From 19 to 21 of March a Danish delegation will be visiting Nis, Serbia, hosting city of the LDA Central Southern Serbia. The Danish City oh Aarhus, with its International Office, department of Employment, is the lead partner of the LDA CSS.

Javier Abenia and Jose Luis Lasheras, last president and vice president of ASAEL, the Aragonese Association of Local Authorities, that was dissolved in late 2009 swept away by a scandal, have been sentenced to pay 30.180 euro to ALDA, to cover the debts made when they were members of the Governing Board of the Association.

The members of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, express their deep concern over the recent diplomatic conflict between the authorities of Belarus and the European Union.

The increased involvement of Local Authorities (LAs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in EU development policy generates the need for the establishment of a new alliance among them in order to capitalise and improve their experiences and methods of actions.

The project aims to facilitate the mutual learning of innovative tools of community development that tackle the problems of marginalised social groups in different regions of Europe.

In the period from 23 to 25th of February a Delegation composed by partners of LDA Zavidovici from Alba (Italy) visited Zavidovici with intention to do the evaluation of the common projects that are implemented in Zavidovici.

BINA, the NGO Alliance for Municipality Development with which ALDA has been cooperating for the past two years, has conducted the monitoring of the correspondence of municipality institution in Azerbaijan

The Local Democracy Agency Armenia is on the move. The LDA partners have appointed David Sarkis Dolmadjian as Delegate at the end of partner meeting that took place in Brussels.

ALDA is launching a new project TIC-TAC (Training, Information, Cooperation – Towards Active Citizenship) which will last until January, 17th 2013.

On 25 January 2012, the French partners in the Decentralised cooperation between Lower Normandy and North Macedonia met in Caen to discuss the progress of planned activities in year 2012.

The Association of Local Democracy Agencies, with the support of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, intends to enlarge its activities to promote local democracy and citizen participation at the local level in the South Caucasus by opening a Local Democracy Agency (LDA) in Azerbaijan in 2012.

Mr. Marco Boaria, ALDA Resource and Development Unit Coordinator, is the author of a new “Practical Guide” published by SALTO EuroMed, on “Training and Networking”.

The Governing Board of ALDA, which was held in Brussels on the 3rd of February, launched the programme 2012.
Despite the difficulties for local authorities and civil society (ALDA main partners), the organisation continues its positive trend in terms of activities and memberships.

The results of the project “Volunteering for cross border development” have been presented in Banja Luka (BiH) by the LDA, Local Democracy Agency, of Sisak (HR) and YCC, Youth Communication Centre of Banja Luka, both partners of the project which is funded by European Union.

“The European Year of Citizens, suggested by the European Commission for the 2013, today focused on rights, mostly on right to move and work in the Union, should have a wider perspective, and promote European citizenship and identity, including social and cultural aspects”.

Peace News”, the electronic newsletter of the Bosnian Organisation “Mreža Za Izgradnju Mira”, “Peace building network” of which LDA Mostar is member, in the issue of January 2012 published an article about the IPA Project “Civil Society in action for dialogue and partnership”.

On January 27th, 1945, 67 years ago, the German concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated by the Russian Army, giving name to the International Holocaust Memorial Day on that date every year

The France-Balkans network held its annual steering committee in Brussels, in the Committee of the Regions on 24 January 2012. The French partners had the opportunity to discuss the recent decision by the Auvergne Regional Council to transfer the leadership to the Pays Vichy Auvergne.