Connecting, empowering and supporting youth across Europe: let's shape together The Future We Want!
I Future We Want project has officially started!
From February 8 to 10, 2023, the Kick-Off Meeting of the project took place in Helsinki (Finland), where the consortium was kindly hosted by the Finnish Peace Committee.
The first transnational partners meeting represented a great opportunity for the nine partners to get to know each other and set the next steps to undertake within the framework of the project.
The challenges to sustainable development arising from the complexity of a globalised world are increasing worldwide. Climate change is a global threat that is already having devastating and irreparable consequences on economic, social and environmental systems and, as if this were not enough, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an immense impact on the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainability in human lives.
The Future We Want project aims to provide a meaningful voice to European youth in setting the EU policy agenda on sustainable development and the Agenda 2030.. It creates transnational networks based on solidarity and the democratic and inclusive participation of all and enables young people to organise themselves, online and offline, around the themes of sustainability, the SDGs and the design of future, sustainable ways of life in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Connecting, empowering and supporting young people across Europe to imagine and sustain better ways of living together after the pandemic: this is the aim of The Future We Want!
Project activities will include an online campaign e di un transnational caravan that will stop in 17 European cities and will include street campaigns and advocacy actions towards local and community decision-makers.
During the meeting, the consortium discussed the organisational, management and financial aspects of the The Future We Want project, as well as the communication and dissemination strategy to be implemented.
This Kick-Off meeting has been a great opportunity to lay the foundation of the project and build a strong partnership.
Countering hate crime in the EU: read the STAND-UP Handbook!
Since January 2022, ALDA has been implementing the STAND-UP project – STANDing UP against hate in the EU. The project aims to counter hate in the European Union by creating a comprehensive framework for opposing hate crimes that cover all parts of the countering hate crime, reporting, investigation, prosecution and prevention (RIPP) process, embedded in a victim support framework. After the thematic focus groups were held in the countries part of the project implementation namely Italy, Greece and Spain, data were collected and analysed for drafting the content of the STAND-UP Handbook.
The project impact lies in the cooperation between state authorities; e.g. Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Ordinary Court of Trento and the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Ordinary Court of Venice and organisations. These actors were able to share their expertise and experiences, certainly different, regarding the topic, obtaining a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the problems concerning hate crimes in the three countries mentioned above.
The STAND-UP Handbook is a useful tool to support the victims of hate crime and hate speech
Thus, the STAND-UP Handbook is intended to be a practical tool for Civil Society Organisations and Law Enforcement Authorities that receive and report hate crimes. It explains how these two institutions can work together to safeguard the targeted group from re-victimisation. The manual contains some practical tools as examples of good practices put in place by several other countries and a checklist of potential questions that can be asked during interviews. The workbook also comprehends special guidelines on how to address the victim, especially if the victim is part of a minority group.
The Handbook is a useful tool for hate crime and hate speech victims. It offers practical advice to victims on how to report the crime and whom and where to consult or contact.
For instance, there are names, addresses and contacts of institutions and organisations fighting hate crimes within the three countries involved in the project.
This Handbook represents an important achievement for the project consortium and a useful instrument for countering hate in the European Union.
Leggete STAND-UP Handbook by clicking qui.
Fostering inclusion and integration: ALDA at the Buk Festival 2023
Are you ready for the Buk Festival 2023?
I Buk Festival of small and medium publishing is an event conceived by Sig. Francesco Zarzana, ALDA vice president, and organised by Progettarte Officina Culturale (ALDA member), with the intention of giving space and a voice to the hundreds of small Italian and other publishers who present their rich cultural offerings every year.
This year’s Buk Festival will be held in Modena (Italy) on May 6 & 7, 2023.
But Buk is not just an exhibition: with numerous side events, including book presentations, lectures and debates on major themes, creative literary readings, workshops and meetings with authors and prominent figures from the world of culture, Buk is a landmark initiative on the national and international cultural scene.
This year ALDA will participate in the Festival by presenting two projects to the public: INCLUDATE e SHAPE.
Join the Buk Festival 2023!
On May 6, at 2.30 p.m., there will be a debate on the INCLUDATE project.
ALDA plays an important role in fostering inclusion through its European project opportunities and capacities. ALDA’s Gender, Inclusion, and Human Rights Hub is active in implementing and developing projects that benefit from European funding such as CERV and Erasmus+ programmes, aimed at addressing and promoting issues, such as gender equality, inclusion, and anti-discrimination.
INCLUDATE (Educating for Inclusion) is a project developed within the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme. The project activities directly aim at the inclusion of people with fewer opportunities, especially migrants, who are subject to intersectional marginalisation through a combination of ethnic discrimination and socio-economic deprivation.
Two speakers will participate in the discussion:
1- Ms. Leila Aoujdad, president of “Femme et diversité”, a French organisation based in Lyon. Ms. Aoujdad works to promote the socio-cultural (as well as labour) integration of women from the Maghreb. Her speech will be translated from French.
2- Ms. Vittorina Maestroni, president of “Associazione Centro Documentazione Donna” in Modena – an institution funded by the Municipality and the region of Emilia Romagna.
On May 7, at 11:30am, the ‘Modena international friends’ initiative will be held.
This initiative aims to gather foreign young people in the city of Modena, promoting a small round table among young people entitled ‘HOME’, intended as a place that welcomes. The event will be held in English.
During this initiative, the SHAPE project will be brought as an example. SHAPE “SHaring Actions for Participation and Empowerment of migrant communities and Local Authorities”, is a 24 months European project funded by the European AMIF programme and of which ALDA, with the participation of WeWorld, is the coordinator. The project aims to promote the participation of people with a migrant background in democratic processes and in the design and implementation of integration policies at local, national and European level.
So, what are you waiting for? Join the Buk Festival 2023!
ALDA staff looks forward to welcoming you!
Discover more about the Festival’s programme by clicking qui.
Giovani emancipati e comunità connesse: scopri il progetto Ena Creator!
The Ena Creator project sought to contribute to the creation of a culture of initiative and leadership for 15 young people between the ages of 12 and 16 through reflective, artistic, cultural and design-thinking activities with the aim of integrating them into the community. The project lasted four months, from November 2022 to March 2023.
Il progetto mirava inoltre a costruire una cultura dell'iniziativa, della leadership e delle competenze di vita per i giovani vulnerabili che hanno abbandonato la scuola attraverso modalità creative ed esplorative. Ha contribuito a introdurli all'imprenditorialità e ai principi del lavoro attraverso attività di pianificazione, lavoro di squadra e design thinking. L'obiettivo era quello di metterli in contatto con la comunità locale attraverso visite sul campo e la mobilitazione della comunità.
The approach used is inclusive and duly adapted to the capacities of the participants and their learning abilities. It is also collaborative in that it relies heavily on the cooperation of various stakeholders, such as CDIS (Public Centre for Advocacy and Social Integration) staff, the LDA team, facilitators, local artisans and family members.
The project is a follow-up to fellow Maroua Ghith‘s participation in the Professional Fellowship Program PFP, sponsored by the US Department of State, Bureau of Culture and Education, and administered by Legacy International. The fellow implemented the project with the support of the Local Democracy Agency Kairouan-Tunisia.
La borsista, grazie alla sua permanenza a Washington DC presso il centro artistico Project Create, ha cercato di contattare diversi soggetti chiave, estremamente importanti per il progetto ed i suoi obiettivi.
Il gruppo target era composto da 15 ragazzi di età compresa tra i 12 e i 16 anni, appartenenti al Centro di Difesa e Integrazione Sociale (CDIS), un'istituzione pubblica collegata al Ministero degli Affari Sociali. La missione dell'istituzione è fornire servizi ai giovani vulnerabili che hanno abbandonato la scuola e hanno meno di 16 anni, al fine di proteggerli da comportamenti a rischio. Anche i giovani disabili delle organizzazioni partner hanno partecipato ad alcune attività del progetto.
Attività del progetto:
The project implemented 03 sets of activities which included community meetings and multi-stakeholder meetings where more than 20 actors participated. The topic of discussion was the role of culture in the economic inclusion of youth. The first set of activities also included two family meetings on learning and behavioural disorders and agricultural economic inclusion.
Il secondo gruppo di attività ha incluso una formazione per lo sviluppo delle capacità che ha riguardato la comunicazione e la leadership, le qualità e le caratteristiche del giovane imprenditore, attività di mind-mapping per analizzare i problemi del contesto locale e come pianificare le attività applicando il modello del business canvas.
Infine, il progetto Ena Creator ha previsto visite sul campo al Museo nazionale di arte islamica e un laboratorio artigianale con l'utilizzo di cartoni animati per creare prototipi di sagome di monumenti. È stato inoltre possibile organizzare un tour della città vecchia di Medina, dove si trovano numerosi negozi tradizionali.
Risultati:
I 15 giovani hanno acquisito nuove conoscenze sulla comunicazione e sull'approccio alla comunicazione delle loro esigenze e aspirazioni. Hanno inoltre partecipato a sessioni di formazione sull'imprenditorialità (ad esempio, qualità imprenditoriali, ideazione attraverso attività di mind-mapping e piani d'azione utilizzando il modello Business Canvas). Hanno sviluppato 03 piani d'azione che hanno progettato in team.
Il progetto ha aiutato i partecipanti a conoscere meglio le loro comunità e la loro storia attraverso visite sul campo a diversi siti culturali e ha esplorato i diversi modi in cui la cultura, l'arte e il patrimonio possono essere valorizzati in carriere di successo.
Inoltre, circa 25 stakeholder locali (rappresentanti degli affari sociali, organizzazioni della società civile, personale del CDIS, famiglie, accademici, associazioni culturali e altri attori...) hanno partecipato alle diverse attività, discutendo del ruolo della cultura, del patrimonio e delle opere d'arte nell'inclusione economica dei giovani vulnerabili e scambiando idee e buone pratiche.
Questo lavoro ha aiutato il gruppo target a entrare in contatto con professionisti e istituzioni. Li ha aiutati a costruire le loro capacità e a immaginare il loro percorso futuro in giovane età e a connettersi con la loro cultura locale come fonte di identità e di inclusione sociale ed economica.
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Un anno di viaggio in ALDA: i volontari del progetto LED condividono la loro esperienza
Almost a year has passed since 9 young people aged 18 to 28 joined ALDA through the project LED – Lighting Europe and Democracy, as civil service volunteers.
The project, aimed at promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, gave the volunteers the possibility to engage in several activities on topics extremely dear to ALDA such as the promotion of democracy, good governance, peace and the collaboration among countries in Europe and beyond. In addition, it enabled them to acquire new skills for personal and professional development as well as the opportunity of exploring other countries and cultures.
Having almost reached the end of this year of civil service, the LED project volunteers recount their experience passing the baton to the news ones, who will undergo an amazing journey thanks to the EU LIVES project – Leverage for Initiating Volunteering in Europe and Surroundings.
“It is difficult to condense a year’s worth of experiences into a few lines. Having to make a selection, I would say that this experience was enriching, formative, and, to be honest, the time went by too fast. The ALDA office in Skopje lived up to my expectations in terms of skills acquired and activities implemented. It is good to feel part of the democratisation process in Southeastern Europe.” – Nicola
“I would say that my experience at ALDA was intense and super positive: I’m grateful I had the opportunity to grow both in my job and as a person.” – Carlotta
“This year abroad volunteering for ALDA has been an incredible learning experience. I love having colleagues from all over Europe and beyond and developing relations with both institutions and civil society organisations while living in Strasbourg, the cutest French city I have ever been to!” – Veronica
“It has been an amazing working and personal experience! I have learnt a lot at work, met interesting people from different parts of Europe, and shared precious moments with my colleagues in the wonderful city of Strasbourg.” – Cristina.
“My experience at ALDA these past months has been enriching and challenging: I experienced Brussels vibrating work life, being close to the EU institutions and ALDA gave me the chance to be part of all this, while teaching me skills for life.” – Manal
“During this year at ALDA, I have had the incredible opportunity of learning how to develop a project from knowledgeable and passionate colleagues. I have also experienced the Skopje team’s commitment to local democracy and the European integration of the Western Balkans. Watching the hard work done every day in ALDA, and knowing that you share the same values as the people you work with, made my experience here truly inspiring.” – Alessia
Insieme per proteggere la democrazia: le priorità congiunte della società civile e delle organizzazioni democratiche per la difesa della democrazia
“We need to better shield ourselves from malign interference. This is why we will present a Defence of Democracy Package. It will bring covert foreign influence and shady funding to light. We will not allow any autocracy’s Trojan horses to attack our democracies from within.” With these words, on 13 September 2022, European Commission President Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, announced the Defence of Democracy Package EC’s initiative, aimed at strengthening democratic resilience, at promoting, supporting and protecting democracy worldwide following the guidelines emerged by the Conference on the Future of Europe.
The Defence of Democracy Package initiative was welcomed by 47 organisations, among which ALDA, based in Europe and active in the fields of democracy, human rights and rule of law, which decided to gather contributions and recommendations on how to defend their political systems and contribute to strengthening democracy worldwide.
The Joint Civil Society and Democracy Organisations’ Priorities for the Defence of Democracy Package aims at strengthening democratic resilience, at promoting, supporting and protecting democracy worldwide
Accogliamo con favore il fatto che le discussioni sul pacchetto "Difesa della democrazia" si siano allargate al di là di un'enfasi eccessiva sulle interferenze straniere. Le sfide alla democrazia provengono anche dall'interno dell'Europa. Insistiamo collettivamente sul fatto che qualsiasi misura adottata per affrontare l'interferenza straniera deve essere presa con attenzione e nel rispetto del diritto internazionale dei diritti umani, della Carta dei Valori Fondamentali, dell'articolo 2 del Trattato sull'Unione Europea e dei processi decisionali europei. Senza valutazioni e definizioni chiare all'interno delle misure, c'è il rischio che qualsiasi proposta possa essere usata come arma contro gli attori pro-democratici da coloro che cercano di minare la democrazia. Il rischio non è teorico: l'interferenza straniera è già stata utilizzata in molti Paesi del mondo per soffocare media, giornalisti, società civile e opposizione politica.
Per questo motivo, è estremamente importante che la Commissione europea garantisca che le iniziative contenute nel Pacchetto Difesa della Democrazia rafforzino i diritti fondamentali e vadano oltre la reiterazione delle iniziative politiche esistenti.
This contribution contains recommendations in several areas namely, civil society, civic space and active citizenship; European elections; disinformation; the online public sphere; independent media and journalism; and foreign interference. As also stated by Mr. Toma Sutic, Member of the Cabinet of the Vice President for Democracy and Demography, Commissioner Dubravka Šuica during the last ALDATalk: “Democracy can only thrive if citizens contribute and participate. Democracy is what happens between elections, not at the ballot box” – said Mr. Sutic. “The European Commission supports and empowers civil society organisations because they safeguard social cohesion and democracy itself” – continued Mr. Sutic, highlighting how an effective action in all of the above-mentioned areas will be essential to protect democracy towards the 2024 European Parliament elections and they should therefore be covered by the Defence of Democracy Package.
Per leggere il documento completo, clicca qui.
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Statement on Europe's position in relation to the Summit for Democracy
Antonella Valmorbida – ALDA Secretary General and European Partnership for Democracy President, expressed her views on how Europe should position itself in relation to the Summit for Democracy and how it should seek to influence the evolution of the process, by answering to the following question: How Can Europe Help the Next Phase of the Summit for Democracy?
The Summit for Democracy united democracy supporters and made more tangible their conviction that democracy is not a form of governance exclusively for the West. And, based on the discussions I had around the summit, the message is clear and should be presented to any future one: democracy must be empowered and can deliver better when focused at the local level.
Participatory democracy needs to be prominent in the next phase of the summit process. Participative forms of democracy have immense potential for finding answers to local problems and building communities resilient to authoritarian regimes and forms of governance. The more citizens—in particular youth and women, for whom national politics is less accessible—are involved in local democracy by being elected to local government or in being actively engaged in local groups, the more they build up a DNA of democracy that is open to deliberation, negotiation, representation, and everyone’s contribution.
As political parties in cities and regions try out different and interesting experiments with civic lists and citizens’ movements, local democracy empowered by real decentralization can build or rebuild trust between citizens and institutions. Donors’ focus on political parties—their accountability, transparency, and forms of representation—should therefore support their work at the local level.
In this context, a vibrant and aware civil society, engaged and representing the collective interest of the community, is key for democracy. This has been exemplified by the experience of Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, with local authorities and civil society working together to become the strongholds of resilience and resistance.
The summit process has so far not paid sufficient attention to elections at the local level and needs to do more on this in its next phase. Local democracy and decentralization allow for an easier redistribution of powers and representation than is the case at the national level. Local elections can galvanize interest and engage citizens. The next Summit for Democracy and the implementation of past summit decisions must involve partners at the local level to a greater extent.
Mrs. Antonella Valmormida’s statement is included at the end of the article of the European Democracy Hub initiative, run by Carnegie Europe e European Partnership for Democracy (EPD).
Antonella Valmorbida – ALDA Secretary General and European Partnership for Democracy President, expressed her views on how Europe should position itself in relation to the Summit for Democracy and how it should seek to influence the evolution of the process, by answering to the following question: How Can Europe Help the Next Phase of the Summit for Democracy?
The Summit for Democracy united democracy supporters and made more tangible their conviction that democracy is not a form of governance exclusively for the West. And, based on the discussions I had around the summit, the message is clear and should be presented to any future one: democracy must be empowered and can deliver better when focused at the local level.
Participatory democracy needs to be prominent in the next phase of the summit process. Participative forms of democracy have immense potential for finding answers to local problems and building communities resilient to authoritarian regimes and forms of governance. The more citizens—in particular youth and women, for whom national politics is less accessible—are involved in local democracy by being elected to local government or in being actively engaged in local groups, the more they build up a DNA of democracy that is open to deliberation, negotiation, representation, and everyone’s contribution.
As political parties in cities and regions try out different and interesting experiments with civic lists and citizens’ movements, local democracy empowered by real decentralization can build or rebuild trust between citizens and institutions. Donors’ focus on political parties—their accountability, transparency, and forms of representation—should therefore support their work at the local level.
In this context, a vibrant and aware civil society, engaged and representing the collective interest of the community, is key for democracy. This has been exemplified by the experience of Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, with local authorities and civil society working together to become the strongholds of resilience and resistance.
The summit process has so far not paid sufficient attention to elections at the local level and needs to do more on this in its next phase. Local democracy and decentralization allow for an easier redistribution of powers and representation than is the case at the national level. Local elections can galvanize interest and engage citizens. The next Summit for Democracy and the implementation of past summit decisions must involve partners at the local level to a greater extent.
Mrs. Antonella Valmormida’s statement is included at the end of the article of the European Democracy Hub initiative, run by Carnegie Europe e European Partnership for Democracy (EPD).
Become a change maker for the next European elections: participate in the TALE project call!
Are you citizens of voting age coming from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Italy, Portugal or Slovenia? Would you like to become protagonists of change?
ALDA – as lead partner of the TALE project – TAke the Lead in the EU Elections – is pleased to announce the launch of the call for change-makers.
The main goal of the TALE project is to encourage and facilitate the active engagement of European citizens with the construction of a vibrant European democracy, with a special focus on young voters.
Thus, the selected participants will have the chance to participate in the capacity building training which aims to make future change-makers more aware of and acquire capacity building tools on political activism, campaigning, the importance of news and active democratic citizenship.
Unisciti all'appello dei change-maker del progetto TALE!
The capacity building training will include 3 ONLINE WEBINARS. These webinars will be interactive and focused on EU values, institutions, EU Parliament elections and the importance of relaying on clear and transparent news.
Una volta selezionati, i partecipanti avranno anche la possibilità di impegnarsi in campagne online e di contribuire all'organizzazione di eventi locali.
Se sei un cittadino in età di voto provenienti da Austria, Bulgaria, Croazia, Francia, Italia, Portogallo o Slovenia sei caldamente invitato a registrarti e a diventare un change maker! In particolare, ALDA è alla ricerca di nuovi change maker collocati in Italia. (🇮🇹)
The trainings will start at the end of August. Register here by Friday, 26 May 2023!
For more information, read the call by clicking here.
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Preparatevi a pedalare verso un futuro sostenibile con il forum interregionale sulla mobilità attiva del progetto AUTREMENT!
Il consorzio del progetto AUTREMENT, di cui ALDA fa parte, è entusiasta di annunciare il prossimo forum interregionale sulla mobilità attiva, che si terrà il 24-25 maggio 2023 nella splendida città di Mahdia (Tunisia) in collaborazione con UN Habitat e Cities Alliance.
AUTREMENT, launched on June 1, 2020, brings together a consortium of six partners with the aim of promoting sustainable urban development in the two Tunisian cities of Kairouan and Mahdia. The project seeks to improve the quality of life of residents and enhance citizen participation in local governance.
Attraverso il forum interregionale, intendiamo riunire esperti provenienti da tutta la Tunisia e non solo, per scambiare le migliori pratiche e le conoscenze sulla promozione di una mobilità urbana attiva e sostenibile. Oltre al forum principale, sono previsti eventi paralleli per dare ai partecipanti un assaggio della cultura della bicicletta in Tunisia.
Unitevi a noi il 24 e 25 maggio per il forum interregionale del progetto AUTREMENT sulla mobilità attiva!
Approximately 150 participants from Tunisia and neighboring countries on both sides of the Mediterranean are invited to attend the Forum, which will revolve around the question of why and how to promote biking and walking in Tunisian cities. The Forum will feature round tables, multi-stakeholder and practical workshops, guided visits, and artistic activities!
Se volete unirvi a noi in questa esperienza coinvolgente e stimolante che contribuirà a promuovere la mobilità urbana sostenibile in Tunisia, vi ricordiamo che la partecipazione al Forum è solo su invito.
If you would like to participate, please email us at contact@autrement.tn expressing your interest. We look forward to hearing from you… Get in the saddle and join us for an exciting journey towards sustainable active mobility!
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