Mjesec: veljača2012

A special website i a Facebook stranicu have been launched as a part of the activities within the project “Promotion of the European Charter for equality between women and men at the local level”.
Besides getting basic information about the project, broader public will be able to follow closely foreseen activities and progress of their implementation and download interesting publications related to the topic of the project.

Particular section of the website is also dedicated to all partner cities and organizations.
Project is being implemented in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina by the consortium of partners: FENOMENA – Kraljevo, ANIMA – Kotor, Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation – Stockholm and two LDAs, Mostar and Nis.
Project is funded by the European Commission under the IPA Civil Society Facility: Partnership Actions-Empowerment of Women.

The video on the opening conference of the project. Kraljevo (SRB) 28-29 February 2012.

On 25 January 2012, the French partners in the Decentralised cooperation between Lower Normandy and Macedonia met in Caen to discuss the progress of planned activities in year 2012. The participants discussed the standard six components of the cooperation, as well as the topics of human rights and town twinning.
The meeting of the Macedonian partners will take place on February 16 in Skopje.

According to planned activities, next spring will offer many events. Various conferences, study visits and trainings will be held, both in Lower Normandy and in Macedonia. For more information on the planned actions in the framework of the Decentralised cooperation between the Lower Normandy Region and Republic of Macedonia please consult the Action Plan 2011- 2012 in francuski i Macedonian, and the latest edition of the e-newsletter in Macedonian.
For further information please consult the webpage of the Cooperation
http://crbn-mk.courriers.info
or contact Ivana Dimtrovska at ivana.dimitrovska@aldaintranet.org.

For several years, the city of Caen, capital of the French Region of Lower Normandy, and the city of Ohrid in Macedonia, maintain a town twining cooperation in the framework of the Decentralised cooperation between the Lower Normandy region and the Republic of Macedonia. Both cities had the opportunity to deepen their relations during a study visit in Macedonia from January 15 to 21.
Mayor of Ohrid, M. Aleksandar Petreski, welcomed the French delegation led by deputy mayor of the city of Caen, M. Jean Notari.

The local governance representatives from both cities discussed the reinforcement of the cooperation in various fields, especially in tourism, culture, art and urban planning, which led to several meetings between experts of these areas.
The guests from Caen also visited the historical and cultural sites of Ohrid, and had the opportunity to attend the traditional celebration of Epiphany by the Ohrid Lake.
Town twinning as a segment in the Decentralised cooperation between Lower Normandy and Macedonia builds up contacts and friendship with communities from the two territories and promotes better understanding.
For further information please consult the webpage of the Cooperation
http://crbn-mk.courriers.info/
or contact Ivana Dimtrovska at ivana.dimitrovska@aldaintranet.org.

Mr. Marco Boaria, ALDA Resource and Development Unit Coordinator, is the author of a new “Practical Guide” published by SALTO EuroMed, on “Training and Networking”.
The Practical Guides are tools for youth workers, youth leaders and trainers involved in the EuroMediterranean cooperation, and aims to support the cooperation in developing projects.

In particular, this Practical Guide provides concrete information and tools about Action 3.1 “Youth in the World” of the Youth in Action Programme and its links with Euro-Med Youth Programme IV. This Guide is focused on Training and Networking Activities. Its goal is to provide tips to improve project development and to provide support mainly for first-time applicants.
It is not focused specifically on “technicalities” (that you can find in the Programme Guides), but more especially on the strategic and intercultural approach needed for the successful cooperation in the Euro-Med area.
Salto EuroMed is one of the eight Resource Centres of the network SALTO-YOUTH.net, working on European priority areas within the youth field, with which ALDA is cooperating. It provides youth work and training resources and organises training and contact-making activities to support organisations and National Agencies within the frame of the European Commission’s Youth in Action programme and beyond.
This publication, published also in French and Arabic, is available also on line on the Salto EuroMed website.

The Governing Board of ALDA, which was held in Brussels on the 3rd of February, launched the programme 2012.
Despite the difficulties for local authorities and civil society (ALDA main partners), the organisation continues its positive trend in terms of activities and memberships. The priority will be the full support to local governance and cooperation between Local Authorities and Civil Society. The Local Democracy Agencies (today up to 13 offices) will be strengthened with projects and partners. A special focus will be given to the new LDAs (Armenia and future in Azerbaijan, in Southern Caucasus as well as the LDA in Kosovo).

The General Assembly that will be held in Udine (Italy) the 7th and 8th of June will also elect a new Governing Board, that will be fundamental to accompany the organisation through these delicate times, when local governance and citizens’ participation remain one of the strongest option to promote democracy and peace in Europe and it neighbouring countries.  An ALDA 2020 Strategy is currently discussed among the members and closest partners of ALDA as well as a more precise three years Position Paper that will be approved in Udine, too. A revision of Statute will also be proposed in order to update this document with the present situation of the organisation.

The programme confirms also the strong partnership with the programme Europe for Citizenship of the DG Communication , from which ALDA receives an Operating Grant and also projects. ALDA is active member of the Structured Dialogue as well as part of the initial Alliance to prepare the 2013, Year of Citizens . ALDA will continue to work on twinning activities and it will support European Citizenship with its 150 members in Europe. ALDA will also strongly focus on the programmes in South Eastern Europe  and all the possible support to further integration to the EU, based on local governance and support of local authorities. A new office in Skopije supports the programme on Local Governance of the programme of Decentralised Cooperation Basse Normandie/Macedonia i decentralised Cooperation France/Balkans .

In Eastern Europe and Caucasus, ALDA is working with LDAs and thanks to programmes to support local Democracy, like in Belarus. It is strongly involved in the Civil Society Forum for Eastern Partnership as Coordinator of the Subgroup on Local Government and Public Administration reform and therefore, also closely working, with the Committee of the Regions on this.

As for the Southern dimension and the MED region, a further commitment as been made. Some projects will be launched in Tunisia and Algeria and potentially, it will be possible to use our experience in transitional countries to support local governance and citizens’ participation in this area .

With the launch of the programme WTD (Working Together for Development) (first steering committee 28th of March in Brussels), ALDA is also brining its experience in the field of development with the support of Local Authorities and civil Society.

Last but not the least, ALDA is interested to work with all the potential partners in Europe to achieve its mandate. It joined several networks on which it is planned to have an active participation, like Concord, Civicus and the European Movement.

Second part of the training for leaders of intercultural exchnages took place at the end of last January, in Sete, south of France. This project is implemented by four partners – Peuple et Culture from Paris (France), Interkulturelles Netzwerk from Neuruppin (Germany), Volonterski centar Vojvodine from Novi Sad (Serbia) and LDA, Local Democracy Agency, from Osijek (Croatia) and financed by the French German Youth Office.

It is a second out of three trainings that involved 21 participants from France, Germany, Croatia and Serbia. The participants had the opportunity to work in cross national teams while developing simulations of youth exchanges which they would like to work on in the future. Ecology, consumers society, food and tales, active citizenship are some of the topics they were involeved in during the training.
Besides developing of their skills and knowledge for preparation and implementation of youth exchanges they also had the opportunity to develope their presonal intercultural competences in interaction with local community of Sete. Language animation excercises were part of their daily schedule and method of „decryptage/ decoding“ enabled them to discover Sete in the context of its environment, people, economy and culture.
Franch- Algerian relations as well as relations and cooperation with Catalonia were among  the issues that participants of the trainig discussed with local experts enriching thus own comprehension of hostorical and political circumstences of this region.
In June 2012 partners from Croatia and Serbia will host participants, trainers and interpreters at the last training in a raw which will take place in Osijek and Novi Sad.

LOKALNA SURADNJA I INTERKULTURALNO UČENJE – TRENING ZA VODITELJE INTERKULTURALNIH RAZMJENA MLADIH, SETE, FRANCUSKA 21.- 28. 01. 2012.

Od 21. do 28. siječnja u Sete-u, na jugu Francuske, održan je drugi dio treninga za voditelje interkulturalnih razmjena mladih. Projekt provode partnerske organizacije Peuple et Culture iz Pariza,  Interkulturelles Netzwerk iz Neuruppina, Volonterksi centar Vojvodine iz Novog Sada i Agencija lokalne demokracije iz Osijeka a financira ga Francusko-njemački ured za mlade.
Riječ je o drugom od tri dijela treninga koji je okupio 21 sudionika iz Francuske, Njemačke, Hrvatske i Srbije. Sudionici su imali priliku u višenacionalnim skupinama razvijati simulacije razmjena mladih kojima bi se u budućnostima željeli baviti. Ekologija, ljudska prava, hrana i priče, aktivno građanstvo samo su neke od tema kojima su se mladi polaznici treninga bavili tijekom sedam dana.
Osim stjecanja vještina i znanja potrebnih za izradu i provedbu  razmjena mladih sudionici su i osobno razvijali interkulturalne sposobnosti budući da se trening provodio na sva četiri jezika te da je omogućavao i interakciju s lokalnom zajednicom. Jezične animacije bile su tako svakodnevna vježba ovakvih treninga a metoda  tzv. „dekodiranja“ omogućila je sudionicima detaljnije upoznavanje Sete-a, njegove okoline, ljudi, ekonomije i kulture..
Francusko- alžirski odnosi i regionalna suradnja s Katalonijom bile su teme o kojima su sudionici imali priliku razgovarati s lokalnim gostima stručnjacima te koje  su im omogućili bolje razumijevanje  povijesti i politike u regiji.
Tijekom lipnja 2012. partneri iz Hrvatske i Srbije ugostiti će sudionike, trenere i prevoditelje u na posljedenjem dijelu treninga u Osijeku i Novom Sadu.

The results of the project “Volunteering for cross border development” have been presented in Banja Luka (BiH) by the LDA, Local Democracy Agency, of Sisak (HR) and YCC, Youth Communication Centre of Banja Luka, both partners of the project which is funded by European Union.
The project aims to help in improving accessibility of community-based services in border area through establishment of five voluntary services – two in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bihać and Derventa) and three in Croatia (Sisak, Kutina and Petrinja).

It also contributes to establishment of the cross-border networking between local authorities, civil society and social partners through creation of six local volunteering policies (in all 5 above mentioned towns and in Banja Luka). These policies will define measures from which the local communities will benefit in their economic and social development.
In addition, the project will help to enhance quality of life and social cohesion in border area by creating a cross-border voluntary network with volunteers from the six towns. Two volunteering camps, one in Bosnia and Herzegovina and one in Croatia will be organised within the project. The camps gathering 60 volunteers will discuss actual social issues in bordering towns and initiate actions for change. .
The project is implemented by YCC Banja Luka and LDA Sisak alongside 4 partners – Association Women from Una Bihać, BiosPLUS Derventa, Disabled Persons Association Kutina and IKS association from Petrinja.
The Project is funded with the Instrument for the Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) – Cross Border Cooperation Programme Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, and its duration will be 24 months (until February 2013).

In its first year the project was implemented with several activities, including:

– First project conference held in Banja Luka, 10 March 2011,
– Second project conference held in Sisak, 24 March 2011,
– Project public presentations in Derventa, Bihać and Sisak, 21-23 April 2011,
– Training “Volunteers’ management in local communities”, Banja Luka, 4-7 May 2011,
– Opening of Volunteers’ Center in Sisak, 9 June 2011
– Local volunteer services in Derventa, Sisak and Bihać opened – June 2011