ALDA playing a central role in the promotion of the European Local Democracy Week of the Council of Europe

ALDA is having a central role in the promotion of the ELDW , the European local democracy week, among its members and its partners, as main partner of the Congress of the Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the body which promotes the initiative.
ALDA, together with the LDAs, is organising several initiatives in the framework of the ELDW all over Europe. Moreover, ALDA is partner in many other initiatives within the Week organised by its members and partners.

The European Local Democracy Week is an annual European event where local authorities from all the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, as well as their national associations, organise public events to meet and engage with their citizens on issues of current interest. The main aim is to promote and foster democratic participation at a local level. The week around 15 October has been chosen for holding this event as a tribute to the European Charter of Local Self-Government, opened for signature on that date in 1985.
ELDW purpose is to raise European citizens’ awareness of how local authorities operate, and inform them of the opportunities available for taking part in decision-making process at the local level.
The leading theme of the Week 2011 will be ‘Human Rights at local level’ and the Congress recommends that at least one of the activities should focus on it, allowing however the participants to organise events on issues of particular interest to them.
To give a more concrete overview of the role of ALDA in the promotion of the ELDW, we publish a list of events ALDA is directly organising, also through its LDAs, or in which it will be partner:

• Opening of the Local Democracy Agency in Armenia.
  On October 28, as the official day for the opening ceremony of LDA Armenia in Gyumri, an awareness-raising conference will be organised to gather citizens, NGOs and other groups actively involved in local governance issues to discuss and learn about the best practices of involving citizens in public life. The conference will give the participants a chance to better understand the bottom-up methodology for the development of local self-government and increasing citizen participation. The opening event in October will mark the link between the LDA in Armenia and its work in support of Local Democracy and Human Rights in the Country as part of the ELDW and as a medium-long term project. More info.
• Celebration of the 15° Anniversary LDA Sisak
  The International Conference “The Road of Croatia towards the EU: the role of Croatian Local Democracy Agencies (LDAs)” will be organised on the 4th November 2011 in Sisak, Croatia. The Conference is organised in the framework of the celebration of the 15th Anniversary of the Local Democracy Agencies Sisak and as a part of the ELDW. In this regards the Municipality of Sisak obtained the 12 Stars Label from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, a prestigious label awarded to Municipalities and local communities particularly active in the promotion of ELDW.
  ALDA will take the opportunity of the Conference to reflect and to open the discussion with participants on the future of the Croatian LDAs in prevision of Croatia entering the EU in July 2013. Other activities will be organised by LDA Sisak to promote human rights among youth.
• ALDA organising two major events in Venice from the 15 to the 17 November.
  ALDA will organise in Venice a conference whose overall topic will be Mobility and Volunteering in Town Twinning and International Seminar on twinning relations. The events will unite around 180 participants from 10 different European countries involving representatives of Local Authorities and their associations, NGOs, civil servants and citizens’ groups who will develop a dynamic evaluation of how mobility and volunteering can strongly support the building of a developed Europe. The overall goal of those activities, both organised within the Europe for Citizens programme and in the framework of the ELDW, is strengthening CSO’s involvement in the overall framework of EU twinning in order to create a better organised cooperation system between LAs e CSOs and a more present Public-Private Partnership in the fight against economic and social crisis, in the promotion of mobility for democracy and the ownership of European identity.
• LDA Kosovo organising its first activity in the framework of the ELDW
  On the 21-22 November LDA Kosovo, in cooperation with ALDA and all its partners will organise its first official activity in Peja/Pec (Kosovo) on the occasion of the Celebration of the International Child’s Rights Day. An international conference will be organised to foster the discussion on the topic among the main international and local stakeholders (UNICEF, CoE, UNDP, EC, Ministry of Local Authorities, local and international CSOs working of the topic), the conference will be followed by a plain “air afternoon” which will be attended by families and citizens from all the region of Peja/Pec.
• ELDW in Georgia. Art and Nature in Kutaisi for Human Rights
  In Kutaisi, LDA Georgia (celebrating its 5th anniversary) and the Association of Local Authorities of Georgia, will organise in cooperation with the Municipality a photo exhibition on human rights in the country and a competition and award called “The greenest Neighborhood in Kutaisi” that will see the involvement of a high number of citizens and representatives of LAa and CSOs.
• 10 years of LDA CSS keeping working on the promotion of Human Rights
  On the occasion of the 10th Anniversary LDA CSS, City of Nis – Office of the Mayor, NGO Youth Education Center, Media Center Nis and LDA are organising European Local Democracy Week from October 10 till October 16. Numerous workshops, discussion groups, entertainment events, exhibitions and other activities will be organised during this week. Nis University Faculty of Economics, Metropolitan University Education Center and Nis City Children’s Center will take active part in the activities during this week. More info .
• CRCD Promoting Rights of Children in Albania
  The Center for Research Cooperation and Development – CRCD, ALDA’s member, in cooperation with European Information Center in Vlora (Albania) will initiate the promotion of the ELDW in Vlora by organising one seminar at EU info as well an open public presentation to one of the school related “EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child”.
• Strategies to promote Human Rights at the local level in Italy
  The Municipality of Vibonati, Morigerati and Casaletto Spartano in Italy, new members of ALDA, will organise in mid-November a Conference on the means Municipalities have to promote human rights at local level and an interactive activity in the high school of Sapri (Italy) targeting youth promoting human rights. ALDA will participate with one representative at both the events.
  For more information about each event please contact Mr. Alfonso Aliberti, Project Manager of ALDA, at alfonso.aliberti@aldaintranet.org.