KALEIDOSCOPE is a project that involves students and teachers on the importance of multiperspectivity in learning history and indicates the knowledge of Yugoslav Wars as fundamental tool to understand the present. 13 partners, from 8 different countries of Europe and Balkans areas, lead the project.
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this project are:
Bringing attention to importance and value of oral history and multiperspectivity in historic narrative.
Developing teachers’ capacities for using multiperspective methodology, personal narratives and oral history, participative and interactive methods starting from Western Balkans most recent history.
Promoting among young people a deeper understanding of Europe’s shared history and common values, develop respect, tolerance and appreciation of European diversity on the background of remembrance of Yugoslav Wars and efforts for European integration. Help them to better understand the complex and sensitive issues of intercultural and interethnic dialogue.
Reflecting of importance of peace in Europe and of furthering the EU integration.
In recent years, while lots of people have found themselves surrounded by unfavourable economic and social situations, Euroscepticism has been raising all over Europe – United Kingdom leaving from Europe Union has confirmed it. Consequently, WISE project primarily focuses on promoting democratic engagement and active citizenship in local and union policy-making, in order to make citizens the importance of belonging to the EU. There seems to be no better occasion to start than the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome in 2017, to reflect on and learn from the past of European Union. Current challenges and the possible EU future scenario will be approached by the project. Citizens will have a possibility to see how they can drive Europe towards a positive change.
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives to be achieved by this project are the followings:
To contribute the citizens’ understanding of the Union, its history and diversity.
To foster European citizenship and improve civic and democratic participation at European level.
Raise awareness of remembrance, common values and history and the Union’s aim that is to promote peace; its values and the well-being of its people by stimulating debate, reflection and development networks.
Encourage democratic and civic participation at Union’s level, by developing citizen’s understanding of the Union policy-making process and promoting societal and intercultural engagement and volunteering at European level.
Understanding and debating Euroscepticism.
Combatting stigmatisation of immigrants and building counter narratives to foster intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.
Debate on the future of Europe.
ACTIVITIES
Online steering committee meetings – The representatives from each partner who are part of the Steering Committee will meet in online session, in order to introduce each other, plan the activities, monitoring the project progress and evaluate its performance, fit issues and adjust the action towards objectives. These meetings will be regular and will take place at least before international events and at the end of each local phase. Further meeting will be held according to the needs of the consortium.
First international event – The project partners will gather in the city of Rome (Italy) as the first international event of WISE project. The commemoration of the 61st anniversary of the Treaty of Rome will be a relevant topic of this meeting. Key moments of the EU birth will be remembered, also EU current challenges and hot topics will be presented by experts during this two-day event.
Local activities (phase 1): EU learn – This first local activity will be aimed to engage citizens and increase their knowledge about the history of the EU. Local communities will be able to learn more by means of documentaries, developing games, storytelling from the elderly, etc.
Local activities (phase 2): EU reflect – Citizens will be able to participate in public debates and exchange opinions on current challenges faced by European societies and global challenges such as migration, crisis of the globalization model, etc. Special attention will be given to the role of civil society in promoting the EU values and the means to do it.
Local activities (phase 3): EU act – European awareness workshops will be held for local communities. They will be able to discuss this time about the future of EU, about challenges and opportunities. How citizens can drive towards a positive change will also be one of the main topics. The purpose will be to conclude with recommendation for local actions, national and at European level from different perspectives.
Final international event – This event will bring together representatives from all the project partners. Local recommendations produced at the previous local event will be presented in this event under the shape of videos, slogans or manifestos. There will be a discussion with regards to the whole projects itself, the outcomes, overall impressions, strength, weaknesses, possible cooperation and activities for the future will be discussed.
On the 24th and 25th of November, ALDA was both part of the 2nd Transnational Partner Meeting (TPM), and of the online Conversation of Change (CoC) training at Union in Copenhagen. Held by Crossing Borders, the event took place in the framework of the Includate project. The latter aims at the inclusion of people with fewer opportunities, specifically migrants, which are prone to intersectional marginalisation through a combination of ethnic discrimination and social-economic deprivation.
Beginning on 24 November, the first part was dedicated to the results and reports on the local events, providing valuable insights as the before-mentioend events were held in different countries with diverse backgrounds. Therefore, the TPM marked not only an opportunity to share problems and solutions; but also it allowed the creation of a fruitful space of discussion.
Specifically, partners reflected and exchanged on several methods, such as combining mapping and reporting and about the involvement of the participants.
In Copenhagen partners reflected and exchanged on several methods, such as combining mapping and reporting and about the involvement of the participants
Lately in the afternoon, all partners had the chance to participate in an online Conversation of Change training, which focused on facilitating dialogue through different methodologies, such as the SECURE dialogue, The Boston Matrix, group discussions and Methods for Opening the Space.
Finally, on the following day, partners gathered to discuss the next steps and action plans, while also reporting on the dissemination activities. Besides, after lunch, Crossing Borders hosted the Migrant City tour, giving participants the chance to discover Nørrebro neighborhood in Copenhagen, which is home to a vibrant multicultural community. The guide explained the history of the districts, putting a focus on the migration flows, the riots, and the industrialization period which all converged to the creation of such a culturally diverse neighborhood.
Overall, the meeting was an opportunity to share and learn from each other, and all the partners were enthusiastic about the outcome. ALDA looks forward to meeting again in Palermo next year!
*** Useful info: The partner countries within Includate are: Italy, France, Germany, Hungary and Denmark.
The meeting in Copenhagen was the third event of the project, following a Kick- off Meeting and a Transnational Learning Teaching Training Activity in Berlin.
It seems so far in the past, yet so close: 18 years have gone so quickly, but the commitment of the Local Democracy Agency (LDA) in Mostar has never failed. Established back in November 2004, the LDA Mostar is animated by the will to foster active citizenry on the one hand, and to spur transparent and accountable local authorities on the other.
What does it mean in practice? By both developing and implementing national and international projects and initiatives, the Agency has been able to put its mission into action. Organised in seven different clusters – be they “democracy”, “EU integration” and “intercultural dialogue” – LDA successfully tackles and responds to the needs of local communities, its people and citizens.
“We will continue our mission with equal persistence and passion for the benefit of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a special focus on the City of Mostar ’’ – Dženana Dedić, LDA Mostar director
‘’Those who want to live in a truly democratic society have a long and demanding road ahead of them. This requires everyone’s participation and a sincere drive for a prosperous society. The essence of LDA Mostar’s work lies precisely in overcoming obstacles and activating all the stakeholders of society along the way, because only through joint involvement and action does society become truly democratic” – said Dženana Dedić, LDA Mostar director.
“We will continue our mission” – continued Ms. Dedić “with equal persistence and passion for the benefit of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a special focus on the City of Mostar.’’
Hence, thank to its wide experience the LDA has been among the main actors recently involved in the “Strengthening local participation and cooperation through partnership of Public Authorities and CSOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina – LINK 4 Cooperation” project. The latter is one of the latest positive examples of actions undertaken by the Agency; yet they are numerous.
ALDA colleagues wish to the LDA Mostar all the best wishes and look forward to further collaborate and exchange, for the best of people and democracy… Happy 18th Anniversary!
In march 2023 the project Climate of Change is going to deliver to the European Commission a petition that asks for immediate political actions for Climate Justice. The claims were not only shared at COP27 in Egypt this year; but received the support of more than 100 ‘000 young people around all Europe. This is a clear sign that a growing community of young people shares rising concern about climate change’s effects on world societies.
This great achievement was only possible thanks to a wide network of collaborations and partners but yet another important piece of the puzzle has been constituted by the project subgrantee’s activities.
To those who might not know, the actions of Climate of Change project (financed by the DEAR programme) foresee a funding package dedicated to young associations working on a local base on themes related to Climate Change and migration. As one of the partners, ALDA itself is now looking forward to collaborating with youth associations both in France and in Belgium. Precisely, at the moment the Association is looking forward to hirings a good number of new partners to finance and work with for furthering local action for climate justice.
So far ALDA has developed partnerships with 3 fantastic youth associations that work on environmental issues and migration: 1) Youth ID, 2) Wakamoun and 3) StandUp4Europe. Together with these 3 young realities ALDA has been working together on knowledge dissemination actions and by promoting the petition, let’s have a look together at some of the activities carried out in collaboration!
A growing community of young people shares rising concern about climate change’s effects on world societies
Youth ID
Thursday 28th October our CoC ALDA’s team joined Youth ID on occasion of the Erasmus week in Paris. It was a great opportunity to meet more than 40 young engaged people from 10 different countries. There was the chance to fruitfully talk and discuss the theme of climate justice. In particular, by disseminating knowledge about the negative relation between climate change and gender inequality growth. Claims were supported in light of the results of the research produced by the University of Bologna on Global South countries as a part of the broader CoC project. We highlighted data that show how the loss produced by natural disasters directly affects the more vulnerable populations, elderly, women – especially indigenous women – children and particularly those who live in poor rural areas and that six out of ten migrating women are raped during their journey, and girls traveling alone and LGBTQI+ are at highrisk of trafficking in persons (Hernández Bonilla and Morales Orellana 2020).
The discussion was carried out lively and there was a great response from the public, with YouthID After hearing about our project and its evidences a very lively dis
Wakamoun
The solidarity association Wakamoun helped us collect signatures for our petition by involving young people that are engaged in defending the environment. The association also furthered their commitment to make as many people as possible sign the petition, by launching small challenges on climate themes with the app MaPetitePlanète. Eventually, the association went to Madagascar to report the impacts of climate there and how it has worsened the living conditions in the country. Following their trip they are promoting their work in different ways in the french city of Mulhouse, by proposing different events and exhibitions on Climate Of Change issues there.
Stand Up For Europe
Finally in Brussels, the association Stand Up For Europe organized an event the 26th of October 2022 to discuss #ClimateOfChange action. This was a fruitful occasion to further civic engagement to fight for Climate Justice, and it was possible to meet and hear the voice of many different experts invited by the association. Vivian Dorizas, Project Manager at Buildings Performance Institute Europe, was one of the main speakers at the event and discussed the importance of advanced technologies to tackle climate change in the construction sector. More precisely, her presentation “Toward Decarbonization of the EU Building Stock” focused on several concepts : community, artificial intelligence, digital technologies and circular economy.
These and many others are the possible activities that can be carried to disseminate Climate of Change issues as one of our subgrantee. If you are a youth association working on Climate and Migration issues in Belgium and France don’t hesitate to apply as soon as possible to our new call!
*** Actions can be financed for 70% of the total budget Deadline: 8 december 2022
The participants of this project are medium sized towns with a high rate of migrant population who tend to form separate socio-demographic groups, not enough involved in local life, sometimes at the expense of social cohesion and integration. That’ why this project is aimed to foster the involvement of all citizens in local life to improve social cohesion and mutual understanding among the population of these cosmopolitan cities.
Reasons behind this weak integration are diverse and we have identified 4 of them on which the project will focus:
Cultural and social barriers
Prejudices and precarious individual situations
Language barriers
Lack of public places for inclusion activities
With a view to foster intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, our target public is not a specific category of population (“community-based approach”) but the local population as a whole in a town (district or suburb) with a diversified demographic profile, including the natives, expats, newly arrived migrants, precarious and vulnerable categories (“land-based approach”).
The CRISCO partners are all facing their specific social inclusion challenges, and are developing different local initiatives aiming at a better integration of their population. During the project, they will each:
Experiment and review their own local integration initiatives and
Exchange their experiences among the CRISCO network and
Propose good practices and recommendations beyond the network, at EU level
OBJECTIVES
This aim will be reached by building a thematic network of European (medium sized) cosmopolitan cities that will each:
Set up a well-balanced Local Panel of Stakeholders (based on the following proportions: 1/3 of citizens or citizens’ organizations, 1/3 non-profit and civil society organizations, and 1/3 experts, officials and local authorities), to experiment and review their local integration initiatives, in order to:
Share their local experience with the rest of the network, particularly at the 4 thematic transnational meetings held in Bassano, Strasbourg, Vejle and Etterbeek, with a view to:
Gain experience and share the main common findings and recommendations with a larger audience at the European level, in order to contribute to the Europe for Citizens Programme
3STEPS project network in Greece, Italy, Turkey, France, and Spain
The 3STEPS international conference, entitled “Social inclusion of (low-skilled) migrants and refugees in education. Join 3STEPS network” took place on 23 November 2022 in Strasbourg. Hosted by ALDA, partners and guests (both online and offline) actively joined the conference, grasping the most of it.
From a general perspective, the 3STEPS project is meant to support social inclusion of migrants and refugees by fostering two methodologies previously implemented – be they “Basic Education Methodology” and “Tandem Now”. Specifically, the project intended to increase the chances of migrants and refugees to remain within the educational and vocational system of their host country by providing them basic skills as well as a stable grounding for further personal achievements.
The first part of the conference was dedicated to insights on the implemented activities and the outcomes of the project based on the information collected by each partner. Here the main aspects:
Caminos, Spanish association and leader of the project, provided an overview on the key aspects of the project, the “3 steps” to take:
Basic education training to improve skills on literacy, numeracy and digital skills
Vocational orientation and blended learning by role models mentors
Social inclusion and mutual learning activities
After having provided an overview on the Italian context, CESIE illustrated the work undertaken in terms of mentoring. The latter refers to the activities of orientation or information developed according to the needs of the mentees mentor with migrant background experienced from linguistic and cultural point of view
Similarly, Mozaik recalled how, thanks to the 3STEPS project, the organisation has been able to create a space for young migrants/refugees in Turkey to contribute with their talents and strengths to the well-being of the whole society in the long-term. Hence, the training was a way to increase their motivation and envision their future paths
A great insight both in terms of the Greek context on unaccompanied minors, and in terms of training of trainers. As also responsible for the working package, Symplexis shared with the audience the activities done, while introducing the concept of “mentors as role models”, through volunteering. In other words, mentors support youngsters in their career orientation, studies & strengthening their life skills.
In addition, as pointed out by participants, what is quite necessary when discussing “Inclusive Education” is the improvement of collaboration among the different stakeholders, thus requiring constant actions and the sharing of knowledge, tools and good practices through a solid network.
The latter is thus among the will behind the project: creating a group of people interested in the topic, so that to have an international collaboration, while also working to develop a policy brief, useful for further studies and improvements. A holistic approach that takes into consideration both educational and vocational development, focusing on individuals’ singularities are at the core of “Inclusive Education”: hence, having a network working to ease and to reflect around these hints will be of great value.
Overall, the International Networking Conference marked an important milestone in further localising the event, in engaging with organisations and citizens in Strasbourg, while further spreading awareness and exchange on Inclusive Education.
November marked an important milestone in developing cooperation for democracy. The high-level conference organised by Regional Representation of the European Commission in Wroclaw and the College of Eastern Europe, further testified the commitment not only of ALDA, but also of many international and multi-stakeholders in supporting Ukraine.
“Today, at the House of Europe in Wrocław, we are talking about development cooperation for democracy and support for Ukraine fighting for our common freedom”, said Mr. Jacek Wasik, Director of the Regional Representation of the European Commission in Wroclaw in his opening speech. The same spirit of cooperation and hope was also stressed by Laurynas Vaičiūnas, Chairman of the Foundation College of Eastern Europe
The added value of this conference was underlined by the representative of the city of Wroclaw as well; recalling the deep bond among noth only the two countries, but also among the Polish city with the two sisters-cities in Ukraine: Lviv and Kyiv.
Similarly, Oriano Otočan, ALDA President, shared the experience of the Association in the management of post-conflict situations. Thus, ALDA itself was initiated after the war in Western Balkans, bringing together both local and international stakeholders to ease the situation and provide solutions.
If on the one hand democracy is now under attack in Ukraine, on the other hand and especially for the Country of Kyiv, the decentralisation process is fundamental. As mentioned by Giulio Venneri, Team leader, Rule of law and Democracy Team, DG NEAR, European Commission, local leadership is the key element now also in order to guarantee future resilience.
“At the House of Europe in Wroclaw we are talking about development cooperation for democracy and support for Ukraine”
Furthermore, support should be given also in terms of finance, as well as “on-site” projects: the renovation of a school building is among the examples illustrated by Marcin Krzyżanowski Deputy Marshall of the Lower Siliesia Voivodoship.
A further insight on the local situation has been provided by Svitlana Yarova, Member of the City Council Vinnitsa, Deputy Head of the Institut for City Development, who presented the integrated development of Vinnystia. In addition, Yana Brovdiy, Officer – International Partnerships (U-LEAD), CEMR, illustrated the activities done not only in Ukraine but also in the EaP region, especially on digitalisation and gender equality. Another great voice from the civil society world came from Carlotta Besozzi – Coordinator Civil Society Europe – who stressed the importance of including CSOs in the instrument of Rebuild Ukraine; and Alexandru Coica, reporting on the successful examples of the Local Democracy Agencies, as testified by Anzhelika Pylypenko, Representative of LDA Dnipro.
The second panel was entirely dedicated to the key role of civil society organisations, precisely focusing on “Decentralised cooperation, multi stakeholder cooperation and city Diplomacy as a tool for development cooperation – practical recommendations”
Thanks to this moment of exchange, panellists and participants had the opportunity to work on a draft declaration. “The Polish democratic transformation was a strong success, it should be an export product and we should be more aware of that and adopt a strong narrative on this matter” expressed Bartek Ostrowski – ALDA Vice President.
Panellists joining this moment were all professionals and experts working closely with people and citizens; while transferring the need of the society to the institutions; bridging the two sides. “ Being a part of the international environment means being a part of a learning community. Solidarity is key to have a place in the global world”, emphasised Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General of ALDA. The idea of CSOs as a bridge between people and institutions was also reiterated by Artem Zozulia, Chairman of the Ukraine Foundation; while Denis Schrey, KAS, Programme Director of the Multinational Development Policy Dialogue and Network Coordinator, European Network of Political Foundations (ENOP) stressed how “The multi-stakeholders approach is key to translate the cultural differences between countries”.
Similarly both Jan Wais, Deputy Director of the Office for International Cooperation, Wroclaw Municipality; and Krzysztof Latka, Chairman of the Foundation for the Central and Eastern Europe Development contributed by providing their own perspectives and insights so that to foster the collaboration and mutual understanding when working together for a common goal.
Overall, this conference not only proved the continuous commitment to peace and democracy of ALDA and the institutions and CSOs joining together in the event, but also demonstrates that collaboration and multilateral cooperation are key factors to provide concrete solutions to the current war that Ukraine is facing.
The theme of migration is ubiquitous in each other’s events of the project “From footprints to makeshift camps: The migration crisis and European citizenship” (Des traces de pas aux camps de fortune : Crise migratoire et citoyennetés européennes). Every day, more and more refugees and migrants leave their countries and move towards Europe. The question is: “What can we do to help them?”. This project aims to raise young francophones awareness of this topic because it is with them that change begins. From thematic games and communication tools, young people will deepen their understanding on migration, share their stories and provide innovative suggestions.
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this project are:
To raise youth’s awareness of the issue of migration crisis.
To develop creativity and confidence.
To consider cross-cultural encounter through the refugee issue.
To question the notions of values and of European citizenship.
“Beliefs and Superstitions from Here and Elsewhere” project will gather young people from four countries: Belgium, France, Macedonia and Serbia. For ten days they will discuss beliefs and superstitions from here and elsewhere. The exchange will be realized in Reunion Island. The topic will be tackled through various activities, workshops, meetings, visits, testimonies. Young people will be encouraged to express themselves, to listen to each other, to exchange and to create results on the topic in order to enrich themselves.
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this project are:
To raise awareness on issues related to abusive beliefs and superstitions.
To discover new cultures, new people and organizations.
To promote “living together” without fear, apprehension and in the respect of each other’s opinion.
Effective collaboration across government departments and with non-governmental actors is essential to good governance. In addition, effective collaboration with societal actors in public service delivery and policy-making can help governments improve their ability to address user needs and innovate their problem solving capacity. Effective engagement with societal actors can help unlock societal assets, thereby easing the resource needs on governments, allow new services and new businesses to be born and help citizens to actively participate in the decisions that affect their lives. This is the political base from which Co-Created project has been thought. Co-Created aims at equipping civil servants with the basic skills needed to implement co-creation approaches with the actors of the civil society. The project uses ICT solutions as learning innovative tools.
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this project are:
To establish a framework of collaboration, both within the public sector and with external actors
To bringing governments closer to citizens and businesses through advanced ICT solutions
To promote integrated, co-created and inclusive service design and delivery
To provide opportunities for multi-stakeholder engagement by favouring collaboration mechanisms
To improve digital technologies‘ effectiveness for delivering public value and strengthening citizen trust
To favour a broader participation in national and local policymaking and service delivery through new channels and modalities of communication
To reinforce institutional capacities to manage and monitor projects‘ implementation
The project will be based on building a thematic network of European Metropolitan Cities that will exchange experiences about their management and role in the future of European governance, by focusing on the participation of citizens in these processes. The network will gather Metropolitan Cities with years of experiences with the Metropolis institutions and realities.
The tools of the project will include:
Five international events addressing both citizens and policy-makers
Participative local activities for citizens to discuss the covered topics
A questionnaire for target groups (before and after the events)
A website, necessary to facilitate networking among stakeholders
A movie and a publication about results achieved
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this project are:
to establish a network of Metropolitan Cities from different European regions that will focus on the inclusion of citizens in the decision-making project
to foster the active participation of citizens in the democratic life of their Metropolitan cities
to support the development of good governance at the Metropolitan level
to promote a strong sense of European identity in Metropolitan cities
to foster inclusion and integration among their inhabitants
to improve citizens’ knowledge of European and local institutions
to promote citizens’ sense of ownership towards such institutions
In line with the objectives of the Erasmus+ Programme and in order to foster the achievement of Europe2020 goals, the YouthMetre project aims at supporting EU Member States, municipalities and regions in carrying out effective policy reforms in the field of Youth, in line with the indications provided by the EU Youth Strategy and according to the priorities perceived by its target population: young Europeans. In line with the objectives of the Call, YouthMetre foresees activities whose specific aim is to provide in-depth knowledge about the self-perceived needs of the target group(s) (Young Europeans) in learning, teaching, training or youth work situations and effective methodologies and tools that help policy makers to develop initiatives in line with the target population’s collected needs.
OBJECTIVES
The project addresses “Priority 7- Using e-participation as an instrument to foster young people’s empowerment and active participation in democratic life”. It starts from the outcomes of previous youth projects, through OMC YouthMetre empowers youth to engage with and impact on EU youth policy. An e-tool will be produced to close the gap between youth and institutions by collecting the perceived needs of youth in key policy areas and providing guidelines to public institutions that help address them. YouthMetre aims at directly providing youngsters with necessary skills and knowledge to foster effective implementation, by policy makers, of the guidelines provided by the “Youthmetre”.
The project brings together people from 8 countries coming from economically, historically and culturally different backgrounds representing a great opportunity to work together on issues of mutual concern and exchange ideas. The biggest emphasis will be on young people because they are the future of Europe, they must make the difference for a better and more sustainable world. Young citizens will contribute as protagonists to the discussion on the topics foreseen. The project seeks to initiate discussion on the subject as well as promoting active participation, providing a platform to voice citizens’ opinions. Collaborative organisation and partnerships with municipalities, educational facilities, like-minded institutions and businesses, and community organisations is seen as crucial to maximise reach and impact of the project.
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this project are:
to establish a network of municipalities and towns from different regions across Europe
to work together on environmental issues
to promote recycling and sustainable development
to tackle the environmental pollution together as a problem crossing state border which has a global impact on population
to mobilize citizens for cooperation between municipalities and towns from different state
to discuss about the relevance of recycling for their society and for their future generations.
In today’s Europe we are reaching alarming levels of urban fragmentation, inequality and structural socio-spatial divisions within our cities, feeding extremism and radicalisation. Most vulnerable people are often bound to concentrate in disadvantaged areas where social exclusion and deprivation usually overlap with multi-ethnicity, which further challenges social cohesion. Increasingly marginalised and stigmatised, these areas and their inhabitants are pushed into a vicious circle of poverty. In this context, and through a bottom-up approach to raise local awareness on the urgent need to establish new connections among inhabitants of marginalised neighbourhoods and those of central areas, URGENT aims at tackling the growing fear of immigration, which feeds euroscepticist attitudes.
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this project are:
to create spaces of discussion and mutual learning among citizens from different socio-cultural backgrounds and from different countries of Europe;
to foster active citizenship and co-creation of policies and services in local societies, particularly for citizens who are often excluded from the decision-making processes;
to enhance the capacity of local institutions to be “multipliers” in their own communities in order to engage a wide range of stakeholders;
to provide a new impetus to the EU enlargement process, contributing to the establishment of a long-lasting thematic network of cities that are strongly active and committed as key players in Europe.
The EYES project aims to put the civic participation of young Europeans at the service of health and environment. By offering young people from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to interact, share knowledge and debate, this proposal aims at reducing the distance between citizens and Europe – both as an institution and as a combination of communities and cultures. The main objective is to involve youth workers active in the field of health promotion and protection of the environment, and to ensure that their views are heard at European level. To do this, mixed pairs of “sentinels” (oberver, alert and local stakeholders on topics of health and environment launchers) will be formed by each of our partners. Their participation in activities under the project is given a “multiplier” role through local initiatives: these pairs will give young people and others in their community the opportunity to be active on issues related to health and the environment, and to make recommendations at the local, national, and European levels.
OBJECTIVES
Accordingly with the objectives and goals of mobility projects supported by the Erasmus program, EYES aims at vehiculating a strong intercultural and European dimension. The 40 “sentinels” to be brought to meet come from diverse backgrounds, thus improving their knowledge and understanding of other cultures and giving them the opportunity to establish a European network. In addition, their active participation on topics of European interest will be expected to foster a sense of European identity and citizenship. The geographical coverage of the project – which goes beyond the borders of the European Union (Western Balkans and Caucasus) – will further promote this common identity in an enlarged Europe. By experiencing a sense of belonging to the European Union more deep and meaningful, participants will gain the confidence to actively take part in the (local and European) democracy.
ACTIVITIES
International Seminar, 21-28 June 2015: the seminar will be held in Vicenza (Italy) and will be co-organised by ALDA and its partners. The focus will be on non-formal learning methods. During the eight-day event, participants will:
Expose the major health and environmental problems identified in their territories, and will be encouraged to present new ideas creatively. exchange best practices on the topic
Meet with experts and actors active in the fields of health and environment.
Participate in various seminars and workshops on topics such as waste management, organic food, local production, management of mountain trails.
Visit the Lake Fimon (see: http://www.provincia.vicenza.it/ente/la-struttura-della-provincia/servizi/beni-ambientali/lago-di-fimon), prehistoric site whose environmental balance and ecosystem are under threat. A project to protect the area (funded by LIFE) is being implemented.
Actively participate in Festambiente festival (annual festival dedicated to environmental issues, see: http://www.festambiente.it/), where they can meet different players and participate in workshops (education for sustainable development, recycling, carpooling, energy renewable, etc.).
Alongside the focus on health and environmental issues activities, the seminar will lead to many intercultural exchanges, whether in connection with the activities of the seminar or during periods of free time participants.
Capitalisation and local initiatives: the results of the international seminar should be the basis for “sentinels” to implement local initiatives involving young people and citizens of all ages in activities to protect the environment. Maximisation of the impact of the international seminar and the multiplier effect of this support sentinel aims. Ultimately, it is expected that the initiatives taken downstream of the international seminar are likely to turn into projects within the framework of the Erasmus program +.
Following the implementation phase, a comprehensive evaluation of the project will be the completion of questionnaires and interviews online. Finally, a booklet will be prepared to help spread the project results.
From 13 until 17 November, 2022, Ms. Antonella Valmorbida, ALDA Secretary General, was in Oran (Algeria) to deliver the fourth round of capacity building activities to Local Authorities on good governance and citizens engagement.
This time, the participants to these high-level trainings on participative democracy, around 30 Heads of Daira, had the great opportunity to exchange views and ideas on participatory budget with Mr.Zoran Jankulovski, Executive Director of the Association of Finance Officers of the Local Governments and Public Enterprises in Veles, North Macedonia, connected via Zoom.
The North Macedonian Association, with 25 years of experience in the field of budget, taxes and financial management, counts around 300 members among which financial workers from municipalities and public enterprises from over 2/3 of the total number of Municipalities in the Republic of Macedonia. Among the many services that the Association dispenses, it provides a forum for dissemination of information, good practices, knowledge and experiences on the above-mentioned topics.
Due to this, the discussion on participatory budget with Mr. Jankulovski, thanks to its extensive experience and professionalism, represented a unique moment for the participants of the training.
The discussion on participatory budget with Mr. Jankulovski represented a unique moment for the participants of the training
After having introduced participatory budget and its forms, Mr. Jankulovski highlighted the crucial importance of transparency and responsibility; “transparency of budget institutions is crucially important for the services given by Local Authorities to their citizens. The Municipality needs to deliver local services in an effective and equitable way”, he stated. The presentation was followed by a stimulating discussion among the participants on the topics covered.
Mr. Jankulovski’s insightful intervention concluded a fourth round of capacity building activities which are part of a bigger programme on supporting local participative democracy and social accountability, started back in 2017, financed by the European Commission and coordinated by the Algerian Ministry of Interiors.
The programme foresees the training of a total of 270 Heads of Daira by the end of 2022, and ALDA cannot wait for the next round of activities, to be scheduled in December!
The importance of implementing the project “European Label for Governance Excellence (ELoGE)” both in North Macedonia and in Kosovo* has been further testified by the meeting among the Minister of Local Self Government of North Macedonia, Mr. Risto Pernov; the Minister of the Ministry of Local Government Administration, Mr. Elbert Krasniqi and ALDA President Oriano Otočan; ALDA Governing Board Member Emir Coric together with ALDA Secretary General Antonella Valmorbida.
Hence, on the second half of November 2022, the ALDA delegation gathered in Skopje – the capital city of North Macedonia – to capitalised on the successful commitment of the Association in implementing the ELoGE mechanism. From a general perspective, the latter is intended to support local self-government units to improve their standards and provide high-quality services within local self-government.
More in details, concerning North Macedonia, the local government units conducted self-assessment surveys among citizens, employees and councillors, while collecting documentation that allows to check whether the self-assessment is justified. Starting back in April 2021 with the preparation phase, the project then saw several phases, one of which was the workshop organised in March 2022 to illustrate and discuss on the ELoGE project. Similarly, on 19 May 2022 in Pristina, representatives from 11 Municipalities attended a dedicated training focusing on the implementation and further understanding of the mechanism. Furthermore, as also exchanged during the meeting with the Minister, Mr. Pernov, there is a fertile and common ground to further deepen the collaboration and partnership; while encouraging the participation of citizens to the community life; and strengthening the Self Government policy. Both the ALDA office in Skopje as well as the Board are very much grateful for this meeting, and reiterate the will to implement ELoGE project in North Macedonia and Kosovo*, while enabling communities. Read the news in Armenian Read the news in Georgian Read the news in Romanian Read the news in Ukrainian
