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Join the webinar on lifelong learning: upskilling and re-skilling of 50+

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In the framework of SKILLNET project – Sector Skills Network in Advanced Manufacturing, a webinar will take place on October 21, 10:00/11:15 CET  dedicated to Lifelong learning: upskilling and re-skilling of 50+.

The event is part of a series of 18 webinars designed to bring together experts in different fields linked to vocational education and training (VET), with the purpose of establishing relevant groups of collaboration and partnerships for future EU project proposals.

This webinar will be a valuable occasion for participants from different countries and institutions to get insights from key speakers and to interact with experts in the field of lifelong learning. 

Due to the rapidly changing labour markets and multiple challenges, such as digitalisation, technological changes, labour shortage, ageing societies and social inclusion, unemployment, upskilling and re–skilling adults became an urgent priority for European policy-makers and stakeholders. 

Thus, the webinar aims to bridge the gap between the need for re-skilling and upskilling and funding opportunities and programmes offered by the EU.  People over 50 oftentimes are not the target group approached for the majority of employers and there is association between ageing and reduced participation in learning which is why there is a need for training and retraining people over 50 to make them able to re-enter the labour market.

The objectives of the webinar are: 

  • to highlight the relevance of EU funding opportunities and European cooperation in the field of lifelong learning
  • to share regional good practice on upskilling and re-skilling and encourage people to educate themselves 
  • to foster networking between experts in the field of lifelong learning and other interested parties

The webinar will cover:

  • 10.00 – 10.10 Introduction to the Skillman network and to the webinar (Valentina De Vico, Skillman Communication Manager)
  • 10.10 – 10.20 EU fund opportunities for lifelong learning (Elena Romanini, Skillman Senior Project Manager)
  • 10.20 – 10.30 Empowering adults to reskill and upskill (Michael Heaney, Chief Executive Officer, Údarás na Gaeltachta)  
  • 10.30 – 10.40 Cross-border cooperation in the field of lifelong learning (Ana Gale, Director, Uciliste Studium – Institution for Adult Education)
  • 10.40 – 11.05 Panel discussion and Q&A session
  • 11.05 – 11.15 Closing remarks
REGISTER HERE

Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash

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Funding Opportunities under the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation

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New opportunities are arising for fostering social wellbeing in Europe and beyond! Two calls have been launched under the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (“EaSI”). The call are both aimed to actively address the major societal needs of nowadays societies through two different actions: On one side, VP 2020/010 is designed to fund the establishment of national competence centres for social innovation; On the other, VP2020/003 supports the development of policy innovations in the frame of the Principle 14 of the European Pillar of Social Rights providing that “everyone lacking sufficient resources has the right to adequate minimum income benefits ensuring a life in dignity at all stages of life, and effective access to enabling goods and service”.

Competences centres for social innovation (VP 2020/010)

In the current fast-changing world, societal innovation is becoming increasingly important to address the major social and economic trends as the low-carbon economy transition, digitalization, demographic change, migration, and the recent pandemic. In this context, social innovation refers to a set of “activities linked to the development testing, validation and implementation and scaling-up of (a combination of) new products, services, models or practices that meet social needs and resolve societal challenges” (VP 2020/010).

Given the increasing importance attached to social innovation by the new Commission and within the future ESF+ Regulation, the call aims to contribute in the shape the adequate context for societal innovation actions through the establishment, development, and professionalism of organizations

Need to empower social innovation initiatives and partnerships and boost the stakeholders’ capacity to act. The call aims to support the “establishment, development and professionalism of organisations that do or can assume the function of a social innovation competence centre in an EU Member State” (VP 2020/010) acting as a hub for capacity building, transnational transfer of knowledge, creation of synergies, and networking.

The expected outputs of the call include:

  • The establishment of a competence centre for social innovation, and its recognition from relevant external stakeholders as well as entitlement to formal endorsement.
  • An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of social innovation and the definition of areas and approaches that can inspire other territories
  • A joint blueprint by stakeholders for a social innovation’s strategy and action plan in the country
  • A system to pursue ongoing improvements and adaptions of their tools and methodologies, resources, and practices for each competence centre
  • A collection of social innovation initiatives initiated or scaled-up

Deadline for submitting proposals: 16th November 2020

More information can be found here

Establishing and testing integrated interventions aimed at support people in (the most) vulnerable situations (VP/2020/003)

Through this call, the European Union wants to address persisting threats to the social and economic wellbeing of people as the lack of long-term employment and activity, and poverty and social exclusion. The need of making social protection and social inclusion as resilient as possible increases and becomes even more urgent in light of the new challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis, which has further enhanced social disparities and caused constraints to public services’ accessibility and a serious decrease in the employability call.

To counter these trends, the call supports existing or new partnerships in the development and testing of policy innovations and experimentations particularly aimed at the delivery of Principle 14 of the European Pillar of Social Rights through the multi-stakeholder innovative approach.

Deadline for submitting proposals: 15th October 2020

More information can be found here

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is currently looking for partners to develop a proposal for the call. More information can be found in the dedicated article.

Photo Credits: United Nations COVID-19 Response (Unspalsh)

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AER participating in #EURegionsWeek

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The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is pleased to announce our participation in the European Week of Regions and Cities (EURegionsWeek) in two sessions during the week of 12-16 October.

The EURegionsWeek is an annual event taking place in Brussels dedicated to regional policy. During this week, political representatives, decision-makers, experts and practitioners of regional policy, as well as stakeholders from business, banking, civil society organisations, academia, the EU institutions and the media discuss common challenges for European regions and cities. In 2019, over 9000 participants took part in over 330 sessions.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the EURegionsWeek will be fully digital over 3 weeks from 5 to 22 October, each week covering a different theme:

October 5 – 9: Green Europe
October 12-16: Cohesion and Cooperation
October 19-22: Empowering Citizens

Achieving 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through Cohesion Policy

On 15 October from 11:30 – 13:00, we invite you to join our webinar in partnership with  Regions 4, ORU Fogar, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Catalan Directorate-General for Development Cooperation (ACCD), and the European Union EUROsociAL+ Programme.

The Sustainable Development Goals should be met leaving no one and no place behind. Cohesion policy will be an essential instrument for countries, regions, and municipalities to make progress towards the SDGs through its multi-level and multi-stakeholder implementation approach and investments in strengthening people’s skills, creating job opportunities, fighting poverty and social exclusion, supporting small and medium enterprises, as well as addressing major global issues such as climate change and migration. Regional and local governments must ensure cohesion policy programmes bring about the best outcomes for sustainable development and the localization of the SDGs, turning the 2030 Agenda into reality across Europe.

The webinar will aim to address the main question of “How cohesion policy can make regions deliver for a sustainable and fair Europe, and progress on the implementation of the SDGs“.

Speakers:

Stefano Marta, Coordinator Territorial Approach to the SDGs, OECD, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities
Agustí Fernández de Losada, Specialist, EUROsociAL+ Programme.
Leyre Madariaga, Director of Foreign Relations, Basque Government.
Natàlia Mas, Secretary of Economy, Government of Catalonia.
Javier Sánchez Cano, Head of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Directorate-General of Development and Cooperation Catalan Government.
Moderated by Mr Magnus Berntsson, AER President

For further information and programme, please refer to the concept note.   

Deadline: 27 September

Eurodyssey35: Regions on the move

On 14 October from 9:30 – 11, we invite you to join us for our participatory lab about what is at stake for youth development, and the instrumental role of youth mobility in fostering territorial cohesion and a sense of European identity. 

Mobility is at the core of European integration. For over 25 years the EU has actively promoted the mobility of students, researchers and citizens to deliver in strategic policy areas: employment, education and inclusion. Since 1985, the AER has put regions at the forefront of fair mobility for young people through our Eurodyssey programme. Regional and local authorities have a key part to play in driving youth development and tackling barriers to short-term mobility and longer-term cohesion.

Through parallel discussions, the audience will not only take a deep-dive into the ins and outs of youth mobility but will also challenge the invited storytellers to reflect upon the linkages between fair mobility, quality employment, social inclusion and active European citizenship

Speakers:
Mr Hrvoje Kovač, Chair of AER Subcommittee on Youth, Assembly of European Regions (AER)
Ms Andrea Ugrinoska, Chairperson of the Advisory Council on Youth, Council of Europe
Ms Floor Van Houdt, Head of Unit for Youth policy and Volunteer Solidarity, European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture

Deadline: 27 September

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Partner Search: Develop Integrated Interventions for Vulnerable People with Izmir Metropolitan Municipality

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Are you currently developing a project proposal addressing the EaSI call VP/2020/003 “Establishing and testing integrated interventions aimed at supporting people in (the most) vulnerable situations” or do you wish to do so? Then, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, the third-largest municipality in Turkey and a hub for multiculturalism and integration, is eager to either join an established consortium or to find partners willing to co-create an effective project application to be submitted by 15/10/2020.

About the Call

By means of the European Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI), the European Union finances actions needed to pursue one of its core objectives, i.e. “the promotion of high-level quality and sustainable employment, guaranteeing adequate and decent social protection, combating social exclusion and poverty and improving working conditions”.

Despite the increase in the living conditions in the European Union over the last decade, threats to the social and economic wellbeing of people are still persisting and in need of an active response. Long-term employment and activity are still lacking across the continent, while poverty and social exclusion remain a major concern for many individuals. Making social protection and social inclusion as resilient as possible becomes even more urgent at the current time, when, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, urgent needs of disadvantaged groups are increasing, whereas accessibility to public services and employability rate are dramatically decreasing all over the world.

Through the “(EaSI) – VP/2020/003”, the EU is calling for authorities and organisations to address this persisting gaps in the effectiveness of social benefits hindering the wellbeing, inclusion, and social mobility of most vulnerable people, referring to people facing the greatest barriers to social and labor market integration.  

The call supports the development and testing of policy innovations and experimentations aimed at the effective delivery of Principle 14 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, according to which“everyone lacking sufficient resources has the right to adequate minimum income benefits ensuring a life in dignity at all stages of life, and effective access to enabling goods and service”. The action must build on the integrated approach combining three strands: the provision of adequate minimum income benefits; activation services supporting the access to employment; and effective access to enabling goods and services.   

  • The EU co-financing rate for the projects implemented under this call is 80%
  • The deadline for the submission of the application is 15/10/2020
  • Access the call for more information

About Izmir Metropolitan Municipality

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) holds a very important place in the local administration organization of Izmir, being the third-largest city in Turkey and an important logistic hub. IMM, as the local authority of the whole province, is responsible for the wide variety of areas, including social projects, community services, vocational education, health, culture, tourism, environment, climate change, IT, transportation, energy, natural resources, water, and sewerage administration, infrastructure, planning, and development, etc.

Izmir has been a remarkable city for both internal and external migration movements throughout history. Especially internal migration movements (from rural cities to metropolitan cities) that have been continuing since the 1970s and Syrians’ refugee movements for several years their repercussions raise vulnerable groups in Izmir like other metropolitan cities. Since then, IMM has given great importance to these and implemented a variety of projects and activities for vulnerable groups and other disadvantageous groups.

IMM provides a wide range of services in reference to fields of social support and social investment, and it has many service centers peculiar to each vulnerable group. To name a few examples: Milk Fed Lamb (Süt Kuzusu) is providing milk for kids between 1 to 5 years old. Vocational Factory (Meslek Fabrikası) is a project which improves the employability of job seekers with its local labor market-sensitive vocational training programs. Accessible Izmir (EngelsizIzmir) aims to form better conditions in all public services for disabled citizens. Grocery of Public (Halkın Bakkalı) is a project which provides urgent nutrition products to low-income neighborhoods while supplying them from local small producers. Hanging Meal (AskıdaYemek) and Hanging Invoices (AskıdaFatura) are the projects contributing to the solidarity of people who lives in the city for supporting low-income people by paying their invoices and fundamental food needs with donations. We are providing a diversity of services through our infrastructure and participating in grant projects (EU, UN, etc.)  for vulnerable groups such as women, disabled, refugees, NEETs. IMM has a good level of experience, implementation and cooperation capacity, infrastructure facilities, and responsiveness to changing local needs. 

In order to ensure social, cultural, educational, and economic cohesion and to transform the multicultural and multi-identity structure of the city into a richness, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality creates inclusive urban policies with a rights-based and holistic perspective always pushing for delivering the necessary. In light of the new threats posed by the Covid-19 and new migration flows in terms of supporting and providing proper services for vulnerable groups (including NEETs, disabled people, women with low educational attainment), IMM especially values the work that can be developed by being part of the EaSI project as it will enable to structure beneficial and inclusive policies, feed and support coexistence culture and social cohesion in the city.

For more information contact:

Derkay TAN, Directorate of EU Grant Projects at Izmir Metropolitan Municipality [email protected]

Photo from Unsplash Larm Rmah

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Together4Cohesion comes to its end: A Journey throughout its Road and Prospectives

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The campaign #Together4Cohesion is now concluded and we want to go through the long road performed. At the same time, we hope that our actions were meaningful in generating a spark among all actors involved within cohesion policy persuading them to continue showing its benefits. To this end, we want also to share sustainable tools that can support practitioners in this long-lasting exercise, as well as our commitment to continue promoting cohesion policy.  

Since April 2019, AER in cooperation with mc Group and in partnership with six flagship regions [Alba (RO), Catalonia (ES), Csongrad-Csanàd (HU), Timis (RO), Trentino (IT), and Varazdin (HR)] have been coordinating and implementing a widespread communication campaign on the benefits of European cohesion policy co-financed by DG-REGIO (European Commission). The campaign “Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!” was aimed at raising awareness of cohesion policy and structural funds as major tools to implement social and economic investments fostering balanced growth among European regions through the active involvement of the policy’s main beneficiaries, i.e. citizens and stakeholders.

After sixteen months of campaigning, we have reached the end of this journey across regions, projects, and people. It is time now to look back at the road from the hill and to share the achievements of Together for Cohesion. The path was exciting but yet not without its difficulties. As various activities, the campaign had to face major constraints posed by the outbreak of Covid-19. Despite the challenge, the campaign’s team elaborated on alternative solutions enabling to continue and ultimate the mission.

Visibility Events and Activities

We have actively engaged in promoting debate around the theme of cohesion policy through both international and local events in the six flagship regions. The campaign was officially launched at AER General Assembly in Larnaca  (5th June 2019) with a dedicated Knowledge Sharing Workshop; it was presented at both AER Committee’s Plenaries in Podcetrtek  (25th September 2019) and the 37th session of the Local and Regional Authorities Congress of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg (28th-31st October 2019). We concluded our international engagement with a final webinar on “Communicating European Cohesion Policy” (16th July 2020), where we shared hints and practices acquired during the campaign, as well as launched discussion on the current use of structural funds to counter the Covid-19 effects and the perspective of the next MFF.

Alba and Timis (RO)

In parallel, the campaign engaged citizens, stakeholders, and public authorities at the local level within the six flagship regions. Alba County inaugurated the series of Together for Cohesion’s local events through the Apulum Agraria Fair (20th September 2019), where farmers, producers, and policymakers exchanged about the local products of Alba and discussed the benefits of cohesion policy. Students in the Alba County have been informed about the opportunities that cohesion funds brings about for employment, career guidance and development at the second local event of the region, the Career Management Conference (20th-22nd November 2019). The third event was held by the Timis County Council, a conference on “The Benefits of Cohesion Policy for European Union Citizens” (25th February 2020) gathering representatives of public institutions and non-governmental organizations to discuss the pivotal role of cohesion investments for the development of the region. Additionally, the County held a drawing competition for children focused on “The Europe where I would like to live in”/ “A greener Europe”.  Lastly, both Romanian Counties produced and disseminated a series of videos showing how cohesion funds have supported local activities in various thematic fields.

Csongrád County (HU)

In Csongrád County, the campaign Together for Cohesion served as a basis to launch important institutional exchanges among mayors on experiences, results, and plans regarding cohesion funds through two Professional Forums for Mayors of the Csongrád County  (11th December 2019 and 30th June 2020). Beyond institutional discussions, the County launched reflections among children through the drawing competition and award ceremony in Szeged on climate awareness (23rd June 2020).

Generalitat de Catalunya (ES)

Within the scope of the campaign, the Generalitat de Catalunya triggered debates around crucial themes related to cohesion policy through two webinars. The first webinar, “ICF Eurocredit COVID-19 line” (27th May 2020), explained how this instrument can support companies affected by the crisis. The second webinar gathered representatives from the public administration to reflect on the management of public resources through a gender perspective (22nd June 2020). Lastly, a video showcasing the various benefits that Structural and Investment funds bring about in the region was disseminated via social media in order to reach a wide audience.

Province of Trento (IT)

Visibility actions in Trentino took an innovative shape. The Province launched a series of four TV episodes on cohesion policy providing viewers with a detailed explanation of what cohesion policy is, focusing at both the local level and broader European level. The first three episodes presented a specific Operational Programme, a local project, and an interregional project. The last episode focused on the benefits of cohesion funds for local stakeholders. Finally, space was given to inform citizens and companies about how ERDF and ESF funds have been re-addressed to support the COVID-19 relief through a dedicated article and infographic.

Varaždin County (HR)

The series of local events in Varaždin had a sparking start at the Splendid Ball in Varaždin (31st January 2020), where ambassadors, Parliament, and Civilian Guard members exchanged on the benefits of cohesion policy. On 13th February 2020, the International Conference on “ESI Funds beyond 2020”  involved private and public stakeholders from Croatia, Austria, and Slovenia to debate on the future of cohesion policy during the next European budgetary period. The event was followed by another international conference on “Entrepreneurship Education” (5th March 2020) attended by professionals working in the education and entrepreneurship sectors willing to enhance the connection between these two fields, considering it pivotal for the economic growth of the region. To conclude the local mission, the Varaždin County produced and broadcasted on television a short movie showing the impact and achievements of cohesion policy in the region.

Messengers of Cohesion – the Voices of Citizens, Stakeholders, and Third Parties

Together for Cohesion was based on a bottom-up approach attaching core importance to the involvement of cohesion’s policy main beneficiaries as the main voice of the campaign. To this aim, workshops, trainings, and webinars were organized in Alba, Catalonia, Csongrad, Trentino, and Varazdin to offer entrepreneurs, journalists, project managers, local decision-makers, and other actors engaged with cohesion policy the opportunity to boost effective communication skills.

Entrepreneurs and project managers opened – physically or virtually – the doors of their activities to show how cohesion funds have supported the foundation or expansion of their local business. Journalists visited the Axa Porcelaine in Alba Iulia, a small family business that through cohesion funds grew and expanded its sales to the European market becoming the second-largest manufacturer of porcelain in Romania. Luigi Calabrese, R&D Manager at Kirana Laser Startup in Trentino, testified the fundamental role of European funds when the company was launched, pivotal for its consecutive expansion in the international market, and collaboration with research centers of excellence as the CERN in Geneva.

Moving from support to business to health services, the General Hospital Varaždin has presented the ongoing project aimed at establishing unified day hospital and surgery. The Hospital Vall d’Hebron, in Catalonia, showed how cohesion funds have supported a major digital transformation improving the quality and the access of the services provided by the hospital. We have also heard from local authorities in Timis how the modernization of the County Hospital emergency unit financed by the EU increased the receiving capacity of 25% enabling better flow and comfort for patients and families and improved working conditions for the staff.

Through a virtual visit at the Extreme Light Infrastructure Attosecond Light Pulse Source (ELI-ALPS) in Szeged (Hungary), we testified how cohesion policy promotes the development of research infrastructures needed to study the most elementary and fastest processes through long-term investments in three different countries – Hungary, Romania, and the Czech Republic.

Targeted stakeholders from the six-flagship regions were also interviewed to show the contribution of the EU and cohesion policy to core policy fields as tourism (here and here), youth involvement, gender equality, handicraft, and agriculture.

Lastly, Together4Cohesion opened the floor of its campaign to third parties around Europe involved with cohesion policy and willing embark in our campaign through their success stories. Read all the third parties’ stories here!

Let’s continue to communicate Cohesion Policy beyond Together for Cohesion

Although the campaign is finished, triggering debates on European cohesion policy and raising awareness about its benefits among citizens and stakeholders shall become a long-lasting practice. We have designed a toolkit including an e-learning video and a set of recommendations to support practitioners in effectively performing this task. Both instruments are available in English and the official languages of the flagship regions under the Toolkit section of Together4Cohesion.eu.   

Being European cohesion policy a core field of action for the Assembly of European Regions, we will continue to launch discussions and inform our members on the matter through the creation of a dedicated hub within our website. The latter will serve to collect and prioritize policy briefs, position papers, and good practices concerning the policy.

Hence, as usual, stay tuned!

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European Youth Together: Denizli (TR) is eager to join projects

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Are you planning to apply to the Erasmus + open call European Youth Together? Are you still looking for partners? Denizli Metropolitan Municipality and Denizli City Council Youth Assembly could be what you are looking for.

Denizli City Council Youth Assembly: the partner you were looking for?

The Denizli City Council Youth Assembly is keen to get involved as a partner in a project answering the Erasmus+ open call “European Youth Together”.

The Assembly aims at raising awareness of young people and ensuring their active participation in the mechanisms of local government. It also aims at raising awareness of social enterprise projects among young people. In the past years, the Denizli City Council Youth Assembly carried out various activities and projects in relation to education, culture, youth unemployment or technology.

What is the European Youth Together open call?

As in previous years, Erasmus+ launched the open call European Youth Together 2020. This call answers to Key Action 3: Support for policy reforms. It aims at creating networks promoting regional partnerships. These networks must run in close cooperation with young people from across Europe. The networks should organise exchanges, promote training and allow young people themselves to set up joint projects, all of which could be done through both physical and online activities. Projects should particularly address challenges related to inclusive participation for all young people, regardless of their background. The deadline for this call is 28 July 2020.

If you are interested in a partnership with the Denizli City Council Youth Assembly or have innovative ideas for projects in line with the European Youth Together call, the AER team would be happy to liaise.

Contact: Agnese Pantaloni, European Projects Coordinator
E-mail: [email protected]

Photo by Perry Grone on Unsplash

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Eurodyssey is back!

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After 3 months suspension, the members of the Eurodyssey Steering Committee adopted last Friday by consensus resolution 03/07/2020 to reactivate the programme and to set out the new conditions to adapt the programme to the “new normal”.

Resolution 03/07/2020

The Eurodyssey Steering Committee encourages those member regions where the sanitary situation is stable to resume the publication of offers and host participants under the following new conditions (five “musts”):

  1. The Eurodyssey regions MUST guarantee, at least, a “blended format” prioritising, where possible, on-site work over teleworking.
  2. The Eurodyssey regions MUST make sure that host companies or organisations comply with the health measures set by the competent authorities for on-site work.
  3. The Eurodyssey regions MUST ensure effective linguistic training in any possible format (either online or on-site).
  4. The Eurodyssey regions MUST specify in every internship offer and in the Vademecum the sanitary situation in the region (please, refer to “website protocol & COVID-19 F.A.Q.” section below).
  5. The Eurodyssey regions MUST inform the participants about the COVID-19 situation in the destination region BEFORE departure.

During this transition to the “new normal”, the exchanges may NOT follow the principle of reciprocity. Participants can be sent to another region ONLY if they have signed a statement of responsibility before departure for any possible contingency.

N.b.: Internships based on 100% teleworking are NOT accepted, except if the sanitary circumstances roughly change in the region while on internship due to a new wave of COVID-19.

Statement of Responsibility

The Eurodyssey regions are no longer able to assume the administrative and economic burden of dealing with subsequent COVID-19 waves. Participants will be requested to sign a mandatory statement BEFORE departure to exempt the managing regions from any liability:

Website protocol and COVID-19 F.A.Q.

Regions must include relevant and clear information about the sanitary situation in the region both in the Vademecum and in every internship offer publicly advertised on the website:

1. Please, click HERE to download the website protocol instructions.

2. A number of guiding COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.) have been issued to help regions draft relevant COVID-19 guidance. The document is available HERE in three different languages.

What regions are in for hosting in 2021?

The programme is being reactivated gradually but NOT all the member regions are fully operative.

Check regularly on eurodyssee.eu the internship offers available!

A second chance for interrupted internships

For the internships that were interrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak, the participants will have a second chance to participate in the programme through two different alternatives:

  1. As a general rule, the host region and the host organization MUST come to an agreement to resume the interrupted internships for at least 3 months.
  2. If no agreement is possible, the concerned participant can submit a second application in the same or a different region.

The AER Secretariat must be notified of this procedure AT ALL TIMES in order to make any pertinent technical adjustment on the website or arrange the insurance coverage for the new internship.

N.b.: This type of participant will also be asked to sign the mandatory declaration of responsibility BEFORE departure.

Public health is the priority

Please, always remember that public health is the priority! Please make sure your region informs the Eurodyssey participants at sending or hosting as well as the companies and organisations about the regional and national guidelines for traveling and work in times of COVID-19.

Stay safe!

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Job Vacancy: Secretary General

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Founded in 1985, the Assembly of European Regions is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe, bringing together regions from 30 countries – from Norway to Turkey and from Russia to Portugal.

AER is present everywhere on the European continent, inside and outside the European Union. It is the political voice of its members, as well as a forum for interregional cooperation. AER has offices in Strasbourg (FR), Brussels (BE), and Alba (RO).

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is looking for its new Secretary General to start ideally by early November. We are looking for an experienced leader to oversee the management of our three offices, to ensure a smooth transition and implementation of our ambitious work programme, and to represent AER externally.

JOB DESCRIPTION

As Secretary General, you will be responsible for leading and coordinating a team of 10 employees (the Secretariat). You will work in close cooperation with the Executive Board and the other statutory bodies of AER. The Secretary General will also provide updated reports on budget utilisation and current progress to the Executive Board 4-5 times a year as well as a report to all members during the annual General Assembly. Additionally, you will be responsible for strategically developing the future work plan and budget of the organisation. 

KEY TASKS

  • Maintaining and developing relations with official bodies and institutions and policymakers, especially towards the European Institutions, the United Nations and the Council of Europe. Furthermore, maintaining and developing relations with national and regional offices in Brussels
  • Coordinating and preparing meetings of the Executive Board (4-5 times annually) as well as other statutory meetings per the internal guidelines
  • Connecting and maintaining relationships with members, as well as attracting new members. Ensuring that activities provided answers members’ needs and that members are properly informed on new developments of interest to them.
  • Nurturing working relationships with other local & regional organisations as well as partner networks
  • Representing AER at high-level conferences and seminars including speaking engagements on behalf of the organisation. Additionally, contributing to AER’s visibility in European, national and regional media. 
  • Managing an international secretariat of 10 highly skilled and enthusiastic members of staff and set up and maintain a good and fair working atmosphere that favours team motivation and goals achievement. 
  • Overseeing the budget and administration of the secretariat. This includes liaising with the auditors and social secretariat to ensure the sound financial and legal running of the organisation. 
  • Developing the future work plan of the organisation in line with the goals and priorities of the members. 

COMPETENCIES 

  • Relevant academic degree
  • Excellent knowledge of regional affairs at European level
  • Experience working in a politically run organisation
  • Knowledge of European Union Institutions ways of working
  • Solid managerial experience in an international setting
  • Ability to develop and communicate a strategy empowering a team
  • Perfect knowledge of English (AER working language) and at least one additional European language
  • Computer literacy and the ability to be self-supporting
  • Experience with developing a strategic plan

PROFILE

  • Inspiring speaker and charismatic leader
  • Negotiation and diplomatic skills
  • Time management skills and the ability to work under pressure
  • Hands-on, willing to be flexible with deadlines and able to assist the team at all levels of work when required

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

  • Applications (cover letter + CV) must be done via the Eurobrussels platform by Friday 31 July midnight (Brussels Time). Please be sure to include your CV, Motivation Letter and References in one PDF.
  • If you have any questions regarding this position please contact us at [email protected]
  • Interviews will take place online for the first round (week of 24 August) and in-person for the second round in Brussels (week of 31 August). 
  • AER is looking for a Secretary General able to start as soon as possible and ideally no later than Monday 2 November. 
  • Given the high number of applications anticipated, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
  • Please note that AER cannot refund travel and accommodation costs for the interviews. AER has no budget to cover relocation costs for candidates who are not based in Belgium or France.
  • AER will require candidates to demonstrate that they have the right to live and work in the EU
  • Frequent travel is required for this position
  • Please note that you may be contacted by our recruitment agency, Rtesian
  • AER is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes any application, whatever gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT

  • The SG will be required to work either in Brussels (BE) or Strasbourg (F), with frequent travels to the other office and to member regions.
  • The contract will be under French or Belgium law depending on the above.
  • The contract will be long-term
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COVID-19: What is at stake for youth development?

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Undeniably, youth play a crucial role in the action plans to limit the spread of the COVID-19 and its adverse impact on public health, society and the economy at large. Young people are also among the most vulnerable groups who suffer from the pernicious consequences derived from this crisis.

Labour turmoils

The pandemic is admittedly making young people the main victims of labour market shocks. According to Eurostat, in April 2020 while the general unemployment rate increased by 0.2%, from 6.4% to 6.6%, the youth unemployment rate increased by 0.8%, from 14.6% to 15.4%. In OECD countries, the unemployment rate rose faster among women and young people aged 15 to 24 as reflected in the graphic below:  

Source: OECD Statistics

Over 1 in 6 young people worldwide have stopped working since the start of the crisis, according to ILO. This disproportionate escalation of youth unemployment can only be attributed to the fact that young people are overrepresented in informal employment –77% of employed young people hold informal jobs worldwide [1]– and in job sectors most at risk (ex. tourism, retail trades, personal services) from the COVID-19 shutdown. In light of these negative developments, the quality of jobs for young people will severely deteriorate and temporary contracts will become more prominent.

Socio-economic gaps

As unemployment grows, the socio-economic gaps between young people, and across generations, become more profound amid the economic and health crisis. Access to social protection is one of the major concerns and significantly varies depending on a person’s background (including age). As many welfare programmes are linked to formal employment, that leaves many young people unprotected, especially young women, and more exposed to health-related hazards [2].

In Education, the COVID-19 pandemic is altering learning, compromising nutrition and increasing the drop-out rates as a result of the nationwide closures of educational institutions. In this context, disadvantaged children and youth who have fewer economic or educational opportunities outside of school, limited access to e-learning tools and depend on free or discounted school meals are at risk of falling further behind [3].

Not to mention the young migrants and refugees. Given that 70% of all international migrants are below 30 years of age globally [4], epidemics like the COVID-19 will hit this concrete population group the hardest. What is more, the pandemic will limit even more their access to healthcare and livelihood provisions while exacerbating the social stigmas towards any minority group.

Building mental resilience

The COVID-19 outbreak has triggered detrimental effects on the wellness and mental health of children and young people. The short-term quarantine measures and social distancing turn out to have greater psychological implications for the young population and contribute to exacerbating other household and individual circumstances: personal safety, prospects of job and income losses, medical conditions in the household, social connectedness or trust in other people and in institutions [5].

According to an OECD survey, more than half of young people express great concerns about their mental health. This requires immediate policy responses and long-term solutions to mitigate harm and proactively improve systems of support for young people and children. These measures may include: providing online resources; advice to general practitioners and youth workers; inclusive telemedicine consultations; and, overall, reinforcing resources for mental health services in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Source: Eurofund

The WHO or Voices of Youth have published a compilation of resources such as guidance documents and Q&As in the area of COVID-19 & youth mental health. Furthermore, initiatives such as the Global survey on youth rights and COVID-19, a joint effort of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth (DJY) and its partners, will shed further light, among various areas, on the psychological implications of COVID-19 for young individuals.

A call for intergenerational solidarity!

It is more imperative than ever that every administration level across Europe and beyond include young people in the recovery strategies and cooperates with every economic and social player to safeguard their rights and wellbeing. The Sustainable Development Goals are paramount in accelerating a vigorous response to overcome the epidemic as well as build resilience and “social immunity” that the world needs to prevent the next pandemic.

References

[1] UN DESA, World Economic Situation and Prospects, April 2019 briefing, no 123.

[2] Special issue on COVID-19 and Youth (27 March 2020). Programme on Youth Unit, Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD), Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), United Nations.

[3] UNESCO ”COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response”: https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-emergencies/coronavirus-schoolclosures

[4] 2019 International Migration and Displacement Trends and Policies Report to the G20: https://www.oecd.org/migration/mig/G20-migrationand-displacement-trends-and-policies-report-2019.pdf

[5] “The impact of COVID-19 on children and young people”. March 2020 The Children’s Society – United Kingdom. Policy and Research team.

Photo credits: Mathias Jensen on Unsplash

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CLOSED: Communication & Events Assistant

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This vacancy has now been closed. Shortlisted candidates have been contacted and invited to interview.

We are looking for a colleague to build on a renewed brand identity and to continue innovating our communications systems, taking AER to the next level.

We want this to be combined with a knack for organising events, from workshops, to multi-day conferences.

We offer a Belgian 1-year full-time employment contract, with a competitive salary, and a possibility of extension.

You must have the right to live and work in Europe.

Are you our next colleague?

We need someone who is creative, responsive and upbeat. In this position, you will be expected to constantly strive to improve AERs visibility, recognition and image, to use your insights in a proactive manner, delivering results in a smart, politically sensitive way.

Our new colleague should speak and write fluently in English, have experience in a communications/PR position, as well as event organisation experience, be interested in the regional dimension of Europe, ready to travel across the continent and have a good working knowledge of all modern channels of communication (MS Office Suite, WordPress, Slack, Mailchimp, social networks … ).

Your professional profile should fit the responsibilities below:

Managing the implementation of AER Events (50%)

The Communication & Events Assistant will also be responsible for coordinating the organisation of all our major events. We have statutory events all around Europe, and each of them requires the development of a format that suits our members, and their rich discussions.

In this role, you would

  • coordinate the sourcing of hosts (member regions) for all of our statutory events;
  • coordinate the organisation of the AER General Assembly;
  • coordinate the organisation of the bi-annual AER Bureau & Committee Meetings.

Leading AER’s communications & community (45%)

As Communication & Events Assistant in our Brussels office, you will lead our team in “telling the story” of AER. You will disseminate results of our day-to-day activities, contribute to branding AER as the place to be for regions, and help to bring visibility to individual regions and politicians via our channels.

Some examples of how you’ll do this include:

  • building on AER’s new strategy for engagement and community development;
  • reaching out to AER’s audience via social media;
  • developing and managing our main communication channel (our website);
  • managing our mass mailings and other communications;
  • liaising with the Member Relations coordinator to promote individual regions and their success stories;
  • preparing the annual activity report.

Other Tasks (5%)

As a small team, all colleagues do more than just their main tasks. As a computer whiz, we hope you’ll be able to take over the handling of our IT responsibilities: handling the email accounts, setting up computers (Mac OS), and making sure the website is up and running efficiently.

Apply

If this piques your interest, here’s how you can apply:

Please send a short cover letter with your CV in English to [email protected] with “AER Communication & Events Assistant” as the subject line.

Please include examples of your related communications work (campaigns/website/articles) and the types of events that you have organised (workshops/conferences/trainings).

Please label any attachments as follows “FirstName_Surname_FileName” and send in PDF format.

Deadline for application: Sunday 5 July – midnight.

Anticipated Interviews:

Round 1: 8/9/10 July

Round 2: 16/17 July

Starting date: September 2020

Due to the large number of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Apply Now!

Connecting regions – inspiring Europe

Set up in 1985, The Assembly of European Regions is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe, bringing together regions from 35 countries – from Norway to Turkey and from Russia to Portugal.

AER is present everywhere on the European continent, inside and outside the European Union. It is the political voice of its members, as well as a forum for interregional cooperation. AER has offices in Strasbourg (FR) and Brussels (BE).

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Generalitat de Catalunya’s Webinar on the necessity to feminise the management of public resources

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On 22 June, the Generalitat de Catalunya is holding a webinar to discuss the necessity to feminise the management of public resources. The event is held in the context of the European Cohesion Calendar of the project Together for Cohesion and will target public authorities representatives.

The webinar will be held in Catalan.

It will start with a presentation from Lluís Juncà, General Director of Economic Promotion, Competition and Regulation, followed by an instructional welcome from Pere Aragonès, Vice President of the Government and Minister of Economy and Finance. Mercè Brey, consultant and speaker specializing in diversity and inclusive leadership, will present her paper titled: ‘Més enllà del gènere, una realitat possible’ (Beyond gender, a possible reality). A round table to debate and reflect on the impact of the gender perspective on the management of public resources will follow. Various panelists will take part in the discussion:

  • Anna Tarrach, Director General of Budgets, Department of the Vice Presidency and of Economy and Finance.
  • Mercè Corretja, General Director of Public Procurement, of the Department of the Vice-Presidency and of Economy and Finance.
  • Ariadna Rectoret, director of the Public Employment Service of Catalonia (SOC), of the Department of Labor, Social Affairs and Families
  • Núria Espuny, Director General of Transparency and Open Data, of the Department of Foreign Action, Institutional Relations and Transparency.
  • Mireia Mata, Director General of Equality, in the Department of Labor, Social Affairs and Families.

The event will end up with a conclusion from Alba Vergés from the Minister of Health.

Event Page

What’s next?
In the coming weeks, more activities will be organised by the regions involved in Together for Cohesion. We invite you to check out our Cohesion Calendar to be updated on upcoming events! You can also have a look at the success stories gathered from projects funded by the Cohesion policy around Europe.

Visit together4.cohesion.eu

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EYE2020: Youth Mobility & COVID-19

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The European Youth Event (EYE2020) is a major event at the European Parliament (EP) aiming to stimulate and involve active citizenship amongst young Europeans. It takes place every two years, but unfortunately, this year has been postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

In its stead, the European Parliament has organised a special online edition, with a variety of activities in digital format!

On the 26 May 2020, a webinar on the impact of the COVID-19 on youth mobility was held. A very topical issue, considering that since the start of the crisis international mobility exchanges haven been completely stopped. Several mobility programmes have been suspended or have had to strictly adapt to the continuously changing conditions. Eurodyssey, AER’s youth mobility programme has not been exempt from this wave.

Youth mobility was severely disrupted by the borders closures and by governmentally imposed travel bans. The sweeping measures to curb COVID19 left a very low margin to reinvent mobility, however, new forms arise thanks to the myriad opportunities that technology offers us.

The speakers included: Leonie Martin, President of JEF Europe; Miranda Zavrou, Secretary of Events at YEU Cyprus; Floor van Houdt, Head of Unit, DG EAC, European Commission; Daniela Fellinger, Coordinator, Development Committee Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations moderated by Andrea Casamenti, Board Member of the European Youth Forum. They reflected on different approaches to mobility in times of COVID-19 and shared some good examples.

Miranda pointed out that one of the very practical problems they faced, when mobility is still possible, is the increased price in flight tickets. In fact, what characterises this period for mobility is the high degree of uncertainty. This uncertainty leads to frustration for many volunteers and participants active in mobility programs, dividing them into two categories: on the one hand, those who want to return home and, on the other hand, those who do not want to give up the experience. So it is important to balance these different needs. She also highlighted the potential of digital tools, as, despite their sceptical first thought in moving workshops in an online mode, in the end, they reached even more people and increased the audience diversity.

Explore the full potential of digital tools!

Daniela stressed out the problem of the administration costs for the managing organisations following the cancellation or postponement of the mobility programmes. Despite projects being suspended, the costs derived from assisting the participants stuck abroad in mobility persist or become even higher. It is therefore important to prevent any cut of the funding available to mitigate such costs. She also expressed the positive impact of the digital tools on their programme “Work Camps” they turned it out to an online version to keep the intercultural exchange. As a result, they got an unexpected amount of responsiveness from different organisations.

Leonie drew attention on the importance of assessing whether the affected project can be turned out in an online version at the very initial step of the activity planning. She also raised concerns about the difficulties in stimulating the European identity in this context.

On this point, Floor briefly presented what the DG for Education and Culture has done to respond to these uncertain scenarios. First of all, they implement the maximum flexibility possible in the framework of the program and the legal normative. For instance, guidance to Erasmus+ National Agencies was issued in order for the actors concerned to invoke the “force majeure” clauses. This also allows to prevent additional costs up and postpone the planned activities by up to 12 months.

Leonie suggested to the organisations in charge of mobility programs to invest in software that can allow further interaction between mobility stakeholders in view of the post-COVID 19 scenarios. Daniela presented a good practice of speedy information exchange as regards the measures implemented in the different countries within the network of the Alliance. She also spotlighted that one of the things they learned from this situation is that uncertainties can lead to creativity. Floor agreed on this point and underlined that young people are widely known for being a source of creativity.

Lessons for the future …

Miranda agreed on the need to learn from the situation and expressed satisfaction for having transformed some threats into learning opportunities. In the future, she suggests adopting a risk management approach to ensure resilience and flexibility when planning activities. It is also very important to exploit the full potential of digital tools by investing in innovative methodologies. Another key point for the post-COVID19 is to consider using more blended activities in mobility in order to better combine online with offline methodologies.

Daniela warned about the pros and cons of online activities. On the positive side, you can include more disadvantaged youth who live in remote areas. By contrast, it is more difficult to keep them motivated and active from the distance.

Floor furthered developped this point stating that it is key to acknowledge that not all young people have universal access to digital tools and devices. The European Commission is working in this direction to allow for wider access to digital platforms.

See below a practical guide with 10 tips for mobility programmes downloadable HERE.

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Rural-urban relations in times of COVID-19

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The AER conference “Territorial Approaches to Regional Development” focusing on the ways in which regions address differences between urban and rural areas had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to harness the knowledge of experts invited at this event, AER is sharing content online instead.

One of the objectives of the AER conference in Covasna was to look at findings from the ROBUST project, which researches the interactions and dependencies between rural, peri-urban and urban areas via 11 Living Labs and five Communities of Practice. The below article draws on the experience of partners and goes beyond the initial focus of the conference, by providing unique insights on the impact of the pandemic on rural-urban relations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the foundation of our societies. It has also triggered changes in rural-urban relations. Throughout the crisis rural areas have been widely perceived as offering a safe haven from the virus, motivating some urbanites to seek shelter in the countryside. As restrictions ease, we might anticipate an increase in urban to rural travel.

Lack of mutual awareness a barrier to sense of shared responsibilities

However, it remains the case that most rural areas are extremely vulnerable to public health crises. It also remains that many of people are not fully not aware of the risks they carry with them in their own search for security, leisure, or space.  Research has shown that urbanisation has led to lack of mutual awareness, understanding and affinity, as well as a difference in affluence, status, and recognition of interests between rural and urban areas.

It cannot be denied that the pandemic is reshaping and will likely continue to reshape these relations in multiple and complex ways.  Given this, there is a need to avoid measures that would negatively impact rural residents, or over the long term. Pandemic–related trends (e.g. migration for employment from urban to rural areas) should be carefully monitored to avoid unintentional long-term threats to rural communities.

The rural as a partner, not a refuge

Regions and local actors can play a key role in taking rural-urban into account when developing and implementing new policies. This can include developing integrated strategies that clearly communicates that the rural is not a refuge – but a partner.

The demand for local food and the resilience of local markets have been highlighted. There is an important opportunity for all decision-makers to take up a city-regional approach, particularly around food planning.

A time for decision

Current times call for solidarity, and there is plenty evidence of that solidarity – also across rural-urban boundaries. The outcomes of this crisis on rural-urban relations will depend heavily on the decisions and actions taken now.

This article was written by Bettina Bock and Jessica Duncan, Rural Sociology Group, Wageningen University a longer post is available here.

Photo by Sven Fischer on Unsplash

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Territorial Approach to Smart Specialisation: Experience from Värmland

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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the AER Spring Committee Plenaries in Covasna County, Romania. The debate on “Smart specialisation strategies in rural areas, inclusion & wellbeing” could therefore not go ahead as planned. In order to harness the knowledge and expertise of our membership, AER is sharing content from speakers online instead.

In the below article, Kenneth Johannesson, Committee 2 Vice President for Health Innovation shares experience from Värmland (SE) on Smart Specialisation.

Welcome to Rural Värmland…

The Värmland region is part of North Central Sweden. Värmland borders Norway and the Oslo region and is thus a border region in the EU. Proximity to Oslo is an important condition for business and employment. The population of the region in 2014 was 274,691 inhabitants and the population grew by 0.5% from 2009 to 2014.

Värmland is facing important challenges, such as slow population growth, a low level of education, low wages and a low degree of employment compared to the Swedish average. Companies in Värmland are dependent on good communications due to the long distances to the metropolitan regions. Compared with other regions, Värmland is home to large tracts of forestland, which is promoted as an asset for the region and its forest industry in the Värmland strategy. The public sector provides most of the jobs in Värmland, followed by the manufacturing and steel industries and retail trade industry.

The labour market is gender-segregated both horizontally and vertically, which means that women and men find themselves in different sectors and industries, and in different positions within one and the same industry or workplace. In the case of business and entrepreneurship, most men in Värmland operate businesses in farming, forestry and fishing, while most women run companies offering cultural and personal services.

Defining Smart Specialisation in Värmland

The goal of smart specialisation in Värmland is to create new good jobs and sustainable and inclusive growth in Värmland. It is a holistic strategy that involves citizens, industry, the business community, municipal councils, the county council and the region of Värmland.

In short, smart specialisation involves learning how to prioritize and invest in innovations in order to bolster Värmland’s competitiveness. This is achieved by profiling the business and research sectors of Värmland, defining the areas of specialisation, as well as forming collaborative partnerships in Europe to successfull network and influence European policies.It is important that it is a comprehensive process where actors understand the importance of the strategy that they are creating.

Värmland has a number of priorities when it comes to Smart Specialisation, they include:

Leading the way for gender equality…

Värmland is the first region in Europe to have conducted a gender analysis study and undertaken a conscious gender-mainstreaming of the strategy for smart specialisation. In this regard, Värmland stands out as a pioneer for gender equality.

Services that create value for users

Given the progress already made in Värmland within research related to service innovation, service design and servitization, we are continuing to develop research in order to enhance the abilities of private and public actors to contribute to value-creation for customers, users and society as a whole.

Forest-based Bioeconomy

A thriving bioeconomy is demonstrated throughout Värmland through innovation and also by increasing the selection and demand for forest-based products and services. At the same time, we blaze a trail to convert to a fossil-free and sustainable society. Our fundamental strength is a sustainable forest industry with high-quality raw materials. Forest industry processes and products are the spearhead of our industries.

Digitalisation of Welfare Services;

We are developing and testing welfare services in actual environments with users: women, men, girls and boys as co-creators to provide varying types of solutions, many of which are digital. The public sector is an important user and producer of these processes. This results in better and more efficient care, education and other social services and ultimately happier, more competent and healthier citizens.

Advanced Manufacturing and Complex Systems;

We develop and offer energy- and resource-efficient system solutions and components for – primarily –  heavy vehicles, the forest industry and within renewable energy, energy efficiency and hydrodynamics. For companies, we offer membership in a cluster organisation with an open climate of collaboration in which we help each other with solutions to problems, in the development of composite systems, and with service offers.

Nature, culture and Place-based Digitalised Experiences;

We visualise knowledge, stories and natural values of places using digital technology and media in order to create unique experiences for visitors. Värmland possesses a rich diversity of more or less utilised opportunities for outstanding experiences. We have a lively cultural legacy in music, art, handicrafts, historic finnish culture and storytelling traditions. Värmland’s nature offers features such as clean water, biological diversity, different climate zones and activities such as hiking, cycling, canoeing and boating as well as an unexplored unique inland sea. Our region is also popular for winter sports with good access to skiing.

System Solutions with Photovoltaics;

We contribute to renewable power for more people all over the world and we have solutions for our own control over the production of electric power. The specialisation helps to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases as we develop and offer solutions for the production of electric energy from photovoltaics.

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A youth voluntary response to COVID-19!

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On the 14th of May, AER participated in the webinar Euro-Mediterranean Youth Voluntary responses to the COVID-19 hosted by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). AER programmes coordinator, Andrés Muñoz, joined a discussion panel on the role of regions and municipalities mobilising young volunteers to contain the spread of the virus. Two examples from AER member regions were featured in the discussions: Lepoglava municipality in Varazdin County (HR) and Ajara region (GE).

Regions mobilising youth voluntary work!

Regional and local authorities are at the frontline of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic engaging with communities to avoid the spread, delivering healthcare and other essential services and supporting the most vulnerable population, including young people. But youth has also proven to be a highly effective partner to respond to such sanitary emergencies and a valuable asset to the frontline actors for vital livelihood support.

Regional and local authorities rely on the contribution of the organised civil society and community groups, including young volunteers, together with international or private organisations to respond to the challenges of the pandemic. Many young activists and volunteers across the globe have embarked on exemplary initiatives and are generating innovative ideas to save countless lives within their communities and help in the longer-term recovery process.

AER examples of youth voluntary work

Lepoglava, Varazdin County (HR): 

The region allocated resources and organized lots of young volunteers for food and medicines delivery, prioritising the most vulnerable segments of the population. Starting from helping the elderly people in bringing them groceries, medicine and other essential goods to include people in self-isolation into such a solidarity campaign. Special attention was paid to very poor communities who were delivered free warm lunch every second day.

The organised youth took also an active part in “patrolling” the streets to inform the local stores, retailers and businesses about the distancing rules, disinfection and hygiene measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Besides that, during the “patrolling” the young volunteers distributed free masks and gloves to those citizens in need of prevention equipment.

Regional Youth Centre of Ajara (GE)

With the pandemic outbreak, activities of the Regional Youth Center of Ajara region (GE) shifted from planning and executing youth projects to coordinating young volunteers in the crisis management strategies to respond to the COVID-19.

The youth centre launched a call to recruit volunteers and, in cooperation with the Georgian Red Cross Society, trained over 400 volunteers who delivered food and medicines to over 10.000 families. As a result, the Ajara’s Youth Regional Centre has successfully acquired new skills in the field of crisis management. This solidarity youth response reaffirms the commitment of the Ajara region towards young people’s inclusion in public life.

The Eurodyssey example:

Eurodyssey’s joint actions to contain the COVID-19 crisis were also featured in the discussions as an example of interregional response to protect young people in mobility.

Share your success story!

AER is mapping further youth voluntary initiatives from member regions to give visibility to the role being played by young activists in addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The main goal is to showcase more success stories and, ultimately, organise an online workshop to exchange lessons learnt and best practices in this area.

Please, just answer a brief survey to share your story and upload any relevant pictures or files for social media purposes:

FILL IN SURVEY



Thanks in advance for contributing to this initiative!

Photo credits: @Lepoglava municipality / @Ajara

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