Month: April 2016

December 2015, and the European Year for Development 2015 (EYD2015) came to an end after 12 months of actions.

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It represented an unparalleled initiative to inform European citizens on EU development policies, showcase the EU’s role in the development and inspire European citizens in getting involved.

As a contributing stakeholder, our Association supported the year with awareness-raising actions across its network to spread the word and spirit of the EYD2015. Member of the EYD2015 Civil Society Alliance as well as lead partner of different multi-annual EYD2015-related projects such as LADDER, ALDA organized a number of public events and ran online actions to raise the awareness of citizens as well as of local actors, such as Local Authorities (LAs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), who have the capacity of becoming multipliers.

We would like to thank all members and partners who joined forces and with whom the fruitful cooperation led to successful outreach and activities. We look forward to pursuing the activities with the same aim of awareness-raising and inspiring people for engaging in development & poverty eradication.

The Governing Board of ALDA took place today for approving the Accounts of ALDA 2015 that will be presented to the General Assembly in May in Paris.

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The results is positive and allows stability and growth to ALDA and to the LDAs. The important meeting has also further elaborated on the proposal to have the Local Democracy Agencies/Operational Partners in Croatia as Statutory members of ALDA. In 2013, while Croatia was joining the European Union, it was decided to create another role for our three local LDAs : Verteneglio/Brtonigla, Sisak and Osijek. Since then, they became more operational in ALDA’s activities as EU possible stakeholders in all projects and policy making at the national and EU level. The LDAs in Croatia have been operational since the ‘90s bringing a lot of positive added value to the social and economic development in the country. The decision about the Operational Partners will be made in Paris with an Extraordinary General Assembly.

The Board approached and identified all the topics of the future events that will take place on 12th and 13th May in Paris. The General Assembly will elect this year a new Governing Board.

Personal and Household Services (PHS) has become one of the most important topic in the EC social Agenda.

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The PHS sector covers a broad range of activities that contribute to well-being at home of families and individuals: child care, long term care for the elderly and for persons with disabilities, cleaning, remedial classes, home repairs, gardening, ICT support, etc.

Aware of its importance, on 21st April (9:00 – 13:30) DIESIS, ALDA and the partners of the BESPAT project will discuss PHS in the European dimension with members of the Institutions and representatives of the most important European networks. The event will be held at the European Economic and Social Committee (room JD60), in Brussels, Belgium.

BESPAT (Best European Policies, Analysis and Transference in PHS) is a PROGRESS project that aims at identifying and exchanging Good Practices all over Europe regarding the policies and actions in the sector of Personal and Household Services. The workshop will be the occasion to present the outcomes of the project and present its results. Furthermore, during the Workshop the think tank Pour la Solidarité will present the results of the For Quality project and its connections with BESPAT.

The European Association for Local Democracy  (ALDA) and the Local Democracy Agency (LDA) Armenia, based in Gyumri, have released the publication “Strengthening Local Democracy in Armenia – Guidelines on citizens’ participation”.

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This document has been prepared by Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General of ALDA, and Lusine Alexandryan, Director of the LDA Armenia, as a contribution to the project “Support for the consolidation of local democracy in Armenia” implemented by the Council of Europe with the support of the Government of Denmark.

The publication aims at presenting standards, reference texts, best practices, participation techniques and useful ideas on citizen participation, as discussed during the regional seminars held in Armenia in July 2015.

The guidelines presented will give practical hints to all those who are seizing the challenge to embark on participative local governance in the country.

Useful links:
Download the publication on ALDA’s website in English (.pdf) and in Armenian (.pdf)
Follow LDA Armenia’s activities on the Facebook page

In the framework of ALDA General Assembly, that will take place on 12 May in Paris, some public events have been organised and foreseen by ALDA for 12-13 May.

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On Thursday 12 May, two public events will take place: the “Capitalisation of the European Year for Development: the added value of Decentralised Cooperation to promote local governance” and the “Launch of the Programme France Balkans”. Both conferences will be hosted in the Building La Convention, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, France.

Besides, together with UNDP and AFCCRE, ALDA is organising the Toolkit Day, scheduled on 13 May. The toolkit day foresees two parallel workshops, the first one entitled “Development Education – How should we valorise solidarity external actions of local authorities and associations amongst citizens?”, and the second one on “Localizing SDGs”.

The two-days will be full of varied activities and high-level speakers. The agenda foresees a debate, where the speakers will be sharing their experiences and knowledge. The speakers include the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France, as well as the representatives of the European Commission, UNDP, AFCCRE, LADDER Project, CONCORD, Energy Cities, as well as many representatives of local and regional authorities and of civil society organisations, coming from the EU, Western Balkans and European Neighbourhood countries. Other activities include the projection of a movie “Sur les pas d’Albert Londres” and a theatre play, in the framework of LADDER Project.

All these events are opened to public participation, therefore the previous registration is required.

On Saturday 9 April, the Forum on the Democratic Process in Tunisia and the possibilities for cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean area took place in Trieste, Italy.

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Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General of ALDA, intervened in the event, which was organised by the Region Friuli Venezia-Giulia. The region, long-term member of ALDA and sitting in the board of the Association (Alessandro Perelli is Vice President of ALDA), supports the Tunisian democratization process through the practical assistance for activities of civil society organisation and the development of cultural and economic relations.

As part of the activities promoted, and within the framework of DevelopMed project, this Forum provided an opportunity to dialogue and discuss a new model of cooperation based on democracy, coexistence and peace, which supports a way out from the crisis situations in North Africa and the Near East.

The speakers included the “Quartet for the Tunisian National Dialogue”, Nobel Peace Prize 2015, representatives from the Tunisian Association Lam Echaml, ALDA’s Secretary General Antonella Valmorbida, and the member of the Executive Council Gregoretti (Euro-Mediterranean Institute and member of ALDA’s Governing Board).

For several years, ALDA has been working to foster the democratisation process in Tunisia in cooperation with local partners, and it is now further running the activities to open a new Local Democracy Agency in the country. The Region Friuli Venezia-Giulia supports existing LDAs, and actively contributes to the process for opening the first LDA in Tunisia.

Useful links:
Video – Interview by FVG.TV

ALDA is offering the two-day programme “Discover Europe with ALDA”, which will give students the opportunity to interact with key European stakeholders.

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As a strategic partner of the European Commission and the Council of Europe, ALDA is offering this service to give the chance to the participants to learn more about the European Union and its functioning, and by participating in a field visit with interactive meetings with key EU stakeholders.

ALDA, with its more than 15 years of experience in the field, will be in charge of the logistics and organisational matters, which can be tailored according to the universities’ and students’ needs and interests. In addition, the programme closes offering a space for discussion, so the students can express their opinions and recommendations on how the cooperation between EU and young people across Europe could be further developed.

For universities and students this is a great opportunity to get an in-depth understanding of how the EU functions, to meet face-to-face key European stakeholders, and to have the chance to express their opinions and advices. The participants will receive a certificate of attendance awarded by ALDA.

Useful links:

Full information Programme “Discover Europe with ALDA”

Rapprochez l’UE, ses institutions et ses parties prenantes grâce à l’ALDA !

L’ALDA propose un programme de deux jours « Découvrez l’Europe avec l’ALDA »,  qui donnera aux étudiants l’occasion d’échanger avec les parties prenantes européennes clés.

En tant que partenaire stratégique de la Commission européenne et du Conseil de l’Europe, l’ALDA offre ce service pour donner une chance aux participants d’en apprendre plus sur l’Union européenne et son fonctionnement, tout en participant à une visite sur place avec des réunions interactives avec les parties prenantes clés de l’UE.

L’ALDA, avec son expérience de 15 ans dans le domaine, sera en charge de la logistique et des questions d’organisation, qui peuvent être adaptées en fonction des besoins et des intérêts des universités et des étudiants. De plus, le programme offre un espace de discussion, de sorte que les élèves peuvent exprimer leurs opinions et leurs recommandations pour développer la coopération entre l’UE et les jeunes à travers l’Europe.

C’est une excellente occasion pour les universités et les étudiants d’obtenir une compréhension approfondie de la manière dont l’UE fonctionne, de  rencontrer personnellement les parties prenantes européennes clés, et d’avoir la possibilité d’exprimer leurs opinions et leurs conseils. Les participants recevront un certificat de participation délivré par l’ALDA.

Liens utiles:
Toutes les informations sur le programme « Découvrez l’Europe avec l’ALDA »

Avvicinarsi all’UE, alle sue istituzioni e agli stakeholder attraverso ALDA!

ALDA offre un programma di due giorni intitolato “Scopri l’Europa con ALDA”, il quale darà agli studenti che vi partecipano l’opportunità di interagire con i principali stakeholder europei.

In quanto partner strategico della Commissione Europea e del Consiglio d’Europa, ALDA offre questo servizio per dare un’opportunità ai partecipanti di comprendere meglio l’Unione Europea e il suo funzionamento, partecipando a una visita con incontri interattivi con i principali stakeholder dell’UE.

ALDA, con i suoi oltre 15 anni di esperienza sul campo, si occuperà della logistica e delle questioni organizzative, le quali potranno essere adattate in base alle esigenze e agli interessi degli studenti e delle università partecipanti. Inoltre, il programma si chiude offrendo uno spazio per il dibattito, in modo tale da far esprimere agli studenti le proprie opinioni e suggerimenti su come la collaborazione tra l’UE e i giovani da tutta l’Europa possa essere ulteriormente sviluppata.

Per gli studenti e le università questo programma rappresenta una grande opportunità per acquisire un’approfondita conoscenza del funzionamento dell’UE, per incontrare personalmente i principali stakeholder europei, e per avere la possibilità di esprimere i propri consigli e opinioni.

Risorse utili:
Informazioni complete sul programma “Scopri l’Europa con ALDA”

Станьте ближе к ЕС, его учреждениям и стейкхолдерам с помощью ALDA!

ALDA предлагает двухдневную программу «Откройте для себя Европу с ALDA», которая даст студентам возможность взаимодействовать с ключевыми европейскими заинтересованными сторонами.

В качестве стратегического партнера Европейской Комиссии и Совета Европы, ALDA предоставляет эту услугу, чтобы дать возможность участникам узнать больше о Европейском Союзе и его функционировании с помощью интерактивных встреч с ключевыми стейкхолдерами.

ALDA, с ее более чем 15-летним опытом работы в этой области, будет отвечать за материально-техническое обеспечение и организационные вопросы по работе с университетами, учитывая студенческие потребности и интересы. Кроме того, программа предлагает площадку для обсуждений, так что студенты смогут выражать свои мнения и рекомендации о том, как сотрудничество между ЕС и молодежью по всей Европе могло бы получить дальнейшее развитие.
Для высших учебных заведений и студентов это отличная возможность получить глубокое понимание того, как функционирует ЕС, встретиться лицом к лицу с ключевыми европейскими стейкхолдерами, а также получить возможность выражать свои мнения и рекомендации. Участники получат сертификат о посещении от ALDA.

Ссылки:
Полная информация о программе

Približite se EU, njenim institucijama i akterima kroz ALDA!

ALDA nudi dvodnevni program “Istražite Evropu sa ALDA” , koji će dati studentima priliku da sarađuju sa ključnim evropskim akterima.

Kao strateški partner Evropske komisije i Saveta Evrope, ALDA nudi ovu uslugu kako bi dala priliku učesnicima da nauče više o Evropskoj uniji i njenom funkcionisanju, kao i da učestvuju u terenskim posetama i interaktivnim sastancima sa ključnim EU akterima.

ALDA, sa više od 15 godina iskustva u ovoj oblasti, će biti zadužena za logistiku i organizaciona pitanja, koja može biti prilagođena u skladu sa potrebama i interesima univerziteta i studenata. Pored toga, program nudi prostor za diskusiju, kako bi studenti mog izraziti svoja mišljenje i preporuke o daljem razvoju saradnje između EU i mladih ljudi širom Evrope.

Za univerzitete i studente ovo je odlična prilika da bolje razumeju kako funkcioniše EU, da se upoznaju licem u lice sa ključnim evropskim akterima, i da imaju priliku da izraze svoje mišljenje i savete. Učesnici će dobiti sertifikat o pohađanju koji dodeljuje ALDA.

Korisni linkovi:
Više informacija o programu “Istražite Evropu sa ALDA”

المرور عبر ألدا للإقتراب أكثر من الإتحاد الأوروبي ومؤسساته وأصحاب المصلحة المتعاونين معه

الغاية التي تسعى إليها ألدا, من وراء عرض برنامج “اكتشف أوروبا مع ألدا”, الذي يمتد على مدى يومين, هي منح الطلبة فرصة للتفاعل مع أهم أصحاب المصلحة على الصعيد الأوروبي.

بصفتها شريكا استراتيجيا للمفوضية الأوروبية والمجلس الأوروبي, تتولى ألدا تأمين هذا النوع من الخدمات لمنح المشاركين فرصة تجميع مزيد من المعلومات حول الإتحاد الأوروبي وطرق عمله وكذلك المشاركة في زيارة ميدانية بهدف التفاعل مع أهم أصحاب المصلحة في الإتحاد الأوروبي.

بفضل الخبرة التي اكتسبتها, بعد العمل على مدى أكثر من 15 سنة في المجال, ستضطلع أندا بإدارة المسائل اللوجستية والتنظيمية التي يمكن تقديمها وفقا لإحتياجات والإهتمامات الخصوصية للجامعات والطلبة. وإضافة إلى ذلك, سيختتم البرنامج بتوفير فضاء للنقاش وتمكين الطلبة من الإعراب عن آرائهم وتقديم توصياتهم حول أفضل السبل الممكنة لتعزيز التعاونو في المستقبل, بين الإتحاد الأوروبي والشباب في أوروبا.

وتعد هذه فرصة سانحة ونادرة, بالنسبة للجامعات والطلبة, لمزيد فهم طرق عمل الإتحاد الأوروبي وملاقاة أهم أصحاب المصلحة الأوروبيين, وجها لوجه, إلى جانب كسب فرصة نادرة للإعراب عن آرائهم وتقديم اقتراحاتهم. وستتولى ألدا توزيع شهادة مشاركة على كافة الحاضرين في هذه التظاهرة.

روابط مفيدة:

برنامج خاص بكافة المعلومات عن “اكتشف أوروبا مع ألدا”