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The European Union was founded on fundamental values such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. 

For more than a year, these same values have been endangered in Ukraine. For more than a year, the Ukrainian people have been fighting to regain their land, their freedom and their democracy. But they are not fighting alone. 

In this significant period, which is the week before Europe Day (May 9), ALDA decides to leave for Ukraine to reaffirm its closeness and constant commitment to the nation and its people.

A team composed by ALDA Governing Board Member, Mr. Emir Coric, ALDA Secretary General, Mrs. Antonella Valmorbida, ALDA EaP, Russia & Central Asia Coordinator, Mr. Alexandru Coica, the Consultant for LDAs development in Ukraine, Mr. Bartlomiej A. Ostrowski and the Director of Foster Europe, Mr. Stefan August Lutgenau, left on Tuesday May 2nd for a five-day mission to Ukraine.

It is fundamental to remember that in Europe there are those who fight every day to get back those same values that we celebrate on 9 May 

Despite the short timeframe, the schedule was tight. The first destination was the city of Odesa, where the ALDA team met several local civil society organisations with whom to have an intense and interesting discussion on their work in supporting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and other disadvantaged groups.

The meeting was followed by the encounter with the Head of the Odesa Rayon Council, Mr. Vitalii Barvinenko, ALDA member and partner, to enhance the already strong partnership and discuss future possibilities of cooperation. 

The second and last destination was Vinnytsia, where ALDA representatives met Deputy Mayor of the Vinnytsia City Council, Ms. Halyna Yakubovych, and signed the official application form to become an ALDA member, and thus begin to develop a strong and resilient relationship, marked by the promotion and support of democracy in Ukraine and beyond.

The mission also served to lay the foundation for a long-term project: the creation of two Local Democracy Agencies in the cities of Odesa and Vinnytsia. As stated by the words of Mr. Emir Coric, ALDA Governing Board Member: “The Local Democracy Agencies proved to be an excellent instrument of cooperation in difficult times, both for the reconstruction of the country and for the restoration of peace”. 

With already two Local Democracy Agencies in the country, LDA Mariupol and LDA Dnipro, the opening of two additional agencies would allow for greater cohesion and would strengthen the bridge created between the Association and Ukraine. 

These intense days served to reaffirm ALDA’s continued commitment to the Ukrainian nation and people, strengthening existing ties and creating new ones, with one common goal: to strengthen democracy, citizen participation and return to a free and peaceful country.

In the important period leading up to Europe Day, it is fundamental to remember that in Europe there are those who fight everyday to get back those same values that we celebrate on 9 May. 

ALDA’s mission to Ukraine ends here, but the Association’s commitment to the country and its people continues unceasingly.

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As citizens and decision makers of tomorrow, ALDA works tirelessly to empower younger generations and amplify their voice on societal utmost topics, such as climate change and social inequality. As a matter of fact, aiming at reinforcing this action, ALDA promoted a debate workshop at the Liceé Fresnel in France, which took place on 27 & 28 February 2023. 

The  workshop, (fuelled by the DEAR project Climate of Change) was meant as an educational activity to provide young students with the necessary and relevant tools to stand and support an argument. Furthermore, as the project’s framework stands, the workshop allowed them to get more familiarised with climate change and issues related to it, such as climate justice and climate induced migration. 

On the first day of the workshop, the facilitators introduced the concept of persuasion and its three modes ETHOS, PHATOS, and LOGOS. These modes are the principles to convince the audience with strong and rational arguments, and each one includes a different approach to the audience.

Click here and watch the video of the #ClimateofChange workshop!

Ethos refers to credibility, ethics or values while the speaker exposes his/her arguments. Pathos, on the other hand, is related to the emotions and feelings the audience experiences. Finally, Logos is equivalent to logic and rationality, meaning that concrete and realistic facts are used to convince the public of statistics or charts.  

On the second and last day of the workshop, the high school students were divided into groups, and the purpose was to put into practice what they learned during the first day, along with developing critical thinking. The activity consisted of elaborating pros and cons arguments on low-cost tourism and its eventual consequences as an economic opportunity or a risk to the environment.

The educational objectives were to present the message in a concise, effective and clear manner; to arouse curiosity and maintain attention while speaking; to control the body, voice and words to send the right signals, and speak with full awareness and confidence. 

In conclusion, along with the workshop activities, the students were introduced to the project #ClimateofChange and the activities implemented so far. Young people’s awareness and voice on environmental issues are fundamental for better solutions.

Click here to watch the #ClimateofChange video!

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Youth is not the future, it is the present: the engine of innovation for the construction of a solid tomorrow’s society. 

ALDA knows it very well and as an active promoter of youth empowerment projects in the local area, participated in the event “What kind of future if we do not invest in young people?”, which happened last April 20.

The debate took place at the “Agorà del Centro Culturale S. Paolo” in Vicenza (IT) and was strongly promoted by organisations working with and for youth in the city and its surroundings, including ALDA. In light of the upcoming elections 2023-2028 for the renewal of local administration, experiences, reflections and proposals were presented to the Mayoral candidates and city councillors, who in turn presented the strategy by which they intend to enhance new generations and invest in educational, social and relational dynamics, structures and services with a regard for greater inclusion and active youth involvement. 

Associations’ spokesmen promoting the meeting expressed the local civil society’s shared point of view on urgent issues and needs that have been emerging among new generations, especially after the pandemic. The theme was addressed from cultural, social and health perspectives in the first place, but the active participation of young people in local contexts has been an interesting theme which stimulated ideas that finally put youth at the centre as future citizens and potential local administrators. 

Active participation of young people in local contexts at the centre of the debate

ALDA’s point of view was brought to the table by an historical member and active partner, La Piccionaia, a network of artists that realises and proposes activities of pedagogy of art for children, teenagers and adults. Moreover, associations highlighted the importance of looking out for the future of new generations through the present investment, because it means having an idea and a vision of the City to share with all generations. 

ALDA’s unique expertise gained during its over 20 years of activity as a stakeholder in the field of youth empowerment, engagement and inclusion will continue serving local initiatives that put young people in a position to be heard. ALDA firmly believes that the crucial outcome of this meeting will be strongly considered by future candidates while drafting their election programmes in which hopefully youth will be put at the centre. 

ALDA has confidence in the future of Vicenza and in his next leader that will optimistically turn a large spotlight on young people in the interest of all generations, the economy and the quality of public life.

Open up the discussion, listen to the voice of civil society and build on it to make future choices: a useful exercise and a good practice not only for Vicenza, but to be replicated in different local contexts.

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Since January 2022, ALDA has been implementing the STAND-UP project – STANDing UP against hate in the EU. The project aims to counter hate in the European Union by creating a comprehensive framework for opposing hate crimes that cover all parts of the countering hate crime, reporting, investigation, prosecution and prevention (RIPP) process, embedded in a victim support framework. After the thematic focus groups were held in the countries part of the project implementation namely Italy, Greece and Spain, data were collected and analysed for drafting the content of the STAND-UP Handbook. 

The project impact lies in the cooperation between state authorities; e.g. Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Ordinary Court of Trento and the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Ordinary Court of Venice and organisations. These actors were able to share their expertise and experiences, certainly different, regarding the topic, obtaining a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the problems concerning hate crimes in the three countries mentioned above. 

The STAND-UP Handbook is a useful tool to support the victims of hate crime and hate speech

Thus, the STAND-UP Handbook is intended to be a practical tool for Civil Society Organisations and Law Enforcement Authorities that receive and report hate crimes. It explains how these two institutions can work together to safeguard the targeted group from re-victimisation. The manual contains some practical tools as examples of good practices put in place by several other countries and a checklist of potential questions that can be asked during interviews.  The workbook also comprehends special guidelines on how to address the victim, especially if the victim is part of a minority group. 

The Handbook is a useful tool for hate crime and hate speech victims. It offers practical advice to victims on how to report the crime and whom and where to consult or contact.

For instance, there are names, addresses and contacts of institutions and organisations fighting hate crimes within the three countries involved in the project. 

This Handbook represents an important achievement for the project consortium and a useful instrument for countering hate in the European Union. 

Read the STAND-UP Handbook by clicking here. 

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Are you ready for the Buk Festival 2023? 

The Buk Festival of small and medium publishing is an event conceived by Mr. Francesco Zarzana, ALDA vice president, and organised by Progettarte Officina Culturale (ALDA member), with the intention of giving space and a voice to the hundreds of small Italian and other publishers who present their rich cultural offerings every year.

This year’s Buk Festival will be held in Modena (Italy) on May 6 & 7, 2023. 

But Buk is not just an exhibition: with numerous side events, including book presentations, lectures and debates on major themes, creative literary readings, workshops and meetings with authors and prominent figures from the world of culture, Buk is a landmark initiative on the national and international cultural scene.

This year ALDA will participate in the Festival by presenting  two projects to the public: INCLUDATE and SHAPE.

Join the Buk Festival 2023!

On May 6, at 2.30 p.m., there will be a debate on the INCLUDATE project.

ALDA plays an important role in fostering inclusion through its European project opportunities and capacities. ALDA’s Gender, Inclusion, and Human Rights Hub is active in implementing and developing projects that benefit from European funding such as CERV and Erasmus+ programmes, aimed at addressing and promoting issues, such as gender equality, inclusion, and anti-discrimination. 

INCLUDATE (Educating for Inclusion) is a project developed within the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme. The project activities directly aim at the inclusion of people with fewer opportunities, especially migrants, who are subject to intersectional marginalisation through a combination of ethnic discrimination and socio-economic deprivation. 

Two speakers will participate in the discussion:

1- Ms. Leila Aoujdad, president of “Femme et diversité”, a French organisation based in Lyon. Ms. Aoujdad works to promote the socio-cultural (as well as labour) integration of women from the Maghreb. Her speech will be translated from French.

2- Ms. Vittorina Maestroni, president of “Associazione Centro Documentazione Donna” in Modena – an institution funded by the Municipality and the region of Emilia Romagna.

On May 7, at 11:30am, the ‘Modena international friends’ initiative will be held.

This initiative aims to gather foreign young people in the city of Modena, promoting a small round table among young people entitled ‘HOME’, intended as a place that welcomes. The event will be held in English.

During this initiative, the SHAPE project will be brought as an example. SHAPE “Sharing Actions for Participation and Empowerment of migrant communities and Local Authorities”, is a 24 months European project funded by the European AMIF programme and of which ALDA, with the participation of WeWorld, is the coordinator. The project aims to promote the participation of people with a migrant background in democratic processes and in the design and implementation of integration policies at local, national and European level. 

So, what are you waiting for? Join the Buk Festival 2023!

ALDA staff looks forward to welcoming you!

Discover more about the Festival’s programme by clicking here.

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Almost a year has passed since 9 young people aged 18 to 28 joined ALDA through the project LED – Lighting Europe and Democracy, as civil service volunteers. 

The project, aimed at promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, gave the volunteers the possibility to engage in several activities on topics extremely dear to ALDA such as the promotion of democracy, good governance, peace and the collaboration among countries in Europe and beyond. In addition, it enabled them to acquire new skills for personal and professional development as well as the opportunity of exploring other countries and cultures. 

Having almost reached the end of this year of civil service, the LED project volunteers recount their experience passing the baton to the news ones, who will undergo an amazing journey thanks to the EU LIVES project – Leverage for Initiating Volunteering in Europe and Surroundings.

“It is difficult to condense a year’s worth of experiences into a few lines. Having to make a selection, I would say that this experience was enriching, formative, and, to be honest, the time went by too fast. The ALDA office in Skopje lived up to my expectations in terms of skills acquired and activities implemented. It is good to feel part of the democratisation process in Southeastern Europe.” – Nicola

“I would say that my experience at ALDA was intense and super positive: I’m grateful I had the opportunity to grow both in my job and as a person.” – Carlotta

“This year abroad volunteering for ALDA has been an incredible learning experience. I love having colleagues from all over Europe and beyond and developing relations with both institutions and civil society organisations while living in Strasbourg, the cutest French city I have ever been to!” – Veronica

“It has been an amazing working and personal experience! I have learnt a lot at work, met interesting people from different parts of Europe, and shared precious moments with my colleagues in the wonderful city of Strasbourg.” – Cristina.

“My experience at ALDA these past months has been enriching and challenging: I experienced Brussels vibrating work life, being close to the EU institutions and ALDA gave me the chance to be part of all this, while teaching me skills for life.” – Manal

“During this year at ALDA, I have had the incredible opportunity of learning how to develop a project from knowledgeable and passionate colleagues. I have also experienced the Skopje team’s commitment to local democracy and the European integration of the Western Balkans. Watching the hard work done every day in ALDA, and knowing that you share the same values as the people you work with, made my experience here truly inspiring.” – Alessia

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The Ena Creator project sought to contribute to the creation of a culture of initiative and leadership for 15 young people between the ages of 12 and 16 through reflective, artistic, cultural and design-thinking activities with the aim of integrating them into the community. The project lasted four months, from November 2022 to March 2023.

In addition, the project aimed to build a culture of initiative, leadership and life skills for vulnerable young school dropouts through creative and exploratory ways. It helped introduce them to entrepreneurship and work principles through planning, teamwork and design thinking activities. The aim was to connect them with the local community through field visits and community mobilisation.

The approach used is inclusive and duly adapted to the capacities of the participants and their learning abilities. It is also collaborative in that it relies heavily on the cooperation of various stakeholders, such as CDIS (Public Centre for Advocacy and Social Integration) staff, the LDA team, facilitators, local artisans and family members.

The project is a follow-up to fellow Maroua Ghith’s participation in the Professional Fellowship Program PFP, sponsored by the US Department of State, Bureau of Culture and Education, and administered by Legacy International. The fellow implemented the project with the support of the Local Democracy Agency Kairouan-Tunisia.

The fellow, due to her placement in Washington DC at the Project Create arts centre, endeavoured to contact several key stakeholders, who were extremely important for the project and its objectives. 

The target group consisted of 15 children between the ages of 12 and 16, who belong to the Centre de Défense et D’Integration Sociale (CDIS), a public institution attached to the Ministry of Social Affairs. The mission of the institution is to provide services to vulnerable young people who have dropped out of school and are under the age of 16, in order to protect them from risky behaviour. Young people with disabilities from partner organisations also participated in some project activities.

 The Joint Civil Society and Democracy Organisations’ Priorities for the Defence of Democracy Package aims at strengthening democratic resilience, at promoting, supporting and protecting democracy worldwide

Project activities:

The project implemented 03 sets of activities which included community meetings and multi-stakeholder meetings where more than 20 actors participated. The topic of discussion was the role of culture in the economic inclusion of youth. The first set of activities also included two family meetings on learning and behavioural disorders and agricultural economic inclusion.

The second set of activities consisted in capacity-building training covering communication and leadership, qualities and characteristics of the young entrepreneur, mind-mapping activities to analyse the problems of the local context, and how to plan activities through applying the business canvas model.

Finally, the Ena Creator project included field visits to the National Museum of Islamic Art and a craft workshop using cartoons to create prototypes of monument silhouettes. It was also possible to organise a tour of the old city of Medina, where numerous traditional shops are located.

Results:

The 15 young people gained new knowledge about communication and the approach to communicating their needs and aspirations. They also participated in training sessions on entrepreneurship (e.g. entrepreneurial qualities, ideation through mind-mapping activities and action plans using the Business Canvas model). They developed 03 action plans that they designed in teams.

The project helped participants learn more about their communities and their history through field visits to different cultural sites and explored the different ways in which culture, art and heritage can be harnessed in successful careers.

Furthermore, about 25 local stakeholders (social affairs representatives, civil society organizations, CDIS staff, families, academics, cultural associations, and other actors…etc) participated in the different activities, discussing about the role of culture, heritage, and artwork in the economic inclusion of vulnerable youth, and exchanging ideas and best practices.

This work helped the target group to connect with professionals and institutions. It helped them building their capacities and imagine their future path at a young age and connect with their local culture as a source of identity and social and economic inclusion.

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“We need to better shield ourselves from malign interference. This is why we will present a Defence of Democracy Package. It will bring covert foreign influence and shady funding to light. We will not allow any autocracy’s Trojan horses to attack our democracies from within.” With these words, on 13 September 2022, European Commission President Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, announced the Defence of Democracy Package EC’s initiative, aimed at strengthening democratic resilience, at promoting, supporting and protecting democracy worldwide following the guidelines emerged by the Conference on the Future of Europe. 

The Defence of Democracy Package initiative was welcomed by 47 organisations, among which ALDA, based in Europe and active in the fields of democracy, human rights and rule of law, which decided to gather contributions and recommendations on how to defend their political systems and contribute to strengthening democracy worldwide.

The Joint Civil Society and Democracy Organisations’ Priorities for the Defence of Democracy Package aims at strengthening democratic resilience, at promoting, supporting and protecting democracy worldwide

We welcome the fact that discussions on the Defence of Democracy package have expanded beyond an overwhelming emphasis on foreign interference. Challenges to democracy come from within Europe as well. We collectively insist that any measures made to tackle foreign interference must be made carefully and with due regard for international human rights law, the Charter of Fundamental Values, article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and the European policy-making processes. Without clear assessments and definitions within the measures, there is a risk any proposal can be weaponised against pro-democratic actors by those seeking to undermine democracy. The risk is not theoretical – foreign interference has been used in many countries around the world already to stifle media, journalists, civil society and political opposition.

Due to this, it is extremely important for the European Commission to ensure that the initiatives contained in the Defense of Democracy Package reinforce fundamental rights and go beyond reiterating existing policy initiatives. 

This contribution contains recommendations in several areas namely, civil society, civic space and active citizenship; European elections; disinformation; the online public sphere; independent media and journalism; and foreign interference. As also stated by Mr. Toma Sutic, Member of the Cabinet of the Vice President for Democracy and Demography, Commissioner Dubravka Šuica during the last ALDATalk: “Democracy can only thrive if citizens contribute and participate. Democracy is what happens between elections, not at the ballot box” – said Mr. Sutic. “The European Commission supports and empowers civil society organisations because they safeguard social cohesion and democracy itself” – continued Mr. Sutic, highlighting how an effective action in all of the above-mentioned areas will be essential to protect democracy towards the 2024 European Parliament elections and they should therefore be covered by the Defence of Democracy Package.

Read the full paper here. 

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Everyone all over Europe and beyond is committed to help refugees from Ukraine. This is the case of the “Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland” as well. Thus, the two countries share a border of more than 500 km, and in these days exactly this border has become a destination of many. Among them: the municipalities located in the Bieszczady and Lesko poviats [counties].

Yet, the towns and cities bordering directly with Ukraine are now struggling to provide care to people escaping the war.  At the same time, these spots are the first places where refugees arrive, right after crossing the border, and this is where they expect to receive help.

“Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland” has launched an initiative in order to provide help to the town and cities located especially on the border

Therefore, on behalf of these municipalities, the “Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland” has launched an initiative in order to provide help, especially in terms of:

  • food products (especially those with an extended shelf life); 
  • bottled water, drinks and fruit juices; 
  • sleeping bags, duvets, blankets, mats, pillows etc.; 
  • personal hygiene products; dressings; 
  • drugs and medicinal products (especially painkillers, protective ointments, disinfectants, anti-inflammatory and anti-emetic agents, etc.)

To enable the proper selection of aid and its transport, the Union provides the following address details of municipalities in need of support:                         

  • Municipalities in Bieszczady poviat [county]: 
    • Czarna Municipality, Mayor – Bogusław Kochanowicz e-mail: uwad@czarna.pl, phone:  (+48)13 461 90 09; 
    • Lutowiska Municipality, Head of the Municipality – Krzysztof Mróz e-mail: gmina@lutowiska.pl, phone: county  (+48)13 461 00 13; 
    • Ustrzyki Dolne Municipality, Mayor – Bartosz Romowicz e-mail: um@ustrzyki-dolne.pl, phone: (+48)13 460 80 00;
  • Municipalities in Lesko poviat [county]:  
    • Lesko Municipality, Mayor – Adam Snarski e-mail: gmina@lesko.pl, phone: (+48)13 469 66 15; 
    • Baligród Municipality, Mayor of the Municipality – Robert Stępień e-mail: gmina@baligrod.pl, phone: (+48)13 468 40 64; 
    • Cisna Municipality, Mayor of the Municipality – Renata Szczepańska e-mail: sekretariat@gminacisna.pl, phone: (+48)13 468 63 38;
    • Olszanica Municipality, Mayor of the Municipality – Krzysztof Zapała e-mail: gmina@olszanica.pl, phone: (+48)13 461 70 45; 
    • Municipality of Solina, Mayor – Adam Piątkowski e-mail: uwad@solina.pl, phone: (+48)13 469 21 18.

 ALDA supports the spread of its Members’ actions, such as “Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland”,  and initiatives to alleviate human suffering, in these terrible times of war.

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After more than one year, the deadly and tremendous Russian attack, perpetrated against Ukraine, continues to this date. For all this time, the Ukrainian population has never stopped defending their country and rebuilding what was unfortunately destroyed. 

ALDA, hand in hand with the Local Democracy Agencies in Ukraine, continues to support the country and its people. 

In this regard, on April 2, 2023, Ms. Tetiana Lomakina, Delegate of the Local Democracy Agency Mariupol, met in Kyiv (Ukraine) with Mr. Thibaut Guignard, Mayor of Plœuc-l’Hermitage Municipality (France) and President of Leader France, both members of ALDA, with the aim of building strong partnerships between Ukrainian and French cities.

The main topic of conversation of the meeting was the issue of barrier-free and inclusion during the reconstruction of Mariupol and other towns and villages in Ukraine. 

Indeed, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of the city, Mariupol has been in a disastrous humanitarian state. The residents of Mariupol, who were able to leave the city, have the hope to return and rebuild it. Thus, it is extremely important that, in the post war period, there will be spaces where every person will have equal opportunities for success and development.

The meeting aimed at building strong partnerships between Ukrainian and French cities

The discussion continued covering not only the challenges that Ukraine will face in the course of the reconstruction, but also the possibilities of development and support that external actors could give to the country, underlining how inclusive development should be an ongoing process, not just a one-time initiative.

The meeting with Mr. Thibaut Guignard represented a great opportunity to enhance an already strong and long-lasting cooperation between French and Ukrainian cities as well as to raise awareness on the situation of Ukraine. 

The LDA Mariupol, temporarily located in Kyiv, works unceasingly on the reconstruction of Ukraine, despite the hazardous conditions of the country. ALDA will continue supporting the Local Democracy Agency and the Ukrainian population, with the hope that peace will return and remain. 

The Association’s commitment to Ukraine is supported and enhanced by its members and carried forward by ALDA and its network as a whole. 

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If you are interested in topics like sustainability, climate change, territorial development and environment, apply to the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master on Climate Change and Diversity: Sustainable Territorial Development (CCD-STeDe)!

The two-years long Master, aims at preparing experts in the area of sustainable territorial development in the context of global climate and environmental emergencies. It represents a unique opportunity to enhance the competencies and career opportunities of young people, in Europe and beyond, that aim to work in the field of sustainable development and climate change.

Apply to the 2nd call of the Erasmus Joint Master CCD-STeDe by April 21, 2023!

The CCD-STeDe Joint Master is organised in 4 different academic paths, which combine different languages and types of teaching;

  1. Climate change, sustainability, development (University of Padova and Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar; teaching languages: English and Spanish)
  2. Regional and local studies (University of Padova and Universidade da Madeira; teaching languages: English and Portuguese)
  3. Territorial management(University of Padova and Université Joseph Ki Zerbo; teaching languages: English and French)
  4. Environmental Management(University of Padova and University of Johannesburg; teaching languages: English and French)

This is the last call open to worldwide candidates, and it will be open until 21 April 2023.

This call does not offer the possibility to award the Erasmus Mundus scholarship.

Click here to apply!

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Civil society plays a key role in Moldova’s European integration process. The more Moldovan civil society is present and vocal at the European level, the better the EU institutions can support the country.

In this context, ALDA took the opportunity to represent the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum in the 11th meeting of the EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform, which took place on 30 March 2023, in Brussels (Belgium). During the meeting it was presented the perspective of the civil society of the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries on the process of accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union.

During the event, issues related to the assessment of Moldova’s progress in implementing the European Commission’s recommendations on EU accession as well as the state of implementation of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement were discussed.

Civil Society plays a key role in Moldova’s accession to the EU and in the country’s European integration

The event represented a good opportunity to underline the importance of 6 strategic directions:

  • Public Administration: encourage development partners to provide all necessary support for the successful implementation of public administration reform and call for closer cooperation with civil society at the national and European level, ensuring that the welfare of citizens is at the heart of reform;
  • Economy: private sector support programmes to facilitate the implementation of EU standards at enterprise level and to encourage market diversification and investment in higher value-added products;
  • Energy: supporting Moldova to urgently establish a programme to finance energy efficiency investments in the residential and private sector;
  • Social: Support Moldova in promoting reforms in the labour sector and social assistance system and in advancing the consumer protection agenda;
  • Good governance: with a focus on advancing the reform of state-owned enterprises by strengthening governance and transparency in this sector, including through the digitisation of public property information;
  • Civil society: more active involvement of civil society in the process of consultation, monitoring and provision of technical assistance to advance reforms towards harmonisation with EU standards.

The developments and impact of regional and global crises on the socio-economic situation in Moldova in the context of the EU integration process were also discussed.

The meeting represented a great opportunity to underline the importance of civil society in the European integration of the Republic of Moldova and in the accession process of the country to the European Union.

* Photos: source EESC

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Representing one of the most important events of the whole year, next June 2023 the ALDA General Assembly will take place in Etterbeek, Brussels (BE).

More than a General Assembly, the 3-day event will be a real Festival, where colleagues, members and partners of ALDA will come together for fruitful exchanges on key EU priorities, sharing knowledge and best practices on themes such as migration, inclusion, gender equality, environmental protection, sustainable development and human rights – just to name a few – and get to know each other, thus strengthening the belonging to the network and take a more active role in the Association.

The event will include participants from the EU countries but also from the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Ukraine and from the Maghreb and other African countries. The General Assembly is expected to be open by the Commissioner, Vice President of the Commission, Mrs. Dubravka Šuica, while also the President of the Congress, Mr. Leen Verbeek is invited (tbc). Other key participants from the European Commission and the European Parliament will be present as well.

The ALDA Festival will occur on June 7-8-9, 2023 at the premises of Etterbeek City Hall (member of ALDA), in Brussels and will see more than ever the members at the core.

Around the message that “Local Democracy will save Democracy”, the whole event will be intended to address issues of general and global interest, but which have a strong impact in our daily lives and on a local level. All Festival’s events will be focusing on the role of local democracy, participatory mechanisms and citizens engagement in making communities more resilient and stronger to overcome multiple crises.

Register Now and Join the Festival!

Indeed, conferences, round tables and workshops will be organized with the participation of high-level panelists, in order to stimulate discussion and establish a concrete and constructive dialogue with the Institutions. Among them, representatives of the European Commission and the Council of Europe will be present during the General Assembly of ALDA. Gilles Pelayo, Head of Unit, European Commission, CERV Programme, will be with us and our members for a round-table on youth empowerment and education and Chiara Adamo, DG Intpa – Gender, human rights and democratic governance, Deputy Director, will take part and provide key highlights in the discussion on Local Democracy in the Middle East and Africa region.

As proof that local democracy will save democracy, 2023 marks an important milestone for ALDA and the LDAs network, being the 30th anniversary since the creation of the first LDA in the Western Balkans. Thus, year after year the LDAs have worked to reconstruct a more inclusive and cohesive society, in the aftermath of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. Today, 30 years later, LDAs proved to be effective tools to promote citizens engagement and decentralised cooperation at the local level, to the point that the network itself has expanded from a couple of Agencies in the early 1990s to 16 today. The ALDA Festival will thus see a dedicated moment to celebrate this important milestone and to open the discussion to future further development of the Network, analysis challenges and opportunities.

Another important session will focus on the situation of the Local Democracy Agencies in Ukraine, as a further occasion to remember that ALDA’s engagement to support Ukrainian civil society goes on and takes ever greater dimensions, with new LDAs to be opened soon in the country. A relevant delegation is expected from Ukraine but also from partners’ cities.
#ALDAforUkraine

All ALDA members, partners and interested stakeholders are warmly invited to participate and contribute to the Festival.
For further information, please contact us at: alda@alda-europe.eu

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Are you a Civil Society Organisation working for and with youth? Are you interested in youth civic engagement and participation?  We are looking for you! Participate in our call for proposals with your project idea!

What is the main objective of the call of proposal?

The WYDE project foresees the implementation of 5 different projects called “Clusters”. Through the re-granting scheme, the cluster number 1 named “Generate Democracy: involving youth CSOs in democracy support” is dedicated to providing youth CSOs with the chance to put into practice the lessons learnt in the other clusters and undertake responsibilities over concrete actions promoting civic engagement and democracy.

The overall objective of the WYDE project is to fund and implement national and transnational projects in support of youth civic engagement and participation in the decision-making processes across the Sub-Saharan Countries.

What are the specific objectives of the call?

  • Empower organisations working in the field of youth to play a relevant role in supporting the democratic participation of youth;
  • Support peer to peer learning among youth organisations;
  • Reinforce an international network of youth organisations and youth leaders;
  • Improve the cooperation between the youth civil society and public policy makers, at local, national, and international level;
  • Advocate for the establishment or improvement of representative youth structures (such as youth councils or youth parliaments).

The first phase of the WYDE call for proposals will remain open until 15 August 2023

What actions can be implemented?

This call for proposals will finance actions that respect the five working principles of the Human Rights Based Approach methodology:

  1. Applying all human rights for all
  2. Meaningful and inclusive participation and access to decision-making
  3. Non-discrimination and equality; accountability and rule of law for all
  4. Transparency
  5. Access to information supported by disaggregated data.

Where can the project be implemented?

Selected entities should be implementing National/ transnational projects in support of youth civic engagement and participation in the decision-making processes across the Global South countries with a special focus on Sub-Saharan African Countries.

How to apply?

Read the full call for proposals of Women and Youth in Democracy initiativE (WYDE) to have more information about the call and how to apply! The call has been launched on April 3, 2023, and the fist phase of the call will remain open until August 15, 2023.

🇫🇷 Read the call in French

🇫🇷 Annex A – Formulaire in French

🇫🇷 Evaluation Grid in French

🇬🇧 Read the call in English

🇬🇧 Annex A – Form in English

🇬🇧 Evaluation Grid in English

Infos: The application, attached to this call for application, must be sent exclusively by e-mail to wydeafrica@alda-europe.eu

WYDE is funded by the European Union.

Any questions? 

Join the online Info Session (in English 🇬🇧) on the WYDE call for proposals on April 27, 2023 at 11:00 (CEST). Click here. 👈

Participez à la session d’information en ligne (en français 🇫🇷) sur l’appel à propositions de WYDE le 27 avril 2023 à 14:00 (CEST). Cliquez ici . 👈

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It is with deep sorrow and profound sadness that we learnt of the passing of Mario De Donatis, yesterday April 2nd, 2023.

Mario was President of IPRES, our member, former member of the ALDA Governing Board representing the region Puglia (Italy), but above all he was a real friend and a great supporter of ALDA and our mission.

We will always remember him, and be grateful, for his commitment to the cause of local democracy. Indeed, long-lasting partner in many activities of ALDA, he was among the initiators of the Local Democracy Agency Mostar and the Local Democracy Agency Albania, providing precious support for the launch and development of the two Agencies.

Our deepest sympathies to his family, colleagues, friends and to all who knew and appreciated him.

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With the advent of spring, ALDA launched ALDA Italia APS – Association of Social Promotion, locally registered branch of ALDA, during the Press Conference held on March 21, 2023, at ALDA’s office in Vicenza (Italy). 

The Press Conference, which saw the participation of several regionally active journalists, was opened by Ms. Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General of ALDA and President of ALDA Italia, who highlighted the strict link between ALDA and ALDA Italia APS “Since 1999, ALDA has grown a lot, not only at the level of implemented activities and established partnerships, but also from a structural point of view, without ever failing in its mission, values and objectives: to support municipalities and citizens in their initiatives aimed at improving the local environment”  – stated Ms. Valmorbida.

“After having grown from 2 to 6 offices in Europe and its neighbourhood, having built a solid network of more than 300 members and having developed and implemented more than 500 projects, we realised that the time had come to strengthen our roots and connections at local level, in the countries where ALDA has its offices. It is from the will to become actors of local change at 360 degrees that ALDA Italia was born, to be even closer to our territory and its community.” – continued Ms. Valmorbida.

ALDA Italia APS represents an additional tool to expand ALDA’s reach and undertake more targeted and coherent activities, becoming real actors of local change

The speech of ALDA Secretary General was followed by the words of Mr. Marco Boaria, Director of ALDA Italia APS, who explained to the journalists the structure and aim of the latter: “ALDA Italia APS represents an additional tool to expand ALDA’s reach and undertake more targeted and coherent activities, becoming real actors of local change” – said Mr. Boaria. “The Italian Association, is already active with a project on territorial regeneration, and many more activities are yet to come” – concluded. 

The Press Conference ended with a presentation of the H.I.L.L. project – Habitat in Living Landscape, of which ALDA Italia is a partner, by Ms. Luisa Dal Prà, Project Manager at ALDA Italia APS.

The opening of ALDA Italia APS  is only the beginning of a process that will see the launch of local branches in all the countries where ALDA is based, in order to strengthen its presence at local level and create a solid basis to stimulate the participatory process of citizens, from the roots of civil society.

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Summit for Democracy 2023 and Youth Democracy Cohort 

“The broad engagement and participation of young people at all levels of policymaking is the engine that drives strong and stable democracies forward. I am proud that we are joined by so many partners in launching together the Youth Participation Cohort” – stated Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships at the 2022 International Day of Democracy.

Possibly described as a multi-stakeholder platform, the Youth Democracy Cohort was launched on the occasion of the Year of Action of the Summit for Democracy. After more than a year, what is the state-of-the-art of this initiative? Definitely a milestone in the implementation of the actions within the Cohort, the Menu of Possible Commitments was presented in February 2023, collecting the 33 recommendations on how to foster youth engagement. As also reported in the document, “50% of the world’s population is under the age of 30”; however, political institutions and decision-making bodies lack their presence.

 50% of the world’s population is under the age of 30. However, political institutions and decision-making bodies lack youth presence. Youth Democracy Cohort addresses this issue

ALDA is a key stakeholder and contributes to enhancing youth participation and democracy on a worldwide scale. When it comes to the promotion of Human Rights amongst youth, the Cohort advocates for “ensuring gender equality in youth political participation especially putting in place mechanisms that encourage and facilitate young women’s participation”. With this in mind, the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) developed the “Women and Youth in Democracy Initiative” (WYDE) programme, in line with the mission of the Youth Democracy Cohort, and aiming to foster inclusion of youth in all levels of democratic participation – be it nationally, regionally and globally.

In order to respond to this urgent issue, several NGOs identified five main areas, within which an increase of youth participation may be essential: from enhancing youth voice in governance and government, to supporting youth freedom of expression. The latter aspect also includes the promotion of “youth access to voting by facilitating access to citizen ID and the inclusive registration of voters via digitized civil and voter registries, and systematizing the link between the two registries”, as recommended by the Menu.

Overall, as stated by Antonella Valmorbida – ALDA Secretary General and EPD President – on the occasion of the Global Democracy Coalition Forum: “youth are essential for ensuring respect for human rights and democracy in the future. We need to give the floor to young people in the defense of democracy and democratic values”.

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Useful resources:

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[In 🇬🇧]

Are you a young person (between 15 and 35 years old) who has migrated or returned, is unemployed, belongs to ethnic minorities/faces social, cultural and/or financial barriers? 

Join the H.E.Y! Project’s initiative “H.E.Y. Tell me your story!”, a narrative and storytelling workshop aimed at creating a collaborative documentary to collectivise common problems, desires and journeys. The workshops will focus on the following themes: education, employment, living conditions, physical and mental well-being, rights and political and social activism. 

The activity’s goal consist in empowering young people with fewer opportunities especially Returnees and NEETs, and improving the existing local youth work practices of youth leaders and operators at local level. 

The aim is to highlight the key attitudes, beliefs, values, vulnerabilities and approaches expressed by young people participating with regards to employment, education, mental well-being,rights and social activism.

Youngsters will be the voice of their own concerns and encourage them to inspire and engage other young people to take action in conducting the changes that they want to fight for.

📍Where? Strasbourg (France)

🗓️When? On 19&20 April 2023

Discover more and register here (form in FR) by 17 April 2023.

The workshop is addressed to French speakers only.

[In 🇫🇷]

Êtes-vous un jeune (entre 15 et 35 ans) qui a émigré ou qui est revenu au pays, qui est au chômage, qui appartient à une minorité ethnique ou qui est confronté à des obstacles sociaux, culturels et/ou financiers ?

Participez à la création du court-métrage documentaire “H.E.Y. Racontez-moi votre histoire!” 

“H.E.Y. Racontez-moi votre histoire!” est une initiative du projet H.E.Y.! Il s’agit d’un atelier de narration visant à créer un documentaire collaboratif afin de rassembler des problèmes, des désirs et des parcours communs. Les ateliers se concentreront sur les thèmes suivants : l’éducation, l’emploi, les conditions de vie, le bien-être physique et mental, les droits et l’activisme politique et social. Le projet se concentre sur l’autonomisation des jeunes ayant moins d’opportunités, en particulier les rapatriés et les NEET, et sur l’amélioration des pratiques de travail des animateurs et des opérateurs de jeunesse au niveau local.

L’objectif est de mettre en évidence les principales attitudes, croyances, valeurs, vulnérabilités et approches exprimées par les jeunes participants en ce qui concerne l’emploi, l’éducation, le bien-être mental, les droits et l’activisme social. 

Les jeunes seront la voix de leurs propres préoccupations et seront encouragés à inspirer et à inciter d’autres jeunes à prendre des mesures pour mener à bien les changements pour lesquels ils veulent se battre.

📍Où? Strasbourg (France)

🗓️ Quand? 19 et 20 Avril 2023

Si vous êtes intéressé(e) 👉 remplir le formulaire au plus tard le 17 avril 2023

L’atelier s’adresse uniquement aux francophones.