Working on tackling unemployment in Europe: ALDA and its Partners Showcasing the Results of the BESPAT Project
On Thursday 21st April, ALDA and the partners of the project BESPAT (Best European Policies, Analysis and Transference) showcased the outcomes of the project to European stakeholders at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels.
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The project BESPAT aims at professionalising personal and household services (PHS) as a strong growth potential sector to promote employment in line with the EU Agenda 2020. The sector covers a broad range of activities that contribute to the well-being of families and individuals such as child care, long term care for the elderly and for persons with disabilities, cleaning, remedial classes etc. BESPAT is a Progress-funded project whose objective is to identify and exchange good practices all over Europe regarding policies and actions in the PHS sector.
Ms Francesca Scarinci, from the social cooperative Sol.Co Verona, a member of ALDA, was among the panellists. Ms Scarinci presented the activities, results, successes and obstacles experienced at the local level by So.Co Verona. The organisation assists different beneficiaries through social guards in local communities. Trained social guards are reemployed people who provide supply services to people in need. “Provided service is a cheaper solution than using professionals only. Moreover, there is a lack of people’s trust in the state-run health services. Thus there is a need to build it step by step which is always better with care“, stated Ms Scarinci. ALDA will be on the front line to disseminate the outcomes of the project to all its 200 members across 40 European countries.
On Thursday 21st April, ALDA and the partners of the project BESPAT (Best European Policies, Analysis and Transference) showcased the outcomes of the project to European stakeholders at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels.
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The project BESPAT aims at professionalising personal and household services (PHS) as a strong growth potential sector to promote employment in line with the EU Agenda 2020. The sector covers a broad range of activities that contribute to the well-being of families and individuals such as child care, long term care for the elderly and for persons with disabilities, cleaning, remedial classes etc. BESPAT is a Progress-funded project whose objective is to identify and exchange good practices all over Europe regarding policies and actions in the PHS sector.
Ms Francesca Scarinci, from the social cooperative Sol.Co Verona, a member of ALDA, was among the panellists. Ms Scarinci presented the activities, results, successes and obstacles experienced at the local level by So.Co Verona. The organisation assists different beneficiaries through social guards in local communities. Trained social guards are reemployed people who provide supply services to people in need. “Provided service is a cheaper solution than using professionals only. Moreover, there is a lack of people’s trust in the state-run health services. Thus there is a need to build it step by step which is always better with care“, stated Ms Scarinci. ALDA will be on the front line to disseminate the outcomes of the project to all its 200 members across 40 European countries.
ECI Day 2016: ALDA following the annual meeting of the European Citizens’ Initiative on the topic of Forging Change
On 20th April, ALDA followed the debate on the revision of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), taking place at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels.
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Ordinary citizens, stakeholders and representatives of the EU institutions met to debate on positive paths to forge change. The ECI is a key instrument for participatory democracy at European level. Since 2012, it allows Europeans to make legislative proposals and participate in the decision-making by connecting directly with EU institutions. It is a chance for them to discuss and influence key policies and cast more light on the public’s view of the EU agenda and priorities.
The ECI Day is an important meeting place and platform where registered and future ECI organisers and stakeholders can exchange information, experience and present their ECI and activities to the public. The ECI should be a main tool to involve ordinary citizens in the decision-making processes at the EU level. Unfortunately, only very few ECIs succeeded to produce any change. There are several obstacles that the ECIs have to face. Citizens call for changes at the European Commission (EC) level.
Together with one of the biggest crises in today’s world, the ECI should be helping to connect ordinary citizens with the EU. Instead, people feel frustration and refusal. Ordinary citizens from the public supported these thoughts by a statement: “The EC obviously does not have any idea how many people turns eurosceptical instead of its intention to get closer to the EU.”. Mr György Schöpflin, MEP, named the ECI as a “hundred percent failure” for the EC. Also the European Ombudsman, Ms Emily O’Reilly highly supported the idea of an existential crisis of the EU. From her point of view, transparency, honesty and politics are key to bring participatory democracy into reality.
Despite some failures that seem to be clear, Ms Elisabeth Golberg, representative of the EC, stated that the Commission takes the ECI very seriously and is willing to actively support citizens. There is a commitment from the side of the EC to work together and there is a lot to be reached even in the current legislative framework. ALDA will keep monitoring the implementation and revision of the ECI, participatory democracy being the key for a successful European project capable of involving its citizens.
On 20th April, ALDA followed the debate on the revision of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), taking place at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels.
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Ordinary citizens, stakeholders and representatives of the EU institutions met to debate on positive paths to forge change. The ECI is a key instrument for participatory democracy at European level. Since 2012, it allows Europeans to make legislative proposals and participate in the decision-making by connecting directly with EU institutions. It is a chance for them to discuss and influence key policies and cast more light on the public’s view of the EU agenda and priorities.
The ECI Day is an important meeting place and platform where registered and future ECI organisers and stakeholders can exchange information, experience and present their ECI and activities to the public. The ECI should be a main tool to involve ordinary citizens in the decision-making processes at the EU level. Unfortunately, only very few ECIs succeeded to produce any change. There are several obstacles that the ECIs have to face. Citizens call for changes at the European Commission (EC) level.
Together with one of the biggest crises in today’s world, the ECI should be helping to connect ordinary citizens with the EU. Instead, people feel frustration and refusal. Ordinary citizens from the public supported these thoughts by a statement: “The EC obviously does not have any idea how many people turns eurosceptical instead of its intention to get closer to the EU.”. Mr György Schöpflin, MEP, named the ECI as a “hundred percent failure” for the EC. Also the European Ombudsman, Ms Emily O’Reilly highly supported the idea of an existential crisis of the EU. From her point of view, transparency, honesty and politics are key to bring participatory democracy into reality.
Despite some failures that seem to be clear, Ms Elisabeth Golberg, representative of the EC, stated that the Commission takes the ECI very seriously and is willing to actively support citizens. There is a commitment from the side of the EC to work together and there is a lot to be reached even in the current legislative framework. ALDA will keep monitoring the implementation and revision of the ECI, participatory democracy being the key for a successful European project capable of involving its citizens.
ECI Day 2016: ALDA following the annual meeting of the European Citizens’ Initiative on the topic of Forging Change
On 20th April, ALDA followed the debate on the revision of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), taking place at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels.
***
Ordinary citizens, stakeholders and representatives of the EU institutions met to debate on positive paths to forge change. The ECI is a key instrument for participatory democracy at European level. Since 2012, it allows Europeans to make legislative proposals and participate in the decision-making by connecting directly with EU institutions. It is a chance for them to discuss and influence key policies and cast more light on the public’s view of the EU agenda and priorities.
The ECI Day is an important meeting place and platform where registered and future ECI organisers and stakeholders can exchange information, experience and present their ECI and activities to the public. The ECI should be a main tool to involve ordinary citizens in the decision-making processes at the EU level. Unfortunately, only very few ECIs succeeded to produce any change. There are several obstacles that the ECIs have to face. Citizens call for changes at the European Commission (EC) level.
Together with one of the biggest crises in today’s world, the ECI should be helping to connect ordinary citizens with the EU. Instead, people feel frustration and refusal. Ordinary citizens from the public supported these thoughts by a statement: “The EC obviously does not have any idea how many people turns eurosceptical instead of its intention to get closer to the EU.”. Mr György Schöpflin, MEP, named the ECI as a “hundred percent failure” for the EC. Also the European Ombudsman, Ms Emily O’Reilly highly supported the idea of an existential crisis of the EU. From her point of view, transparency, honesty and politics are key to bring participatory democracy into reality.
Despite some failures that seem to be clear, Ms Elisabeth Golberg, representative of the EC, stated that the Commission takes the ECI very seriously and is willing to actively support citizens. There is a commitment from the side of the EC to work together and there is a lot to be reached even in the current legislative framework. ALDA will keep monitoring the implementation and revision of the ECI, participatory democracy being the key for a successful European project capable of involving its citizens.
On 20th April, ALDA followed the debate on the revision of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), taking place at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels.
***
Ordinary citizens, stakeholders and representatives of the EU institutions met to debate on positive paths to forge change. The ECI is a key instrument for participatory democracy at the European level. Since 2012, it allows Europeans to make legislative proposals and participate in the decision-making by connecting directly with EU institutions. It is a chance for them to discuss and influence key policies and cast more light on the public’s view of the EU agenda and priorities.
The ECI Day is an important meeting place and platform where registered and future ECI organisers and stakeholders can exchange information, experience and present their ECI and activities to the public. The ECI should be a main tool to involve ordinary citizens in the decision-making processes at the EU level. Unfortunately, only very few ECIs succeeded to produce any change. There are several obstacles that the ECIs have to face. Citizens call for changes at the European Commission (EC) level.
Together with one of the biggest crises in today’s world, the ECI should be helping to connect ordinary citizens with the EU. Instead, people feel frustration and refusal. Ordinary citizens from the public supported these thoughts by a statement: “The EC obviously does not have any idea how many people turns eurosceptical instead of its intention to get closer to the EU.”. Mr György Schöpflin, MEP, named the ECI as a “hundred percent failure” for the EC. Also the European Ombudsman, Ms Emily O’Reilly highly supported the idea of an existential crisis of the EU. From her point of view, transparency, honesty and politics are key to bring participatory democracy into reality.
Despite some failures that seem to be clear, Ms Elisabeth Golberg, representative of the EC, stated that the Commission takes the ECI very seriously and is willing to actively support citizens. There is a commitment from the side of the EC to work together and there is a lot to be reached even in the current legislative framework. ALDA will keep monitoring the implementation and revision of the ECI, participatory democracy being the key for a successful European project capable of involving its citizens.
Online Social Media Training for Youth Workers
On 19 April 2016, an online training on social media for the youth engagement workers within the project Balkan Regional Platform for Youth Participation and Dialogue was organized.
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During the training, social media were presented as an important means of communication, which can be a powerful display for an organization in the current marketing context if they are managed following the right rules.
After this presentation, tools for improving the effectiveness of social media communication were exposed. The general presentations of the official social networks’ pages, the types of posts and articles to write as well as their frequency, the way of writing and answering comments, were all the topics discussed during the training in order to give to all of the partners of the network a frame for the future publications.
This training is the first in the series of online trainings designed to improve the skills of the Youth Engagement Workers and the overall communication strategy of the network in the framework of the project Balkan Regional Platform for Youth Participation and Dialogue.
On 19 April 2016, an online training on social media for the youth engagement workers within the project Balkan Regional Platform for Youth Participation and Dialogue was organized.
***
During the training, social media were presented as an important means of communication, which can be a powerful display for an organization in the current marketing context if they are managed following the right rules.
After this presentation, tools for improving the effectiveness of social media communication were exposed. The general presentations of the official social networks’ pages, the types of posts and articles to write as well as their frequency, the way of writing and answering comments, were all the topics discussed during the training in order to give to all of the partners of the network a frame for the future publications.
This training is the first in the series of online trainings designed to improve the skills of the Youth Engagement Workers and the overall communication strategy of the network in the framework of the project Balkan Regional Platform for Youth Participation and Dialogue.
Support us! Vote for ALDA’s project “ART, PARTICIPATION AND DEMOCRACY” and help us make it happen!
ALDA’s project “Art, participation and democracy” is participating in a call organised by the Franco-German Institute, where it has passed the first selection step, and now it is among the 21 displayed on the institute’s website for the general public voting procedure.
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ALDA’s project “Art, participation and democracy” is participating in a call organised by the Franco-German Institute, where it has passed the first selection step, and now it is among the 21 displayed on the institute’s website for the general public voting procedure.
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Invitation for panel discussion: "Dialogue between Citizens and Institutions in Belarus - the Way Forward?"
ALDA has the pleasure to invite you for the panel discussion entitled “Dialogue between Citizens and Institutions in Belarus – the Way Forward?”, which will take place on Tuesday, 26 April, at 10:30 – 12:30 in room JAN6Q1.
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The event is organised by ALDA in cooperation with MEP Bogdan Zdrojewski, Chair of the EP’s Delegation for relations with Belarus, CORLEAP, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, the Belarusian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, the Centre for European Transformation, and the Lev Sapieha Foundation,
It will be an opportunity to discuss the state of the dialogue between citizens and institutions in Belarus. The article 37 of the Belarusian Constitution stipulates that the direct participation of citizens in the administration of the affairs of society and the state shall be safeguarded by the holding of referenda, the discussion of draft laws and issues of national and local significance, and by other means specified in law [such as] republican and local meetings. This provision raises at least two questions:
- How to effectively use the means and tools to realise such a dialogue in Belarus?
- Which are ‘the affairs of society and the state’ referred to?
Following the opening remarks, the audience will have a chance to hear directly from the three citizen centres in Slonim, Mogilev and Vitebsk about their experience and recommendations on how to enhance the dialogue.
The discussion is open for participation to interested MEPs, EU Institutions representatives, NGOs, think-tanks, embassies, and the wider public.
Please RSVP by Friday 22 April to ela.horoszko@aldaintranet.org
Useful links:
Please find here the flyer of the event
ALDA has the pleasure to invite you for the panel discussion entitled “Dialogue between Citizens and Institutions in Belarus – the Way Forward?”, which will take place on Tuesday, 26 April, at 10:30 – 12:30 in room JAN6Q1.
***
The event is organised by ALDA in cooperation with MEP Bogdan Zdrojewski, Chair of the EP’s Delegation for relations with Belarus, CORLEAP, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, the Belarusian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, the Centre for European Transformation, and the Lev Sapieha Foundation,
It will be an opportunity to discuss the state of the dialogue between citizens and institutions in Belarus. The article 37 of the Belarusian Constitution stipulates that the direct participation of citizens in the administration of the affairs of society and the state shall be safeguarded by the holding of referenda, the discussion of draft laws and issues of national and local significance, and by other means specified in law [such as] republican and local meetings. This provision raises at least two questions:
- How to effectively use the means and tools to realise such a dialogue in Belarus?
- Which are ‘the affairs of society and the state’ referred to?
Following the opening remarks, the audience will have a chance to hear directly from the three citizen centres in Slonim, Mogilev and Vitebsk about their experience and recommendations on how to enhance the dialogue.
The discussion is open for participation to interested MEPs, EU Institutions representatives, NGOs, think-tanks, embassies, and the wider public.
Please RSVP by Friday 22 April to ela.horoszko@aldaintranet.org
Useful links:
Please find here the flyer of the event
LDA Albania: the success of the first 6 months action after the relaunch in Vlora
The Local Democracy Agency Albania was re-opened in Vlora, in the south of the country, in October 2015, with the aim to relaunch ALDA’s action in Albania to promoting decentralisation and good local governance by building trust in the community.
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The LDA was re-opened with the objective to promote concrete initiatives for the consolidation of the democratic system at the local level by developing local institutions’ and citizens’ capacities and promoting the cooperation between the two actors in the decision making process. The relaunch has been made possible thanks to the engagement of a broad partnership composed by the Metropolitan City of Bari, Region Vlora, Municipality of Vlora, Municipality of Patos, Municipality of Fier, Learning Cities, Unisco and CRCD.
In only 6 moths time from its relaunch, LDA Albania has already been recognised as a key stakeholder in the country and a set of concrete activities have been launched.
A new facebook page aimed at bringing visibility to the LDA is already functional. The tool, along with the new website under construction, will be the main dissemination channels to inform and engage Albanian stakeholders around the initiatives of the LDA.
As part of its fundraising strategy, LDA Albania joined and supported international and local partners for the development of three key actions. Within the 9th Call from the National Agency for the Support of Civil Society (AMSHC Albania), the LDA submitted the project proposal “Local platform for participation and dialogue – targeting improvement of public service delivery through innovation and modernisation tools for citizens participation in policy making”.
It also supported the Region of Vlora to join the international partnership of the project SALT, submitted for funding under the Adrion programme. The project is in line with the strategic guidelines of Vlora Regional Strategic Development Plan. Tourism is indeed the leading sector in the region as well as the main catalyst for economic growth, job creation and direct income to the local community.
Youngsters being more than 50% of the region’s population, LDA Albania is active in promoting quality education and tackling youth unemployment. In this context and in cooperation with Cooperativa Sociale Margherita, the Agency submitted for funding to the Erasmus+ programme the project NETwORks. The initiative aims at contributing to the reduction of Early School Leaving (ELS) by fostering quality improvements in youth work and enhancing cooperation between organisations in the youth field, schools and other stakeholders.
Within the framework of strengthening the regional cooperation in the Balkans with the other LDAs, on 21-25 March, a delegation of LDA Albania attended in Ohrid, Macedonia the Training for Teams of Youth Correspondents within the framework of the “Balkan platform for youth participation and dialogue”. The training targeted young people, partners and youth forces in the region and aimed at reinforcing youngsters’ communication skills and ability to promote youth participation in the region.
As part of its strategy to further engage Albanian youngsters within the “Balkan platform for youth participation and dialogue” and promote positive change at the local level, an open call has been launched to create an Active Youth Network (AYN) for the city of Vlora. The network will be a local platform aimed at promoting dialogue and exchange of knowledge and experience on youth participation in the community, by taking credit of the good practices developed within the Balkan platform. AYN represents a key outcome of the Ohrid training and a concrete sign of its multiplying effect.
LDA Albania is also particularly active in extending ALDA’s membership in the country. The delegate, Ms Madlina Puka has met several local authorities and stakeholders and exchanged on opportunities of cooperation within ALDA’s network.
The Local Democracy Agency Albania was re-opened in Vlora, in the south of the country, in October 2015, with the aim to relaunch ALDA’s action in Albania to promoting decentralisation and good local governance by building trust in the community.
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The LDA was re-opened with the objective to promote concrete initiatives for the consolidation of the democratic system at the local level by developing local institutions’ and citizens’ capacities and promoting the cooperation between the two actors in the decision making process. The relaunch has been made possible thanks to the engagement of a broad partnership composed by the Metropolitan City of Bari, Region Vlora, Municipality of Vlora, Municipality of Patos, Municipality of Fier, Learning Cities, Unisco and CRCD.
In only 6 moths time from its relaunch, LDA Albania has already been recognised as a key stakeholder in the country and a set of concrete activities have been launched.
A new facebook page aimed at bringing visibility to the LDA is already functional. The tool, along with the new website under construction, will be the main dissemination channels to inform and engage Albanian stakeholders around the initiatives of the LDA.
As part of its fundraising strategy, LDA Albania joined and supported international and local partners for the development of three key actions. Within the 9th Call from the National Agency for the Support of Civil Society (AMSHC Albania), the LDA submitted the project proposal “Local platform for participation and dialogue – targeting improvement of public service delivery through innovation and modernisation tools for citizens participation in policy making”.
It also supported the Region of Vlora to join the international partnership of the project SALT, submitted for funding under the Adrion programme. The project is in line with the strategic guidelines of Vlora Regional Strategic Development Plan. Tourism is indeed the leading sector in the region as well as the main catalyst for economic growth, job creation and direct income to the local community.
Youngsters being more than 50% of the region’s population, LDA Albania is active in promoting quality education and tackling youth unemployment. In this context and in cooperation with Cooperativa Sociale Margherita, the Agency submitted for funding to the Erasmus+ programme the project NETwORks. The initiative aims at contributing to the reduction of Early School Leaving (ELS) by fostering quality improvements in youth work and enhancing cooperation between organisations in the youth field, schools and other stakeholders.
Within the framework of strengthening the regional cooperation in the Balkans with the other LDAs, on 21-25 March, a delegation of LDA Albania attended in Ohrid, Macedonia the Training for Teams of Youth Correspondents within the framework of the “Balkan platform for youth participation and dialogue”. The training targeted young people, partners and youth forces in the region and aimed at reinforcing youngsters’ communication skills and ability to promote youth participation in the region.
As part of its strategy to further engage Albanian youngsters within the “Balkan platform for youth participation and dialogue” and promote positive change at the local level, an open call has been launched to create an Active Youth Network (AYN) for the city of Vlora. The network will be a local platform aimed at promoting dialogue and exchange of knowledge and experience on youth participation in the community, by taking credit of the good practices developed within the Balkan platform. AYN represents a key outcome of the Ohrid training and a concrete sign of its multiplying effect.
LDA Albania is also particularly active in extending ALDA’s membership in the country. The delegate, Ms Madlina Puka has met several local authorities and stakeholders and exchanged on opportunities of cooperation within ALDA’s network.
Local economic development and entrepreneurship: ALDA showcasing its initiatives within OECD’s 12th annual meeting on creativity, jobs and local development
On 18th April, ALDA contributed to OECD’s programme in Venice on the topic of on creativity, jobs and and local development by showcasing concrete initiatives in the field.
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In particular, ALDA took the floor in two sessions of the two-day programme: in the networking session, Aldo Xhani, Coordinator of the Citizenship programme presented the project POPEYE – Promoting Organic Production, Enhancing Youth Employment as a successful tool to develop youngsters’ soft skills while promoting their active participation in public life and engage them in the local development of their territories with particular focus on the organic sector.
Prof Marco Cremaschi from the University of Science Po Paris represented the consortium of the project RE.CRI.RE – Between the Representation of the Crisis and the Crisis of Representation – in the workshop session on “Creativity in Education – Higher Education and Entrepreneurship”. Besides showcasing the project and its objectives, Prof Cremaschi engaged in the debate with representatives of the academic world and key stakeholders in the entrepreneurship field on the topic of the social role of universities in today’s Europe. The session was an opportunity to reflect on how to reframe universities’ role in producing knowledge via a new approach including citizens and local stakeholders. Participants exchanged experience by trying to respond to questions such as why to promote entrepreneurship in higher education? what are possible outcomes? what are pertinent approaches to teaching & learning? ways of involving firms in education? what role has public policy in supporting HEIs in their entrepreneurial & innovative strategic agenda?
OECD’s this year programme particularly addressed the topic of and creative industries as a sector of major interest to local economies with high value added in terms of knowledge, ability to generate creative and highly specialized jobs and as a powerful driving force in different areas, including tourism, urban regeneration, and social inclusion. What kind of conditions need to be put in place for the sector to be able to play this role? How can local leaders develop integrated strategies to use culture as a lever for local development? Were the questions engaging stakeholders in the plenary session.
On 18th April, ALDA contributed to OECD’s programme in Venice on the topic of on creativity, jobs and and local development by showcasing concrete initiatives in the field.
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In particular, ALDA took the floor in two sessions of the two-day programme: in the networking session, Aldo Xhani, Coordinator of the Citizenship programme presented the project POPEYE – Promoting Organic Production, Enhancing Youth Employment as a successful tool to develop youngsters’ soft skills while promoting their active participation in public life and engage them in the local development of their territories with particular focus on the organic sector.
Prof Marco Cremaschi from the University of Science Po Paris represented the consortium of the project RE.CRI.RE – Between the Representation of the Crisis and the Crisis of Representation – in the workshop session on “Creativity in Education – Higher Education and Entrepreneurship”. Besides showcasing the project and its objectives, Prof Cremaschi engaged in the debate with representatives of the academic world and key stakeholders in the entrepreneurship field on the topic of the social role of universities in today’s Europe. The session was an opportunity to reflect on how to reframe universities’ role in producing knowledge via a new approach including citizens and local stakeholders. Participants exchanged experience by trying to respond to questions such as why to promote entrepreneurship in higher education? what are possible outcomes? what are pertinent approaches to teaching & learning? ways of involving firms in education? what role has public policy in supporting HEIs in their entrepreneurial & innovative strategic agenda?
OECD’s this year programme particularly addressed the topic of and creative industries as a sector of major interest to local economies with high value added in terms of knowledge, ability to generate creative and highly specialized jobs and as a powerful driving force in different areas, including tourism, urban regeneration, and social inclusion. What kind of conditions need to be put in place for the sector to be able to play this role? How can local leaders develop integrated strategies to use culture as a lever for local development? Were the questions engaging stakeholders in the plenary session.
University of Peace 2016 in Caen: Call for Macedonian participants
As every summer since 2009, the International Institute for Human Rights and Peace has been organising the University of Peace.
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It will take place in Caen from 27 June 2016 to 3 July 2016 and the theme chosen for this edition is “Cultural rights, factors of peace? ». The University of Peace is organised by the International Institute for Human Rights and Peace in Caen.
Fifty years after the signing of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and forty years after its entry into force, cultural rights remain misunderstood and underdeveloped. Yet they are an integral part of fundamental rights and as such are inherent to all human beings. Cultural rights aim to guarantee everyone the freedom to live his or her cultural identity, understood as “the set of cultural references by which a person, alone or in community with others, defines, constitutes, communicates and intends to be recognised in his or her dignity” (Fribourg Declaration, 2007).
Despite their fundamental nature, cultural rights are violated on a daily basis: the destruction of the ancient city of Palmyra, the difficulties of access to education for Roma children in Europe, the inclusion of indigenous populations in Canada. These violations of cultural rights are inherent to the conflicts that shake our contemporary world.
Supervised by the Institute and a team of international experts, some forty young people from all over the world (16 nationalities represented last year) will have the opportunity to learn, debate and reflect on the theme chosen.
Eligibility
The following are eligible for this call
Macedonian citizens*
Aged from 20 to 28 years old
Francophones
Holders of a degree equivalent to at least three years of university studies. The disciplines concerned: law, social sciences, political science, history, languages or French
Interest in the theme of the University of Peace and motivation to value the experience of this event in their civic, academic or professional engagement.
* This call concerns only young Macedonians. Candidates from other countries of the world can apply for the University of Peace but they must apply directly to the Human Rights Institute of Caen (www.2idhp.eu).
Participation grants
Five young Macedonians selected in this call will be awarded participation grants offered by the Normandy/Macedonia cooperation. This scholarship covers accommodation and meals in Caen for the duration of the event as well as school fees. Travel grants are not awarded by the organisers.
Selection procedure
The Institute for Human Rights and Peace is in charge of the selection of participants. Interested candidates should send their CV in French, the completed application form, a photo ID and a photo to the following address: marie-pierre.pagnon@2idhp.eu. The deadline is 13 May 2016. You can download the application form below.
Useful links:
For more information on the University for Peace 2016 visit the website of site internet de l’Institut des droits de l’Homme et de la paix.
As every summer since 2009, the International Institute for Human Rights and Peace has been organising the University of Peace.
***
It will take place in Caen from 27 June 2016 to 3 July 2016 and the theme chosen for this edition is “Cultural rights, factors of peace? ». The University of Peace is organised by the International Institute for Human Rights and Peace in Caen.
Fifty years after the signing of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and forty years after its entry into force, cultural rights remain misunderstood and underdeveloped. Yet they are an integral part of fundamental rights and as such are inherent to all human beings. Cultural rights aim to guarantee everyone the freedom to live his or her cultural identity, understood as “the set of cultural references by which a person, alone or in community with others, defines, constitutes, communicates and intends to be recognised in his or her dignity” (Fribourg Declaration, 2007).
Despite their fundamental nature, cultural rights are violated on a daily basis: the destruction of the ancient city of Palmyra, the difficulties of access to education for Roma children in Europe, the inclusion of indigenous populations in Canada. These violations of cultural rights are inherent to the conflicts that shake our contemporary world.
Supervised by the Institute and a team of international experts, some forty young people from all over the world (16 nationalities represented last year) will have the opportunity to learn, debate and reflect on the theme chosen.
Eligibility
The following are eligible for this call
Macedonian citizens*
Aged from 20 to 28 years old
Francophones
Holders of a degree equivalent to at least three years of university studies. The disciplines concerned: law, social sciences, political science, history, languages or French
Interest in the theme of the University of Peace and motivation to value the experience of this event in their civic, academic or professional engagement.
* This call concerns only young Macedonians. Candidates from other countries of the world can apply for the University of Peace but they must apply directly to the Human Rights Institute of Caen (www.2idhp.eu).
Participation grants
Five young Macedonians selected in this call will be awarded participation grants offered by the Normandy/Macedonia cooperation. This scholarship covers accommodation and meals in Caen for the duration of the event as well as school fees. Travel grants are not awarded by the organisers.
Selection procedure
The Institute for Human Rights and Peace is in charge of the selection of participants. Interested candidates should send their CV in French, the completed application form, a photo ID and a photo to the following address: marie-pierre.pagnon@2idhp.eu. The deadline is 13 May 2016. You can download the application form below.
Useful links:
For more information on the University for Peace 2016 visit the website of site internet de l’Institut des droits de l’Homme et de la paix.