BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Assembly of European Regions - ECPv6.1.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Assembly of European Regions X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://aer.eu X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Assembly of European Regions REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/Brussels BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:20220327T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:20221030T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:20230326T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:20231029T010000 END:STANDARD TZID:Asia/Nicosia BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0300 TZNAME:EEST DTSTART:20220327T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0300 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:EET DTSTART:20221030T010000 END:STANDARD TZID:Europe/Warsaw BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:20230326T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:20231029T010000 END:STANDARD TZID:Europe/Belgrade BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:20230326T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:20231029T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220829 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220902 DTSTAMP:20260411T222016 CREATED:20220620T140419Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240729T131648Z UID:40611-1661731200-1662076799@aer.eu SUMMARY:SOLD OUT: AER Summer Academy 2022 - Donegal\, Ireland DESCRIPTION:  \n \n***PLEASE NOTE: ALL TICKETS ARE  SOLD OUT. IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR TICKET\, PLEASE CONTACT THE AER SECRETARIAT*** \n  \nWith the European Year of Youth in full-swing\, the AER is delighted to announce that our flagship youth event\, the AER Summer Academy is returning in 2022 after a two-year hiatus.  \nIn partnership with Donegal County Council and Údarás na Gaeltachta\, this year’s Summer Academy will take place from 29 August until 1 September in the stunning surroundings of  County Donegal\, in Ireland’s Atlantic North-West. \n2022 marks fifty years since Irish citizens voted by referendum to join the European Community\, precursor the European Union in 1972. 2022 also celebrates the Irish language acquiring equal status to the other 23 languages in our Union for the first time. We are therefore enormously privileged to bring this year’s iteration to Ireland and the Gaeltacht [Irish-speaking region] during a year of important milestones for the country’s relationship with Europe. \nThe Covid-19 pandemic\, the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine have fundamentally changed expectations about Europe’s future. 2022 has become a time of big\, existential questions about what Europe stands for\, and what future we shape for the the next generation. Right now\, we have a unique opportunity to reimagine Europe from a democratic\, economic\, cultural and social perspective. \nThe theme this year focuses on how young people in our regions can be empowered to answer these questions\, and shape “A Europe for the Next Generation”. As we look to build back better\, this year’s programme will focus on key key topics such as climate change\, skills and education\, cross-border and transnational cohesion and reconciliation\, remote working and entrepreneurship. \nAs Europe works to build back better\, regions are best-placed to ensure young people lay the building blocks for a peaceful\, prosperous and sustainable future for all. Do not miss this opportunity to join regional leaders from all over Europe for a series of debates\, workshops and excursions to enlighten and inspire. \nLast but not least\, the 2022 Summer Academy programme is offering participants an exciting opportunity to visit Derry/Londonderry City to learn about the Peace Process\, take-in spectacular scenery on Inis Eoin island and Glenveagh National Park\, visit the region’s unique rural innovation hubs\, and sample Irish music and dance as part of our social programme—this is a programme not to be missed! \n***\nThe 2022 Summer Academy is proudly brought to you by: URL:https://aer.eu/events/register-now-aer-summer-academy-2022-donegal-ireland/ LOCATION:Atlantic Technical University (ATU) Letterkenny CATEGORIES:AER Events,AER Summer Academies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/SA-Logo.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20220831T113000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20220831T130000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222016 CREATED:20220704T114845Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220825T085711Z UID:40825-1661945400-1661950800@aer.eu SUMMARY:ANNOUNCEMENT: Bureau Debate on Youth\, August 31 2022 DESCRIPTION:  \n  \n \nThe COVID-19 crisis has taken a toll on the education\, employment\, mental health and disposable income of youth all across Europe. Young people used to work in sectors most affected by lockdowns\, like retail\, consequently those about to enter the job market faced dwindling employment opportunities. \nThis is why\, as part of our Summer Academy on 31 August\, we will bring together representatives of local and regional authorities\, European Institutions and other relevant stakeholders to debate the opportunities and challenges of youth policy in the context of post-pandemic recovery. \nDuring the last Spring Bureau Meeting\, the AER Bureau members set up a new Task Force on Youth\, chaired by Údarás (IE)\, which aims at promoting youth inclusion\, participation and well-being in the context of the European Year of Youth and post-pandemic recovery\, with a particular focus on the key role of regional and local governments. This debate will be hosted during the AER Summer Academy in Donegal County Council\, Ireland\, and chaired by Mícheál Ó hÉanaigh\, Chair of the Task Force on Youth. \nThe debate will address three key questions: \n\nWhat should the focus of youth policy be in our post-pandemic European societies?\nHow can youth contribute to building more resilient and strengthened European regions?\nWhat can public actors do to avoid facing a “lockdown generation” and maximise the well-being of European youth?\n\nFor further information on the content of the debate\, please\, go to this article. \nPanel: \n\nAnne Karjalainen\, Chair of the Commission for Social Policy\, Education\, Employment\, Research and Culture (SEDEC) and Chair of Kerava City Council – European Committee of the Regions\nChougher Doughramajian\, Member of the Advisory Council on Youth – Council of Europe\nTom Matthew\, Board member – European Youth Forum\nMaylinda Bajrami\, Member Youth Panel – European Youth Card Association\n\nWith insights\, unique regional contexts and recovery experiences from the Task Force on Youth member regions. URL:https://aer.eu/events/announcement-bureau-debate-on-youth-august-31-2022/ LOCATION:Atlantic Technical University (ATU) Letterkenny CATEGORIES:AER Bureau plenaries,AER Events,AER Summer Academies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Capture-décran-2022-08-16-à-10.30.25.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20221006T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20221006T123000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222016 CREATED:20220914T090751Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230414T144856Z UID:41542-1665050400-1665059400@aer.eu SUMMARY:Introduction to Interculturalism and Intercultural Competences: First Online Capacity-building Session for Regions and Local Stakeholders DESCRIPTION:What is interculturalism and how do we support the development of intercultural competences among regions and their stakeholders? \n  \nIntercultural Competence is what allows for a person to be able to navigate comfortably in complex intercultural settings. Accordingly\, to the European Commission (2007)\, it means combining skills\, attitudes\, abilities\, and knowledge to face\, act and intervene effectively and appropriately in a variety of contexts\, where cultural\, socio-economic\, ethnic\, and other lines intersect and can lead to situations of intercultural conflict that can\, in turn\, damage social cohesion. \nA person is considered interculturally competent if he/she can successfully communicate and relate with people from other cultural backgrounds. It means mobilizing external and internal resources and it is something that can always be developed and improved throughout our lives.  Deardoff (2006) defines it as the ability to develop targeted knowledge\, skills and attitudes that lead to visible behavior and communication that are both effective and appropriate in intercultural interactions. \n  \nThe EU-BELONG team is ready to kick-start its ambitious process of empowering regions and their stakeholders to develop innovative integration strategies for the first time applying the intercultural approach. As first step\, regional decision-makers\, civil servants and local stakeholder will build knowledge in intercultural integration concepts and foster key intercultural competences that will be applied throughout and beyond the project. \nThe first online capacity-building session will be held on 6th October 2022 from 10 to 12:30 CET focusing on ‘Introduction to Interculturalism and Intercultural Competences’. The session is addressed at the 11 regions of the project and 20 civil servants and/or local stakeholders from each region.  It aims at fostering an understanding of what is interculturalism and what are its key principles\, how we can build an intercultural region step-by-step and how to develop an intercultural strategy. Lastly\, the session will provide guidance on how to develop and organise a large-scale training on intercultural competences to support the regions throughout the implementation of their capacity-building programmes. \n\nStructure and Programme \nTrainer: Carla Calado\, Coordinator of the Portuguese Intercultural Cities Network \nLanguage: English \nParticipants: EU-BELONG partners\, 20 stakeholders/local and regional civil servants from each region\, experts working with the regions on the organisation of the capacity-building session\, members of the Intercultural Regions Network \n\n10:00 – 10:15 Welcoming words \n\nMarina Medarić\, AER Vice President for Inclusion\, Diversity & Equality\nNichola Howson\, Directorate General of Democracy Anti-Discrimination Department of the Council of Europe\n\n10:15 – 10:45  Presentation and Ice Breaker \n10:45-11:30h       Interculturalism \n\nDefinition of Interculturalism\nPrinciples of Interculturalism\nEthnocentrism VS Relativism\nThe intercultural region step-by-step: assessment\, building a strategy\, implementing\, and evaluating actions\, connection to city strategies (examples from cities regarding housing\, education\, culture\, labour\, tourism\, public spaces\, etc.)\n\n11:30 – Ice Breaker \n11:45-12:15h    Intercultural competence training \n\nDefinition of Intercultural Competence\nWhy is Intercultural competence training important?\nHow does it look like in practice?\nGeneral recommendation for large-scale training. The blended learning approach (pros and cons).\n\n12:15 – 12:30    Q&A and final remarks \n\nAdditional resources for exploration: \n\nICC Intercultural Citizenship test: Intercultural Citizenship Test (coe.int)\nOnline courses:\nDiversity and Inclusion – AKF | The Learning Hub (akflearninghub.org): send an email to an automatic email will be sent to you via “the learning hub” platform with instructions. The course takes 90m to watch and it is divided into small lessons (3 to 4 min each)\nICC Course – The intercultural city step-by-step Survey (surveymonkey.com): this course does not need previous enrolment\nResources in ICC website in the dedicated page: Thematic papers (coe.int)\n\n\nIf you are interested in participating\, please contact Birgit Sandu  (b.sandu@aer.eu)\, or Anna Comacchio (a.comacchio@aer.eu). \n\nEU-Belong is a 3-year project run by the Assembly of European Regions (AER) and 13 partners\, and co-funded by the AMIF Programme (AMIF-2020-AG-CALL) of the European Union. Its aim is to support the adoption of innovative and pioneering regional integration strategies\, based on a multi-level and multi-stakeholder framework that\, for the first time\, applies the intercultural approach to Regions as a key-player for the successful integration of third-country nationals. URL:https://aer.eu/events/introduction-to-interculturalism-and-intercultural-competences-first-online-capacity-building-session-for-regions-and-local-stakeholders/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:AER Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Introduction-to-interculturalism-and-intercultural-policies.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20221011T093000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20221011T110000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222016 CREATED:20220906T141501Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221011T084025Z UID:41433-1665480600-1665486000@aer.eu SUMMARY:European Week of Regions and Cities 2022 - Regions4Youth: Strengthening Cohesion Through Youth Empowerment ONLINE WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:How can youth development contribute to achieving territorial\, economic and social cohesion?\nEmpowering our next generation empowers all of us. \nTerritorial\, economic and social cohesion cannot be achieved without providing younger generations with opportunities to thrive and without including them in decision–making processes. The COVID–19 pandemic has put a heavy burden of both sacrifice and uncertainty over young generations. It is today crucial for policymakers to place future generations at the core of policies and to foresee how empowering our young people from a civic\, social and economic perspective can be a catalyst for recovery and real cohesion across Europe. \nThe year of youth\nThe European Year of Youth provides a unique opportunity for European regions to identify ways of better supporting youth participation and autonomy. Young generations often have a strong sense of territorial development\, and roots\, not to add sustainability and protection. In parallel\, they are keen on embracing innovation and modernity for growth and the bettering of society. It is therefore fundamental to better link youth and cohesion policy; their mutually reinforcing potential can only benefit to EU’s cohesion objectives as well as regional and territorial prosperity. Through our EU funded projects\, youth exchange programme and political work\, the AER has worked tirelessly to create avenues for civic participation of young people\, and empower them at local and regional level. \nWhy? \nThe purpose of this high–level workshop is bring together policymakers\, civil society and most importantly young people to demonstrate how promoting youth development in our regions can drive territorial\, economic and social cohesion. Equally important\, to explore how best practices from AER regions can be scaled–up across Europe. \nWho?\nThis panel will engage AER members both online; putting young people from civil society in the driving seat of discussions with regional policymakers from our network. We will use interactive tools like Sli.do and a “reverse Q and A” with our on–site AER regional politicians to ensure a lively conversation with youth voices\, concerns and priorities front and centre. \n  URL:https://aer.eu/events/european-week-of-regions-and-cities-2022-regions4youth-strengthening-cohesion-through-youth-empowerment-online-workshop/ CATEGORIES:Partner Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Regions4Youth-Strengthening-Cohesion-Through-Youth-Empowerment-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20221014T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20221014T130000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222016 CREATED:20220909T141408Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221011T081942Z UID:41484-1665741600-1665752400@aer.eu SUMMARY:2022 AER General Assembly\, Brussels (BE) DESCRIPTION:2022 AER General Assembly\n  \n***REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED: please contact j.sammon@aer.eu with any questions.  \nThe 2022 General Assembly will take place in Brussels\, Belgium and online on 14 October\, hosted by the by the Government of Lower Austria Liason Office. \nMembers joining on-site are also invited to a welcome reception the evening of Thursday\, 13 October (details to follow shortly)*. All onsite events will take place at the Lower Austria Liason Office\, Rue Montoyer 40\, B-1000 Brussels. \nThe deadline to register for on-site participation is Monday\, 3 October. Online registrations for Zoom will open the week of 3 October. \nYou can view the working documents at the link below. Voting procedures will be shared closer to the date. \nYou will be able to meet the Project Unit throughout the event at the Projects Info-Stand. \nDirect Links:\n\nWorking Documents\nDraft Agenda\n\nWherever you are\, we hope you can join us. URL:https://aer.eu/events/register-now-2022-aer-general-assembly-brussels-be/ LOCATION:Lower Austria Liason Office\, Rue Montoyer 40\, Brussels\, Brussels Capital Region\, B-1000\, Belgium CATEGORIES:AER Events,AER General Assemblies,AER Member Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/General-Assembly-L.Austria-V3.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221107 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221110 DTSTAMP:20260411T222016 CREATED:20220808T065256Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230709T193634Z UID:41263-1667779200-1668038399@aer.eu SUMMARY:[SOLD OUT] Eurodyssey Forum 2022 - Limassol\, Cyprus DESCRIPTION:The Eurodyssey Forum is back! \nThis year’s edition will be a fully in-person event and will take place in Limassol\, Cyprus\, from the 7th to the 9th of November. The Forum will be hosted by the Union of Cyprus Municipalities and the Department of Labour of the Republic of Cyprus. An opportunity not to be missed! \n \n*Registrations are open until the 30th of September on a “first-come\, first-served basis”\, with priority being given to the Eurodyssey participating regions. After this date\, registrations will be possible only based on the number of spots still available. \n  \nWhat is Eurodyssey?\nEurodyssey is the flagship youth regional mobility programme of the Assembly of European Regions\, entirely managed at regional level. Together with our participating member regions\, AER provides fully-funded traineeships\, allowing young people from diverse backgrounds to benefit from a paid traineeship\, in various sectors. During 3 to 7 months\, trainees will benefit from valuable professional experience in another European region\, together with language training and cultural and social activities. Enriched from this experience\, the programme’s beneficiaries will have boosted their employability\, skills\, international comfort and personal development. Besides the traineeship experience\, Eurodyssey is also a unique opportunity to boost mutual understanding and intercultural learning\, and to raise awareness about regional diversity in Europe –  one of AER’s strong pillars. \n  \nA panEuropean youth mobility programme… before Erasmus!\nEstablished in 1985\, the Eurodyssey programme celebrated its 35th birthday in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t make 2020 the celebration year we expected\, but the 2022 Eurodyssey Forum will provide us with an exciting programme to make up for it! \n \n  \nBouncing back from the pandemic\nAs the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard international mobility\, and particularly affected mobility opportunities for young people across Europe and the world\, the Eurodyssey programme also faced challenges due to the sanitary and travel restrictions. However\, the programme bounced back! In 2021\, and even more in 2022\, our participating regions were able to host and send trainees again. And after two editions organised online\, the Eurodyssey Forum is now back for a fully in person event! \nThis year’s edition will focus on International Youth Mobility in the post-pandemic era\, and the priorities set by the European Commission as part of the European Year of Youth\, especially Education & European Learning Mobility\, and Employment & Inclusion. \nDuring plenary sessions and workshops\, our participating regions\, Eurodyssey trainees and alumni\, and involved organisations will share their experience and good practices on the benefits of the programme. From valuing youth and employment policies at regional level\, to developing young people’s skills and employability\, while expanding intercultural learning\, inclusion\, diversity\, and more\, we strongly believe in the resilience and relevance of the Eurodyssey programme\, in the aftermath of the Conference on the Future of Europe. This Forum will also be the occasion to reflect on past and current challenges faced by the programme\, and to co-develop\, together with our participating regions\, young people and public and private stakeholders\, the Eurodyssey of tomorrow. \nCheck the programme below and make sure to register here. \n  \n \n\nLaunching Our Brand New Project YOUTHopia!\nLast but not least\, the Forum will mark the launch event of AER’s “YOUTHopia – Generating Perspectives for Cohesion”. This pan-European project\, supported by DG REGIO and conducted together with five member regions of AER\, aims at raising awareness about the concrete benefits that Cohesion Policy offers to boost the economic and social well-being of its citizens and regions\, with a focus on youth employment and the transition towards a green and climate-neutral Europe. URL:https://aer.eu/events/save-the-date-register-eurodyssey-forum-2022/ LOCATION:Atlantica Miramare Hotel\, Limassol\, Cyprus CATEGORIES:AER Eurodyssey Forums,AER Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Visual_Eurodyssey_Forum_2022.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221115 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221201 DTSTAMP:20260411T222016 CREATED:20220912T092551Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220912T102539Z UID:41517-1668470400-1669852799@aer.eu SUMMARY:REGISTER NOW: Regional Business Forum 2022 DESCRIPTION:It is our pleasure to invite you to the fifth edition of the Regional Business Forum (RBF)\, taking place as a hybrid event. You are most welcome to join us online and in Novi Sad\, Vojvodina from 15-30th November\, 2022.  \nThe Regional Business Forum is an annual international forum to exchange ideas on support for SMEs\, promote business and commerce\, incentive the possibility to collaborate and share best practices between regions. \n \nThis worldwide event provides additional support to companies to find international partners. The participants will be offered a chance to have B2B meetings with companies and institutions participating in the Forum\, according to their own needs and based on the information on registered participants. \nYou can access the platform for organisation of “one-on-one” meetings by clicking the following link: https://rbf2022.b2match.io/ which provides the opportunity to promote business cooperation between regions. \nThe sectors which will be presented are as follows: \n\nInformation and communication technologies and the creative industry\nCircular Economy\nGreen Agenda\nAgriculture and food processing industry\n\nThe invitation is addressed\, in particular\, to regional chambers of commerce\, regional development agencies and institutions supporting SMEs development. \nWe therefore invite you to register as soon as possible. You can find the official invitation for AER members HERE. \nFor further information\, please consult the RBF website. Should you have any questions\, please email rbf@vojvodina.gov.rs or call +381 21 487 4431. URL:https://aer.eu/events/register-now-regional-business-forum-2022/ LOCATION:Novi Sad/online\, Serbia CATEGORIES:Partner Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/V1-Regional-Business-forum-2022-visuals.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20221206T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20221206T130000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20221019T101201Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221209T123446Z UID:41928-1670317200-1670331600@aer.eu SUMMARY:The Bioeconomy & the New European Bauhaus DESCRIPTION:Bio-based innovation to decarbonise the construction sector\nThe AER Working Group on the Bioeconomy\, chaired by Aud Hove (Innlandet\, NO) organised a workshop on “The Bioeconomy & the New European Bauhaus” on 6 December 09:00-13:00\, which looked at \n\nThe European strategies supporting the decarbonisation of the construction sector\nThe link with societal challenges\, the territorial approach\nTechnical innovations in bio-based constructions materials\n\nAGENDA & PRESENTATIONS\n(Click on titles to access presentations) \nBeautiful\, sustainable\, inclusive by design\n\nWelcome\, setting the scene\, Stian Berg\, International Adviser\, Innlandet (NO) on behalf of Aud Hove\, Chair of the AER Working Group on the Bioeconomy\nSpaces for mutual learning and policy innovation\, Christian Spahr\, AER Secretary General\nThe New European Bauhaus\, Connecting our living spaces and experiences with the European Green Deal\, Borislava Woodford\, Directorate-General Joint Research Centre\, European Commission\nDecarbonising the construction sector: the challenges and measures to address them at EU level\, Philippe Moseley\, Policy Officer\, Directorate General for Internal Market\, Industry\, Entrepreneurship and SMEs\, European Commission\n\nModerated by Stian Berg\n \nBio-based\, innovative practices in the regions\n\nNature Based Materials in Regional Ecosystems\, Edwin Hamoen\, Nature Based Materials Programme\, Wageningen University\, Gelderland (NL)\nDecarbonising our territories with hemp : the construction market\, Chloé Charlier\, The European Hemp Pole\, Grand Est (FR)\nIndustrial pilots\, Skills ecosystems & Circular material hubs\, Eivind Merok\, Innlandet (NO)\nThe Bioeconomy & Värmland’s Smart Specialisation Strategy\, Eva Hallström & Kaltum Hussein\, Värmland (SE)\n\nFacilitation by Johanna Pacevicius \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nThis event took place the day before the AER Autumn Bureau\, which saw the adoption of two AER position papers: \n-Position Paper on Jobs\, Growth & Investments \n-Position Paper on Youth \nMore information on the Bureau event webpage \n  \n\n\n\nPhoto credits: \nPictures of event: AER (taken by Erik Hayes\, Eurodyssey Trainee at the AER Secretariat)\n\n\n\nPicture on event visual: courtesy from Innlandet County Council URL:https://aer.eu/events/bioeconomy-the-new-european-bauhaus/ LOCATION:Oslo Region European Office\, Rue du Luxembourg 3/5\, Brussels\, Bruxelles\, 1000\, Belgium CATEGORIES:AER Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AER-Workshop-Bioeconomy-6-December-2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221207 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221208 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20220921T145210Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221129T141410Z UID:41550-1670371200-1670457599@aer.eu SUMMARY:REGISTER NOW! - 2022 Autumn Bureau Meeting DESCRIPTION:You are invited to register for the Autumn edition of the AER Political Bureau on 7 December in Brussels. The Bureau Meeting will be hosted by the regions of Sardinia & Abruzzo (IT). \n \n  \nNEW DEADLINE: 30 NOVEMBER 2022\n  \nWe highly encourage you to participate in person in Brussels in the AER Autumn Bureau as the planned web streaming will offer limited interaction possibilities. \nWorking Documents\n\nDetailed Agenda\nPosition Paper on Youth – to be adopted\nPosition Paper on Jobs\, Growth & Investment – to be adopted\n\n\n7 December – Autumn Bureau Meeting Programme\n \n\nAdoption & Discussion AER Position Papers\n\nPosition Paper on Jobs\, Growth & Investment\n\nAER members are invited to propose their amendments to the Draft Position Paper on Jobs\, Growth and Investment. \nThis draft paper sets recommendations on how regions can boost growth\, drive investment and create jobs that will accelerate Europe’s economic recovery. This position will be discussed and voted upon by Bureau members at our Autumn Bureau meeting on 7 December 2022. \nMore information is available in our article. Call for amendments CLOSED. \n\nPosition Paper on Youth\n\nThis paper aims to provide a comprehensive position advocating for a better future for European youth. It addresses various topics\, from the development of socio-economic opportunities for young people to the several diverse inequalities faced by the youth\, to the future of work and skills in the context of the green and digital transition\, to the inclusion of young people in decision-making processes\, to the development of political and civic education\, to supporting young people’s mental health. \nTo make these proposals stronger\, the Task Force is inviting AER member regions to share their inputs about the Draft Position. \nMore information is available in our article. Call for amendments CLOSED. \nBureau debate on Sustainable Tourism\nIn an interdisciplinary debate\, panellists will highlight how the post-pandemic recovery of tourism is key to revitalising regional economies and nourishing their cultures. \nThis debate will bring together representatives of local and regional authorities\, European Institutions and other relevant stakeholders to answer the following questions: \n\nWhat are the key priorities for a sustainable\, resilient\, inclusive recovery of tourism in Europe that effectively builds on the opportunities from the green and digital transitions?\nHow can local and regional governments best contribute to the relaunch of the European tourism sector?\nWhat synergies and cooperation can be exploited among all involved actors and how can this best support recovery of tourism that is resilient\, sustainable and inclusive?\n\n6 December – Workshop on the Bieoconomy & the New European Bauhaus\nPrior to the Autumn Bureau Meeting\, the AER Working Group on the Bioeconomy is organising a workshop on “The Bioeconomy & the New European Bauhaus” at the Oslo Region European Office\, on 6 December\, 09:00-13:00\, which will look at \n\nThe European strategies supporting the decarbonisation of the construction sector\nThe link with societal challenges\, the territorial approach\nTechnical innovations in bio-based constructions materials\n\nClick here for more information. URL:https://aer.eu/events/save-the-date-2022-autumn-bureau-meeting/ LOCATION:Brussels\, Belgium CATEGORIES:AER Bureau plenaries,AER Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AER-Bureau-Debate-2-December-6.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230131T093000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230131T123000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20221227T105824Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230208T114023Z UID:42663-1675157400-1675168200@aer.eu SUMMARY:Includ-EU Online Session: "Anti-discrimination: a Transformative Approach for Organisations" DESCRIPTION:This online session focused on how we can identify and prevent systemic discrimination in our environments. It was led by Diversity Equity and Inclusion Expert\, Author and Podcast Producer Prisca Ratovonasy. She shared the stage with Mame-Fatou Niang\, Associate Professor\, Author and Artist-in-Residence at Ateliers Médicis.\n \nThe slides of the training are available here \nThe bibliography is available here\, it is in one document with the agenda \nThis session was held in English and simultaneously translated into Italian\, Slovenian\, Romanian\, Greek\, Spanish\, and Dutch\, allowing us to grow our community and involve more and more institutions. \nThis was a rare opportunity to bring together an international community with 7 European languages around a shared objective to make services and organisations more inclusive. \nThe session enabled all participants and organisers to: \n\nbetter understand the stakes\nraise awareness on the transformative dimension of addressing discrimination\nget actionable knowledge\, ready to use\n\nIf you missed this\, please contact us (a.comacchio@aer.eu) \nThis online training session is organised in the context of INCLUD-EU\, an EU project funded by the Asylum\, Migration and Integration fund (AMIF) which contributes to building more inclusive and cohesive European societies by enhancing knowledge\, driving innovation\, and stimulating cooperation between local and regional authorities in the European Union. To know more about the project\, visit the project website. \n  \n  \n \n  URL:https://aer.eu/events/includ-eu-online-session-anti-discrimination-a-transformative-approach-for-organisations/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:AER Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CONFERENCE-ON-THE-FUTURE-OF-EUROPE-1-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230313T093000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230313T110000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230210T122538Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230406T111849Z UID:43209-1678699800-1678705200@aer.eu SUMMARY:WG Green Hydrogen kick-off meeting DESCRIPTION:The AER working group on Green Hydrogen organised its kick-off meeting on 13 March 2023 from 09:30-11:30 \nThe proposal for this working group is led by Catalonia (ES). It is supported by Burgenland (AU)\, Lower Austria (AU)\, Valle D’Aosta (IT)\, Flevoland (NL)\, Maramures (RO)\, Värmland (SE)\, Västra-Götaland (SE)\, Fribourg (CH)\, and Denizli (TR)\, Kosice (SK) \nThis meeting was open to AER members only \nDuring this first meeting\, AER members interested in sharing experiences and knowledge on the topic of Green Hydrogen: \n\ngot to know each other (pitch on the region)\nshared why the topic matters for them now\nshared how the working group would create value for them: what they expect\, how they would like to contribute\ndefined activities for the coming months\n\nThe group also nominated the Chair of the Working Group: Albert Castellanos\, Secretary for Business and Competitiveness of the Government of Catalonia \nPresentations & Ressources\nCatalonia Pitch on H2 Strategy \nFribourg Pitch on H2 R&D \nVärmland Pitch on H2 Strategy \nAbruzzo Pitch on H2 Strategy \nGrand Est Pitch on H2 Strategy \nLower Austria Pitch on H2 Strategy \nVästra-Götaland Pitch on H2 Strategy \nConclusions of the meeting\nThe findings and decisions made at the kick-off meeting of the AER Working Group on Green Hydrogen can be found here. \nContext: scaling up the renewable hydrogen economy\nThere is significant work to do to scale-up production and demand. At present\, hydrogen makes up less than 2% of Europe’s energy mix and is still largely produced from fossil fuels. Producing clean hydrogen from renewable sources like wind and solar is expensive\, and while technology has improved and come down in cost\, there remain challenges connecting hydrogen production to energy grids and securing enough investment to make it viable. \nRegions have a key role to play in scaling up the renewable hydrogen economy across Europe. As noted in a 2020 opinion adopted by the Committee of the Regions\, green hydrogen “has the capacity to promote regional and local development because significant parts of the value chain can be established in regions and municipalities”. With the right level of private and public investment\, European regions can lead in the creation of self-contained “hydrogen hubs” that link all elements of the value chain. \nRegions have a crucial role in facilitating\, supporting\, and developing collaborations for the deployment of green hydrogen. \nBy cooperating and sharing experiences and best practices\, regions can inspire each other inter-regionally to the best possible solutions in several areas. \n  \nMore information on how to set-up a working group at AER here. \nFor any questions\, please contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius \nPicture by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash URL:https://aer.eu/events/wg-hydrogen-kick-off-meeting/ CATEGORIES:AER Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/patrick-perkins-ETRPjvb0KM0-unsplash1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230327 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230330 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230208T114859Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231031T172503Z UID:43186-1679875200-1680134399@aer.eu SUMMARY:Join AER-Includ-EU Workshop in Cluj Napoca or Online! - Cross-sectoral\, Multistakeholder Collaboration for Inclusion DESCRIPTION: An exciting opportunity for AER members to explore the potential of cross-sectoral collaboration and co-design to create better integration policies and practices. \nIn the context of the Includ-EU* project\, co-financed by AMIF programme of the European Union\, AER is organising a workshop looking at cross-sectoral collaboration\, co-design and co-management for better integration and inclusion: What are the policies and practices which enable the much sought-after multistakeholder collaboration? What is the role of local and regional authorities in this Context? \nWhole-of-Society Approach. Cross-sectoral\, Multistakeholder Collaboration for Inclusion.\nOn the side of administrations or non-governmental organisations\, understanding the circumstances and needs of migrants to provide adequate services can prove a daunting exercise. This leads to considerable frustration\, for users and for organisations involved in the integration process. \nIn Cluj-Napoca\, the one-stop shop for migrants emerged as a response to this need\, expressed both by migrants and authorities. One-stop shops are services designed following a holistic approach: concentrating services in one location can help newcomers understand what services are available and improve collaboration between providers.  \nAs part of the agenda\, the AER looks forward to connecting with members\, particularly our wide Romanian membership to strengthen the relationships and build new multi-stakeholder networks. This will be an opportunity for members to exchange ideas\, identify common challenges and deepen relations with the AER Secretariat. At the same time\, the AER will work to better understand the needs and expectations of its members and tailor its services and activities accordingly. \nWith that in mind\, the AER Secretariat proposes to launch a Ukraine Focus Group at this event. The aim is to provide tailored\, needs-based support to new Ukrainian members by creating a platform for direct region-to-region dialogue; a place where Ukrainian regions can request support from AER regions and partners directly. In tandem\, the Focus Group will onboard these Ukrainian regions into AER’s structures\, open new networks to them\, and build capacity for these regions over the longer-term. \nIf you and your region would like to attend the event\, please fill in this registration form and confirm your participation to a.comacchio@aer.eu and j.sammon@aer.eu. Don’t hesitate to contact us with additional questions about the programme. \nSeparate invitations for AER members and partners will shortly follow for the first meeting of AER’s Ukraine Focus Group\, which will take place during this event. \nRegistrations for the onsite event are now closed\,  but you can \n\n\n\n\n\nJoin the Live-Streaming\n\n\n\n\n\nWhen? Tuesday 28.03 | 14:00-15:45 \n\n\n\n\n\nThe AER invites all regions and stakeholders to join online the live-streamed panel discussion on“What are the enabling factors for cross-sectoral collaboration? What is the role of local and regional authorities? Challenges and good practices.”\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n*Includ-EU facilitates transnational knowledge and experience sharing to build more inclusive and cohesive European societies. The project develops cooperation between local and regional authorities from Greece\, Italy\, the Netherlands\, Romania\, Slovenia and Spain. Targeted exchanges generate actionable learning\, which leads to improved integration policies and practices. URL:https://aer.eu/events/join-includ-eu-workshop-in-cluj-napoca-cross-sectoral-multistakeholder-collaboration-for-inclusion/ CATEGORIES:AER Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Register-online_Workshop-RO_28-29.03.2023-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230328T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230328T173000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230202T162025Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230310T115532Z UID:43057-1679997600-1680024600@aer.eu SUMMARY:EU-Belong Joint Event with COR - Empowering Regions and Cities in Migrant Integration Governance DESCRIPTION:​On 28 March 2023\, the Cities and Regions for Integration of Migrants network of the European Committee of the Regions will celebrate the conference “Empowering regions and cities in migrant integration governance.”​ \nOrganised in cooperation with the Assembly of European Regions (AER) and Eurac Research and the Brussels Interdisciplinary Research centre on Migration and Minorities (BIRMM) & Brussels School of Governance at Vrije Universiteit Brussel\, the conference will focus on the multi-level coordination and intercultural approach to the integration of migrants and refugees in cities and regions across Europe. \nThe conference will take place on Tuesday\, 28 March 2023\, from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 17:30 at the European Committee of the Regions\, Rue Belliard 99-101\, Brussels\, room JDE 51. Online participation will be possible via Interactio. \nTo attend the conference\, in person or online\, please fill in the registration form here. \nTake a look at the agenda!\nBuilding intercultural and inclusive regions\nWithin this event\, the AER is preparing a capacity-building session on Intercultural Regions: Embracing Diversity\, Fostering Equal Opportunities in close cooperation with the European Committee of the Regions and the Council of Europe.  \nThe session will aim at addressing the current challenges of migrant integration in our regions and cities\, and discuss the benefits of applying an intercultural approach to foster a sense of belonging.  \nThe intercultural approach as understood by the Council of Europe\, and implemented by its Intercultural Cities Programme\, aims at harnessing the benefits of diversity as a central aspect of building more inclusive\, prosperous and democratic societies. This requires an intercultural approach to integration and joined-up action across all levels of government and actors\, based on the principles of equal opportunities\, recognition of diversity\, and positive interaction between people from different origins.  \nRegional and local authorities play a vital role in responding to the increasing diversity of our communities\, delivering public policies and services that promote the inclusion of migrants and refugees\, intercultural interaction and social cohesion.  \nThe Assembly of European Regions has played a fundamental role in bringing the intercultural approach to European regional integration\, thanks to the establishment in 2019 of the Intercultural Regions Network (IRN)\, and the development and implementation of the AMIF-funded project EU-Belong: Intercultural Integration of Migrants in Europe’s Regions\, which aims at improving the socio-economic inclusion of migrants at the regional level through the development of intercultural integration strategies. During this session\, the main outcomes and policy tools developed by this European project so far will be presented.  URL:https://aer.eu/events/empowering-regions-and-cities-in-migrant-integration-governance/ LOCATION:European Committee of the Regions\, Rue Belliard 99-101\, Brussels\, Brussels Capital Region\, 1000\, Belgium CATEGORIES:AER Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/4885-16x9-visual-01-for-the-screen-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230603T140000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230604T163000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230525T074714Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230525T095013Z UID:44391-1685800800-1685896200@aer.eu SUMMARY:Open meeting of AER's Youth Regional Network (YRN) DESCRIPTION:AER’s Youth Regional Network is back! Since the YRN General Assembly last March\, the YRN Presidium has been working hard on setting up a working plan and thematic committees\, and on contributing to AER’s work\, to foster youth participation and make youth voices heard in policy-making. \nNow\, they want to involve YOU! Whether you are already a member of the YRN\, or a young person interested in joining and contributing\, the YRN Presidium is inviting you to an open meeting\, online\, on the 3rd and 4th of June.   If you want to join this meeting\, please email the YRN Presidium at presidium.yrn@aer.eu. \nIf not done already\, also fill in the YRN Expression of Interest form: if you are eligible\, you will be able to join the YRN as a member and will receive all communications related to the YRN activities\, including the link to join the online meeting.   \n\nCheck out the programme of the online meeting of 3-4 June below: Agenda_YRN_Presidium_Meeting (3-4 June)   \n  \nWhat is the YRN?\nCreated by the Assembly of European Regions in 2008\, the Youth Regional Network (YRN) is a cross-regional youth platform\, promoting active youth participation at regional level. Composed of regional-level youth councils\, parliaments and organisations in AER’s network and membership\, it provides young people with an opportunity to express policy recommendations\, to foster debate and capacity-building\, to exchange good practices\, to reach out to decision-makers and to influence policies. The YRN is a unique forum for young people from diverse regions to raise their voice collectively\, while introducing a European dimension to youth policy in those regions.   \n  \nWho is the YRN Presidium?\n\nPresident: Jim Simonsen Jenssen (Nordland\, NO)\n1st Vice-President: Anette Amalie Bang (Nordland\, NO)\n2nd Vice-President: Norbert Nagy (Salaj\, RO)\nChair of the TC on Youth Participation & Governance: Sigrun Myrvang (Innlandet\, NO)\nChair of the TC on Mental Health & Wellbeing: Daria Sustrietova (Kirovohrad\, UA)\nChair of the TC on Gender Equality & Women Empowerment: Maylinda Bajrami (Tirana\, AL)\n\nYou can contact them at presidium.yrn@aer.eu! URL:https://aer.eu/events/open-meeting-of-aers-youth-regional-network-yrn/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Group_Picture_YRN_GA.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230609T080000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230609T180000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230517T153024Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230610T100107Z UID:44218-1686297600-1686333600@aer.eu SUMMARY:PEACE 25: Everyday Peacemakers Conference DESCRIPTION:To mark the 25th anniversary year of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement\, the Assembly of European Regions (AER) invites you to join its PEACE 25: Everyday Peacemakers High-Level Conference in Leuven\, Belgium on the 9th of June.  \nOrganised in partnership with the International Fund for Ireland and hosted by the Irish College Leuven\, the Conference will focus on community-based Peace and Reconciliation initiatives in Ireland and across Europe. \nWe are delighted to announce that European Commissioner and former Vice-President of the European Parliament\, Mairead McGuinness\, will open the Conference on 9 June. \nThe AER invites its members and partners to join seminars with leading experts and practitioners on the following themes: \n\nSupport for Peace and Reconciliation initiatives;\nWomen’s leadership in peace-building;\nCultural and community-based initiatives for reconciliation.\n\nIf interested in attending the event please RSVP to reception@irishcollegeleuven.eu. \nVIEW THE PROGRAMME BELOW: \nPEACE25 Programme URL:https://aer.eu/events/peace-25-everyday-peacemakers-conference/ LOCATION:Irish College Leuven\, Janseniusstraat 1\, Leuven\, 3000\, Belgium CATEGORIES:AER Events,Partner Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Peace25_IFI_Leuven_Visual.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230614T080000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230615T170000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230419T111238Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230526T153503Z UID:43827-1686729600-1686848400@aer.eu SUMMARY:Addressing The Housing Crisis: An Essential Building Block For Intercultural Regions DESCRIPTION:A great opportunity for AER regions and the Intercultural Regions Network to join the transnational knowledge sharing event organised by the AER and the Pomeraskie Region (PL) “Addressing the housing crisis: An essential building block for intercultural regions“. \nSince February 24 2022\, 4 million Ukrainians had to leave their country and homes and looked for shelters among their European neighbours. One year later\, regions and local administrations are faced with a growing concern as to how to accommodate so many people\, ensuring that dignity and human rights are respected\, and finding sustainable and long-term housing solutions. These concerns are part of a broader housing crisis currently taking place across Europe with several people at risk of homeless and a general mission to think and rethink about the “where people live” within our societies. \nIn view of supporting regions addressing the housing crisis and as a direct response to the challenges expressed by the Polish region Pomorskie\, which\, since the outbreak of the war\, has witnessed the most significant population growth ever with a rise of  approx. 110 000 people in the overall region (regional data) and by 34% in its capital city\, Gdańsk (Council of Europe\, 2022)\, the event will provide an opportunity for regions and stakeholders to address and exchange about challenges and good practices in ensuring sustainable and long term housing solutions\, countering  homelessness\, poor housing\, and gentrification\, and how intercultural and cross-sectoral regional policies can support these practices.  \nThe event will take place on 14-15 June in Gdańsk\, Pomerania. It will gather international experts and regional politicians and civil servants from both the social inclusion and spatial planning departments\, with the aim of: \n\nunderstanding the challenges related to the war in Ukraine and the housing sector\, learning from the experience\, actions\, and projects in Pomerania \nexploring how the intercultural approach and cross-sectoral cooperations can promote social and territorial cohesion with particular regard to housing\, e.g through innovative social housing solutions and models\nbenefitting from existing regional innovations by sharing knowledge and practices among regions  \nreflecting on how housing related challenges and models can be integrated in current and future regions’ strategies and policies. \n\nRead the full concept and agenda of the event\nThe event is addressed to regional practitioners and local stakeholders active both in the spatial/territorial planning and inclusion sector.   \nPlaces are limited. For more information and to register\, contact Birgit Sandu (b.sandu@aer.eu) and Johanna Pacevicius (j.pacevicius@aer.eu) \n\nThe event is the first EU-BELONG transnational knowledge sharing event aimed at supporting regions in addressing current societal challenges through intercultural and multi-stakeholder policies.  EU-Belong is a 3-year project run by the Assembly of European Regions (AER) and 13 partners\, and co-funded by the AMIF Programme (AMIF-2020-AG-CALL) of the European Union. URL:https://aer.eu/events/addressing-the-housing-crisis-an-essential-building-block-for-intercultural-regions/ LOCATION:Gdansk\, Pomerania CATEGORIES:AER Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/JUNE-Knowledge-transfer-event-visual-draft-6.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230621T143000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230624T140000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230302T091539Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240911T085250Z UID:43511-1687357800-1687615200@aer.eu SUMMARY:AER Delegation to the Europa Forum Wachau (21-24 June 2023) - Call for participants (closed) DESCRIPTION:APPLY HERE \nThe Assembly of European Regions (AER) is a partner of the Europa Forum Wachau\, which will take place from the 21st to the 24th of June 2023\, in Göttweig Abbey (Stift Göttweig)\, Lower Austria. \nThe Europa Forum Wachau was established in 1995\, following Austria’s accession to the European Union. It is a yearly high-level discussion forum\, addressing current European challenges in various Salons and Plenary Sessions. The Forum values the input and participation from young European citizens in the different sessions\, and includes a Youth Event. The Europa Forum Wachau is a unique opportunity to foster exchanges and intergenerational dialogue between European citizens\, and to reinforce the sense of European belonging. The event gathers elected representatives (heads of government\, ministers\, EU Commissioners…)\, but also business\, cultural and media representatives\, as well as (young) European citizens and representatives from the civil society. \nAs partners of the event\, the AER is assembling a delegation of 6 young participants\, to take part in all activities of the Forum (including its Youth Event)\, and represent the AER and its Youth Regional Network (YRN). One of the young participants should be an elected political representative at local or regional level. \nEligibility of the participants\n\nParticipants must travel from France. They don’t need to be French citizens or residents\, but they must travel from France;\nAged between 18 and 30 years old;\nPriority will be given to applicants based in one of the AER member regions in France (Grand Est and Corsica);\nPriority will be given to applicants belonging to a youth council or a youth organisation in Grand Est or Corsica\, and willing to join the AER’s Youth Regional Network. \nWe will also consider applications from other regions\, but priority is given to our members.\n\nPractical information & Travel Reimbursement rules\n\nArrival day & Welcome event: 21st of June. Transfer by bus from the Vienna Central Station to Stift Göttweig will be organised and covered by the organisers (departure at 14.30 from the station).\nEnd of the event & Departure day: 24th of June. Transfer by bus from Stift Göttweig to the Vienna Central Station and then to Vienna International Airport will be organised and covered by the organisers (departure at 14.30 from Stift Göttweig\, estimated arrival at the airport 16.30).\nAccommodation and meals are covered by the organisers;\nThe accommodation will be at the Jugendquartier Stift Göttweig;\nTravel reimbursement up to 275€ per participant after the event\, upon presentation of all supportive documents (original boarding passes / train tickets / bus tickets and invoices / receipts). Detailed information will be sent by the AER Group Leader to all selected participants.\nParticipants can arrive a day before (20th of June) in Vienna if they wish to visit the city and/or if more convenient with their transport options\, but they will have to cover their meals and accommodation themselves for this day / night.\n\nDeadline to apply\nPlease send your application by filling in this Application Form\, no later than 20/04/2023. \nApplications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. \nGroup leader & Contact person\nPlease contact Lorène Weber (l.weber@aer.eu)\, Programmes Coordinator at the AER Secretariat\, for any question you may have. \nAPPLY HERE \n  \nPROGRAMME HERE \n  URL:https://aer.eu/events/aer-delegation-europa-forum-wachau/ CATEGORIES:Partner Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/EFW_2023_Deadline_Extended.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230627T080000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230630T170000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230320T161222Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231121T160038Z UID:43644-1687852800-1688144400@aer.eu SUMMARY:2023 AER General Assembly in Barcelona DESCRIPTION:The Assembly of European Regions was glad to have the General Assembly 2023 ON-SITE in Barcelona from the 28th to 30th June\, hosted by the member region of Catalonia. \nThe General Assembly was part of the Summer Symposium\, a three-day event about the challenges and opportunities of European regions enabling members to reconnect and revive their pan-European network. \nThe event took place at the World Trade Center Barcelona (click here to check the venue on Maps). \nRead here our wrap-up article.\nDraft Programme of the Summer Symposium\nClick here to read the draft detailed programme.\n  \n28 June 2023 – 12.00 – 17:00\nStudy Visit to the Port of Barcelona & WG on Green Hydrogen\nThis study visit was organised in the context of the AER Working Group on Hydrogen chaired by AER VP for Sustainability\,\nEnvironment & Climate Albert Castellanos. \n\nHydrogen Valley of Catalonia\nEnergy Transition Plan in Port of Barcelona: towards Decarbonization\nThe green gateway: Hamburg port’s sustainable energy hub\n\n28 June 2023 – 15.30 – 17:00\nUkraine Focus Group\n29 June 2023 – 09:30-13:30\nThe AER Focus Group on Ukraine brings our members together to coordinate support towards our twelve Ukrainian members (overview HERE) \nContributors\n● Anna Carin Krokstäde – Deputy Head\, Ukraine Division\, European External Action Service (EEAS)\n● Jozef Michálek\, Programme Manager of INTERREG funds\, DG REGIO\, European Commission\n● Frederic Subirats Villa\, Manager International Strategy\, Catalonia Trade and Investment\, Government of Catalonia (Presentation HERE)\n● Salvador Mestre Gispert\, Policy Officer for Europe [on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Action of the Government of Catalonia] \n  \nBureau Meeting\nThe AER Summer Bureau Meeting took place in Barcelona on 29 June. \nThe Bureau defined positions on key AER action areas that will guide our advocacy work for 2023 – 2024 and will be joined by institutional representatives and other stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing regions in the future of work\, and the role local and regional authorities can play in delivering a brighter future of jobs and skills in Europe. \nPlease find the draft agenda HERE. \nDirect links:\n\nAgenda\nWorking Documents \nBackground Note – Debate on The Future of Work\n\nBureau Debate “Next Generation Skills: Regions shaping the Future of Work”\nConversations about what the work landscape will look like in the future are happening around the world. As Europe recovers from the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis and seizes the opportunities of the green and digital transition to build a more prosperous\, greener and fairer economy\, this debate\, organised in the framework of the European Year of Skills\, will explore the challenges and opportunities that regions face in adapting to the changing nature of work\, and how they can best prepare for the future.  \nSpeakers \n\nLilijana Madjar\, Chair AER Task Force on Future of Work and AER Vice President for Cohesion\, Digitalisation and Public Services\nPatrick Daru\, Head of Operations\, Global Programme on Skills and Lifelong Learning\, International Labour Organization\nKristine Langenbucher\, Head of the Employment and Skills Unit\, Centre for Entrepreneurship\, SMEs\, Regions and Cities\, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Presentation here)  \nAndrea Glorioso\, Policy Officer\, Future of Work\, Digitalisation\, Robotisation\, Automatisation and Impact on Labour Markets\, Directorate-General for Employment\, Social Affairs and Inclusion\, European Commission\nTània Verge Mestre\, Minister for Equality and Feminisms of the Government of Catalonia\n\nFurther information on the debate can be found HERE. \n30 June 2023 – 11:15-13:45\nGeneral Assembly\nThe AER General Assembly took place on 30 June 2023 from 11.15 to 13.45. \n\nDraft Agenda\n\nPractical Info\nInfo Package_Summer Symposium \nPlease find the downloadable version HERE. \nIn case of questions please contact Barbara Polin\, Communications and Events Manager\, at b.polin@aer.eu and Laura Bassan\, Communications and Events Assistant at events@aer.eu. \nDraft_Overview AER General Assembly+ Bureau Meeting_Summer Symposium_27-30.06.2023.docx\n  URL:https://aer.eu/events/aer-general-assembly-2023-barcelona/ LOCATION:Barcelona\, Barcelona\, 08034\, Spain CATEGORIES:AER Events,AER General Assemblies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Summer-Symposium_-AER-GA-Bureau.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230727T080000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230810T170000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230726T145629Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230726T145629Z UID:45568-1690444800-1691686800@aer.eu SUMMARY:YOUTHopia Workshop: Unboxing EU Cohesion Policy DESCRIPTION:27 July – 3 August – 10 August (3-5 pm CET)\nHear hear young people! If you are either from a youth organisation\, a young regional representative from our Youth Regional Network (YRN)\, or just a young enthusiast curious about EU and regional policy and politics\, then mark your calendar! \nAER’s YOUTHopia project is on a mission to uncover all you need to know about the biggest EU investment plan that covers one-third of the total EU Budget: the Cohesion Policy. They are all sealed in a mystery box prepared to be unboxed! \nUnlike the infamous Pandora Box\, once you discover its content you will get all the knowledge you need to empower yourselves\, transform your region and city. \nDon’t let the Cohesion Policy box gather dust\,  join our 3  online workshops\, and discover all the available opportunities for you(th)! \nIf you attend the three sessions\, you will receive an official certificate of attendance and your newly acquired knowledge\, sealed from the Assembly of European Regions. \nThe workshop will dive into key topics that together will equip you with a great overview of Cohesion Policy instruments\, and how we can talk Cohesion-friendly to our peers\, BUT NO WORRIES! YOU CAN REGISTER FOR EACH SESSION INDEPENDENTLY!\n\nSession #1: The legislative process behind the EU main investment tool & avenues of participation in policy-making for youth. 27th July\, 15:00 – 17:00 (CET\, Brussels time)\nSession #2: How Does It Work in Practice? An Overview of Funding & Opportunities for Youth. 3rd August\, 15:00 – 17:00 (CET\, Brussels time)\nSession #3: Story-telling or the Art of Making European Cohesion Cool. 10th August\, 15:00 – 17:00\, Brussels time\n\n\nREGISTER HERE\n\n\nCan’t wait until the workshop? Check out our HotlineCohesion articles and answer our quiz in preparation! \nFeel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or need further information. Contact e.hayes@aer.eu or a.comacchio@aer.eu. \nDon’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity! \n\nThe Youthopia Project is co-funded by the Directorate General for Regional and Urban policy (DG REGIO) of the European Commission. URL:https://aer.eu/events/youthopia-workshop-unboxing-eu-cohesion-policy/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230906T080000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230907T170000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230704T144519Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230823T112702Z UID:44922-1693987200-1694106000@aer.eu SUMMARY:[REGISTRATIONS OPEN] Includ-EU Final Conference: Including all & embracing diversity DESCRIPTION:  \nInclud-EU is proud to announce the dates for its final conference in Brussels on the 6th and 7th of September\, open to all AER member regions regions\, cities and organisations across Europe!   \nThe conference is mostly an in-person event but allows for online attendance and interaction through a dedicated live stream. \nThe focus will be on the Includ-EU results and lessons learned\, outlining the contexts and needs in which the pilot initiatives promoting integration at regional and local levels were implemented in their respective territory. After high-level plenary discussion with key pan-european stakeholders\, participants will have the chance to “deep-dive” into the challenges and learnings of some of the pilots and gather inspiration regarding the good practices when it comes to replicating them in their own context. \n Finally\, the results of the project\, as well as findings on what creates sustainable learning communities around inclusion policies and practices will be handed officially over to the donor\, the European Commission. This will also represent a moment to strengthen the institutional commitment of the involved partners to a more inclusive and cohesive Europe. \nRegistration Link for onsite participation (deadline 30 August):  \nhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-iYzzPLiHz1gB8z42S3Z4bpSyrSxCdICQ9_pz54tJKnpLMg/viewform  \n  \nRegistration Link for online participation (DAY 1 only): https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IJ3CEhLsRPOiuTWPK9JSBA  \n  \nAgenda: \nInclud-EU Final Conference_Agenda_website (1) \nFor more information\, please contact: Anna Comacchio\, a.comacchio@aer.eu URL:https://aer.eu/events/includ-eu-final-conference-save-the-date/ CATEGORIES:AER Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230922T160000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20230924T140000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230726T123734Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231017T135737Z UID:45563-1695398400-1695564000@aer.eu SUMMARY:[Sold out] Youth Regional Network - Capacity-building weekend in Koppang\, Innlandet DESCRIPTION:Save the Date! The AER Youth Regional Network (YRN) will gather in Koppang (Innlandet County\, Norway) for a capacity-building weekend with their members\, from the 22nd to the 24th of September 2023! \nThe event is open to all members of the YRN\, and to AER members working on youth issues\, such as the Youth Coordinators in the regions / councils / provinces. \nThe event is coordinated by the YRN Presidium (President\, Vice-President and Chairs of the Thematic Committees)\, and they have developed a very nice programme and arrangements for their members! \n \nProgramme\nCHECK OUT THE PROGRAMME HERE\nPractical Information\n# Arrival day: Friday 22 September \nThis day will be dedicated to arrivals throughout the day and to getting to know each other in the end afternoon / evning. \nIf you travel by plane\, the arrival airport will be Oslo. From there\, you should take the train to Koppang (train RE10 / R60). \nYou can check the route and timetables on the Norwegian railway website here. \n/!\ Koppang is in a rural area\, so trains can be infrequent: make sure to plan your travel accordingly and to check the Norwegian railway website beforehand! In addition\, because of the floods in Norway in August\, some trains originally scheduled when we planned this event had to be cancelled\, and some were substituted by replacement buses: \n\nFor Friday 22 September (arrival day)\, make sure to check the Norwegian railway website to see what your travel options are from Oslo airport to Koppang. At the moment\, there are trains departing from Oslo airport at 10:52 (RE10 to Hamar\, then change for R60 to Koppang) and at 15:07 (direct R60 train from Oslo to Koppang). After that\, the only options are RE10 train to Hamar\, and change for a replacement bus from Hamar to Koppang. Make sure you will have enough time to change in Hamar. In the worst case scenario\, the YRN Presidium has rented a car to pick up participants who may be stranded in Hamar (in case they miss the replacement bus for lack of time)\, but this should be a last-resort option.\nFor Sunday 24 September (departure day)\, the very first train leaves from Koppang at 14.16 and arrives at Oslo airport at 16.32. You may want to plan an additional night in Oslo on Sunday 24 September after the event in Koppang\, and depart the day after\, depending on your flight options.\n\n# Activities: Saturday 23 September (full day) and Sunday 24 September (morning) \n# Departure day: Sunday 24 September. \nActivities will be planned only in the morning to give time for participants to travel in the afternoon / evening. \nAccommodation & Meals\nAll meals are covered from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch. \nThe participants will be accommodated at Stor-Elvdal Hotell (address: Kjemsjøveien 1\, 2480 Koppang\, Norway)\, contact@storelvdalhotell.no. \nThe participants are expected to book and cover their accommodation themselves (selected participants will receive the hotel’s contact email). The prices are the following (and include breakfast): \nOption 1: shared apartment with two bedrooms and a shared large bathroom. If there are 4 people in one apartment: the price is 575 NOK (around 52€) per night and per person. If there are 2 people in one partment (one in each bedroom): 1000 NOK (around 90€) per night and per person. \nOption 2: hotel rooms. 1095 NOK (around 98€) per night and per person for a single room\, 650 NOK (around 59€) for a double room\, 600 NOK (around 54€) for a triple room. \nSolidarity Fund\nYoung participants whose travel costs cannot be supported by their region\, a regional council\, a youth regional council\, a youth organisation\, etc.\, may apply to the YRN Solidarity Fund. If accepted\, the AER/YRN and our host regions in Norway can cover up to 400€ of your travel and accommodation costs\, as a reimbursement by bank transfer after your attendance to the entire event\, and if you provide all necessary supportive documents (invoices\, receipts\, original boarding passes\, train tickets\, bus tickets). The reimbursement may exceed 400€ depending on the final number of participants. Please wait for a confirmation by the AER Secretariat and the YRN Presidium before making any travel arrangements. \nHow to attend the event?\nPlease fill in the application form by clicking on the button below. Please do not make any travel arrangements until your participation is confirmed by the YRN Presidium. \nWho to contact?\nPlease contact the YRN Presidium at presidium.yrn@aer.eu for any question you may have. URL:https://aer.eu/events/yrn-capacity-building-weekend-in-koppang-innlandet-22-24-september-2023/ CATEGORIES:YRN Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Group_Picture_YRN_GA.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20231009T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20231009T220000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230925T133658Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231010T102535Z UID:45993-1696874400-1696888800@aer.eu SUMMARY:[Registrations closed] YOUTHopia Evening Debate & Photojournalism Exhibition DESCRIPTION:  \nAre you in Brussels during the European Week of Regions and Cities?  You still have some space in your busy agenda? Then\, here is something you should not miss! \nDive into YOUTHopia and join us for an evening discussion and an Italian Aperitivo\, on the 9th of October at @Atelier 29\, in Brussels. \nThis evening dialogue\, which marks the conclusion of the YOUTHopia project\, aims to promote strategic collaboration between politicians\, regional representatives and youth representatives\, and foster better communication and storytelling on Cohesion Policy. We have the goal of creating a community of good practices based on the involvement of citizens in the upcoming discussions on the future of Cohesion Policy. \nHear inputs from Babel International\, media professionals\, the Youth Regional Network (YRN) and the European Commission. \nYOUTHopia ends\, but our work on Cohesion continues! \nOn this occasion\, the AER – a long-standing partner in the defence of a strong Cohesion Policy – will not only showcase the results of the project\, but will also launch a renewed political Task Force on Cohesion\, with a view to advocate for our regions in the crucial coming months ahead of new negotiations. \nPictures (see more here)\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n  \nMain contacts: \nBarbara Polin\, b.polin@aer.eu \nLarisa Stanciu\, l.stanciu@aer.eu URL:https://aer.eu/events/registrations-open-youthopia-evening-debate-photojournalism-exhibition/ CATEGORIES:AER Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20231016T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20231016T113000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20231002T115655Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231005T101719Z UID:46043-1697450400-1697455800@aer.eu SUMMARY:[Registrations Open] First Inclusion Café: housing DESCRIPTION:In order to facilitate peer-learning around integration policies and practices\, the AER is organising its first online Inclusion Café. \nAn informal space to explore practices\nThe Inclusion Café is an informal space for exchanges between peers across Europe\, where one practice is presented each time and then discussed to explore elements of transferability. \nMembers of the Intercultural Regions Network and all regional and local representatives interested in learning from this practice are welcome to register! \n \n1st Inclusion Café: meeting temporary housing needs via co-design & multistakeholder collaboration\nDuring this first Inclusion Café\, we will welcome Giulia Boldrini\, to hear about ANCI Toscana’s work to support the Region in the development of a coherent and efficient reception model for third-country nationals. In particular\, ANCI Toscana developed a model to meet the temporary housing needs of migrants who are not entitled to reception services and are therefore in a vulnerable situation. \nFor this\, ANCI Toscana explored cooperative housing and the development of a model of public-private collaboration based on a network\, oriented towards housing inclusion. This guaranteed the sustainability of the action. Migrant were directly involved in the co-design of the activities. \nThe practice is further detailed on the Includ-EU website \nStart the week by having coffee with peers!\nThis online Inclusion Café is a space to exchange with peers and learn about the actual implementation of a practice. It will take place several times a year\, and aims to become a trusted space for mutual learning and exchanges. \n  URL:https://aer.eu/events/registrations-open-first-inclusion-cafe-housing/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/inclusioncafe-4-jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20231027T140000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20231027T160000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230928T212321Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231024T102600Z UID:46033-1698415200-1698422400@aer.eu SUMMARY:[Registrations open] Working group on Mental Health | Kick-off meeting DESCRIPTION:The AER General Assembly in Barcelona in June 2023 adopted the creation of a working group on mental health. \nThe group will meet online on 27 October from 14:00-16:00 CEST for the first time to define its action plan for the coming months. This meeting is open to all AER members \n \nKicking-off activities\nThe proposal to develop a working group on the mental mealth was presented by Värmland (SE)\, with the support of Alba (RO)\, Arad (RO)\, Kharkiv (UA)\, Odesa (UA)\, Norrbotten(SE)\, and Vojvodina (RS). Since the General Assembly last June\, several other regions including Nordland (NO)\, Västerbotten (SE)\, Västra-Götaland (SE) Brussels Capital (BE) have also expressed interest in joining the activities of the group. All AER regions are welcome to register! \nDuring this first meeting\, AER members interested in sharing experiences and knowledge on the topic of mental health will: \n\nget to know each other (pitch on the region)\nshare why the topic matters for them now\nshare how the working group will create value for them: what they expect\, how they would like to contribute\nagree on how to collaborate with the AER Youth Regional Network\, which has also been working on the topic\ndefine activities for the coming months\n\nThe group will also agree on who should be the Chair of the Working Group \nMore information on how to set-up a working group at AER here. \nFor any questions\, please contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius \n  \nPicture by Sonia Sanmartin on Unsplash URL:https://aer.eu/events/working-group-on-mental-kick-off-meeting/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:AER Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/test-knowledge-cohesion-policy-Instagram-Story-jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20231106T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20231109T140000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230724T070056Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240201T163624Z UID:44966-1699293600-1699538400@aer.eu SUMMARY:[Sold out] Eurodyssey Forum 2023\, São Miguel Island\, Azores DESCRIPTION:Organised every year in a Eurodyssey region\, the Eurodyssey Forum offers a unique opportunity for regions to exchange around plenary sessions\, capacity-building workshops\, study visits and informal networking moments. Open to elected politicians\, civil servants and young beneficiaries from the AER/Eurodyssey member regions and beyond\, the Forum is the annual showcase of the Eurodyssey programme. In 2023\, for the European Year of Skills\, the Region of Azores (Portugal) will host the Eurodyssey Forum for the first time since 2008! \n \n \n*Registrations are open until the 8th of October on a “first-come\, first-served basis”. After this date\, registrations will be possible only based on the number of spots still available. This deadline applies to international participants only. Participants based in the Azores will still be able to register after the 8th of October. \n  \nA Eurodyssey Forum for the European Year of Skills\nEurodyssey is the flagship youth regional mobility programme of the Assembly of European Regions\, entirely managed at regional level\, and providing paid traineeships to the young beneficiaries across the participating regions\, in various sectors. During 3 to 7 months\, the trainees will benefit from valuable professional experience and mentoring in another European region\, together with language training and cultural and social activities. Enriched from this experience\, the programme’s beneficiaries will have boosted their employability\, skills\, international comfort and personal development. Besides the traineeship experience\, Eurodyssey is a unique opportunity to boost mutual understanding and intercultural learning\, and to raise awareness about regional diversity in Europe –  one of AER’s strong pillars. \nOn this year’s European Year of Skills\, the opening plenary of the Eurodyssey Forum 2023 will focus on Youth mobility and skills development in rural and peripheral areas. \nThe programme also includes capacity-building workshops and exchanges of best practices to boost the Eurodyssey programme in the participating regions\, and to give the opportunity to other stakeholders and regional representatives to discover first-hand what the programme is about\, and how it could be developed and implemented in their own regions\, should they wish to join Eurodyssey. In addition to the plenaries and workshops\, the host Region of Azores will take the participants to study visits\, to discover the natural and industrial heritage of the region. \n  \nElection of the Eurodyssey Steering Committee\nThis year’s Eurodyssey Forum will include the election of the Eurodyssey Steering Committee\, including the Eurodyssey President\, for the next two-year mandate. The Eurodyssey participating regions will receive a dedicated call for candidacies. Please note that only regions taking part in Eurodyssey are eligible to these elections. \n  \nA MEET Intergenerational Regional Debate\nThe Eurodyssey Forum will include an Intergenerational Regional Debate as part of the MEET project (Mobile Europe = Engage Together)\, an EU-funded project led by the European Youth Forum (YFJ)\, in partnership with the AER. Ahead of the 2024 European elections\, the MEET project aims at offering space for diverse groups of European citizens to discuss Europe at local and regional level. The MEET Regional Debates aim at creating space to make youth voices heard and to foster intergenerational debate between young people and politicians.  URL:https://aer.eu/events/eurodyssey-forum-2023-azores-european-year-of-skills/ LOCATION:São Miguel Island\, Ponta Delgada\, Azores\, Portugal CATEGORIES:AER Eurodyssey Forums ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/logo-EY-forum-2023-jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231110 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231111 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20231018T144000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231018T144654Z UID:46295-1699574400-1699660799@aer.eu SUMMARY:Debating Europe: Regional MEET Debate in Krapina-Zagorska\, Croatia DESCRIPTION:The second regional debate of our MEET project will take place in Krapina-Zagorska\, Croatia on November 10th\, 2023. The intergenerational debate will be held in Croatian and will bring together 100 participants. \nThe MEET project\nThe MEET project is focused on encouraging democratic engagement and civic participation\, where the focus is precisely on active European citizens. Just in the period before the upcoming European elections\, the MEET project will provide a space for different groups of European citizens to connect Europe with the regional level through a series of different activities encouraging continuous activism and interaction with European politicians. Depolarization and a less tense democratic space will ensure higher levels of participation and better respect and understanding of other positions\, ultimately helping to revitalize democracy as a system. \nThe MEET project aims to: \n\nProvide young people with the tools and training they need to become more active in their democratic participation.\nCreate spaces where citizens from different backgrounds can connect with and learn from each other\, acquire civic skills and learn more about the European Union and its role in their everyday lives.\nCreate opportunities for (young) people to enter in a dialogue with politicians ahead of the European elections.\n\nOur second regional MEET debate will be organised in Krapina-Zagorska\, Croatia and it will focus on European topics in general\, and digitalisation in rural areas in particular. The debate will be held on November 10\, 2023 in the Hotel Kaj in Marija Bistrica. \nThe project is funded by the Citizens\, Equality\, Rights and Values ​​(CERV) 2021-2027 programme of the Eurepean Union. The project is coordinated by European Youth Forum and AER is implementing various activities in different regions. The project partner of this third MEET debate is the Zagorje Development Agency. URL:https://aer.eu/events/debating-europe-regional-meet-debate-in-krapina-zagorska-croatia/ LOCATION:Marija Bistrica\, Krapina-Zagorska\, Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/inclusioncafe.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231114 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231116 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230818T135030Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231005T101855Z UID:45756-1699920000-1700092799@aer.eu SUMMARY:SAVE THE DATE: Build partnerships with Catalonia at ReBuild Ukraine 2023 DESCRIPTION:Is your region coming to ReBuild Ukraine 2023? \nAs part of ReBuild Ukraine 2023\, ACCIÓ / Catalonia Trade & Investment is looking for Ukrainian partners to connect with Catalan companies\, its business community and economic institutions. \nOver two days in Warsaw\, Poland on 14—15 November\, ACCIÓ will bring together more than a dozen Catalan SMEs representing both the Construction and Energy Sectors looking for partners in Ukraine. \nThe objective is to better understand the needs for reconstruction\, to network\, and build peer-to-peer partnerships to support Ukraine’s reconstruction. \nACCIÓ therefore invites our members in Ukraine to take this opportunity to come together in-person during the Conference\, and to share expertise\, networks and knowledge that will power Ukraine’s recovery. \nHow can Ukrainian members take part?\nIf your region is planning to or is interested in meeting with Catalonia Trade & Investment at the ReBuild Ukraine Expo\, please send an email to Member Relations Coordinator\, Justin Sammon\, with ‘ReBuild Ukraine’ in the subject line\, and we will help facilitate. \nTo attend ReBuild Ukraine\, you will need to purchase a ticket; you can fill in the form to be notified when registrations open.  Please note that neither ACCIÓ nor AER are organisers of the wider event\, and cannot provide members with tickets. \nHow can members more broadly take part?\nIf your region is interested in exhibiting\, or you wish to buy a ticket to attend the event\, you can find more information HERE. \n*** \n\nUkraine Focus Group—new partnerships between Catalonia Trade & Investment and Ukrainian Regions\nAt the launch of a new platform for cooperation between EU and Ukrainian enterprises\, Catalonia Trade and Investment (ACCIÓ) signed ...Read More\n\nAER President issues statement following recent attacks on Ukraine\nIn the first week of September 2024\, a Russian barrage targeted the civilian populations and infrastructure of Kharkiv\, Kryvyi Rih\, ...Read More\n\nThe Forum of Polish and Ukrainian Cities takes place in Kryvyi Rih\nPolish and Ukrainian cities\, with the participation of the AER\, held a Forum in Kryvyi Rih (Ukraine) regarding ongoing cooperation ...Read More\n\nAER Ukraine Focus Group—Regional Partners for Reconstruction\nAER's unique community of regional stakeholders is focusing minds to support Ukraine's recovery AER's Focus Group on Ukraine has continued ...Read More\n\nAER Focus Group on Ukraine – tell us how your region can support!\nAER's peer-to-peer Focus Group coordinates support for Ukraine On the one year anniversary of Russia's unprovoked war of aggression against ...Read More\n\nAER stands with Ukraine\nRussia's unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine violates international law\, undermines global security\, and tears innocent lives apart. In the ...Read More\n\nAER’s Regions stand with Ukraine – European solidarity in action\nLast February\, Ukraine suffered the full force of Russian aggression. Russia's military invasion of the country marked the beginning of ...Read More\n\nAER releases statement on Invasion of Ukraine\nAhead of the Russian invasion of Ukraine\, on 22 February\, AER President\, Magnus Berntsson and Secretary General\, Christian Spahr issued ...Read More URL:https://aer.eu/events/save-the-date-join-catalonia-at-rebuild-ukraine-2023/ LOCATION:Expo XXI\, Ui. Pradzynskiego 12/14\, Warsaw\, 01-222\, Poland CATEGORIES:AER Member Events,Other Events,Ukraine ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Copy-of-Session-1-jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231122 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231209 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20231114T094949Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231114T100335Z UID:46552-1700611200-1702079999@aer.eu SUMMARY:REGISTER NOW: Regional Business Forum 2023 DESCRIPTION:It is our pleasure to invite you to the sixth edition of the Regional Business Forum (RBF)\, taking place as a hybrid event. You are most welcome to join us online and in Novi Sad\, Serbia from 22 November until 8 December.  \nThe Regional Business Forum is an annual international forum to exchange ideas on support for SMEs\, promote business and commerce\, incentive the possibility to collaborate and share best practices between regions. \nThis worldwide event provides additional support to companies to find international partners. The participants will be offered a chance to have B2B meetings with companies and institutions participating in the Forum\, according to their own needs and based on the information on registered participants. \nThe emphasis at this year’s forum will be on the applications of artificial intelligence in the following areas: \n\nInformation and communication technologies and the creative industry\nMetal processing industry\nAgriculture and food industry\n\n \nYou can access the platform for organisation of online “one-on-one” meetings by clicking the following link: https://rbf2023.b2match.io/ which provides the opportunity to promote business cooperation between regions. \nThe invitation is addressed\, in particular\, to regional chambers of commerce\, regional development agencies and institutions supporting SMEs development. \nWe therefore invite you to register as soon as possible. The official invitation for AER members from our President is HERE. \nFor further information\, please consult the RBF website. Should you have any questions\, please email rbf@vojvodina.gov.rs or call +381 21 487 4431 URL:https://aer.eu/events/register-now-regional-business-forum-2023/ CATEGORIES:AER Member Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Regional-Business-forum-2023-visuals-jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20231123T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20231123T100000 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20231102T154913Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231102T173546Z UID:46479-1700733600-1700733600@aer.eu SUMMARY:Addressing racial discrimination in housing: a multistakeholder approach DESCRIPTION:For this first EU-Belong webinar on 23 November from 10:00-11:00 CET\, we will discuss the challenge of addressing racial discrimination in access to housing\, based on the experience of the Municipality of Olot\, a medium-sized city of Catalonia. \nThe event\, which will provide insights into this specific case\, foresees 30mn of exchange with participants to explore obstacles\, enablers and elements for transferability. The event is open to all. \n \nProfessor Quim Brugué\, from the University of Girona\, will share how the Municipality of Olot \n\nAnalysed the causes and the impact of racial discrimination practices faced by third-country nationals\nBrought together key stakeholders in a regular exchange to identify solutions\nEnvisages the processes to enable the implementation of proposed solutions\n\nIn particular\, when it identified a problem of racist-driven real estate discrimination\, the municipality of Olot decided to collaborate with the University of Girona to analyse the problem and develop solutions. In collaboration with academia experts\, real-estate representatives\, entities\, and affected people the municipality of Olot started out a process to outline a comprehensive approach to fight discrimination. \nThis process involved arranging meetings and dialogues among key stakeholders\, with the support of the University. The primary goal of these interactions was to identify potential solutions and present them to the City Council. \nThe approach placed strong emphasis on building mutual understanding\, recognition\, and trust among all the people involved. \nThe webinar will be moderated by Laura Sentis Margalef\, EU Belong Project Officer at the Department for Equality and Feminisms of Catalonia. \nQuim Brugué is Professor of Political Science at the University of Girona as well as researcher on democratic innovation and modernization of public policies in the Research Group on Applied Social Sciences at the same university. \nFor more information about this event\, please contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius URL:https://aer.eu/events/addressing-racial-discrimination-in-housing-a-multistakeholder-approach/ LOCATION:Zoom CATEGORIES:AER Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/EU-Belong-Webinar-1-2--jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231129 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231201 DTSTAMP:20260411T222017 CREATED:20230922T144529Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231123T110224Z UID:45877-1701216000-1701388799@aer.eu SUMMARY:[Registrations closed] Winter Dialogues in Sankt Pölten\, Lower Austria DESCRIPTION:The AER Winter Dialogues will be the concluding statutory event of 2023. Hosted in the Lower Austrian capital of Sankt Pölten on 29 and 30 November 2023\, the Winter Dialogues will be an opportunity to wrap up a year of activities and look to next steps in 2024\, with particular attention to the upcoming EU elections next June. \nA member-driven network\, the AER is eager to make sure that the Winter Dialogues offer a full overview of its services to member regions. This is why the two-day event will include meetings of the Working Groups on Bioeconomy and Mental Health\, a discussion on the AER Multi-Annual Strategy\, and the Autumn Bureau meeting hosting the third MEET Intergenerational Debate on the Future of Europe. This debate will explore the role of active citizenship and youth participation in shaping a more democratic\, inclusive and sustainable future for our continent\, with a focus on the opportunities coming from the New Green Deal. \nThe MEET project (Mobile Europe = Engage Together) is funded by the Citizens\, Equality\, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) and led by the European Youth Forum (YFJ)\, in partnership with the AER. Ahead of the 2024 European elections\, the MEET project aims at offering space for diverse groups of European citizens to discuss Europe at local and regional level. The MEET Regional Debates aim at creating space to make youth voices heard and to foster intergenerational debate between young people and politicians. \nA meeting of the Ukraine Focus Group hosted by Vice President Lukas Mandl MEP will take place on Friday\, 1 December at the premises of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Vienna. The draft agenda can be viewed HERE.  \nParticipants in the Winter Dialogues staying in Sankt Pölten will enjoy a preferential rate. The booking must be done by 31.10.2023. Find here all the relevant information.\n\nDraft schedule\nPUBLIC Winter Dialogues 2023. docx (4)-1 \n  \nDetailed programme & info kit\nInfo Kit Winter Dialogues-2211 \n\nPlease register before 15 November 2023!\n\n30 November 14.15-16.30\nAutumn Bureau Meeting\nThe AER Autumn Bureau Meeting will take place in Sankt Pölten\, Lower Austria on 30 November. \nThe Bureau will define positions on key AER action areas that will guide our advocacy work for 2024-2025 and will be joined by institutional and youth representatives to discuss the future of Europe\, and how regions can contribute to forging a more democratic\, inclusive and sustainable future. \nDirect links:\nDraft Agenda\nWorking Documents \nBackground Note – The Future of Europe: An Intergenerational Debate\n \n30 November 17.15-18.45\nBureau Discussion: “The future of Europe: An Intergenerational Debate”\nIn the run-up to the 2024 European Parliament elections\, this debate will present a great opportunity to discuss the key challenges confronting Europe today and how regions can contribute to forging a more democratic\, inclusive and sustainable future. \nDuring the event\, representatives of regional governments and young people will come together and engage in meaningful conversations about the future of Europe\, focusing dialogue on how Europe can adopt a more sustainable path and improve people’s well-being in urban and rural regions in line with the Green Deal ambitions. \nWhat are the key challenges and opportunities facing Europe? What are the priorities and aspirations of young people for the future of Europe? What steps can be taken to enhance the democratic participation of citizens within the European Union? How can we effectively involve young people in EU policy-making and implementation? How can we create a greener and fairer Europe while improving prosperity and quality of life? How can we maximise the opportunities of the green transition for European cities and regions in urban and rural areas? \nThese are some of the questions to be explored during the debate\, organised in the framework of the MEET: Mobilise Europe = Engage Together project\, led by the European Youth Forum in cooperation with AER and funded by the European Union. \nSpeakers: \nMartin Selmayr\, Head of Representation of the European Commission in Austria\nJohannes Sundelin\, AER Vice President for Sustainability\, Green Transition and Health\, Norrbotten Region\nJim Jenssen\, President of the Youth Regional Network\nRares Voicu\, Board Member of the European Youth Forum\nMariana Borges\, Regional Directorate for Youth\, Region of Azores\nMichael Stellwag\, Young Local Councillor for Europe\, Lower Austria \nFurther information on the debate can be found HERE. \nFor more information on how you can be involved as a young European citizen\, please see the Open Call for Young Participants HERE. URL:https://aer.eu/events/winter-dialogues-lower-austria/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aer.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/WD-place-date-banner-deadline-scaled.webp END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR