does cultural heritage mean in different national and regional contexts? Who can claim it as theirs, and who decides how it is preserved, displayed, or restored? How to share cultural heritage?

Kristiyan: In a national context, cultural heritage is thought of as something to be proud of. This is a relic left from the past to commemorate the glorious history of ancestors. It is used by the national governments as a tool for the formation of national consciousness, especially among adolescents. In the textbooks they are described as “strongholds of Bulgarian spirit” or “fortresses of Macedonianism”. Excursions are often made there with the task of consolidating the official national narrative in the students. In a supranational context, cultural heritage can unite the communities. In this regard, the attempt of the Council of Europe to develop Cultural Routes is indicative. They act as channels for intercultural dialogue and promote a better knowledge and understanding of European shared cultural heritage.

“Reviewing cultural heritage, a good approach is to shift the focus: from the great national stories to the daily life of ordinary people”

Another method of challenging the national narrative, regarding shared or contested heritage, would be to go from the particular to the universal. Cornelius Holtorf writes: “(…) the new cultural heritage can transcend cultural particularism by promoting values and virtues derived from humanism and a commitment to global solidarity.” What do you think about this?

Kristiyan: Yes, I think so. A good opportunity in this direction is the development of global networks for shared cultural heritage, which will strengthen universal values.

When we discuss about shared or contested heritage the issue of time is essential, and in extreme cases of recent turmoil, the best method for reconciliation might not be to address the past as individually relatable; but rather that the past should hopefully remain in the past. Do you think that this can be implemented into our context?

Kristiyan: I think not. In my opinion, this will be the case as long as the political discourse dictates how to talk about the past. This will be the case until the past ceases to be used by politics to argue current policies.

What signifies the national narratives are that they do not include layers; they are one-sided, often chronological and has a sense of a fixed, static, historical truth, about them, said Anderson in 1991. Do you agree or not and why?

Kristiyan: I agree. In the national historical narrative, there is always a victorious country whose history is presented chronologically in its “rise” to a glorious empire. This historical truth is fixed in the memory of the collective. It cannot be disputed. Any different story (from the established narrative) is perceived as an attempt to falsify the story.

Do you think that being more polyvocal, engaging, diverse, (self-)reflective and participatory may solve some of the obstacles on the way of presenting cultural heritage (shared or contested)? 

Kristiyan: I hope so. However, solving these problems must become a cause. And the whole group, in this case the “historical guild”, must be involved in this cause. And its task is not easy – to talk about the past as it is, without additional embellishments influenced by current politics and nationalism. “Sine ira et studio”!

***

The interview is conducted within the framework of the project “Shared or contested heritage”, implemented by ALDA Skopje and Forum ZFD. The aim of the project is to improve cross-border cooperation between North Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria. The project raises awareness of the role of contested histories and shared cultural heritage for the EU integration processes among heritage practitioners and cultural workers.  The content of the interview is the sole responsibility of the interviewee and does not always reflect the views and attitudes of ALDA and Forum ZFD.

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ALDA’s team in Skopje is launching a new project about the development of applied foreign language skills. The project, “Developing Applied Foreign Language Skills – DAFLS”, involves the University of Caen Normandy, The University St. Cyril et Methodius of Skopje, the University of Belgrade and ALDA’s office in Skopje.

The project, funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ Programme, kicked off with an online event which took place on the 4th and 5th November 2020.

DAFLS project will provide new professional perspectives to philology graduates and increase their employability.

The project will provide graduates with new professional perspectives and increase their employability

DAFLS is a project aiming at responding to the needs of the Faculties of Philology in North Macedonia and Serbia to diversify their training offer in order to provide new professional perspectives to their graduates and to increase their employability. Moreover, the project will create new training courses based on applied foreign languages combining local project engineering and a European dimension.

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An interview with Bojana Janeva Shemova, art historian and curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Skopje, Interviewed by Ana Frangovska, art historian and curator

Bojana Janeva Shemova is an art historian and curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Skopje. Her interests extend to the fields of individual identity of the artist and social interactions as building blocks of society. Mrs Shemova also works as an independent curator, realizing and organizing many manifestations and exhibitions locally and internationally. In 2009 she curated the Macedonian participation at the Venice Biennale with the art project “Fifty-fifty” by the artist Goce Nanevski. Since 2012 she is a co-founder of “Ars Acta-Institute for Arts and Culture”, Skopje. She first specialized in Byzantine art history, and then, in 2010, completed her Master’s degree on “Art and Cultural Heritage, Cultural Policy, Management and Education” at the University of Maastricht. Currently, her work is mostly focused on the field of contemporary art and contemporary culture. Her passion for cultural heritage is derived from her professional experience as well as its application through the touristic tours she offers in Skopje. For the purpose of this interview, Mrs Shemova will reflect on the topic “Common or disputed heritage”.

What is heritage, how does it work and what does it mean for people with different backgrounds?

Bojana: Heritage, and in particular cultural heritage has a broad scope of meanings and levels of importance to different social, cultural and ethnic groups; and it can have a different interpretation depending on a personal approach. It has an enormous role in defining self-identification as well as on the conception of a national narrative, and in the creation of a sense of belonging, which has been very often used as a “tool” in political outwitting. The main mechanism of cultural heritage development is the social selection and the community’s way of passing it on from generation to generation.

Do you think that heritage institutions should be more inclusive or exclusive? Is it important to be clear about whose stories are being presented, by whom and for which purposes? Some practices point towards an inclusive approach through the restructuration of institutions and the fostering of supportive leadership. What do you think about this approach?

Bojana: Of course, there is notable world-wide reconsideration of the narratives and position stands that have been prevailing for quite some time. One of the most important examples is the re-conceptualisation of the MOMA New York collection by including more indigenous and black artists.

It seems as an important decision because everywhere in the world it is deemed as a starting position of the institutions’ cultural identity and political inclinations. I believe that there is a lot of work to be done in the field of restructuring the institutions towards more inclusive programs of underrepresented groups.

Do you engage in cross-border cooperation with professionals from Greece and Bulgaria and do you find any difficulties in its realisation?

Bojana: As a curator in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Skopje, I will point out that in 2019 for the first time after a long hiatus; a collection from artists of the Thessaloniki Museum of Contemporary Art was finally presented in our museum. This event represented a great success since we had not seen works from Greek artists in a long time.

We do have heritage that can evoke different – sometimes difficult or competing – views and emotions, depending on the approach and viewpoint. The challenge of dealing with such divergence lies in the attempt to simultaneously convey these different views and voices when presenting this heritage to the public. Do you agree and do you think that this is an essential task when dealing with heritage and histories that speak to different people in different ways?

Bojana: It can be, but what is fundamental when dealing with cultural heritage is to take into consideration all of the aspects and stories behind it. Also, to be ready for controversial reactions, because one of the keycomponents of rethinking cultural heritage is that it takes time.

Can you think of an example of a case study of shared or contested heritage related to your particular field of interest (ethno-music, history, archaeology, contemporary art, art history etc.) and how would you approach its presentation?

Bojana: The contemporary art field is in its basis above and beyond the national agendas and historical connotations. My approach to these topics is firstly focused on the universal, human ideas, then on the national characteristics. This is why in the field of contemporary culture, very often there are examples of international manifestations that are celebrating universal qualities and values.

Dealing with cultural heritage means taking into consideration all aspects and stories behind a landmark and be ready for controversial reactions

What is the impact of Cultural Heritage on solving issues related with shared or contested history?

Bojana: Cultural heritage has enormous importance in the contested history among different countries. Especially in the countries that have overlapping history. One of the peculiar examples for me is the naming of the medieval King Marko, with different nouns Krale Marko by Macedonians, Krali Marko by the Bulgarians and Kraljevic Marko by the Serbians. We all believe that he was part of our history, which he was, because of the geo-political positions at that time.

How we choose to remember the past and how we choose to move forward are the critical issues of today. What does cultural heritage mean in different national and regional contexts? Who can claim it as theirs, and who decides how it is preserved, displayed, or restored? How to share cultural heritage?

Bojana: Nowadays, the importance of certain aspects of cultural heritage  depends a great deal on the political agendas of the country. We are witnessing changes in narratives, overlapping with the changes of Governments. This is obvious especially in the young countries like ours, who are still in the formative period of  their national pride and sense of belonging through the different parts of the oral and written heritage.

“What signifies the national narratives are that they do not include layers; they are one-sided, often chronological and has a sense of a fixed, static, historical truth, about them”, said Anderson in 1991. Do you agree with this citation and why?

Bojana: Sadly, I do agree that this has been the case in the past and still is today. Maybe, it is finally time to rethink the possibilities of multilayered and open-minded views on history.

When we discuss about shared or contested heritage the issue of time is essential, and in extreme cases of recent turmoil, the best method for reconciliation might not be to address the past as individually relatable; but rather that the past should hopefully remain in the past. Do you think that this can be implemented into our context?

Bojana: I completely agree that the past should remain in the past, especially now when the whole world is infected with globalization and interconnectedness among people. However, in our context I believe that this process will go slowly and with difficulty, considering the social, economic and political strong agendas of the different sides.

Do you think that the realm of words can influence the way the audience read the stories related to heritage (shared or contested)?

Bojana: I do. Not only the realm of words, but also the visual imagery has a strong impact on this process.

***

The interview is conducted within the framework of the project “Shared or contested heritage”, implemented by ALDA Skopje and Forum ZFD. The aim of the project is to improve cross-border cooperation between North Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria. The project raises awareness of the role of contested histories and shared cultural heritage for the EU integration processes among heritage practitioners and cultural workers. The content of the interview is the sole responsibility of the interview and does not always reflect the views and attitudes of ALDA and Forum ZFD.

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Among the several participatory processes ALDA is implementing throughout Europe, a special place is taken by the project carrying on within our very neighborhood in Vicenza (Italy): the “Spark” (Scintilla) project.

Started in April 2019 with the objective of regenerating the urban area surrounding the train station, the so-called “Viale Milano area”, the project enters now a new phase. Thanks to the active involvement of a wide group of citizens, in only one-year time we succeeded in achieving a participatory process, which shed light on the priorities and served to identify the immediate and practical actions to start the transformation of the area.

On September 25th, a dedicated event was organised to present the second stage of the project, called “The Place to Be”, which inaugurates a whole set of activities to give a new impulse to the whole neighbourhood and a renewed alliance between the Neighbourhood, its citizens and the local administration. Part of a street (Via Napoli) was closed to traffic and an outdoor party was arranged, accompanied by great food and sound music, all in compliance with the anti-covid19 regulations in place.

“The Place to Be” will transform the Viale Milano area into a greener and friendly hood

Among the proposed actions, the “Place to be” will transform the Viale Milano area into a greener and friendly hood with spaces dedicated to coworking and smart businesses, entrepreneurs, play areas for families and children, as well as a general greenwashing of the district. As a result, the event was sold-out, and it was very much appreciated by the whole citizenry.

A special thanks to the local administration, associations, and all the single citizens who contributed to its successful outcome!

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Interested in inclusive tourism? This fall 2020, starting from November 4th, a series of five workshops will take place within the context of the GATE project  – Granting Accessible Tourism for Everyone where ALDA serves as a consultant, in presentation of the outcomes of the project as well as of a number of other best practices for all to adopt in the field.

In order to allow everyone to attend despite the ongoing Covid-19 situation, the workshops will take place online, maintaining however a highly interactive structure so to encourage active participation and knowledge exchanges among the audience. Each event, held either in English or in Italian, will consist in a 45-50 minute presentation by a GATE project partner and by other expert guests, followed by an allotted time for questions, answers, and other contributions.

While the workshops will be particularly helpful for all those who are specifically involved in the field of tourism, everyone is invited to join and guaranteed to gain useful insights on inclusion and accessibility! The series will unfold as follows:

  1. [ENGLISH] November 4th, 3pm CEST | Accessible tourism: four case-studies
  2. [ENGLISH] November 18th, 3pm CEST | Handicap, disabilities & inclusion
  3. [ITALIAN] November 25th, 3pm CEST | Handicap, disabilità & inclusione
  4. [ENGLISH] December 2nd, 3pm CEST | Best practices on inclusive tourism
  5. [ITALIAN] December 9th, 3pm CEST | Buone pratiche di turismo inclusivo

Have a look at the AGENDA and don’t forget to register to as many workshops as you want through this link!

All workshops are free upon registration. Click above to book your chance to learn more and discuss about accessible, inclusive tourism for everyone… and invite friends!

An interactive webinar to learn practices on accessible tourism and get inspired

The GATE project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Interreg V-A Italy-Austria 2014-2020 with the aim to collaborate on a cross-border level to make sure that inclusive tourism is no longer just the “highlight” of certain alpine and pre-alpine areas, but rather expands all over, becoming a true strength and an inspiration for further practices of inclusion everywhere. Get to know the GATE project partners here. 

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After having been reported several times due to the global sanitary emergency, on Friday 9th October 2020 took finally place in Brussels the ALDA General Assembly, broadcasted online, so that each member of ALDA as well as the whole staff could participate, in accordance with rules related to anti-COVID-19 spreading. It was a very significant day, which marked an essential appointment in the ALDA annual calendar and saw the participation of special guests and keynote speakers.

The all-day long General Assembly was officially opened by Mr Oriano Otočan, President of ALDA, followed by Mr Gilles Pelayo, Head of Unit of the programme Europe for Citizens, Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and Mr Xavier Cadoret, Vice-President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, who both expressed their greetings and best wished for ALDA’s present and future achievements.

This introduction was followed by a statutory part, during which a number of important internal documents underwent the members’ approval. Afterwards, the Extraordinary General Assembly began, and the members had been asked to express their opinions on a series of major decisions.

Among the highlights of the Assembly was the renewal of ALDA Governing Board with the consequent elections of its twelve new components (which will be presented in a separate article).

An eventful ALDA Assembly: statutory changes and relevant decisions, keynote speakers and the election of a new Governing Board

The afternoon was fully aimed at celebrating the 20 years of ALDA, through the launch of the recent Activity Report, the new Strategic Views 2020-2024 and the presentation of ALDA’s flagship initiatives, introduced by Antonella Valmorbida, ALDA Secretary General, with the interventions of the following keynote speakers:

– Mr Paolo Ciccarelli, Head of the European Commission’s DG DEVCO, intervened on the “European Support to Local Democracy”

– Mr Oriano Otočan, ALDA President, presented the “Balkan network for Local Democracy”

– Mr Denis Schrey, Head of the Multinational Development Policy Dialogue of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, for the “Local Democracy solving Local problems”, a very recent output of the project “Empowering Local Authorities & Civil Society to Deliver Solutions with Participatory Democracy”.

Keeping our tradition, the annual General Assembly ended with the presentation of the new members of ALDA, cheered with an ad-hoc “ALDA-member” certificate, which will be sent to each of them as welcome gift and acknowledgement of their presence in the wide network of ALDA!

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On Friday October 9th, just after the Extraordinary General Assembly, the 12 candidates to the Governing Board were unanimously elected: an unprecedent situation justified by the number of candidates, being 12 as the positions available, and the excellence of each of them.

Thus, each candidate briefly introduced himself/herself and the ALDA-member organization they represent, highlighting the motivations to become part of the Board.

Afterwards, we all assisted to the proclamation of the new Governing Board of ALDA, officially composed by:

– Mr Maurizio Camin, Association “Trentino con i Balcani” (Italy)

– Mr Emir Coric, Municipality of Centar (North Macedonia)

– Mr Didier Duboisset, Pays Vichy Auvergne (France)

– Ms Shorena Khukhua, Kutaisi Municipality (Georgia)

– Mr Roger Lawrence, individual member (United Kingdom)

– Mr Dobrica Milovanovic, individual member (Serbia)

– Mr Bartek Ostrovski, Merkury Foundation (Poland)

– Mr Oriano Otočan, Istria Region (Croatia)

– Mr Alessandro Perelli, Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region (Italy)

– Mr Andrea Rilievo, Social Cooperative “Studio Progetto” (Italy)

– Ms Natasa Vuckovic, Center for Democracy Foundation (Serbia) – Mr Francesco Zarzana, Association “Progettarte” (Italy)

In addition to the elected members, three statutory members make also part of the Board: a representative of the Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform, the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe or his representative and, finally, a representative of the LDAs network.

“We would like to officially offer our heartfelt thanks to each of the members of the exiting Governing Board”

On the same day of the elections, right after the appointment, the first meeting of the new Governing Board of ALDA took place, online as the rest of the events. This first internal meeting was particularly relevant not only as one of the first moments the newly elected members had to get to know each other better, but also as the designation field of the new Bureau of ALDA, composed as follows:

– Mr Oriano Otocan, ALDA President

– Mr Alessandro Perelli, ALDA Vice President

– Mr Francesco Zarzana, ALDA Vice President

– Mr Bartek Ostrowski, ALDA Vice President

– Mr Roger Lawrence, ALDA Treasurer

We wish all of them good luck for the next four years of work and engagement in ALDA Governing Board, and we would like to offer our particular congratulations and appreciations to Mr Oriano Otočan, re-elected President of ALDA, to Mr Alessandro Perelli, reconfirmed Vice President, to Mr. Francesco Zarzana already a member of the Board and elected as Vice President of ALDA, and to Mr Roger Lawrence, also renewed as ALDA’s Treasurer.

On behalf of the whole Association, we are extremely proud to be guided and represented by such a Governing Board, composed of qualified and experienced people, representing the geographical and cultural diversity which are among the core values promoted by ALDA.

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On Wednesday 7th October 2020, took place the final conference of the project “Empowering Local Authorities & Civil Society to Deliver Solutions with Participatory Democracy”, organised in Brussels and streamed online for all participants.

Officially kicked-off in April 2019 and carried out thanks to the support of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) programme, the project aimed at strengthening local authorities in Ukraine and Moldova, by empowering them to identify and deliver solutions using participatory methodologies, thus involving the whole community in the decision-making processes.

Despite the hybrid nature of the event, with speakers and participants both online and in presence, the conference enjoyed of a great vivacity and a high level of interaction. At first, the event was introduced by Denis Schrey, Head of Multinational Development Policy Dialogue (KAS) and Oriano Otočan, President of ALDA. This was followed by three presentations conducted by Antonella Valmorbida, ALDA Secretary General, David Mathews, President and CEO of the Kettering Foundation (USA) and Alexandru Coica, Project and Area Manager at ALDA.

During her speech, Ms Valmorbida not only described the main findings and the experiences in the four target cities, namely Dnipro and Mariupol in Ukraine, Cimislia and Comrat in Moldova. Most importantly, she presented the highlight and the major output of the project: a published book, titled “Participatory Democracy in Moldova and Ukraine – Empowering authorities and civil society to deliver solutions at the local level”. The book presents the research, the tools and the practical recommendations for local development and it is intended to be a guide and a source of inspiration for all communities interested in embarking in such a participatory journey, aimed at finding pragmatic and shared solutions to local issues.

“We would like to officially offer our heartfelt thanks to each of the members of the exiting Governing Board”

Later on, the floor was given to Borys Albertovich Filatov, mayor of Dnipro and to Sergiu Andronachi, mayor of Cimislia, who shared their grassroot experiences concerning the application of innovative methods of citizens engagement. Afterwards, the perspective switched from local to a broader perspective, thanks to the input of Mathieu Bousquet, Head of Unit DG NEAR. The conference ended with a debate on recommendations to improve the effectiveness of local participative democracy, moderated by Alexandru Coica, and led by Daniela Morari, Ambassador and Head of the Mission of the Republic of Moldova to the EU.

All in all, the successful results of the project made it clear the immense potential of such processes in terms of problem solving, social empowerment and economic development, as they generate new energies, ideas and contribute to fight against the sense of frustration and brain drain in countries.

By virtue of this, even though this was the last conference, we suspect that actions to foster participatory democracy in Ukraine and Moldova won’t stop here. Stay tuned to discover all follow-ups of this great project!

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

On September 29th and 30th, 2020, a conference was held respectively in Moldova and in Ukraine under the joint partnership of ALDA, the Kettering Foundation and KAS – Konrad Adenauer Stiftung on the topic of “Empowering local authorities and civil society to deliver solutions with participative democracy: implementation in Moldova and Ukraine”.

Both online events saw the participation of ALDA Secretary General, Antonella Valmorbida and of Eastern Partnership Coordinator, Alexandru Coica and his colleague Viorica Bulat, as well as of the delegates of the local LDAs and of a selected number of key stakeholders involved in the research project behind the matter at discussion.

“It was a small project, but with great results […] and we invite you to make such projects again in the future” commented the Mayor of Cimislia (Moldova), Mr Sergiu Andronachi; “The report aptly shows the current situation, it is well-prepared and well thought out and we are waiting to have Ms. Antonella as a guest again“. The representative of the Comrat Town Hall, Ms. Irina Cara took the occasion to congratulate the work as well: “Thank you for this project: it was a wonderful workshop in Comrat, we received a lot of information“.

The Deputy of the Dnipro City Council, Mr Artiom Pavlov, similarly expressed his enthusiasm, highlighting that the cooperation with ALDA is extremely important for the Dnipropetrovosk region and remarking that “We appreciate this fruitful cooperation and hope to demonstrate a closer approximation of the local government in Ukraine to the high European standards in the nearest future“.

An eventful ALDA Assembly: statutory changes and relevant decisions, keynote speakers and the election of a new Governing Board

The afternoon was fully aimed at celebrating the 20 years of ALDA, through the launch of the recent Activity Report, the new Strategic Views 2020-2024 and the presentation of ALDA’s flagship initiatives, introduced by Antonella Valmorbida, ALDA Secretary General, with the interventions of the following keynote speakers:

– Mr Paolo Ciccarelli, Head of the European Commission’s DG DEVCO, intervened on the “European Support to Local Democracy”

– Mr Oriano Otočan, ALDA President, presented the “Balkan network for Local Democracy”

– Mr Denis Schrey, Head of the Multinational Development Policy Dialogue of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, for the “Local Democracy solving Local problems”, a very recent output of the project “Empowering Local Authorities & Civil Society to Deliver Solutions with Participatory Democracy”.

Keeping our tradition, the annual General Assembly ended with the presentation of the new members of ALDA, cheered with an ad-hoc “ALDA-member” certificate, which will be sent to each of them as welcome gift and acknowledgement of their presence in the wide network of ALDA!

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

The EMEN – European Migrants Entrepreneurship Network project is coming to its conclusion, and we are happy to share with you an invitation to their last online event taking place on September 24th as part of the web-conference titled “Growing Europe. Boosting migrant entrepreneurship networks”!

Together with AEIDL, DIESIS, Social Impact, Thuas-Fine, UNITEE, Eurochambres, ETUC, REVES, CECOP-CICOPA, EURADAand KMOP, ALDA is a proud partner of the project, which aims to share approaches and lessons learnt on migrant entrepreneurship across and between public administrations; business development and financial organisations; social enterprises; non-profit organisations; educational institutions; and other public and private organisations in support of migrant entrepreneurship at all institutional levels.

More specificially, EMEN wants to share and support the best practices not only for individual migrant entrepreneurs, but also for social and inclusive enterprises benefiting migrants, so as to develop and promote good schemes that could lead to a more inclusive society in the long term.

Join the last EMEN’s online event taking place on September 24th

It is with this in mind that, to mark the conclusion of the project, the EMEN consortium has organized a series of online events together with M-UP and Magnet, which have been taking place during 4 Thursdays of September with a focus on the current and future challenges of migrant entrepreneurship. In the first three events these past few weeks, a number of topics were tackled ranging from the importance of the very existence of migrant entrepreneurs to the development of this phenomena and its trends, passing by insightful discussions on the needs and support of migrant entrepreneurs so as to make being one as inclusive as possible.

We now invite you to take part in the last day of the series, on September 24th, dedicated to the “Future and potential of migrant entrepreneurship”. Visit the EMEN website and choose between three webinars, all held by distinguished experts in the field:

We wish EMEN and all partners a great conclusion of the project!

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

At the beginning of September 2020, Local Democracy Agency Tunisia coordinated a two-week training on psychomotor activities as part of the project Ricomincio Da Te, i.e. “I Start With You” in Italian. Sponsored by the Italian Agency for Cooperative Development and carried out in partnership with COPE Italy, Cope Tunisia, and care centers for people with disabilities, this 3-year project aims to consolidate the rights of people with disabilities in Tunisia and help them access services as well as create a culture of inclusion, acceptance, and tolerance.

The trainers were Cirque de Soleil experts Tommaso Negri and Leonardo Varriale, while the participants to the training were mostly professionals who work in specialized care centres, students, and workers from the sport and education fields, who belonged to different age groups (from 20 to 50 years old) and had different physical abilities (including football and basketball national team players; people with disabilities who were champions in javelin, shot put, or discus throw; and normal people who don’t usually exercise…).

Over the course of the two weeks, the learning atmosphere was dominated by joy, fun, interaction, participation, cooperation, and inclusion, and the participants were extremely eager to learn the new movements and psychomotor activities, how to adapt them and implement them to different contexts and people. Indeed, the occasion constituted an extraordinary and fortunate discovery and a delightful learning experience for all, as the adaptation from the circus offered innovative approaches to teaching that cherish diversity and encourage openness to change according to the needs and abilities of the learners, while also aiming to engage, spread joy, increase self-confidence, and value participation over competition.

Ricomincio da te: a project to consolidate the rights of people with disabilities in Tunisia

Though the start of the training was filled with uncertainty due to the unexpected difficulties imposed by the second wave of Covid-19, besides, its success was ensured by the unwavering devotion of the LDA team, its partners, the trainers, and the participants: due to travel restrictions, in fact, the trainers had to lead all activities online, which was clearly exceptional as these were based on sports and body movements that normally require the physical presence of the trainer to ensure the safety of participants and their precise application of the techniques and instructions. This was however overcome by strong team work, and by the presence of helpful and energetic sportspeople among the participants who voluntarily co-facilitated the training and ensured that participants follow the instructions.

All in all, the project offered a golden opportunity to delve even deeper into the local Tunisian community and explore people’s needs and aspirations, just like LDA Tunisia aspires to do at the core of its scope of intervention. It was also a precious chance to collaborate with dedicated centres and energetic participants who will now be a future asset for the organization, as most of them are expected to take part in future events and activities, too, and contribute to the LDA’s efforts to create a powerful and authentic platform of communication, inclusion and civic engagement.

For more information, contact ldatunisia@aldaintranet.org.

Enjoy all photos of the event HERE and HERE!

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

At the beginning of September 2020, Local Democracy Agency Tunisia coordinated a two-week training on psychomotor activities as part of the project Ricomincio Da Te, i.e. “I Start With You” in Italian. Sponsored by the Italian Agency for Cooperative Development and carried out in partnership with COPE Italy, Cope Tunisia, and care centers for people with disabilities, this 3-year project aims to consolidate the rights of people with disabilities in Tunisia and help them access services as well as create a culture of inclusion, acceptance, and tolerance.

The trainers were Cirque de Soleil experts Tommaso Negri and Leonardo Varriale, while the participants to the training were mostly professionals who work in specialized care centres, students, and workers from the sport and education fields, who belonged to different age groups (from 20 to 50 years old) and had different physical abilities (including football and basketball national team players; people with disabilities who were champions in javelin, shot put, or discus throw; and normal people who don’t usually exercise…).

Over the course of the two weeks, the learning atmosphere was dominated by joy, fun, interaction, participation, cooperation, and inclusion, and the participants were extremely eager to learn the new movements and psychomotor activities, how to adapt them and implement them to different contexts and people. Indeed, the occasion constituted an extraordinary and fortunate discovery and a delightful learning experience for all, as the adaptation from the circus offered innovative approaches to teaching that cherish diversity and encourage openness to change according to the needs and abilities of the learners, while also aiming to engage, spread joy, increase self-confidence, and value participation over competition.

Ricomincio da te: a project to consolidate the rights of people with disabilities in Tunisia

Though the start of the training was filled with uncertainty due to the unexpected difficulties imposed by the second wave of Covid-19, besides, its success was ensured by the unwavering devotion of the LDA team, its partners, the trainers, and the participants: due to travel restrictions, in fact, the trainers had to lead all activities online, which was clearly exceptional as these were based on sports and body movements that normally require the physical presence of the trainer to ensure the safety of participants and their precise application of the techniques and instructions. This was however overcome by strong team work, and by the presence of helpful and energetic sportspeople among the participants who voluntarily co-facilitated the training and ensured that participants follow the instructions.

All in all, the project offered a golden opportunity to delve even deeper into the local Tunisian community and explore people’s needs and aspirations, just like LDA Tunisia aspires to do at the core of its scope of intervention. It was also a precious chance to collaborate with dedicated centres and energetic participants who will now be a future asset for the organization, as most of them are expected to take part in future events and activities, too, and contribute to the LDA’s efforts to create a powerful and authentic platform of communication, inclusion and civic engagement.

For more information, contact ldatunisia@aldaintranet.org.

Enjoy all photos of the event HERE and HERE!

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

On August 21st, 2020, the Local Democracy Agency Georgia held the Forum of Regional Tourism of Racha-Lechkhumi Lower Svaneti in Ambrolauri, with the aim of promoting the tourism and the agro-touristic opportunities of the region.

Among the guests present at the Forum, we mention Danielle Meuwly Regional Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Southern Caucasus; Anna Chernyshova, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Georgia; Mzia Giorgobiani, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia; Giorgi Gonadze, Deputy of Acting state representative of Racha-Lechkhumi Lower Svaneti region; Dimitri Khorava, Head of Investment Department at partnership fund; Medea Janiashvili, Deputy head of the National Tourism Administration of Georgia; David Melua, Executive Director of the National Association of Local Governments.

A Forum to promote the tourism and the agro-touristic opportunities of the region

The first part of the event was dedicated to panel speeches, focused on the future of tourism in Georgia, the main challenges after covid-19 and the high potential in tourism of the Racha-Lechkhumi Lower Svaneti region.

The second half of the Forum was dedicated to the exhibition-sale of products crafted by local entrepreneurs and farmers, while a dedicated space was arranged to showcase the works of local artists and craftsmen, everything accompanied by the music played by local folk groups.

Regional Tourism Forum of Racha-Lechkhumi Lower Svaneti was organized by LDA Georgia within the framework of the project “Racha-Lechkhumi and lower Svaneti Regional Development Initiative”, which is undertaken within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) “Fostering Regional and Local Development-Phase 2” project, with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and the Government of Georgia. 

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

Nell’ottica di promuovere l’inclusione sociale tra i più giovani, la creatività, la coesione e la contaminazione tra culture diverse e forme artistiche atipiche, giovedì 1° ottobre 2020 si è tenuto ad Arcugnano in Piazza Rumor il laboratorio artistico di pittura “I fiori di Europa” come attività del progetto STAR.

L’evento ha riscontrato un ottimo successo, con la partecipazione di circa trenta bambini, di età compresa tra i tre e i dieci anni e provenienti da tutte le scuole del Comune, che si sono dilettati con le attività ludiche proposte. A disposizione dei partecipanti al laboratorio, una grande tela orizzontale di 160mq realizzata dall’artista Jerico, filippino d’origine e romano di adozione. Dopo un primo momento di esplorazione della tela, guidati da Jerico i bambini presenti hanno giocato con vivida immaginazione ed hanno poi dipinto utilizzando i colori dell’artista ed i loro stessi corpi per dipingere.

Coinvolti anche gli adulti presenti, dal momento che nell’occasione sono stati inoltre raccolti 27 questionari di indagine cittadina al fine di trovare un’intesa sul luogo in cui realizzare il murales che sarà l’output del progetto STAR.

Al termine dell’evento, la grande tela di Jerico è stata ritagliata in 14 pezzi suddivisi in regalo tra i partner di progetto, il Comune e le sue scuole; mentre sabato 3 ottobre si è poi tenuta l’inaugurazione della mostra temporanea “I fiori di Europa”, introdotta da un discorso del sindaco di Arcugnano e aperta al pubblico fino al 10 ottobre p.v.

Una manifestazione unica per celebrare la STreet ARt.. con una tela di 160mq!

Il progetto STAR – STreet ARt, nel cui ambito è stato organizzato l’evento, ha l’intento di promuovere l’amore per l’inclusione e di trasmettere ai più giovani i valori dell’unione e della solidarietà. Co-finanziato dal programma dell’Unione europea “Europa per i cittadini”, il Comune di Arcugnano ne è capofila, accompagnato nel consorzio da organizzazioni e Comuni europei appartenenti a 14 paesi tra cui Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Repubblica Ceca, Francia, Germania, Italia, Kosovo, Lettonia, Polonia, Portogallo, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia e Paesi Bassi. 

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

On September 29th and 30th, 2020, a conference was held respectively in Moldova and in Ukraine under the joint partnership of ALDA, the Kettering Foundation and KAS – Konrad Adenauer Stiftungon the topic of “Empowering local authorities and civil society to deliver solutions with participative democracy: implementation in Moldova and Ukraine”.

Both online events saw the participation of ALDA Secretary General Antonella Valmorbida and of Eastern Partnership Coordinator Alexandru Coica and Assistant Viorica Bulat, as well as of the delegates of the local LDAs and of a selected number of key stakeholders involved in the research project behind the matter at discussion.

“It was a small project, but with great results […] and we invite you to make such projects again in the future” commented the Mayor of Cimislia (Moldova), Mr Sergiu Andronachi; “The report aptly shows the current situation, it is well-prepared and well thought out and we are waiting to have Ms. Antonella as a guest again“. The representative of the Comrat Town Hall, Ms. Irina Cara took the occasion to congratulate the work as well: “Thank you for this project: it was a wonderful workshop in Comrat, we received a lot of information“.

The Deputy of the Dnipro City Council, Mr Artiom Pavlov, similarly expressed his enthusiasm, highlighting that the cooperation with ALDA is extremely important for the Dnipropetrovosk region and remarking that “We appreciate this fruitful cooperation and hope to demonstrate a closer approximation of the local government in Ukraine to the high European standards in the nearest future“.

On ALDA’s side, it was highlighted that local public administrations must engage all citizens even if they seem like a weak link, as this creates the critical mass for cooperation that is necessary to produce change; and encouragement was provided as per the immense work that can be done together for the better of both local authorities and citizens.

All in all, the events were fruitful and satisfactory: in the words of Alexandru Coica, “The most important thing for us was to hear that the comprehensive research work that was done is useful for local authorities and grassroot civil society. I was delighted to hear that all engaged stakeholders will use the recommendations to improve their work“.

We’re very much looking forward to continuing these wonderful collaborations in the Eastern Partnership!

DOCUMENTS

  • No documents available

BRIGHT’s Community of Interest is finally complete! Five European actors have joined the Community, through which BRIGHT is creating a wide network of local stakeholders across Europe for the protection of the rights of women seasonal workers who are employed in agriculture in their hosting communities. The members of the Community will now have the chance to participate in the most interesting activities that are organized by the project partners, such as technical and awareness-raising webinars and capacity building training.

Who are the CoI members? Let us present them!

URBAN2020, Romania is a Bucharest-based NGO that stands up for the improvement of citizens’ quality of life in Romania and across Europe, by supporting good governance, promoting sustainability and equity, and creating partnerships between the public, academic and private sectors. URBAN2020 strives to reduce the gap between Romania and Western Europe and between the rural and urban dimensions by fostering development through urban planning and architectural services. It also encourages the active participation of citizens and youth in decision-making and city life, as well as the redevelopment of urban spaces and the integration of disadvantaged groups through training and educational services.

IPRES, Italy, i.e. the Apulian Institute of Economic and Social Research was founded in 1968 as an Association of public bodies, expression of the local and functional autonomies’ system of the Puglia region in the South of Italy. In July 2018, IPRES was turned into a Foundation: its members are the Puglia Region; the Municipalities of Bari, Taranto and Brindisi; the University of Bari; the Chamber of Commerce of Bari; and ISPE Association. The mission of the Institute is first and foremost to support the designing, adoption, implementation and evaluation of regional development policies and the multilevel institutional relationships; within this context, the Puglia Region is involved in promoting participatory governance systems under the regional law n. 28/2017. As a technical body, the IPRES Foundation is strictly concerned with training to support participatory processes and to provide recognition to best practices on participation methods.

The Bolyarovo Municipality, Bulgaria is situated in Southeastern Bulgaria in the Yambol District. It consists of 20 settlements, of which one city, i.e. the municipal center of Bolyarovo, and 19 villages. The goals of the Bolyarovo Municipality are to develop local conditions for economic development; improve the quality of life, healthcare, educational and social services; improve the quality of administrative services; and create conditions for the improvement of the climate for the development of the local economy, together with increasing employment rates and higher income for the population.

Soffa, Greece – Social Fashion Enterprise is a circular production studio that targets the social inclusion and empowerment of women who have been victims of human trafficking as well as refugees. Using zero-waste processes and circular fashion principles with recycled, natural, vegan and plant-based textiles that support environmental regeneration, they support their female beneficiaries in becoming self-reliant, motivated, and using their own resources to achieve their long-term goals: (1) by offering training, mentoring and the creation of job positions to restore their dignity and self-reliance; (2) by adopting a gender-inclusive approach; (3) by organizing events to sensibilize consumers on these issues.

APDHA, Spain is a non-profit, pluralist, secular and independent association founded in 1990 and based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UN, 1948). Their field of action is the Andalusian territory, although their activity also reaches a universal scope as human rights are the heritage of all humanity! In APDHA, the full validity of the Universal Declaration is reclaimed as an instrument for transforming consciences and society itself, denouncing its non-compliance with all the tools at their disposal. The NPO develops its work through four main actions: awareness raising; social complaint; elaboration of alternatives and work proposals; support, accompaniment and solidarity.

Want to join BRIGHT? The CoI might be full, but there are many other ways to join forces! Contact martina@aldaintranet.org to learn more!

***
During the last few months, the Covid19-related containment measures have highlighted the strong dependency of several Italian sectors on foreign labour – first on the list, the agrifood sector. Most of the seasonal workers employed in the agricultural sector in Southern Italy come from Bulgaria (55.000) and Romania (1.2 million). Of these, 57% are women. The migration of these workers is accompanied by dangers ranging from the lack of protection that would be provided only by a regular employment contract, to situations of psychological, social, economic and physical violence. Being a woman should not make you especially vulnerable. Read more about the BRIGHT for Women project – Building RIGHTs-based and Innovative Governance for EU mobile women!