CESD INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM HELD IN BAKU
Center for Economic and Social Development (CESD) with support of European Commission and Management Center of Cyprus, held International Civil Society Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan on May 19th, 2011 with participation of representatives of civil society institutes, state agencies, international community, embassies, mass-media and academia.
Vugar Bayramov, chairman of CESD, opened International Forum and he mentioned that the main purpose of the event to analysis problems civil society institutes face now in Azerbaijan as well as to promote public-private dialogue.
Azay Guliyev, head of State NGO Council under President of Azerbaijan spoke about State Council’s activities and said that the government welcomes such initiatives. Antonella Valmorbida, co-chairman of EaP Civil Society Forum, spoke about European approach to civil society development and democratic values. Ovidiu Naftanalia and Fuad Huseynov, representatives of the Delegation of European Union to Baku, addressed EC support civil society in Azerbaijan. Mr. Bulent Kanol, Director of The Management Centre of the Mediterranean, Cyprus presented their activities related to civil society development in Azerbaijan.
Different panels were organized with participation local and foreign experts after the opening ceremony.
Center for Economic and Social Development (CESD) with support of European Commission and Management Center of Cyprus, held International Civil Society Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan on May 19th, 2011 with participation of representatives of civil society institutes, state agencies, international community, embassies, mass-media and academia.
Vugar Bayramov, chairman of CESD, opened International Forum and he mentioned that the main purpose of the event to analysis problems civil society institutes face now in Azerbaijan as well as to promote public-private dialogue.
Azay Guliyev, head of State NGO Council under President of Azerbaijan spoke about State Council’s activities and said that the government welcomes such initiatives. Antonella Valmorbida, co-chairman of EaP Civil Society Forum, spoke about European approach to civil society development and democratic values. Ovidiu Naftanalia and Fuad Huseynov, representatives of the Delegation of European Union to Baku, addressed EC support civil society in Azerbaijan. Mr. Bulent Kanol, Director of The Management Centre of the Mediterranean, Cyprus presented their activities related to civil society development in Azerbaijan.
Different panels were organized with participation local and foreign experts after the opening ceremony.
PARTICIPATION AND INTERCULTURAL GOVERNANCE AT LOCAL LEVEL IN THE BALKANS: CHALLENGES AND EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVES. FINAL CONFERENCE CARDS’ PROJECT. MOSTAR 30th March - 2nd April 2011
The final conference of the Cards’ project, “Regional partnerships for intercultural exchange“ will be held in Mostar (Hotel Ero) from 30th of March to 2nd of April.
It is a two year regional project co-financed by the European Commission which consist of a set of events involving local authorities, civil society organisation and citizens which aims at enhancing networking and best practices among some South Eastern European municipalities.
The main aim of the project is to support diversity management in multiethnic communities such as Mostar, Osijek and Subotica, to improve the participation and inclusion of ethnic minorities as well as to highlight the richness of the several regional cultural traditions.
The leading applicant of the project is the city administration of Subotica; ALDA, the LDAs of Subotica, Mostar and Osijek and the Lighthouse Media centre of Wolverhampton (UK) are the partners of the project, equally involved.
The final conference will give an overview of the activities implemented over the past two years and provide space for interaction and debate of representatives of cso-s and local self-governments from Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and with their counterparts in EU on some key concepts and practices related with democratic participation and good local governance. In the opening session the key-note speakers are Mr. Ljubo Beslic, Mayor of Mostar, Mr. Slavko Parac, President of City Assembly Subotica, Mr. Jovan Jelic, Deputy Prefect of Osijek Baranja County, Ms. Natalia Dianiskova, Head of Operations Section, Social Development, Civil Society and CBC, EU Delegation to BiH and� Ms. Suzan Arslan, DG Enlargement � Regional Programmes, CSF Project manager.
During the introductory session, Project team members will give an overview of project activities and some of its main achievements, while during the two days’ programme five thematic panels will be organized with the participation of panelists coming from the three countries included in the project, but also from municipalities from Italy, UK, Norway, Hungary and Moldova.
The collection of written contributions will be presented during the conference, while the thematic panels are designed as the presentation of diverse local practices and the debate on the following issues:
Minorities and participation at local level (facilitated by Mr. Owen Masters, CoE Confidence building measures programme expert)
From multicultural coexistence to intercultural governance (facilitated by Mr. Gunnar Mandt, European Wergeland Centre, Oslo)
BE-ME perspective film documentaries (facilitated by Mr. Frank Challenger, Light House media centre, Wolverhampton)
Municipal service provision in culturally diverse communities (facilitated by Ms. Jlenia Destito, Ipres Centre, region Puglia)
Civil society as an actor of a new dialogue and reconciliation in the region (facilitated by Mr. Vehid Sehic, Citizens Forum Tuzla)
Opportunities for Civil society and local self-governments in cross-border /regional co-operation programmes (facilitated by Ms. Stanka Parac Damjanovic, ALDA)
Around seventy participants are expected in Mostar conference, while the hosts � Local Democracy Agency Mostar and the city administration Mostar will organize a study visit and the sightseeing tour on Saturday 2nd April. In addition a joint cultural programme linking the young performers from three cities included in the project � Mostar, Osijek and Subotica, will be organized in Mostar Youth Theatre.
The final conference of the Cards’ project, “Regional partnerships for intercultural exchange“ will be held in Mostar (Hotel Ero) from 30th of March to 2nd of April.
It is a two year regional project co-financed by the European Commission which consist of a set of events involving local authorities, civil society organisation and citizens which aims at enhancing networking and best practices among some South Eastern European municipalities.
The main aim of the project is to support diversity management in multiethnic communities such as Mostar, Osijek and Subotica, to improve the participation and inclusion of ethnic minorities as well as to highlight the richness of the several regional cultural traditions.
The leading applicant of the project is the city administration of Subotica; ALDA, the LDAs of Subotica, Mostar and Osijek and the Lighthouse Media centre of Wolverhampton (UK) are the partners of the project, equally involved.
The final conference will give an overview of the activities implemented over the past two years and provide space for interaction and debate of representatives of cso-s and local self-governments from Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and with their counterparts in EU on some key concepts and practices related with democratic participation and good local governance. In the opening session the key-note speakers are Mr. Ljubo Beslic, Mayor of Mostar, Mr. Slavko Parac, President of City Assembly Subotica, Mr. Jovan Jelic, Deputy Prefect of Osijek Baranja County, Ms. Natalia Dianiskova, Head of Operations Section, Social Development, Civil Society and CBC, EU Delegation to BiH and� Ms. Suzan Arslan, DG Enlargement � Regional Programmes, CSF Project manager.
During the introductory session, Project team members will give an overview of project activities and some of its main achievements, while during the two days’ programme five thematic panels will be organized with the participation of panelists coming from the three countries included in the project, but also from municipalities from Italy, UK, Norway, Hungary and Moldova.
The collection of written contributions will be presented during the conference, while the thematic panels are designed as the presentation of diverse local practices and the debate on the following issues:
Minorities and participation at local level (facilitated by Mr. Owen Masters, CoE Confidence building measures programme expert)
From multicultural coexistence to intercultural governance (facilitated by Mr. Gunnar Mandt, European Wergeland Centre, Oslo)
BE-ME perspective film documentaries (facilitated by Mr. Frank Challenger, Light House media centre, Wolverhampton)
Municipal service provision in culturally diverse communities (facilitated by Ms. Jlenia Destito, Ipres Centre, region Puglia)
Civil society as an actor of a new dialogue and reconciliation in the region (facilitated by Mr. Vehid Sehic, Citizens Forum Tuzla)
Opportunities for Civil society and local self-governments in cross-border /regional co-operation programmes (facilitated by Ms. Stanka Parac Damjanovic, ALDA)
Around seventy participants are expected in Mostar conference, while the hosts � Local Democracy Agency Mostar and the city administration Mostar will organize a study visit and the sightseeing tour on Saturday 2nd April. In addition a joint cultural programme linking the young performers from three cities included in the project � Mostar, Osijek and Subotica, will be organized in Mostar Youth Theatre.
NEW PERSPECTIVES IN COOPERATION BETWEEN ALDA AND SUBOTICA (SRB) AUTHORITIES
New perspectives and possibilities in the field of international and regional cooperation have emerged from a meeting between ALDA Staff and local authorities in Subotica. This meeting took place in Subotica City Hall on Friday, 28th of January.
The meeting was attended by City of Subotica representatives: Mr. Sasa Vucinic (Mayor of Subotica), Mr. Slavko Parac (City Assembly Chairman), Mrs. Erika Kudlik and Melinda Nagy-Kiseresmiss (representatives of International and regional cooperation department); Mrs. Antonella Valmobrida (ALDA Director) and Mrs. Stanka Parac (Partnership manager) and representatives of LDA Subotica and LDA CSS: Sasa Marinkov LDACSS Delegate as well as Olga Perusic and Milan Bosnjak form LDA Subotica.
City of Subotica is the first city supported establishing a Local Democracy Agency. LDA Subotica started activities in 1993 and in the beginning of 2000 LDA Subotica and City of Subotica were first active member and partner of ALDA. As such, City of Subotica enjoys special treatment in ALDA network. Therefore this meeting was a really good opportunity for all sides to determine new perspectives and possibilities in the field of international and regional cooperation. Main aim of the meeting was to enhance and ensure connections and cooperation between actors involved in the meeting.
New perspectives and possibilities in the field of international and regional cooperation have emerged from a meeting between ALDA Staff and local authorities in Subotica. This meeting took place in Subotica City Hall on Friday, 28th of January.
The meeting was attended by City of Subotica representatives: Mr. Sasa Vucinic (Mayor of Subotica), Mr. Slavko Parac (City Assembly Chairman), Mrs. Erika Kudlik and Melinda Nagy-Kiseresmiss (representatives of International and regional cooperation department); Mrs. Antonella Valmobrida (ALDA Director) and Mrs. Stanka Parac (Partnership manager) and representatives of LDA Subotica and LDA CSS: Sasa Marinkov LDACSS Delegate as well as Olga Perusic and Milan Bosnjak form LDA Subotica.
City of Subotica is the first city supported establishing a Local Democracy Agency. LDA Subotica started activities in 1993 and in the beginning of 2000 LDA Subotica and City of Subotica were first active member and partner of ALDA. As such, City of Subotica enjoys special treatment in ALDA network. Therefore this meeting was a really good opportunity for all sides to determine new perspectives and possibilities in the field of international and regional cooperation. Main aim of the meeting was to enhance and ensure connections and cooperation between actors involved in the meeting.
ALDA IS SEARCHING FOR 2 VOLUNTEERS (FRENCH OR RESIDENTS IN FRANCE)
ALDA is preparing a proposal for the “Youth in Action. Action 2 – European Voluntary Service” whose deadline is the 1st of February. The proposal (entitled “VOICE”) consists of group exchanges of volunteers between several European Structures and South Eastern Europe organizations.
ALDA holds an accreditation as Coordinating and Sending organization inside the European Voluntary service (EVS). It will coordinate “VOICE” and send volunteers towards two of the project’s partners.
ALDA’s staff would like to select 2 volunteers that will be sent as EVS, one in Serbia (city of Nis) for a period of 6 months, one in the Republic of Macedonia (city of Prilep) for a period of 9 months.
The starting period of the exchange should be beginning 2012.
ALDA is preparing a proposal for the “Youth in Action. Action 2 – European Voluntary Service” whose deadline is the 1st of February. The proposal (entitled “VOICE”) consists of group exchanges of volunteers between several European Structures and South Eastern Europe organizations.
ALDA holds an accreditation as Coordinating and Sending organization inside the European Voluntary service (EVS). It will coordinate “VOICE” and send volunteers towards two of the project’s partners.
ALDA’s staff would like to select 2 volunteers that will be sent as EVS, one in Serbia (city of Nis) for a period of 6 months, one in the Republic of Macedonia (city of Prilep) for a period of 9 months.
The starting period of the exchange should be beginning 2012.