June 2012

A Vita Europe selection of civil society events around Europe.

di Cristina Barbetta

Listed events (for further descriptions of events and links scroll down):

1-6 June 2012, Italy, First Italian SRI Week

4 June 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Partnership 2020 Seminar: NGOs and CSR: “Working together on eco-friendly European roads”

4 June 2012, Brussels, Belgium, One year later-what perspectives for a Social Europe in the Crisis? 

6 June 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Enhancing aid effectiveness: Tackling private sector challenges

7-9 June 2012, Brussels, Belgium, European Young Leaders: ’40 under 40′

7-9 June 2012, Tunis, Tunisia, Third Congress Of The South North Mediterranean Dialogue For A Shared Vision Of The Future

8-10 June 2012, Milan, Italy, Social Innovation Camp Milan

8-10 June 2012, Athens, Greece, Startup Live Athens

12 June 2012, World Day Against Child Labour

12-13 June 2012,Berlin Germany,EU networking for better CSR Advice to SMEs

18-20 June 2012, Le Mesnil-Saint-Denis, France, International Co-operative and Social Enterprise Summer School

19-21 June 2012,Porto, Portugal, Unpacking the Future: International Social Innovation Event in Porto 

22-23 June 2012, Belgrade, Serbia, Cooperative and social enterprises in Europe and in transitional contexts

26 June 2012, London, UK, An introduction to measuring social value

26-29 June 2012, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 2012 World Conference on Active Healthy Ageing and Technology

1-6 June 2012, Italy

First Italian SRI Week

For the first time, the “SRI week” format meets Italy: many events across the country to promote and spread the culture of sustainable and responsible investment.

The events calendar is appropriately differentiated by theme, in order to give an overview of the Italian financial market, and identify the approaches by which the practice of SRI is declined by the operators into the investment policies related to different asset classes.

As a conclusion of the First SRI week, the First Italian SRI Day will be held in Rome on June 6th, at Palazzo Altieri: a conference  involving representatives of both the academia and financial industry which will be closed with the signature of the “Sustainable and responsible investment chart” by the representatives of the Italian Banking Association, the Association of Italian Insurers, the Italian Investment Management Association and their Federation.

On this occasion, the tenth anniversary of the Italian SIF will be celebrated.

To read more: http://www.settimanasri.it/english/

 

4 June 2012, Brussels, Belgium

Partnership 2020 Seminar: NGOs and CSR: “Working together on eco-friendly European roads”

In the EU, greenhouse gas emissions from transport account today for around 20% of total emissions, while car journeys remain the dominant mode of transport, accounting for 72% of all passenger kilometers.

This seminar is part of the activities of the “Partnership2020” project, managed by TOP-25 asbl, with the support of the “Youth in Action” Programme of the European Union, aiming at moving a step further towards strengthening the cooperation and the involvement of NGOs and CSR in the climate friendly transport field within future EU projects.

To read more:www.partnership2020.eu

 

4 June 2012, Brussels, Belgium
One year later -what perspectives for a Social Europe in the Crisis? 

One year ago, trade unionists across Europe met for the Congress of the European Trade Union Confederation under the political program “Mobilizing for a Social Europe”. Where does the EU stand today? Does the European project languish towards a mere neo-liberal austerity and competiveness Union? Or are there chances for a new social policy orientation and a real involvement of the Social Partners? Do the Trade Unions and social policy in the member states both have to become more “European”? These and other questions will be addressed as part of the series of high-level political dialogues.  This debate is organized by the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB).

To read more: http://www.oegb-eu.at

 

6 June 2012, Brussels, Belgium

Enhancing aid effectiveness: Tackling private sector challenges

With many donor governments implementing austerity measures in response to the economic crisis, the focus is increasingly on ensuring the effectiveness of scarce donor resources and getting more bang for each euro spent on development assistance. In this context, the private sector has emerged as a powerful, flexible and nimble stakeholder. This high-level roundtable debate will bring together senior experts from the private sector, civil society as well as from European and international institutions to discuss the role of international financial institutions in facilitating and supporting private sector investment in risk environments.

To read more: http://www.friendsofeurope.org

 

7-9 June 2012, Brussels, Belgium

European Young Leaders: ’40 under 40′

The European Young Leaders ‘40 under 40’ programme by EuropaNova and Friends of Europe engages forty of the European Union’s brightest young minds in order to create a new generation of opinion leaders promoting a European identity. Among the many challenges that Europe faces, the absence of a collective vision presents one of the principal obstacles to an effective and sustainable system of governance, as well as stable and harmonious societies. The Young Leaders will be asked to reflect upon the major problems confronting Europe and to generate innovative ideas that can provide lasting solutions. They will become ambassadors for a new vision, one which can counter the re-emergence of nationalist tendencies and provide inspiration for a European renewal.

Each year, forty young leaders from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds and various European nationalities are carefully selected to take part in a series of bi-annual 3-day meetings.

To read more: http://www.friendsofeurope.org

 

7-9 June 2012, Tunis, Tunisia

Third Congress Of The South North Mediterranean Dialogue For A Shared Vision Of The Future – “Civil Society And Public Authorities: Which Partnership?”

Six years after the Algiers Congress and three years after the Congress of Alicante, the European Movement is holding the Third Congress of the South North Mediterranean Dialogue for a Shared Vision of the Future – “Civil Society and Public Authorities: Which partnership?”. Workshops will centre around topics including cooperation of public authorities with civil society in various fields, intergenerational cooperation, and how to foster Mediterranean networks of civil society organizations.
The Algiers Declaration already asserted the need “to promote the active participation of Civil Society in the Political and Decision-Making Processes […] to create a Euro-Mediterranean entity founded on universal values which are the basis for promoting political reform and common action plans”.
At this moment in history marked by the “Arab Spring”, where the evolution of Mediterranean societies is very important for Arab States, for Europe and for their relations over the Mediterranean, it is essential to deliberate and think together to structure the future.

To read more: http://www.europeanmovement.eu

 

8-10 June 2012, Milan, Italy

Social Innovation Camp Milan

SICamp is a contest that combines ideas, people and digital tools to find solutions to social and environmental challenges. The best ideas will become reality during a 48-hour workshop to be held at The Hub Milanbetween 8 and 10 June.

Through its website (www.sicampmilano.org) SiCamp Milano will collect the most innovative solutions to problems of social, environmental and cultural nature. Six ideas will be selected by a jury and joined by teams of experts in different fields, including computer programming and digital technology, financial planning, communication and marketing, business development and fundraising. Together, they will provide the 6 proponents with the right tools to transform their ideas into reality.

SiCamp is organized by The Hub Milan in partnership with Social Innovation Camp (UK), esterni, WWF Lombardia, Ciessevi Milano, with funding from Fondazione Cariplo and UniCredit Foundation, and in collaboration with Avanzi / Make a Cube.

To read more: http://socialinnovationeurope.eu

 

8-10 June 2012, Athens, Greece

Startup Live Athens

In a unique atmosphere, people from various backgrounds come together, get to know each other and develop early business drafts and to a level, that they can be presented to investors. Participants either pitch their own business idea, or help a presenter develop his/her project. The main objective is to form interdisciplinary teams and to accelerate the best ventures and teams to the next level.

To read more: http://startuplive.in/athens/2/

 

12 June 2012

World Day Against Child Labour 

Hundreds of millions of girls and boys throughout the world are engaged in work that deprives them of adequate education, health, leisure and basic freedoms, violating their rights. Of these children, more than half are exposed to the worst forms of child labour such as work in hazardous environments, slavery, or other forms of forced labour, illicit activities such as drug trafficking and prostitution, as well as involvement in armed conflict. The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the first World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 as a way to highlight the plight of these children. The day, which is observed on June 12th, is intended to serve as a catalyst for the growing worldwide movement against child labour, reflected in the huge number of ratifications of ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour and ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for employment. The World Day Against Child Labour provides and opportunity to gain further support of individual governments and that of the ILO social partners, civil society and others, including schools, youth and women’s groups as well as the media, in the campaign against child labour.

To read more: http://www.ilo.org

 

12-13 June 2012, Berlin Germany

EU networking for better CSR Advice to SMEs

As part of the European Commission’s project “Networking for better CSR Advice to SMEs” a two-day international networking conference will take place in Berlin. The event brings together a diverse group of some 100 practitioners and experts from across Europe who advise and support SMEs in their CSR activities. The networking conference offers participants a unique opportunity to learn from their European peers, exchange best practices and build networks with others in the field.

To read more:  http://www.sme-advisors-on-csr.eu

 

18-20 June 2012, Le Mesnil-Saint-Denis, France

International Co-operative and Social Enterprise Summer School

The aim of this short course and Open Space event is to explore the social and economic contribution of co-operatives, mutuals and social enterprises in an international context. The course provides participants with an opportunity to develop their knowledge about the rationale, purposes and practices of co-operatives and social enterprises to advise and communicate effectively with policy makers, financial institutions, trustees, company and co-operative directors and work colleagues. The course covers the origins and forms of social enterprise, then provides opportunities to apply theory to practice.

To read more: http://socialinnovationeurope.eu

 

19-21 June 2012, Porto, Portugal

Unpacking the Future: International Social Innovation Event in Porto
The Congress is based on a model of accelerated social innovation, achieving mutual inspiration and the creation of discussion groups capable of finding innovative solutions to new and old social problems through contact between European and worldwide peers.

The ultimate goal of this event is to accelerate social innovation by improving methods, offering the necessary tools and starting a process to build capabilities in civil society agents so they may be able to find better and more efficient solutions to the challenges of the future (eg: population ageing, poverty, dependency on or lack of healthcare).

To read more: http://socialinnovationeurope.eu/node/3223

 

22-23 June 2012, Belgrade, Serbia

Cooperative and social enterprises in Europe and in transitional contexts

This event, organized by Euricse (European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises), a research centre designed to promote knowledge development and innovation for the field of cooperatives, social enterprises, commons and nonprofit organizations, is aimed at creating a lively discussion forum focused on the role and potential of cooperative and social enterprises in both EU and transitional countries. Special regard will be paid to the role, limitations and prospects of development of cooperative and social enterprises in Serbia.

To read more: http://euricse.eu/en

 

26 June 2012, London, UK

An introduction to measuring social value

How do we prove to others that our activities are making a difference?

How much do people value changes in their lives that result from our services?

It is important to understand the value we create to know if we are making a difference or not, and what the difference is. Often we know anecdotally what difference we make and we have good evidence of the activities that we deliver.

But what about evidence of the results and outcomes? What do people do with the opportunities that we give them in their lives and in the world beyond our contact with them?

Using SROI(Social Return on Investment)  principles and parts of the process of SROI, this practical introduction will focus on understanding social value, by: 

– Defining social value
– Measuring social value
– Exploring values for individuals and values for the state
– Examining valuation techniques
–  Involving stakeholders
– Researching values
– Managing social value
– Exploring tools and resources
– Using social value

To read more: http://www.thesroinetwork.org/training/measuring-social-value

 

26-29 June 2012, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

2012 World Conference on Active Healthy Ageing and Technology

The biennial world conference of the International Society for Gerontechnology (ISG) will take place in cooperation with the International Symposium of Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC).The event will take place under the umbrella of the European Year for Active Aging 2012.
Under the theme “Who is afraid of ageing?”, the conference will analyze all aspects of the ageing society, such as quality of life (including leisure and pleasure), home care, life-long working, retrofitting existing buildings and infrastructures and the associated new technologies, such as ICT, automation and robotics. There will be a special emphasis on the world of the construction industry. 

To read more: http://ec.europa.eu


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