Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07 STAND.UP Strengthening Twinning Agreements and Networking for

Development. United in Partnership

Europe for Citizens Programme

Action 1 – Active Citizens for Europe Measure 2.2 – Support measures

START DATE: 01/02/2011

END DATE: 31/01/2012.

Strasbourg

05/06/07

- The Association of the Local Democracy Agencies – France (Partner Leader)

- Local Democracy Agency Albania

- NGO Horizon - Albania - Balkan Assist - Association for citizen

activity support - Bulgaria - National Forum API - Bulgaria

- Regional Association of Municipalities

“Central Stara Planina” - Bulgaria - Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local

Authorities -  Local Democracy Agency Osijek – Croatia

- Centre d’information, de documentation,

d’études et de formation - France

- Comité de Jumelage de Démouville - France

- Maison de l'Europe de Caen Basse-

Normandie - France - Active Creative and Reforming

Organisation - Greece - Istitutio Pugliese di Ricerche Sociali - Italy

- Latvian Association of Local and Regional

Governments - Association of the units of local self-

government - Macedonia - Local Councils' Association - Malta

- Union of Rural Communes of the Republic

of Poland - Romanian Municipalities Associations

List of Partners Involved:

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Objectives The project aimed at:

- foster citizens’ participation and interaction with local and EU institutions

through debates on vivid EU related topics in the field of twinning.

- raise awareness on EU common values such as democracy and participation,

and promotion of Active European citizenship and European identity.

- promotion of a shared identity in the wider Europe by gathering together EU

and pre accession countries

-  strengthening CSO's involvement in order to create a better organized

cooperation system between LAs & CSOs

- establishment of long-lasting partnerships and networks reaching a significant

number of different stakeholders promoting active Europe citizenship

The structure of the Project

International Events:

- Riga 19-20 April 2011

International Workshop ”Fighting Poverty: from Innovative Ideas to

Cooperation”

- Venice 15-16 November 2011

International Conference “Mobility and Volunteering in Town

Twinning. Toward the creation of an exchange methodology for LA&CSO”

Malta 16-17 January 2012

International Conference: Social Integration and Gender Equality

through a Good Local Governmental System

The structure of the Project

17 Local Events organized in each partners’ local community.

The format and the specific topic of the local events have been freely chosen by

the partners. Anyway, they all had these main characteristics:

-  citizen and civic participation as leading topic

-  at least 20 participants representing LA, associations of LA and CSO

creating

Venue of the activities:

Albania:Shkodra, Gjrokaster

Bulgaria: Sofia, Plovdiv, Gabrovo, Varna

Malta:Balzan

Latvia:Riga

Croatia: Osijek

France:Demouville, Caen, Montreuil Greece: Kastoria Italy: Bari, Venice Poland: Poznan Romania: Bucharest Macedonia: Skopje

The numbers of the project

•  Nr participating individuals directly involved: 550

•  Nr organisations/institutions directly involved: more than 100

•  Nr countries involved: 11 (4 old EU MS; 4 new EU MS and 3 pre-

accession countries)

•  Nr of local activities: 17

•  Nr of international events: 3

International Activities in details

- Riga 19-20 April 2011 International Workshop ”Fighting Poverty: from Innovative Ideas to

Cooperation”

Main results

-  Sharing national and local experiences in the field of public-

private partnership to face economic crisis and to implement

innovative economic and social activities.

-  New contacts established among the partners; some of these

contacts lead to the development of new joint projects

-  Exchange of many best practices (visit to Marupe Municipality,

Kindkarten and Primary school, both resulting from a PPP best

practice)

Main Recommendations

- it is necessary to strengthen the involvement of private sector and

encourage social entrepreneurship and at the same time empower the

role of NGOs in the decision making process.

- acknowledgement that stronger partnerships between CSOs and private

sectors demands further elements such as public responsibility and duty

to provide opportunities to grow up in different fields.

International Activities in details

- Venice 15-16 November 2011 International Conference “Mobility and Volunteering in Town

Twinning. Toward the creation of an exchange methodology for LA&CSO”

Main results

-  strengthen efforts in building new networks as instrument to

fostering volunteering and mobility.

-  exchange of best practices on mobility thanks to the contribution

of Erdut (Croatia), Slobozia (Romania), Comité de Jumelage de

Démouville (France) and LCA (Malta)

-  development of joint proposal by some partners and participants

of the conference (long lasting contacts established)

Main Recommendations

-  the need for a democratic approach toward cooperatives, enhancing common interests to cooperate, persuasion and future discussions on how to attract private funding to support mobility and cooperation programmes.

-  The current economic crises is undoubtedly a matter of concern but whereas the EU will not financially support main integration instruments such as volunteering and mobility the crises will enhance further social and economic inequalities. (stronger financial support to programmes such as the Erasmus programme)

International Activities in details

Malta 16-17 January 2012

International Conference: Social Integration and Gender Equality

through a Good Local Governmental System