AT A GLANCE
VIT gathers 18 project partners and 9 associate partners from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and United Kingdom. Its main idea is to create a network of towns from Europe and its Neighbourhood involved in town-twinning relations with a focus on European priorities, such as volunteering, active ageeing and citizen participation.
OBJECTIVES
The project aims at facilitating debate, action and reflexion between partners on how citizens may enhance governance in Europe and how town twinning can contribute to the dissemination of European Union values and the construction of a European identity. At the same time, the project wishes to revitalise existing town-twinning relations of the partner towns and initiate new twinning.
ACTIVITIES
The work-programme foresees the following main activities:
Three international conferences providing opportunities to exchange local experiences and develop networking and cooperation in the addressed fields:
- Bydgoszcz, Poland, 8th July 2011: Conference “volunteering for democracy”, recommendations from civil society and local authorities. [ Agenda | Position paper «Volunteering for Democracy: Dangers and Opportunities for Good Governance and Active Citizenship» | Recommendations ]
- Udine, Italy, 7-8th June 2012, two conferences: (1) “Empowering Citizens and strengthening local governance in neighbouring countries: Lessons learned and opportunities from East to South»
- Udine, Italy: Conference “Active Ageing and Local Governance: How to involve elderly as active citizens in their local communities”
18 workshops organised by partners at local level to debate and exchange experiences on the addressed topics locally:
- Valencia (Spain), March 2nd and 3rd, 2012, workshop «Volunteering in time of crisis» organised by RECREATURA. [Agenda]
- Korydallos and Pireus (Greece), March 15th and 16th, 2012, workshop organised by KMOP. [Agenda]
- Tirana (Albania), May 9th and 10th 2012, workshop «The role of the local government authorities units offering social services-ageing» organised by the Albanian Association of Municipalities. [Agenda]
- Bucharest (Romania), May 17th and 18th 2012, workshop organised by the Association of Romanian Municipalities.
- Nancy (France), May 24th and 25th, 2012, workshop «Town-twinning, a framework for volunteering and intergenerational dialogue-French/German perspectives» organised by the Association française du Conseil des Communes et Régions d’Europe (AFCCRE). [Agenda]
- Gulbene (Latvia), June 4th and 5th, 2012, workshop «Promotion of youth volunteering and communication with public» organised by the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments (LALRG). [Agenda]
- Novo mesto (Slovenia), June 15th and 16th, 2012, workshop «Release the will power» organised by the Association for Developing Voluntary Work Novo Mesto. [Agenda]
- Kaunas (Lithuania), October 11th and 12th, 2012 organised by the Municipal Training Centre at Kaunas University of Technology.
- Varnia (Bulgaria), October 11th and 12th, 2012, organised by the Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities (UBBSLA).
- Wolverhampton (UK), October 18th and 19th, 2012 organised by Wolverhampton City Council.
- Malta, Local Council Association, 22th June and 29th October
- Veles (Macedonia), October 8th-10th, 2012 organised by the Municipality of Veles
- Bydgoszsz (Poland), October 8th and 9th, 2012, organised by the Municipality of Bydgoszcz
- Banska Bystrica (Slovakia), Center for Community Organizing (CCO),
- Ireland, Donegal County Council, 19th and 20th November
- Denmark, Vejle, date to be confirmed
- Italy, ALDA
- Croatia, Municipality of Novigrad- Cittanova, 7th and 8th December 2012
A methodological publication and a DVD collecting and disseminating the outcomes of the project at European and local levels.
EVENTS
(1) ALDA conference «Volunteering for Democracy», Bydgoszcz, 8 July 2011
(2) ALDA conference «Volunteering for Democracy» Working Group 1, Bydgoszcz, 8 July 2011
(3) International conference “Active ageing and local governance: how to involve elderly as active citizens in their local communities» — Udine, 8 June 2012
Local workshop:
(1) Workshop Recreatura, Valencia, 2-3 March 2012
ASSOCIATE PARTNERS
Besides the project partners, VIT project benefits from the collaboration of the following associate partners:
• Consortium for Development of Polesine (Italy) — www.consvipo.it
• Local Democracy Agency Shkodra (Albania)
• Municipality of Monfalcone (Italy) — www.comune.monfalcone.go.it
• Municipality of Brindisi (Italy) — www.comune.brindisi.it
• Municipality of Reggio Emilia (Italy) www.municipio.re.it
• Province of Milano (Italy) www.provincia.milano.it
• Associazione Solo Uguali Diritti (S.U.D.) (Italy)
• National Forum Alternatives, Practice, Initiatives (Plovdiv, Bulgaria) www.apiplovdiv.tripod.com
• Balkan Assist Association (Bulgaria) www.balkanassist.bg
