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REGIONerating Europe

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As part of the European Week of Regions and Cities, AER hosted an event entitled “REGIONerating Europe” focusing on the role regions can play in regenerating the European Project as well as how citizens in the regions of Europe benefit from EU membership through Cohesion Policy, structural and development funds.

The European Week of Regions and Cities is an annual four-day event during which cities and regions showcase their capacity to create growth and jobs, implement European Union cohesion policy, and prove the importance of the local and regional level for good European governance.

The timing of this event was particularly pertinent given that new European Parliament has recently been elected and a new Commission is currently being formed.

The goal of the workshop, moderated by AER Vice-President for Democracy, Nina Björby, was to stimulate debate around key challenges facing the EU today and how regions can help to create a more democratic, inclusive and sustainable Europe.

Speaking on the value of cohesion policy and its uses, Anna Wagner, Deputy Head of Unit of the European Commission’s DG Regio stressed the importance of the partnership principle as well as the territorial dimension of cohesion policy. She welcomed the emphasis on a territorial approach and the move away from looking at cohesion purely through a sectoral lens.

Ms Wagner also highlighted the importance of “cross-fertilising” or sharing best practices between regions. She recognises the work done by AER in this field and affirmed the importance of policy learning between regions as a means to promote a bottom-up approach to governance.

Anna Casini, Vice President of the Marche Region, Italy, intervened on the subject of subsidiarity and called for a common language and common narrative when communicating on European affairs. Instead of ‘subsidiarity’, we should speak about a Europe closer to citizens.

Ms Casini gave examples from the Marche Region on how Rural Development Funding has been employed both to increase awareness about the EU’s support to regional development in rural areas and also to tackle knock-on effects of climate change. She underlined that addressing climate change is not just a matter of ethics, but also economics, citing the example of viticultural harvests which have been destroyed as a result of drought or floods in her region. Access to European funding can help to offset dramatic consequences for local farmers, businesses and supply chains in Europe’s regions.

Thomas Andersson, AER member and Rapporteur on ‘Partnership between civil society and local and regional levels’ of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, spoke about threats to democracy faced by the existing gap between institutions, citizens and civil society. He outlined the work done by the CoE Congress in cataloguing methods to improve citizens’ engagement and told the participants about an upcoming toolkit which, when published, will be an excellent resource for all local and regional authorities wishing to further the involvement of citizens in multilevel governance and European affairs.

Mr Andersson, too, asserted the importance of avoiding “top-down” approaches to communicating on European affairs, favouring instead the empowerment of individuals and groups to speak up and make their needs known.

Christopher Glück, President of the Young European Federalists (JEF), continued this thread, outlining the work done by JEF and AER on the EU-funded project “Road to the Future“, which involved a bus tour across the EU in advance of the 2019 European Parliament elections to engage young people and encourage them to get out and vote.

Mr. Glück shared his experiences of speaking to young Europeans across the continent, in both capital cities and more remote areas, and told of a feeling of lost trust in democracy and scepticism towards the European Union, partly as a result of disinformation. He concluded by providing concrete examples of how Europe’s local and regional leaders can counter this trend; by making changes that inspire hope in the European project, by tackling disinformation through education & media scrutiny, and speaking openly and passionately about the many advantages of European Union membership, including the positive impact Cohesion Policy has on citizens’ everyday lives.

Takeaways

Advice for regions on Communicating Cohesion Policy

  • Thomas Andersson: don’t be afraid to ask hard questions. Constructive criticism is needed to grow and develop. Keep an eye out for the CoE Congress toolkit on engaging civil society!
  • Anna Wagner: explore how Cohesion Policy programming is conducted in your region and establish what role you can have in shaping it.
  • Anna Casini: listen to critics & teach citizens to verify news. Regions need to speak up when the next Cohesion Policy package is designed to ensure it is shaped in their best interests!
  • Christopher Glück: inclusiveness doesn’t just happen. Resources need to be allocated to facilitate genuine exchanges between institutions and citizens to bridge the gaps. Regions need to be smart in how they interact with citizens, bearing in mind, language aptitudes, the level of info citizens have and their socio-economic circumstances.

Cohesion Policy is a central element of AER’s work. Within the Bureau, we have an active Task Force on Cohesion. In addition, we are currently leading an EU-funded project “Together4Cohesion” on communicating cohesion policy in the regions of Europe.

If you would like to learn more about either of these initiatives, please do not hesitate to contact the AER secretariat.

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Takeaways of AER-YRN’s activities at the 20th University on Youth and Development

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From 15 to 19 September, the Youth Regional Network of the Assembly of European Regions (AER-YRN) celebrated its Autumn Plenaries for the first time in the framework of the 20th University of Youth and Development (UYD) of the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe. 23 young participants from 13 different countries representing the AER-YRN at the 20th UYD actively engaged in workshop debates, committees’ work and joint thematic activities themed around the UYD’s 2019 annual focus on “Youth, Justice & Strong Institutions” related to SDG 16.

Advocacy on SDGs and innovative approaches to youth participation

In the morning of the 16th, the first workshop debate Glocal Youth Advocating for SDGs began with the participation of Benjamin Günther, board member of the European Youth Forum (EYF), who presented the work that the Forum undertakes in order to advocate for the inclusion of young people in the review and implementation of SDGs and, in addition, presented the main conclusions of the EYF Policy Paper on Sustainable Development.

Elitsa Hadzhieva, AEGEE-Europe: European Student’s Forum, also joined the discussion with the YRN delegates to stress the importance of enhancing cooperation in a more coordinated way among the different youth-led organisations in order to have a more unified voice when advocating for youth major rights towards the EU institutions and the UN. 

Benjamin Günther (European Youth Forum), Elitsa Hadzhieva (AEGEE Europe)

On Tuesday 17th, Bruno António, Coordinator of DYPALL Network and Nami Isaki, board member of the Centre For Intercultural Dialogue, shared insights and experiences at the workshop debate entitled (Co)innovating youth participation. The YRN participants not only learned about the principles of the Council of Europe (CoE) co-management system for participatory democracy but also heard the experience of Nami Isaki in establishing an influential network of youth-led organisations both at the local and national decision-making levels in North Macedonia and, more generally, in strengthening youth cooperation in the Balkans. 

Bruno António pointed out that the 2030 Agenda goes beyond the so-called roadmap to sustainability but it is rather an inspirational framework for engaging young people in active participation to stand for their own rights and, moreover, influence policy-making at multiple levels. Organisations such as the ones represented by Bruno and Nami are trying to change the concept of democratic participation by facilitating access to the decision-making process for all cohorts of young people, including the most disadvantaged groups.

Nami Isaki (CID) and Bruno António (DYPALL)

Intercultural dialogue and Global Education 

Abdelkader El Khissassi, Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), took part in the second workshop debate Youth Inclusion and Intercultural Dialogue on the 18th of September. During the interactive discussion, Abdelkader insisted on the importance of mainstreaming an intercultural sensitivity for young people’s inclusion in the public sphere but also to build more democratic societies free from prejudice and discrimination. The UfM is currently developing a cooperation framework between youth platforms in the Mediterranean basin, such as the Youth Forum for the Mediterranean, with the purpose of fostering intercultural dialogue and cooperation beyond the European borders and thus create a project-oriented space for mutual understanding in the field of youth. 

Following the discussions on inclusion and interculturality, YRN participant Tiziana Fantucchio, as a representative of CESIE, organised an interactive activity to raise awareness on sexual violence through a changing-pair exercise that allowed participants to explore their own personal boundaries. Another activity was organised by Vahram Vardanyan, member of the YRN Presidium, to reflect upon SDG 16 and the linkages with gender equality, discrimination and xenophobia. 

  • YRN-AER Participants with Abdelkader El Khissassi (UfM)
  • CESIE’s activity

The last workshop debate on Education for Sustainable Development involved a number of guest speakers: Giuseppe Lipari, board member of OBESSU, and Rocío Cervera from the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe. Giuseppe explained that OBESSU’s core goal is to increase the recognition of students as fundamental actors in shaping the educational policies and, to that end, the organisation commits itself not only to defend school student rights towards European Institutions and other relevant stakeholders but also to provide assistance for the development of school student representative structures at different levels. 

Rocío Cervera underlined three perspectives that are fundamental in the field of Global Education: multi-perspectivity; multi-stakeholder approach for advocacy purposes; and sustainable lifestyles, which links the notion of sustainable development to the individual responsibility of contributing to it. In this regard, Rocío concluded that “we are all educators and individually responsible for bringing about worldwide sustainable change”.  

  • Giuseppe Lipari (OBESSU)
  • Rocío Cervera (North-South Centre)

The work in the YRN Committees

Throughout the week, the 23 representatives of the AER – Youth Regional Network worked in the YRN committees putting a log-frame analysis (problem/alternative trees) into practice to identify a core issue related to SDG-16 hindering youth participation and the human (youth) right vulnerated. For this exercise, the participants integrated all relevant inputs received at the workshop debates and the outcomes of the log-frame analysis were used in a second phase to elaborate an advocacy plan. Following this advocacy reflection exercise, the participants discussed solutions to overcome the problems identified and came up with recommendations to lobby the regional and local entities they stand for.  

Outlining the main outcomes:

From these three days full of activities, workshops and debates concluded into many outcomes, although we could sum them all up into these three main outcomes:

  • Attitude: Self-awareness (youth as right-holders) and individual responsibility.
  • Skills: Analytical-advocacy planning skills.
  • Knowledge: Global challenges for local and regional actions.

Visit the event page to find all the presentations and materials of the AER – YRN’s activities at the 20th UYD.

Photo credits: @Luca Scognamillo / North-South Centre of the Council of Europe on Flickr

Takeaways of AER-YRN’s activities at the 20th University on Youth and Development

Takeaways of AER-YRN’s activities at the 20th University on Youth and Development

From 15 to 19 September, the Youth Regional Network of the Assembly of European Regions (AER-YRN) celebrated its Autumn Plenaries ...
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Make this Week Last All Your Life – AER-YRN at the 20th UYD

Make this Week Last All Your Life – AER-YRN at the 20th UYD

From 15 until 19 September, 23 participants from 13 different countries represented the AER – Youth Regional Network (YRN) at ...
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Take a look at the AER-YRN's programme for the 20th University on Youth & Development!

Take a look at the AER-YRN’s programme for the 20th University on Youth & Development!

From 15 to 19 September, a group of young participants from 13 different European countries will represent AER - Youth ...
Read More
Apply now for the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe's 20th University on Youth and Development!

Apply now for the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe’s 20th University on Youth and Development!

AER - Youth Regional Network (YRN) is very proud to announce its partnership with the North-South Centre of the Council ...
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Good Governance at the AER Autumn Plenaries

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At the initiative of Ms Nina Björby, AER Vice President for Democracy and Ms Iren Lejegren, AER chair of the Task Force on Democracy, AER and the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance (Council of Europe/CoE) organised an exchange of views at the AER Autumn Committee plenaries on 25 September 2019.

Ms Alina Tatarenko, Head of the Centre of Expertise exposed the 12 principles for a Good Democratic Governance at local and regional level, designed by the Council of Europe.

The AER committees agreed to both promote these principles but also to promote the CoE label of governance excellence among its members. Several regions have already on the spot expressed interest in obtaining this label.

Good governance is wide ranging and an everyday challenge. All regions could learn from the process of applying to the label.

On 28 October 2019 at the Council of Europe, Ms Iren Lejegren will take part in a Good Governance conference in the framework of the French Presidency of the CoE and talk about the challenges and perspectives of labelling the regions and the role the Assembly of European Regions could play in that respect.

Please find below Ms Tatarenko’s presentation.

To be continued!

Photo credits: Pinterest

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European Youth Foundation Open Calls!

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Youth engagement at European level is very high in the AER agenda. In this respect, AER takes action and regularly gets involved in different projects and initiatives dedicated to young people especially through its Youth Regional Network. The Summer Academy 2019 and the 20th University on Youth and Development which took place this year, are one of the latest successful initiatives that AER organised to benefit the youth.

In order to support young people’s projects, the Council of Europe (CoE) established in 1972 the financial instrument European Youth Foundation (EYF) within the Youth Department of the Directorate for Democracy. The projects must be developed by, with and for young people, responding to issues, needs and challenges that concern young people.

The EYF has its premises in the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg. Only youth NGOs from the Council of Europe member states, as well as the European Cultural Convention Signatories (Belarus, Kazakhstan and the Holy See) can apply to the Foundation.

EYF more than just a donor…a real partner

EYF is more than just a donor, it aims at developing sustainable partnerships with NGOs. Its support is given not only on a financial level but also at the educational level:

  • offers guidance during the application and reporting process;
  • provides extended evaluation of content and methodology through constructive feedback, raising questions and giving recommendations in order to create a reflection process;
  • transfers knowledge by sharing educational material developed by CoE and youth NGOs

Who can apply?

The EYF foresees the involvement of 5 types of organisations, which define which kind of grant they can apply for:

  • International youth NGO – Members/branches in minimum 7 ECC signatory states
  • International network of youth NGOs – Minimum 7 youth NGOs in 7 different countries (applicant organisation plus 6 other NGOs in different countries
  • Regional network of youth NGOs – Present in minimum 4 and not more than 6 countries (applicant NGO plus 3 to 5 NGOs in different ECC signatory states)
  • National youth NGO – Based in an ECC signatory state and working at national level
  • Local youth NGO – Based in an ECC signatory state and working at a local level

The EYF does NOT support individuals, students, informal groups, private businesses, sports clubs, etc.

In order to obtain the EYF’s support, it is essential that a project is thematically linked with the priorities of the Youth Sector of the CoE which are decided every 2 years.

3 Open Calls!

The European Youth Foundation has a diverse range of grants in accordance with the typology of beneficiaries and objectives. You have the opportunity to apply now for 3 grants out of 4 so don’t waste this chance!

  • Annual work plan (only open to international NGOs/networks, can include pilot activities) – Open Call
  • Pilot activities (not open to international NGOs/networks)

Deadline 1 October (midnight CET), with registration exclusively through EYF online system.

Important Notice! The first step is to register your NGO in the online system of EYF in order for your organisation to be evaluated. Once you get the approval you can have access to the project application and apply.

In case you are preparing your project application and wish to involve AER member regions, do not hesitate to contact the AER Secretariat.

Andres Munoz Rojo (AER Programmes Coordinator)

email: [email protected], phone: +32 24001054

photo by pexels

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The 2020 European Youth Event is around the corner– make yourself heard!

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The flagship event for youth is back for its 4th edition. From 29 to 30 May 2020, the European Youth Event will bring thousands of young people coming from all over Europe to Strasbourg (FR).

Young people as change-makers

The event is aimed to make young people active agents of change in the European democratic life rather than passive beneficiaries, so the EYE2020 is the perfect opportunity for youth to share their thoughts, concerns, hopes and meet and inspire each other. And on top of that, some participants will also be able to present the most impactful ideas directly to the Members of the European Parliament.

360-degree view

The EYE2020 will please everyone, through debates, workshops, hearings and digital activities, where all participants will be able to deal with an extremely diversified range of topics. Education, health, technology, climate change, migration, employment, health, human rights, political issues, just to name a few.

If you want to find out more, take a look at the tentative programme!

Make your contribution to the EYE programme!

What makes this event impactful is the contribution that everyone can make to shape this 4th edition of the EYE. All the activities are co-created with partners, youth organisations and the participants.

If you are interested in taking part in this event and contribute to the programme with an activity, then this call is for you! Check HERE the call for activities and submit your application before November 17th!

The European Parliament is committed to promoting inclusiveness and civic engagement. Groups can apply under certain conditions for financial contributions until Tuesday, 15th October 2019.

For further information, just visit the European Youth Event webpage.

Partner with AER for the 2020 EYE!

Youth participation is at the top of AER’s agenda as it is admittedly an important value for our member regions. AER is looking to form a group of 10 or more participants (aged 16-30 years old) from our member regions and host an interactive activity during the EYE2020 in line with our political priorities.

Therefore, if you wish to participate at the EYE2020 and apply to organise an activity together with AER, please express interest to Gisela Guari (e: [email protected] / t: +32 (0) 2 400 10 21)

You’re the architect of your own future, you’re the architect of this event

Photo credits: @The European Parliament

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Let’s REGIONerate Europe!

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One more time the AER has the chance to contribute to the European Week of Regions and Cities with its workshop entitled “REGIONerating Europe”, to held on the 8th of October.

What’s the 2019 European Week of Regions and Cities?

The so-called EU Regions Week is an annual event co-organised by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO). On this occasion, all the regional and local authorities, as well as other organisations related to regional policies, such as the Assembly of European Regions, can participate in order to showcase their good practices and exchange mutual learning.

This year edition will take place from the 7-10 October 2019 in Brussels (BE). But there is an important date that you should save in your calendar: the 8th of October! Scroll down to for more details…

AER is REGIONerating Europe!

The Assembly of European Regions cares about the future of Europe and with this workshop intends to bring together relevant EU and regional actors to discuss the next steps of the new European Parliament and the new European Commission on facing the significant challenges that are shaking Europe on nowadays reality.

On the last European elections, citizens had the chance to raise their voice to defend their rights and interests; consequently, the outcome of the polls reflects the citizens’ values and needs for a greener Europe free from far-right parties. With a turnout of over 50 per cent of Europeans voting it has been made clear the need for a more participatory and inclusive approach to the EU decision-making process, towards a European Union shaped and made for and by European citizens.

At the AER we want to make sure that local and regional authorities are taken into consideration and play a relevant role in building up a new European project that is able to deliver on its citizens’ priorities and ambitions. Therefore, in this session, we aim at discussing how cities and regions can serve as a bridge to connect and bring closer citizens to European institutions.

Meet the speakers!

For this session, we will hear a wide range of perspectives on the future of Europe thanks to the different backgrounds and fields of expertise of our panellists. For instance, we will have the institutional, regional, and youth perspective from:

  • Anna Wagner, Deputy Head of Unit of European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy.
  • Thomas Andersson, rapporteur on the partnership between civil society and local and regional level of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, and President of the Region Jämtland Härjedalen (SE).
  • Anna Casini, Vice President of Marche Region (IT).
  • Christopher Glück, President of the Young European Federalists (JEF Europe).

And moderated by Nina Björby, the Vice President on Democracy at the Assembly of European Regions.

*More speakers to be confirmed.

Save the date!

8th of October
From 9:15 to 10:45h
Committee of the Regions – Room VMA 1
(2, Rue van Maerlant, 1040 Brussels)

Register Now!

For further information visit the official event page.

Photo credits: Pixabay.com

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Take a look at the AER-YRN’s programme for the 20th University on Youth & Development!

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From 15 to 19 September, a group of young participants from 13 different European countries will represent AER – Youth Regional Network (YRN) at the Council of Europe North-South Centre’s (NSC) 20th University on Youth and Development (UYD) in Mollina (Málaga).

AER – YRN will contribute to the programme of the 20th edition of the UYD with various seminars and activities in line with the main theme “Youth, Justice & Strong Institutions” in collaboration with other UYD partners. Scroll down to find out more!

“Glocal” Youth Advocating for SDGs

The 2030 Agenda established that young people are a driving force for development – but this can only be possible when they are well-provided with the skills and opportunities needed in order to reach their potential, support development and consequently contribute to peace and security.

The first workshop session scheduled on Monday 16th from 15:00h to 16:30h entitled “Glocal Youth Advocating for SDGs” will allow the participants to gain insights on how to integrate the SDGs targets, in particular the SDG 16, into the work and projects carried out within their organisations (regional youth councils, local NGOs, University associations, etc.) and on the opportunities and strategies for influencing and getting involved in the monitoring and accountability of the SDGs from the local level up to the global one. To this end, not only the participants will exchange good practices, project ideas or initiatives relating to the SDG 16 targets but will also have the chance to develop together an advocacy strategy towards including young people in the decision-making at all levels for effectively realising the goals of the 2030 Agenda. 

(Co)Innovating Youth Participation

As a matter of fact, participation is not limited to voting or standing for election, but also to active citizenship; and therefore, having the right, the means and the opportunity to influence in the decision-making. In particular, youth participation is the expression of a plurality of approaches for publicly engaging in democratic processes, beyond the conventional forms of participation.

On the 17th of September from 9:30 to 11:00h the participants will reflect upon different models of youth participation (both conventional and unconventional) and find out about the ins and outs of influencing the decision-making process from the very local level up to the global one. Along with Developing Youth Participation at Local Level (DYPALL) and the Centre for Intercultural Dialogue (ICD), the participants will learn about the principles of the Council of Europe co-management system for participatory democracy and will look into some research findings by DYPALL regarding models of youth participation in decision-making processes in the local governance that will inspire their conclusions.

Ultimately, the participants will play the role of decision-makers to think of ways of innovating youth participation at their respective spheres (Youth Councils and Parliaments, NGOs, Universities, etc.) in line with the SDG 16 and its targets of developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.

Youth for Intercultural Dialogue

The development of intercultural sensitivity is a quality needed for a young person to live in today’s pluralistic Europe. It enables them to take an active role in confronting social injustice and discrimination―on grounds such as gender, race, religion, sexuality or disability―and, ultimately, promote and protect human rights. Young people and youth organisations play a vital role in promoting and ensuring equality and non-discrimination and creating inclusive, diverse and cohesive societies free from prejudice and hate

On the 17th of September from 11:30 to 13:00, the participants will learn about self-awareness methodologies to identify injustice situations and the role that young people can play in building peace from an intercultural point of view. Furthermore, they will hold a discussion on how youth work and projects can prevent discrimination and translate the needs of vulnerable groups into inclusive policy-making within their communities.

Education for Sustainable Development

Education is admittedly a powerful tool to make individuals agents of change. SDG 4.7 calls on building “more democratic, inclusive and peaceful societies by integrating a more global approach into education”. Reorienting education towards sustainable development will equip individuals, communities, businesses and government with a better understanding of the economic, societal, and environmental horizons.

Through this last workshop session taking place on the 18th of September from 15:00h to 16:30h, the participants will look into evidence-based findings and policy recommendations for increasing public awareness of education’s central role in achieving sustainable development and the challenges to achieve quality, equitable and inclusive lifelong learning for all by 2030 as means to prevent youth discrimination or any form of injustice. Additionally, the participants will learn about multi-stakeholder strategies that could use in their work to spread global active citizenship and, ultimately, bring sustainable change to their local communities.

Discover the full programme!

The detailed programme is already available HERE!

For further updates and news related to the AER – YRN participation in the CoE North-South Centre’s 20th University on Youth and Development, please visit the event page.

Photo credits: @COE.INT /  @Edwin Andrade on Unsplash

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AER participates in training course on youth and democracy

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Building on a strong coalition of youth-led and volunteer-led civil society organisations and a network of political stakeholders and regional authorities, the project “Road to the Future” is designed to encourage and strengthen European-oriented youth participation for a specific democratic milestone, the European Parliament Elections 2019 and in the longer term for the future of Europe. AER is a project partner in charge of working package 3 on monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance.

This European initiative, funded by the ERASMUS+ programme, is built on the principle to develop strategies and organize advocacy actions for the implementation of the New Narrative for Europe using the ideas collected during the phase leading to the EP elections and their follow-up, both at the local and European level with parliamentarians and newly elected MEPs.

Within this context, the project consortium has organised a number of national and local advocacy and lobby actions and events throughout Europe such as a training for activists and facilitators in Struga (North Macedonia in February 2019); a raising-awareness campaign which encompasses concerts, conferences, debates, radio shows and art exhibitions (launched in Jambville-Paris in March 2019); as well as other youth-led activities.

Recently, AER has been invited to contribute to the “training for trainers and mentors” by delivering a training session focused on regional advocacy on youth topics to a group of 40 participants (youth activists, youth workers, youth leaders) who were trained to be able to organise local advocacy campaigns and events, promoting the “New Narrative for Europe” and local trainings for European oriented youth. The training consisted of a series of seminars, workshops, debates, games and other informal activities and took place in Werbelinsee on 22-29 June 2019. It was based on the tools previously created and will focus notably on the online dimension to ensure a strong uptake of the online platform at this stage. 

The event was organised in parallel to the high visibility large scale event (Youth for Understanding-Europe 2019) to ensure a maximum impact both on the youth workers and on the participants of the large scale event.

AER is committed to youth participation, European citizenship, education and social inclusion – crucial values for our member regions, and so… is looking forward to contributing to the closing project conference which is planned to take place in Brussels in December 2019!

For more information about this event and project, please contact:

EDUARDO NADAL
European Projects Manager
e: [email protected]
t: +32 2 400 10 12

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Participate in the International Youth Conference in Sweden

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Do you want to actively get involved in the future of Europe? Would you like to meet influential European decision-makers to bring in your ideas! Join the International Youth Conference of the International Youth Think Tank on 11 to 14 November 2019, in Gothenburg, (SE).

Initiating the International Youth Think Tank

The International Youth Think Tank is a project initiated by Dr. and Associate Professor in Political Science Urban Strandberg and EU-Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, both from Sweden. The idea is to develop a new and independent organization that brings together powerful European decision-makers from business, public institutions, and civil society, with European youth. The purpose is to stand up for democracy and the values of an open society.

The goal is to set up the International Youth Think Tank as a legally and economically independent organization located within Global Business Gate, a forum for international commerce. The International Youth Think Tank will be inaugurated with a youth conference in autumn 2021 when the City of Gothenburg is celebrating its 400th anniversary.

Get involved!

“Bold young people and decision-makers have one thing in common: they do not accept things as is, and they are convinced that they can change the world.”

Urban Strandberg

Around 30 young people aged 18 to 24, from European cities, suburbs, and the countryside are invited to the first International Youth Conference to set the course of this project. It will be a 4-day conference at the Swedish Exhibition Congress Center in Gothenburg. Sponsored by the European Commission Representation in Sweden, the City of Gothenburg, and Region Västra Götaland, the young students and professionals will be invited free of charge to this conference.

During the 4 days participants will have three assignments:

  1. Develop their views on the values of open society and how they can be defended;
  2. Develop ideas on how the think tank can be organized to promote these values, and to be attractive to future youth conferences;
  3. Come up with suggestions for naming the think tank.

The youth conference will be embedded within Kvalitetsmässan, Europe’s largest conference and trade fair on organizational and social development. The youth conference will consist of holding meetings, getting to know each other, meeting inspirational lecturers, and working on the three assignments. They will also report progress on their assignments in two pop-up occasions, receiving comments from Kvalitetsmässan’s visitors. Finally, there will be a press conference where the participants will present what they have achieved during the conference. They will receive direct comments on their ideas from Cecilia Malmström, Jan-Olof Jacke, and Monica Frassoni, who are members of the think tank international reference group.

Check out the official invitation and register for the International Youth Conference.

Registration

Photo by Pixabay.

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Discussing the Future of European Youths at the 2019 Summer Academy

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Now that the 2019 Summer Academy is over, it is very fair to say that this year’s edition was a complete success with a total of 100 participants from 32 different regions and 19 countries from all over Europe and beyond!

The 2019 AER Summer Academy with the motto Youth is Future, Youth is Europe! was hosted by the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (RS) in the beautiful city of Novi Sad from the 1st to the 5th of July. Throughout the week, the youth delegates and regional officials participated in plenary sessions, seminars, workshops and other activities that allowed them to have their saying and exchange their perspectives regarding the #FutureofEurope.

Opening of the AER 2019 Summer Academy!

On the 1st of July, the opening session gathered high-rank politicians from the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and from the European arena. Following the performance of a choir singing live the national Serbian anthem and the European anthem, the AER 2019 Summer Academy was officially inaugurated by Mr István Pásztor who welcomed the participants to Novi Sad, Vojvodina. The AER Vice President for Interregional Democracy, Damir Zobenica, wished the participants a fruitful and joyful week in Novi Sad, and so the President of the AER Summer Academy, Rune Fredriksen, did. Furthermore, AER and AP Vojvodina were also honoured with the presence of the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, Tobias Flessenkemper, the recently elected Vice President of the AER Youth Regional Network, Paula Holst, as well as the AER Vice President for Equal Opportunities, Andrew Gibson.

From left to right: Andrew Gibson, István Pásztor, Damir Zobenica and Tobias Flessenkemper

“Youth is Democratic Participation and European Citizenship”

After the official kick-off of the 2019 Summer Academy, the 1st Plenary Session started under the topic “Youth is democratic participation and European Citizenship”. In this session, moderated by Hrvoje Kovac, Chair of AER sub-committee on youth, Jovana Majstorović (European Youth Forum) stressed the importance of having young people involved in politics and being politically educated in schools.

From left to right: Hrvoje Kovac, Alejandra Piot, Jovana Majstorović and Igor Novaković.

Igor Novaković, International & Security Affairs Center (ISAC) Fund, added to Jovana’s insights that today education system should instruct children and students on European democratic and civic values. Alejandra Piot Pérez-Abadín, AEGEE Europe – European Students’ Forum, considered that the potential of social media and other digital tools to promote youth participation is not being fully exploited by the public administrations.

“Youth is Diversity and Equal Opportunities for all”

The Plenary Session 2, moderated by Tamara Glišić-Krivošija (AP Vojvodina), brought up various relevant topics that have direct impacts on young Europeans: the right to have equal opportunities no matter their background, gender, or physical conditions.

Panellists and audience at the 2nd Plenary Session “Youth is Diversity and Equal Opportunities for all”

Angela Unufe-Kennedy, Migrants and Minority Disability Network Europe, raised awareness about the enormous obstacles that the young migrant population has to face to thrive in the society they are part of. Bojana Gladovic, National Organization of Persons with Disabilities of Serbia (NOOIS), called on public administrations, private sector, NGOs and civil society to their joint responsibility in harnessing the abilities of young people with special needs and to create more job opportunities for this specific sector of the population.

Concerning youth opportunities in the labour market, both Joakim Sennesvik, Nordland County Council (NO), and Stefan Vladislavjev, Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence, coincided in the fact that society itself has to offer young people more educational and training opportunities so they can effectively enter and remain in the labour market.

“Youth is Social Entrepreneurship and Sharing Economy”

The 3rd Plenary Session under the topic “Youth is Social Entrepreneurship and Sharing Economy” gathered four experts in this specific area. Sarah de Heusch, Smart Coop, explained that the sharing economy is an evolving concept as the young people have unlimited capacity and creativity to boost new forms of economy. Vladimir Nikic (Business Incubator) pointed out that young people may be afraid of taking risks and there is always a resistance to innovate and change the pre-established state of things. Luca Spissu, Sardinia-ASPAL (IT), described innovation as a creative idea that leads to a revolution in thinking at the benefit of the whole society. Aleksandre Davitadze, Deputy Minister of Education in Ajara (GE), expressed concerns regarding the lack of stable regulation frameworks for entrepreneurs so a more secure system should be put in place to incentivise innovation.

From left to right: Luca Spissu, Sarah de Heush, Alexandre Davitadze, Tamara Glišić-Krivošija and Vladimir Nikic.

“Youth is a driving force for green development”

The last Plenary Session of the 2019 Summer Academy tackled the topic of how youth can contribute to building and advocating for climate resilience at the regional and local levels. The President of AER, Magnus Berntsson, the AER Vice President for Democracy, Nina Björby, and Aleksandra Illijn, OPENS 2019 Foundation, exchanged views and agreed upon the fact that the regional authorities and young Europeans can be more responsive and deliver with more efficiency on the challenges of preserving the environment and preventing climate change. Furthermore, the Summer Academy youth participants took the floor and interacted with the speakers making questions about the role of youth in taking up these challenges.

A farewell celebration!

The 2019 edition of the Summer Academy concluded with the speeches from the AER President, Magnus Berntsson, and the AER Vice President for Democracy, Nina Björby, who expressed their gratitude to the host region, AP Vojvodina, and handed out the certificates of participation to all the Summer Academy delegates.

AER President, Magnus Berntsson, and AER Vice President, Damir Zobenica
AER Vice President, Nina Björby, and Sanja Shiflish, AP Vojvodina.

AER would like to express its warmest gratitude to all the participants, the speakers, the volunteers but, especially, to AP Vojvodina and OPENS Foundation for hosting the event and making this 2019 AER Summer Academy a great success!

Visit the event page of the AER 2019 Summer Academy to get all the presentations, pictures, videos and more takeaways!

Photo Credits: @Aleksandar Vasilic (AP Vojvodina)

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European Committee of the Regions and Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe celebrate 25th Anniversary

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On 27 June, AER marked the 25th Anniversary of the European Committee of the Regions and Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

The President of AER, Magnus Berntsson, has joined the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, and the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Anders Knape, to mark the joint 25th Anniversary of these two assemblies of local and regional elected representatives.

The theme of this joint anniversary event was “The Added Value of Local and Regional Authorities in the Unification of Europe”. The event provided an opportunity to discuss the state of local and regional democracy in Europe and showcase the synergies between the work of the two institutions to further strengthen local self-government and regional democracy.

Karl-Heinz Lambertz referred to the need of a proper and proactive application of the principle of subsidiarity so the EU is able to deliver on the issues that really matter to people. The President of the Committee of the Regions also talked about the ​Division of Powers tool, which provides an overview of levels of institutional and fiscal decentralisation in all EU, candidate and Eastern Partnership countries.

Anders Knape emphasised the importance of decentralisation as an indispensable requirement of modern democracy, noting that local and regional governments are essential to tackle local, regional, national and global challenges.

Magnus Berntsson speaking at the anniversary event

In his intervention, Magnus Berntsson highlighted the fruitful cooperation between AER and the two institutions. The President of AER stressed that local and regional authorities are instrumental in the delivery of policies that meet people’s needs and in channelling citizens’ voices. Therefore, their role in the policy-making and implementation must be strengthened, through the sound application of the principles of subsidiarity and multi-level governance. This is about reinvigorating democracy and will be vital to the resurgence in trust in public institutions, said Magnus Berntsson.

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Regions for peace-building

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On June 4th, 2019, AER co-organized a debate with the Congress of the Council of Europe about the role of local and regional authorities in peace-building. This debate took place in the context of the World Forum Normandy for Peace. It consisted of a vivid discussion between speakers of a debate panel and afterward with the public.

Different perspectives on peace-building

Moderated by Thomas Andersson, President of the Regional Council of Jämtland (SE) and active member of AER, the debate turned around the question of how local and regional authorities can contribute to peace-building and create stability in their respective region.

Three speakers from different backgrounds were invited and shared their experiences and opinions on the topic. Ms. Kelly McBride, director of the Democratic Society, a non-profit organization seeking more dialogues and deliberation in democracy shared her view from an angle of a civil society representative. In her opinion, one of the most important things local and regional entities can do for peace is making sure that all forms of democracy are given in a territory. All the people living there should have the possibility to influence what happens in their surroundings. McBride suggested, that a more open and participative government, amongst other actions, is advantageous for peace-building.

Mr. Xavier Cadoret, President of the Chamber of Local Authorities of the Congress and mayor of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy (FR) emphasizes the fact of how important the subsidiary principle is to build sustainable peace. It means to give certain competencies to a more immediate and local level so that tasks can be acted out more effectively. The link to peace would be that subsidiarity could guarantee that all the regions of a state feel included in the decision-making processes of a government.

At last, Ms. Dörte Liebetruth, a member of the Chamber of Regions of the Congress and of the state parliament of Lower Saxony in Germany stresses the importance of the local and regional level. Because it is closest to the people, where “we live our everyday life” and experience first-hand what the “decision-makers” conclude, be it on the European or the national level.

Left to right: Kelly McBride, Xavier Cadoret, Dörte Liebetruth, Thomas Andersson

Challenges and the future involvement of regions in peace

When it comes to threats to peace, especially in Europe, everyone on the debate panel agreed on certain points. Forces aiming at disintegrating Europe, the crisis of representation and loss of trust in public authorities, the indifference of people, and fake news are big challenges to guarantee a peaceful coexistence. Another big challenge regarding region’s involvement in peace-building is the lack of financial resources of the local and regional authorities to contribute substantially to peace. Also, a lack of experts and professionals is missing in this field.

The panel discussion concluded, that the future involvement of regions and local governments in peace will be in more and more participative and collective leadership, dialogue and cooperation between regions and levels of government, and fostering cultural encounters. Regions should furthermore work for more empathy, encouragement, and empowerment of people to work towards peaceful and stable societies.

20 to 25 people participated in the discussion after the panel debate and came up with very concrete questions on, for example, town twinning and how to make the citizens participate more in decision-making processes.

Despite countries’ varying levels of decentralization, autonomy, and skills, local and regional authorities in Europe are working to foster ties and contribute to the continent’s stability. By focusing on local and regional issues, the dialogue can often be more fruitful than at the national level.

The World Forum Normandy for Peace took place at the Abbaye aux Dames in Caen, France.
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Building Intercultural Regions

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AER’s General Assembly and Spring Bureau Meeting in Larnaca (CY) on 5-6 June 2019 brought together regional leaders from across Europe to discuss how to harnesses the benefits of migration and diversity for a more inclusive and democratic Europe.

Round Table “Connecting the dots – Multi-level, Multi-actor Migration”

During the Round Table “Connecting the dots – Multi-level, Multi-actor Migration” on 5 June, representatives of local and regional authorities, civil society organisations and European Institutions shared experiences and methodologies on how to achieve a common approach among different stakeholders and better multilevel coordination on welcoming migrants and refugees. The event was held in the framework of the “AMiD – Access to Services for Migrants with Disabilities“ project, supported by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) of the European Union.

Breakfast Briefing on Intercultural Regions

At the Breakfast Briefing on 6 June, moderated by the AER Vice President for Democracy, Nina Björby, AER members discussed approaches to more effectively managing migration and diversity for more inclusive communities.  

Albert Castellanos, AER Vice President for Interregional Cooperation and Mediterranean Affairs and Chair of the AER Task Force on Migration, highlighted the importance of interculturalism as a policy approach in our increasingly diverse societies. Projecting a positive attitude towards migration and diversity, interculturalism offers a more valuable narrative for public action, he stated.  

Irena Guidikova, Head of Division Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Programmes of the Council of Europe, presented the Intercultural Cities Programme. This flagship programme of the Council of Europe assists local authorities in designing policies based on the intercultural integration policy model. Implemented in more than one hundred cities in Europe, it aims to foster connections and inclusive collective identity, managing diversity as an opportunity, while also ensuring equal access to rights and opportunities for all. Introducing the intercultural approach to regional level is key to increasing the impact of intercultural integration on managing migration and diversity in Europe, proclaimed Irena Guidikova.

Member of Limassol Municipal Council, Neophytos Charalambides, presented the experience of the Limassol Intercultural Council. This multi-stakeholder consultative body is based on the Council of Europe Intercultural Cities programme and aims to advise local authorities on the integration challenges faced by migrants. 

AER member regions committed to work even more closely together and exchange on migration, diversity and inclusion policies, governance and practices within a European informal network of intercultural regions.

Bureau Position on Intercultural Regions 

During the AER Bureau Meeting on 6 June, Bureau Members adopted a Position “Towards an Intercultural Europe”, proposed by the Chair of the AER Task Force on Migration, Albert Castellanos, Catalonia (ES). The position calls for European institutions and national governments to adopt a proactive agenda when managing migration, building a comprehensive approach that goes beyond security-driven measures. Regional leaders urged the Council of Europe, the European Union and their Member States to make inclusion a priority and to provide increased funding and resources for the integration of migrants, using a multi-level and multi-actor approach. 

What’s next?!

On 25 June 2019, The Regions for Integration Initiative will host a seminar “Integration of Migrants and Refugees in Small Territories: A factor for local development” in Brussels at the European Committee of the Regions. See the Draft Agenda and register HERE.

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AER in Conversation: The Future of Europe – with Karl-Heinz Lambertz.

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During the Assembly of European Regions Bureau meeting in Larnaca, Cyprus, AER had the pleasure of welcoming President of the European Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, to discuss the Future of Europe in conversation with newly re-elected AER President Magnus Berntsson.

Mr. Lambertz arrived in Cyprus a day earlier for a citizen’s dialogue, part of an ongoing consultation between European institutions and actors at local and regional level to discuss the future of the European Union. Mr. Lambertz has participated in more than 50 of these dialogues, putting him in an unparalleled position to share the views of Europe’s citizens with the members of the Assembly of European Regions.

AER President Magnus Berntsson led the conversation and opened with the current context of Europe in the wake of the 2019 European Parliament elections – what next for local and regional actors in Europe?

Mr. Berntsson took the opportunity to share the AER Manifesto for the European Elections and incoming MEPs and Commissioners with Mr. Lambertz.

The pair agreed that in many ways it is a moment for reflection and change as newly elected politicians from the regions of Europe will come to Brussels and Strasbourg to sit in the European Parliament and form part of the College of Commissioners.

Notwithstanding this, Mr. Lambertz emphasised that the European Union must belong to its citizens;

“Europe is not just Brussels and Strasbourg, it is every corner of the union, we must go there and speak to the citizens, to make them feel that Europe is theirs.”

The CoR President reiterated the importance of citizen’s dialogue in encouraging participation and boosting a feeling of ownership among citizens. In doing so, he recalled;

“Subsidiarity is one of the most important European Principles. We must work at the level closest to the citizens. We must listen to citizens “

Wrapping up the conversation with AER members this afternoon in Larnaca, Mr Lambertz said:

We need a narrative based on values, developed by young and old, by people of different backgrounds, different viewpoints coming together to build a future for Europe.

Karl-Heinz Lambertz, President CoR

As a network of local and regional politicians and civil servants, AER’s views on the future of Europe are fully compatible with Mr. Lambertz’s vision for a diverse, representative and united Europe.

AER will continue its close cooperation with the European Committee of the Regions going forward.

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Activity Report 2018-19: Sustainability

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2018-19 was a year of sustainability in more ways than one. The latest AER Activity Report, which was launched at the AER General Assembly in Larnaca on 5 June 2019, illustrates this through the medium of design.

Towards A Sustainable Europe

The theme of the Activity Report is derived from the AER Political Priorities which focused on economic, social, democratic and environmental sustainability. The report was thus conceptualised using elements of circularity to represent the renewable and lasting nature of the idea: sustainability.

At this link you can explore the cover page of the Activity Report, where AER member regions are brought to life in an orbital, interactive graphic representation.

Sustainable Development of AER as an organisation

2018-2019 saw AER bring sustainability to life not only in its policy work but also in the story of our organisation.

A democratic, cooperative, inclusive and sustainable Europe of Regions needs a strong network for regions to interact with each other.
Interregional cooperation and best practice exchange are paramount if we are to strengthen a democratic Europe where citizens are meaningfully engaged in their common future.

As such, AER strives to bring its members closer to one another, hosting events across the regions of Europe, while also facilitating meetings of members in Strasbourg and Brussels with interlocutors from European and international institutions.

In its advocacy work, AER has held meetings with officials from the European Commission, European Committee of the Regions, Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities to name but a few.

In the committees, the work of AER has spanned from the bioeconomy to blockchain, migration to education, SDGs and smart cities.

The project unit had a successful year in securing a number of new and exciting projects that will allow AER and its member regions to boost their work in areas including youth participation, communicating cohesion, and migration.

AER’s flagship programmes, too, provided outlets for young professionals, politicians and activists to gain experience, exchange ideas and grow at the regional level.

The year 2018-2019 is testimony to the work put in by the member regions of the Assembly of European Regions. The collaboration between the AER Secretariat as a facilitator for the regions’ initiatives and our dedicated members goes to show that there is undoubtedly strength, not only in numbers, but also in interregional cooperation and mutual learning.

Download the AER Activity Report 2018-19Download
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