STAND.UP

AT A GLANCE

STAND.UP aims at strengthening Civil Society Organisations’ (CSOs) involvement in the overall framework of EU twinning in order of creating a better organised cooperation system between LA & 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.
Its focuses are Economic innovative initiatives, Local Development and Volunteering using 3 international workshops and 17 local preparatory meetings in which LA, economic stakeholders and CSOs but also citizens’ groups in a more dynamic evaluation of what cooperation can bring in the building of a developed Europe.
Topics were decided given the European thematic priorities (2010 Fighting poverty, 2011 Volunteering) and ALDA’s needs (that with the 12 LDAs and 300 partners is working now for years with EfC) in reassessing its network’s capacities in inducing real change in local development and active citizenship.
The focus area is Eastern Europe (from Northern countries to SEE and EuroMed) recognised as a weaker area in terms of citizens participation.
STAND.UP will involve more than 500 persons directly and many others through the website and the partners’ networks.
The project is intended to use networking agreements between LA as an inclusive agora in which citizens’ voice is heared and as basis for creating a reactive partnership in front on economic difficulties and development goals.
Several recommendations will be presented during the events and follow-up activities will be proposed in the partners’ areas of interest.
STAND.UP wishes to re-evaluate agreements between LA and cross-fertilised cooperation using as departure the results and needs identified during past/present projects.
Partnership is including 18 structures from 11 countries (EU, SEE) but also participants from the Maghreb.

OBJECTIVES

The project will foster citizens’ participation and interaction with local and EU institutions through debates on vivid EU related topics in the field of twinning.
It will raise awareness on EU common values such as democracy and participation, promoting thus Active European citizenship and European identity. By gathering together EU and pre accession countries, we will promote a shared identity in the wider Europe.
Making ordinary citizens aware of their responsibility and of the power that they can detain, we try to give them a greater sense of ownership of the EU.
Our proposal implies an intercultural dialogue, given the diversity of the participants. During the 3 thematic workshops, particular attention will be paid to multilinguism and cultural diversity.

ACTIVITIES

Management/coordination activities(2 steering committees)planned with delegates of the partners for defining in details the action and budgetary plan, inducing partners’ co-decision and co-responsibility
International workshop in Latvia on Fighting poverty and Promoting innovative Socio-economic activities involving a Private-Public Partnership with 39 international and 20 local participants
International workshop in Venice on Mobility and Volunteering in Town Twinning and how to create a human resources’ exchange methodology for LA&CSO (60 international participants &20 local ones will be present in Latvia representing EU and SEE countries)
International workshop in Malta on Social integration of vulnerable groups and Promoting Gender equality through a Good local governmental system involving exchanges in the EuroMed area with both European participants& participants from North African countries. 50 international participants (38 from eligible structures and at least 12 from the Maghreb) &20 local ones will be present at the 2days conference combined with an international brainstorming workshop
Local preparatory meetings and events (17) at which local stakeholders (including LA’s delegates) will be extracting from the local strategies the priorities in terms if citizen and civic participation. Each meeting will host 20 participants representing LA, associations of LA and CSO creating a recommendation paper of 5 pages on what should be done at local & international scale with the resources/experience of each partner for achieving this project’s objectives and improving citizens participation in twinning activities.