Mois : avril2022

The project P-CUBE – Playing Public Policy is an educational digital game aimed at teaching students, professionals and public officials how decisions are taken in the public sphere by covering the individual elements of the policy making process. 

The purpose of P-CUBE is to unveil the complexity of public policy making by teaching the players the elements that policy entrepreneurs must take into consideration in their planning, and the ways in which they can try to alter these elements in order to introduce the desired innovation.

The educational digital game includes 30 different missions in 4 domains, namely urban innovation, social inclusion, science & public policy and EU decision making.

The players are confronted with real life situations and by playing they develop the strategic thinking that is needed for accomplishing their mission, which is a successful change in policy. By the end of the game they learn how to shape public policy by successfully navigating the maze of complex decision-making processes. 

So, are you ready to play public policy?!

Alors, devenez l'une des communautés pilotes qui testeront le jeu numérique ! Contactez-nous à l'adresse suivante pcube@aldaintranet.org

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Liens utiles:

• Suivez le projet sur Linkedin et Twitter pour obtenir toutes les mises à jour.

Inscrivez-vous à la P-CUBE newsletter pour recevoir toutes les dernières nouvelles sur le projet et le jeu !

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As mentioned in our previous article, ALDA joined the “The Nature of Cities” (TNOC) Festival as partner of the 2022 edition.

Se concentrant sur plusieurs questions transdisciplinaires, qu'il s'agisse d'environnement ou de justice sociale, TNOC a animé 3 jours de festival dans le monde entier avec d'innombrables événements. Bénéficiant de l'expertise de l'association et des résultats obtenus par ses projets, l'ALDA a participé activement au TNOC avec quatre initiatives différentes, à savoir : "Life BEWARE", "Life FALKON", "CAP-PERI" et "Climate of Change".

En commençant par "Life BEWARE", le projet a rejoint le festival avec deux sessions dédiées à la résilience climatique et aux villes, à savoir : "Re-shaping cities - how urban areas can tackle climate change" et "Nature Based Solutions for a more resilient territory". La première a eu lieu le 29 mars de 16 à 17h30 CET.

La session s'est concentrée sur le thème de la résilience des villes au changement climatique et, grâce à la contribution de quatre projets Life, elle a mis en évidence les différentes manières et les meilleures pratiques par lesquelles les zones urbaines peuvent aborder avec succès cette question, de manière innovante. En outre, l'implication et la collaboration de quatre projets Life ont été particulièrement pertinentes étant donné que cette année marque le 30e anniversaire du programme Life. Parmi les orateurs principaux :

Giulio Pesenti – Life Beware; Valeria Fantini - ALDA - Association Européenne pour la Démocratie Locale ; Maria Rosaria Scoppettuolo et Valeria Guerrini – Gruppo CAP (LIFE METRO ADAPT projet); Daniela Luise et Giovanni Vicentini du projet LIFE VENETO ADAPT -et Andrea Paindelli,  LIFE BAETULO . 

Prévu le 30 mars de 16h00 à 17h30, le deuxième événement, intitulé " Solutions basées sur la nature pour un territoire plus résilient - Comment les municipalités peuvent-elles mieux les mettre en œuvre ? "s'est concentré sur la promotion et l'encouragement de la réplicabilité des solutions basées sur la nature. L'atelier a été organisé par des techniciens et des professeurs du département du territoire et des systèmes agroforestiers (TESAF) de l'université de Padoue et était destiné aux municipalités de l'UE. L'objectif de l'atelier était d'apprendre aux administrateurs locaux comment mieux mettre en œuvre ces mesures sur leurs territoires, en partant de l'expérience et des meilleures pratiques du projet Life Beware. Plusieurs professionnels se sont joints à l'atelier, notamment de l'Université de Padoue : Lucia Bortolini, Francesco Bettella, et Francesco Pagliacci étaient parmi les principaux experts de l'événement.

En ce qui concerne "Life FALKON", les événements liés aux projets ont abordé trois aspects principaux, à savoir : la pollution lumineuse, le développement urbain et la coexistence humaine. Dans l'ensemble, les deux ateliers LIFE FALKON, diffusés dans le cadre du festival Villes-Nature, visaient à sensibiliser à l'importance de planifier des villes plus respectueuses des oiseaux. Plus en détail, le premier "WINGED CITIES 1 - Les oiseaux et les défis de la vie urbaine, a débuté à 11 heures le 30 mars 2022. Les participants ont écouté un aperçu des défis auxquels les oiseaux sont confrontés en termes de coexistence dans l'environnement urbain, notamment à la lumière de la pollution et de l'urbanisation. Des informations précieuses ont été fournies grâce aux contributions du coordinateur de LIFE FALKON, Michelangelo Morganti du CNR-IRSA Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Juan Josè Negro du CSIC-EBD, Davide Dominoni de l'Université de Glasgow, Dan Chamberlain de l'Université de Turin.

Moreover, the second “WINGED CITIES 2 – Practical issues for bird-friendly cities” revolved round the strategies and actions to actuate in order to foster a  more bird-friendly. Some cases-study and best practices have been shared, starting from the conservation actions implemented by the life falkon project (focus on nesting boxes). As for the previous workshop, LIFE FALKON partners Roula Trigou and Nikos Tsiopelas from HOS/BirdLife – Hellenic Ornithological Society, Andrea Pirovano from Progetto Natura actively joined.

Passant de la faune et de la biodiversité à l'agriculture, le projet "CAP-PERI", qui vise à accroître les connaissances des citoyens sur la PAC et la durabilité, a présenté 10 sessions différentes : cinq sessions avec des experts et cinq visites virtuelles sur le terrain. Le séminaire "Théâtre et régénération urbaine : le jeu silencieux" a montré un processus créatif participatif qui engage les communautés locales et leur relation avec le territoire ; tandis que "Aptitudes et compétences pour la durabilité en agriculture" a fourni une réflexion sur l'utilisation de la méthodologie de recherche sociale pour accroître les compétences et les aptitudes en matière de durabilité. En outre, "Learning Bubbles" s'est concentré sur un système méthodologique visant à rétablir l'accès des étudiants à l'enseignement. 

Furthermore, EU initiatives and participants’ experiences were discussed at the dedicated session entitled “Tips for a more sustainable student lifestyle”. Finally “Organic farming and the importance of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases” closed the sessions.  All in all, the field trips were an opportunity to discover urban gardens in Palermo, Rome and Mesagne and the participatory activities carried out at the South Milan Agricultural Park and in the periurban area of Carpaneda in Vicenza. 

Enfin, l'ALDA a partagé avec les participants les résultats du projet "Climate of Change", en mettant l'accent sur les questions d'environnement et de migration, tout en soulignant la nécessité d'une action cohérente et unie, comme exprimé dans les micro-trottoirs et un documentaire projeté, contenant, entre autres, toutes les informations sur le projet, la campagne et la pétition.

In addition, interactive presentations on the project and two virtual visits to green spaces in Strasbourg and Brussels were presented, highlighting the importance of the connection among human beings and environment, with special emphasis on the importance of small and local actions. 

Dans l'ensemble, ce festival a été l'occasion de partager et d'approfondir certains des thèmes centraux des projets de l'ALDA, tout en permettant aux participants d'explorer un type d'urbanisme plus durable ; de protéger la biodiversité, tout en favorisant une nouvelle attitude en ce qui concerne l'agriculture. le développement des zones urbaines.

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🇬🇪 Read the news in Georgian

🇷🇴 Read the news in Romanian

🇺🇦 Lire la nouvelle en Ukrainien

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

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

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

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

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

• Municipalities in Bieszczady poviat [county]: 
  • Czarna Municipality, Mayor – Bogusław Kochanowicz e-mail: uwad@czarna.pl, phone:  (+48)13 461 90 09; 
  • Lutowiska Municipality, Head of the Municipality – Krzysztof Mróz e-mail: gmina@lutowiska.pl, phone: county  (+48)13 461 00 13; 
  • Ustrzyki Dolne Municipality, Mayor – Bartosz Romowicz e-mail: um@ustrzyki-dolne.pl, phone: (+48)13 460 80 00;

• Municipalities in Lesko poviat [county]:  
  • Lesko Municipality, Mayor – Adam Snarski e-mail: gmina@lesko.pl, phone: (+48)13 469 66 15; 
  • Baligród Municipality, Mayor of the Municipality – Robert Stępień e-mail: gmina@baligrod.pl, phone: (+48)13 468 40 64; 
  • Cisna Municipality, Mayor of the Municipality – Renata Szczepańska e-mail: sekretariat@gminacisna.pl, phone: (+48)13 468 63 38;
  • Olszanica Municipality, Mayor of the Municipality – Krzysztof Zapała e-mail: gmina@olszanica.pl, phone: (+48)13 461 70 45; 
  • Municipality of Solina, Mayor – Adam Piątkowski e-mail: uwad@solina.pl, phone: (+48)13 469 21 18.

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

“Bored of Borders”: ACHIEVE (Awareness of Common History for Identifying and Extending the Values of Europe) project final event  took place from the 4th to the 5th of April in Vicenza, Italy. Organised by Istituto Rezzara, the meeting was held in a hybrid mode allowing all the partners, 14 from 13 different countries, to join the event. 

Councillor Francesco Faresin from Breganze Municipality, leader of the project, gave his opening speech, welcoming the partners to the event. The latter, after having discussed the financial reporting on the project, presented the last Local Path done by each organisation, together with the results achieved and the future objectives.  

As stated by the partners, the activities carried out during the project have been an opportunity to increase awareness on the European identity, observe and evaluate people’s behaviour toward Euroscepticism, and provide the tools to fight its wide spread.  

En outre, dans l'après-midi, un événement public a été organisé avec la présentation du projet, suivie d'un exposé de chaque partenaire sur ses activités, ses valeurs et ses objectifs. Ensuite, Global Citizenship Map, lancé par l'ALDA, a rassemblé tous les matériaux (photos, vidéos, articles) liés aux projets, enregistrant toutes les activités mises en œuvre.

La première journée de l'événement s'est terminée par l'atelier intitulé "Mouvement des personnes. Le passage des frontières à la lumière de la récente crise". Plus précisément, le séminaire a porté sur la migration et l'euroscepticisme, il a été coordonné par le professeur Giuseppe Franco Pesavento et compté avec la présence du professeur Vittorio Pontello et de Khrystyna Kvartsiana, responsable du développement des programmes de l'ALDA, qui ont présenté leurs réflexions sur la crise actuelle.

L'atelier a donc été une occasion considérable de confronter et d'échanger des idées et des perspectives sur l'attaque actuelle de la Russie en Ukraine. Cet atelier était d'autant plus significatif que les participants appartenaient à différents pays, certains membres de l'Europe et d'autres voisins. Khrystyna Kvartsiana a partagé ses idées non seulement à partir de son expertise professionnelle, mais aussi de son expérience personnelle en tant que citoyenne ukrainienne. 

Le deuxième jour a été consacré à l'évaluation du projet. Les partenaires ont partagé leurs points de vue sur le développement du projet et ses aspects les plus forts et les plus faibles. 

La journée s'est terminée par une visite du centre ville de Vicenza. Les partenaires ont bénéficié d'une excellente guide, Silvia De Mori, de l'Istituto Rezzara, qui a partagé avec enthousiasme ses connaissances sur l'histoire de l'art.

Enfin, l'ALDA tient à remercier l'Istituto Rezzara pour son accueil chaleureux.

Le Label Européen d'Excellence en Gouvernance (ELoGE) a été introduit au Kosovo lors de l'événement de lancement organisé le 6th avril 2022 à Pristina. D'un point de vue général, cet événement doit être compris dans un contexte plus large, dans lequel l'ALDA opère. Ainsi, l'Association a reçu l'accréditation pour mettre en œuvre ELoGE non seulement au Kosovo*, mais aussi en Bosnie-Herzégovine et en Macédoine du Nord.

Focusing on the launching event in Pristina, the Minister of Local Government Administration of Kosovo, Mr. Elbert Krasniqi opened the ceremony highlighting the importance of democratic principles in the process of local development, emphasizing that “Human rights, democracy and the rule of law are three basic pillars through which we aim to help municipalities in democratic governance. Through this program, municipalities will be assisted in improving their performance in providing high quality services within an improved system of local self-government”.

During the opening remarks, ALDA’s Secretary General, Ms. Antonella Valmorbida presented the experience of the Association implementing ELoGE in different countries and contexts. The Head of office of Council of Europe office in Pristina, Mr. Frank Power put forward the work of the Council of Europe in the country and the advanced environment when it comes to good governance in the past years. Mr. Niall Sheerin from the Centre of Expertise for Good governance concluded that the ELoGE label is awarded to municipalities which have achieved a high level of good governance measured against a Council of Europe benchmark.

Plus de 20 représentants de municipalités ont suivi la présentation des phases de mise en œuvre d'ELoGE et ont exprimé leur intérêt à s'engager dans le processus d'auto-évaluation.

The implementation of ELoGE in Kosovo relies on a partnership between the Council of Europe, the Ministry of Local Government Administration and ALDA as organisation with substantive know-how, expertise or experience in the field of good governance, especially at the local level.

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Plus d'informations sur l'engagement de l'ALDA sur ELoGE :

Nouvelle accréditation pour l'ALDA apportant l'ELoGE au Kosovo
Mises à jour sur l'initiative "ELoGE" en Croatie et en Macédoine du Nord
Lancement de l'initiative "ELoGE" en Bosnie-Herzégovine

Are we experiencing a turbulent moment of democracy? Is the latter hanging in balance? 

The recent crises, both in terms of health and war, are thus challenging the democratic stability in the global scenario. Complex issues required effective actions. 

Thus, there is a need for coherent and effective responses from governments and institutions, when it comes to the rise of authoritarianism, tragically illustrated by the war in Ukraine, or pandemics such as COVID. These responses will also influence the degree of citizens’ trust towards democracy. 

In light of this, Club de Madrid, European Partnership for Democracy and International IDEA organise the session “Democracy at a tipping point?”.  This event will focus on identifying mechanisms to improve democracy’s ability to address crises, by exploring three basic pillars of action: responsible leadership, resilient institutions and digital democracy. The occasion will also serve as a moment for panelist to address and discuss the recommendations of Club de Madrid’s Annual Policy Dialogue 2021 “Rethinking Democracy” as well as its “GlobalCommission on Democracy and Emergencies"..

María Elena Agüero, Secretary General, Club de Madrid; Sam van der Staak, Head of International IDEA’s Europe Programme,, will open the session, which will have among its keynote speakers:

• Danilo Türk, President of Slovenia (2007-2012) and President of Club de Madrid; 
• Yves Leterme, Prime Minister of Belgium 2008,2009-2011) and Member of Club de Madrid;
• Antonella Valmorbida, President of European Partnership for Democracy and Secretary General of ALDA.

Facilitator: Marilyn Neven, Programme Manager, International IDEA.

Join the event:
April 7 from 09:00 – 10:30 p.m. (CET)
Press Club, Rue Froissart 95, 1000 Brussels
Register here: https://bit.ly/350wlCk

Le Mayor of Wrocław, together with the Metropolitan of Wrocław are supporting an emergency campaign to provide help to people in Ukraine. 

From a general perspective, many States, such as Poland, have developed several initiatives since the beginning of this conflict. The “red and white” country, considering also its geographical proximity with Ukraine, has been welcoming a great number of civilians forced to leave their homes.

Luckly, the spontaneous actions of human solidarity are countless, testifying how collaboration, dialogue and mutual help are the key to overcome this surreal situation.

Specifically, “Help for Ukraine” initiative, is mainly based on two strands: 

• Food collection
• Donation

As far as supplies are concerned, the organisers are suggesting to donate, when possible, non-perishable food, which will be donated to citizens of Lviv. Any school in Wrocław has been appointed as a collecting point.

ALDA is very much glad to share this initiative, and would like to thank its Vice President, and Governing Board Member, Mr. Ostrowski, who informed the Association of this great action in Wrocław.

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More information available in Polish, English and German ici

We are glad to announce that the Ordinary Annual General Assembly of ALDA will take place on May 6th, 2022, in Strasbourg, within the framework of the Strasbourg Summit.  The event will gather ALDA colleagues, its Governing Board, members and friends, to share the results and achievements of the Association while discussing future steps and strategies..

Compte tenu des événements récents, tels que la guerre en Ukraine, il va de soi que l'engagement de l'ALDA à soutenir la culture du dialogue, l'autonomisation des communautés locales et la promotion de la bonne gouvernance joue un rôle important dans la promotion de la paix et de la démocratie.

The latter, not only is the guiding light of the Association, but is also one of the ten key topics at the centre of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) in which ALDA has been deeply involved, through multiple projects, but also as coordinator of the Democracy cluster of the “Civil Society Convention on the Conference on the Future of Europe”. 

Specifically, coming towards the end of the CoFoE, Civil Society Organisations will gather together at the Strasbourg Summit, willing to raise attention to people’s needs, hopes and expectations. The idea behind the summit is, thus, to make citizens’ voice heard, while empowering them.

ALDA General Assembly 2022 will envisage several side events on the topic of awareness raising on democratic governance. More in depth, it will be based on three main pillars: migration, climate and education which will be tackled within the projects EPIC, Climate of Change and GEM-IN respectively. 

Dans l'ensemble, grâce à cette réunion annuelle, l'ALDA développera davantage ses actions, en soulignant son engagement à construire un environnement plus pacifique et résilient, en créant des ponts et des partenariats avec d'autres parties prenantes et réalités.

🔏 Inscrivez-vous à l'Assemblée générale

📄 Take a look at the Agenda

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🇦🇲 Read the news in Armenian

🇬🇪 Read the news in Georgian

🇷🇴 Read the news in Romanian

🇺🇦 Lire la nouvelle en Ukrainien

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A cloudy day did not stop partners of the “CAMELOT Project” to reach the headquarters of the “Metropolitan Area of Barcelona” (AMB), to join the second international meeting on 28 March 2022.

Structured as two-days event, the meeting started with a presentation, by the Deputy Head of the Unit of Communication, DG Regio – European Commission, Mr. Diego Villalba, presenting data from Eurobarometer. Specifically, based on a survey investigating the awareness of people on EU co-funded projects, in terms of cohesion funds, in their own areas/neighborhood/cities, Mr. Villalba showed the positive impact that these funds have on those polled. 

This first presentation opened the floor to further discussion, digging deeper into the core of the project itself: creation and improvement of instruments to increase citizens’ participation in public decisions, also in relation to the European Funds and energy transition. Starting from the “Model Region Green Hydrogen” in the Stuttgart Region (Baden-Württemberg), targeting the usage of hydrogen to connect different sectors, be they industry and mobility; to the action plan on energy sustainability (SECAP) developed by the city of Zagreb; “POCITYF” project presented by the Ville métropolitaine de Bari; aimed at better manage energy consumption, also when it comes to the impact of cities a global scale.

The meeting then continued with the second roundtable, highlighting, this time, the digital aspects and initiatives in urban areas. As for the first occasion, partners shared initiatives implemented in their own realities. “ESMARTCITY” initiative, targeting the reduction of energy consumption while exchanging best practices with other cities, by Metropolitan City of Milan; or the project implemented by the Municipality of Craiova on means of transportation, also in terms of mobility for highschool students, and pupils. Similarly, “SWITCH TO INNOVATION” project, is meant to digital innovation and accessibility to technology in the city of Valongo. Last but not least, the city of Gavà presented “GAVIUS” boosting the use of artificial intelligence to engage citizens with the services provided by public administrations for example.

In addition, the afternoon was dedicated to an interactive workshop during which participants share, by using colored papers, their opinion and ideas on different topics, such as digital, social, and green

Finally, considering the current situation in Ukraine; the presence of representatives of Gdansk Metropolitan Area, and the commitment of this city in reuniting more than 200 mayor all around Europe to join forces earlier in March, Mr. Michal Glaser presented the joint statement in support of Ukrainian people.

With great engagement from all participants, the meeting ended with the steering committee of the CAMELOT Project.