ALDA Director running for the Board of CIVICUS

The Director of ALDA Antonella Valmorbida is among the 26 candidates for the election of the Board of CIVICUS. Mrs Valmorbida is part of the board of the alliance since 2012, when she was welcomed as a co-opted member.

In September, the voting members of CIVICUS will elect the 13 members of the new board, which will meet for the first time on 9-10 November 2013 in Johannesburg.

CIVICUS, World Alliance for Citizen Participation, is an international alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world. It has worked for nearly two decades especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens’ freedom of association are threatened.

CIVICUS has a vision of a global community of active, engaged citizens committed to the creation of a more just and equitable world. This is based on the belief that the health of societies exists in direct proportion to the degree of balance between the state, the private sector and civil society. CIVICUS provides a focal point for knowledge-sharing, common interest representation, global institution-building and engagement among these disparate sectors. It acts as an advocate for citizen participation as an essential component of governance and democracy worldwide.

See CIVICUS website

The Director of ALDA Antonella Valmorbida is among the 26 candidates for the election of the Board of CIVICUS. Mrs Valmorbida is part of the board of the alliance since 2012, when she was welcomed as a co-opted member.

In September, the voting members of CIVICUS will elect the 13 members of the new board, which will meet for the first time on 9-10 November 2013 in Johannesburg.

CIVICUS, World Alliance for Citizen Participation, is an international alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world. It has worked for nearly two decades especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens’ freedom of association are threatened.

CIVICUS has a vision of a global community of active, engaged citizens committed to the creation of a more just and equitable world. This is based on the belief that the health of societies exists in direct proportion to the degree of balance between the state, the private sector and civil society. CIVICUS provides a focal point for knowledge-sharing, common interest representation, global institution-building and engagement among these disparate sectors. It acts as an advocate for citizen participation as an essential component of governance and democracy worldwide.

See CIVICUS website

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Conference "Building a Global Citizens Movement" - 11/12 November, Johannesburg, South Africa

The global conference “Building a Global Citizens Movement” will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 12 and 12 November. It is organised by DEEEP/КОНКОРД, CIVICUS и GCAP, and will bring together over 200 of the world’s most influential civil society members alongside individuals from grass-roots civil society protest movements.

There is growing evidence that the current economic and political system cannot provide the solutions to ensure a sustainable future for our planet and humankind. There is a need for radical reform, from a system which favours growth, consumerism, bigger markets and increased competition, to one which puts the wellbeing of people and human rights at its core. Although many civil society organisations (CSOs) are working hard to achieve a fairer world, there is a need to reflect on the extent to which their work addresses the underlying structural causes of the world’s most pressing issues.

Furthermore, citizens are mobilising themselves around the world and speaking out on issues of justice, rights and sustainability but these struggles are often geographically or thematically limited. The aim of this Global Conference is to link emancipatory struggles and the related activists, educators and campaigners, with the broader global citizen’s movement. This is an opportunity which is particularly important and timely given the on-going discussions in the role that citizens’ participation, democracy, human rights and accountability has to play in the post-2015 global development framework.

The conference will address three urgent questions of our time:

1. What is our vision for the planet?

2. How can we link local people’s struggles to a global movement?

3. How can we reinvent approaches to emancipatory learning and take more people on this learning journey?

During the conference, the “Johannesburg Declaration for the Establishment of a Global Citizens Movement” will be developed.

The global conference “Building a Global Citizens Movement” will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 12 and 12 November. It is organised by DEEEP/КОНКОРД, CIVICUS и GCAP, and will bring together over 200 of the world’s most influential civil society members alongside individuals from grass-roots civil society protest movements.

There is growing evidence that the current economic and political system cannot provide the solutions to ensure a sustainable future for our planet and humankind. There is a need for radical reform, from a system which favours growth, consumerism, bigger markets and increased competition, to one which puts the wellbeing of people and human rights at its core. Although many civil society organisations (CSOs) are working hard to achieve a fairer world, there is a need to reflect on the extent to which their work addresses the underlying structural causes of the world’s most pressing issues.

Furthermore, citizens are mobilising themselves around the world and speaking out on issues of justice, rights and sustainability but these struggles are often geographically or thematically limited. The aim of this Global Conference is to link emancipatory struggles and the related activists, educators and campaigners, with the broader global citizen’s movement. This is an opportunity which is particularly important and timely given the on-going discussions in the role that citizens’ participation, democracy, human rights and accountability has to play in the post-2015 global development framework.

The conference will address three urgent questions of our time:

1. What is our vision for the planet?

2. How can we link local people’s struggles to a global movement?

3. How can we reinvent approaches to emancipatory learning and take more people on this learning journey?

During the conference, the “Johannesburg Declaration for the Establishment of a Global Citizens Movement” will be developed.

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Cooking show in Verteneglio-Brtonigla, Croatia

The Croatian municipality of Verteneglio-Brtonigla celebrated Saint Rocco with a cooking show. Among stands offering cevapcici, fritule, and other local dishes, there was a cooking competition with recipes from the local tradition, with a jury evaluating the ability of the participants.
The Vice President of ALDA Mr Alessandro Perelli attended the event, together with Mr Umberto Ademollo, Delegate of the Local Democracy Agency Verteneglio-Brtonigla, who was one of the organisers and jury members during the cooking competition.
See the article and the pictures by QB Quantobasta (in Italian)

The Croatian municipality of Verteneglio-Brtonigla celebrated Saint Rocco with a cooking show. Among stands offering cevapcici, fritule, and other local dishes, there was a cooking competition with recipes from the local tradition, with a jury evaluating the ability of the participants.
The Vice President of ALDA Mr Alessandro Perelli attended the event, together with Mr Umberto Ademollo, Delegate of the Local Democracy Agency Verteneglio-Brtonigla, who was one of the organisers and jury members during the cooking competition.
See the article and the pictures by QB Quantobasta (in Italian)

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European Endowment for Democracy now accepts applications for support

On December 2011, European Member States and institutions unanimously agreed to establish the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) with an aim to promote the values of freedom and democracy with a particular focus on the European Neighbourhood. The EED was subsequently created as an independent private law foundation with its seat in Brussels. Since July 1, the EED has become operational with a fully-fledged team working in the EED Secretariat.

The EED is now accepting applications for support from movements and other actors engaged in achieving pluralistic multiparty systems and democratic societies. EED is open to requests and ideas from civil society organisations, movements and individual activists acting in favour of a pluralistic multiparty system regardless of their size or formal status, including young leaders and independent media. The EED works in a flexible way and will therefore receive and assess requests for support in an ongoing manner. Thus there is no deadline, and EED is ready to receive your ideas at any time.
The online request for support form and additional details are available in Arabic, English, French and Russian on the EED website

On December 2011, European Member States and institutions unanimously agreed to establish the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) with an aim to promote the values of freedom and democracy with a particular focus on the European Neighbourhood. The EED was subsequently created as an independent private law foundation with its seat in Brussels. Since July 1, the EED has become operational with a fully-fledged team working in the EED Secretariat.

The EED is now accepting applications for support from movements and other actors engaged in achieving pluralistic multiparty systems and democratic societies. EED is open to requests and ideas from civil society organisations, movements and individual activists acting in favour of a pluralistic multiparty system regardless of their size or formal status, including young leaders and independent media. The EED works in a flexible way and will therefore receive and assess requests for support in an ongoing manner. Thus there is no deadline, and EED is ready to receive your ideas at any time.
The online request for support form and additional details are available in Arabic, English, French and Russian on the EED website

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AMO calls for fellows from Belarus and Ukraine

AMO – the Association for International Affairs in cooperation with other partners has announced the call for applications for research fellowships in Visegrad countries, 2 from Belarus and 2 from Ukraine.

The fellowships are within the project Public Administration Reform in Visegrad Countries: Lessons Learned for Belarus and Ukraine, supported by the International Visegrad Fund. The goal is to provide fellows with an opportunity to get deep insight into public administration reform (PAR) in Visegrad countries (V4) and to point out on examples of good practices while not avoiding the qualified and well-informed discussion about the obstacles of the reform process.

The internship has two parts:

1) Prague, Czech Republic /or/ Bratislava, Slovakia /or/ Warsaw, Poland /or/ Budapest, Hungary: September 29 – October 19, 2013
2) Prague, Czech Republic: October 20 – October 25, 2013 (in the second part, all 4 fellows will gather in Prague).

AMO – the Association for International Affairs in cooperation with other partners has announced the call for applications for research fellowships in Visegrad countries, 2 from Belarus and 2 from Ukraine.

The fellowships are within the project Public Administration Reform in Visegrad Countries: Lessons Learned for Belarus and Ukraine, supported by the International Visegrad Fund. The goal is to provide fellows with an opportunity to get deep insight into public administration reform (PAR) in Visegrad countries (V4) and to point out on examples of good practices while not avoiding the qualified and well-informed discussion about the obstacles of the reform process.

The internship has two parts:

1) Prague, Czech Republic /or/ Bratislava, Slovakia /or/ Warsaw, Poland /or/ Budapest, Hungary: September 29 – October 19, 2013
2) Prague, Czech Republic: October 20 – October 25, 2013 (in the second part, all 4 fellows will gather in Prague).

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Cittanova d'Istria marks the accession of Croatia to the EU

Among the several ceremonies marking the accession of Croatia to the European Union, a particularly significative one was held in Cittanova d’Istria on 30 June, supported by the region Friuli Venezia Giulia with the project AGROWINE. During the ‘white night’, hundred people gathered at the premises of the Italian Community.

ALDA President Oriano Otočan and the President of the Regional Council of the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia Franco Iacop attended the event. During their speeches, they highlighted how “achieving the result of an European Croatia happened thanks to the will of the Croatian population to adhere to the ideals of freedom, democracy and free trade which are the basis of Europe. The Istria Region in the past years shined for its politics of coexistance and common work, which saw the Italian community as a protagonist”.

In the picture from right to left: Alessandro Perelli, Vice President of ALDA; Anteo Milos, Mayor of Pula; Silvia Acerbi, President Informest; Oriano Otočan, President of ALDA; Franco Iacop, President of the Regional Council of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Among the several ceremonies marking the accession of Croatia to the European Union, a particularly significative one was held in Cittanova d’Istria on 30 June, supported by the region Friuli Venezia Giulia with the project AGROWINE. During the ‘white night’, hundred people gathered at the premises of the Italian Community.

ALDA President Oriano Otočan and the President of the Regional Council of the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia Franco Iacop attended the event. During their speeches, they highlighted how “achieving the result of an European Croatia happened thanks to the will of the Croatian population to adhere to the ideals of freedom, democracy and free trade which are the basis of Europe. The Istria Region in the past years shined for its politics of coexistance and common work, which saw the Italian community as a protagonist”.

In the picture from right to left: Alessandro Perelli, Vice President of ALDA; Anteo Milos, Mayor of Pula; Silvia Acerbi, President Informest; Oriano Otočan, President of ALDA; Franco Iacop, President of the Regional Council of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

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How to motivate citizens to be active?

In the Nijemci Municipality a promotional workshop took part on 25 July as part of the project “Support for Networking and Twinning at European Level – SNET.EU.The project is funded by the European Union and the workshop was organized by the Local Democracy Agency from Osijek, Croatia.
In the introductory part of the workshop, a concept of active citizenship and the European Year of Citizens 2013 were presented. The worshop focused, however, on a concept of twinning of municipalities and towns, the history of twinning, twinning in Croatia in general, the program Europe for Citizens and a possibility for the financing of twinning under the two measures of this program.
Branka P. Turniški, the project manager, presented the Council of European Municipalities and Regions as an important institution which is dealing with twinning in Europe and in the world and she presented the ten keys for successful twinning.
In the second part of the workshop an interactive discussion was organized and the participants had the opportunity to talk about the priority issues in their local community and especially about the issue how to motivate citizens to be more active in the life of the local community, what are the potential challenges and obstacles on that way and how to solve them.
This promotional workshop was a good practice and preparation for the Open Days of the Municipality of Nijemci which will be soon organized in the municipality.

In the Nijemci Municipality a promotional workshop took part on 25 July as part of the project “Support for Networking and Twinning at European Level – SNET.EU.The project is funded by the European Union and the workshop was organized by the Local Democracy Agency from Osijek, Croatia.
In the introductory part of the workshop, a concept of active citizenship and the European Year of Citizens 2013 were presented. The worshop focused, however, on a concept of twinning of municipalities and towns, the history of twinning, twinning in Croatia in general, the program Europe for Citizens and a possibility for the financing of twinning under the two measures of this program.
Branka P. Turniški, the project manager, presented the Council of European Municipalities and Regions as an important institution which is dealing with twinning in Europe and in the world and she presented the ten keys for successful twinning.
In the second part of the workshop an interactive discussion was organized and the participants had the opportunity to talk about the priority issues in their local community and especially about the issue how to motivate citizens to be more active in the life of the local community, what are the potential challenges and obstacles on that way and how to solve them.
This promotional workshop was a good practice and preparation for the Open Days of the Municipality of Nijemci which will be soon organized in the municipality.

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Tackling Illegal Economies: Libera organised the kick-off event in Marsala

As one of the main organisations within the partnership, ALDA participated in the kick-off event of the European project TIE – “Tackling Illegal Economies”, funded by the Prevention of and Fight against Crime programme of the DG Home Affairs of the European Commission.

The meeting, organised by the Italian association Libera, took place in Marsala (Sicily) from 24-29 July and was an occasion to strengthen the bonds among the partners, to define their role and to develop the action plan of the project. As side event of Libera’s OLE – People have the Power! annual rally, it was also a unique opportunity to acquire detailed and up-to-date information on a topic of strong importance such as the impact of illegal economies in Italy and in Europe.
Renowned Italian MPs, journalists, prosecutors, academic professors, victims of Mafia and representatives of national associations, brought in their expertise and defined the overall frame of Mafia’s phenomenon. The attention though was put on the European dimension of its impact, therefore stressing the need of a more cohesive reaction both at national and European level.
Considering Mafias as a strictly Italian phenomenon has been identified as the main obstacle to tackle illegal economies efficiently at European level. Raising civil society’s awareness is therefore key, and ALDA will play a central role within the partnership by bringing in its multiannual expertise in this field.

As one of the main organisations within the partnership, ALDA participated in the kick-off event of the European project TIE – “Tackling Illegal Economies”, funded by the Prevention of and Fight against Crime programme of the DG Home Affairs of the European Commission.

The meeting, organised by the Italian association Libera, took place in Marsala (Sicily) from 24-29 July and was an occasion to strengthen the bonds among the partners, to define their role and to develop the action plan of the project. As side event of Libera’s OLE – People have the Power! annual rally, it was also a unique opportunity to acquire detailed and up-to-date information on a topic of strong importance such as the impact of illegal economies in Italy and in Europe.
Renowned Italian MPs, journalists, prosecutors, academic professors, victims of Mafia and representatives of national associations, brought in their expertise and defined the overall frame of Mafia’s phenomenon. The attention though was put on the European dimension of its impact, therefore stressing the need of a more cohesive reaction both at national and European level.
Considering Mafias as a strictly Italian phenomenon has been identified as the main obstacle to tackle illegal economies efficiently at European level. Raising civil society’s awareness is therefore key, and ALDA will play a central role within the partnership by bringing in its multiannual expertise in this field.

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