Attivismo civico & Terzo settore
November 2009
A Vita Europe selection of civil society events around Europe.
2-3 November 2009, Linköping, Sweden
Eco-Efficient Economy – Towards innovative and sustainable competitiveness
This High – Level conference is organized by the Swedish EU Presidency.
The aim of the conference is to encourage mobilisation across Europe for the development of a sustainable industrial policy and to show, using good examples, how European industry can strengthen its competitiveness while meeting the climate challenge. The conference also aims to create a dialogue between the business sector and political decision-makers.
2-5 November 2009, Athens, Greece
Third Global Forum on International Migration and Development (GFMD)
The first two days of the Forum will be dedicated to the civil society meetings, followed by government dialogues. The GFMD was proposed by the UN Secretary-General and his Special Representative on International Migration and Development at the High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD) in September 2006, within the framework of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Over 140 Member States discussed the global implications of international migration and the mutually beneficial interaction between migration and development. The inaugural meeting was held in Brussels in July 2007. The second Global Forum on Migration and Development was held in Manila, the Philippines, in October 2008.
4-5 November 2009, Paris, France
OECD Global Forum on Environment on Eco-Innovation
This meeting is being organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It will take stock of current knowledge on policies to support eco-innovation and four policy challenges: how to make environment and innovation policies mutually supportive; how to most effectively induce eco-innovation; how to support the diffusion of eco-innovation, in particular to developing countries; and the consequences of the economic crises and the stimulus packages on existing policies and instruments.
http://www.oecd.org/environment/innovation/globalforum
5 November 2009, Brussels, Belgium
Green Transformation Towards a Sustainable Industrial Policy for Europe
The focus of this year’s annual Öko-Institut conference in Brussels (the Öko-Institut is a leading European research and consultancy institution working for a sustainable future) is on policy instruments for sustainable industry in Europe. International experts will discuss which measures would best assert the due relevance of sustainability and environmental goals, as well as economic goals, in European and national-level industrial policy.
The conference addresses the following questions:
– How can European industrial policy better address the interacting interests of competitiveness, innovation and sustainable development on European and global levels?
– What is the overall concept of European sustainable industrial policy in light of the dynamic contrast between innovation and competitiveness on the one side and environmental protection and sustainability on the other?
– Where do responsibilities lie on the European and member-state levels? What positive models of sustainable industrial policy are at hand at member state level?
– What additional positive effects will a consistently implemented sustainable industrial policy have, for example, on innovation, social cohesion and reduced dependency on resources?
http://www.oeko.de/new/dok/915.php
9 November 2009, Stockholm, Sweden
Violence against Women: Conference
This conference is organized by the European Commission.
It will provide an opportunity for Member States to discuss the future need for EU support in the fight against violence against women.
Around 150 people are expected to attend the conference. Those invited include representatives from EU Member States, EEA countries, EU candidate countries, EU institutions and EU-level NGOs.
9-10 November 2009, Paris, France
Sustainability Summit 2009
Sustainability Summit ’09 will bring together corporate visionaries, policy makers, environmental advocacy groups, and many others to discuss how industry can work together to meet the needs of a planet in crisis.
www.sustainabilitysummit2009.com
10-11 November 2009, Stockholm, Sweden
Protect, Respect, Remedy – a Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR
This conference is organized by the Swedish Presidency of the European Union.
The theme of the conference is States’ obligations to protect their citizens from human rights abuse, companies’ responsibility to respect human rights and access to remedies.
The conference will be based on a report entitled ‘Protect, Respect, Remedy – a Framework for Business and Human Rights’ by John Ruggie, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.
The conference is expected to have a broad range of participants with representatives from the public sector, the business sector, NGOs, the trade union movement and academia from EU Member States and candidate countries.
11-13 November 2009, Cyprus
Eurochild’s 6th Annual Conference
This conference is organized by Eurochild, a network of organisations and individuals working in and across Europe to improve the quality of life of children and young people. Eurochild’s work is underpinned by the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The conference is an opportunity to share how indicators
are being used: in policy development at national and regional
level, in advocating for children’s rights and well-being, in improving
practice and setting standards in service delivery to families and children.
A further question is how indicators are being informed by children
and young people themselves. In addition to workshops on this
issue, a group of young people from five member states will participate
in the conference and bring some of their reflections on the issue.
16-17 November 2009, Stockholm, Sweden
Equality Summit
This conference is a high-level meeting sponsored by the European Commission.
It is an annual event for ministers, chairs of national equality bodies, chairs of NGOs at EU level, EU social partners and representatives of international organisations.
The purpose of the annual conference is to share knowledge and experience so as to develop stronger and more effective ways of working against all forms of discrimination, and to promote equal rights and opportunities for all in the EU.
16-17 November 2009, Brussels, Belgium
3rd European Renewable Energy Policy Conference
This conference is organized by the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), the umbrella organisation of the European renewable energy industry, trade and research associations active in the sectors of bioenergy, geothermal, ocean, small hydropower, solar electricity, solar thermal and wind energy.
The 3rd European Renewable Energy Policy Conference will provide a major
platform for interaction between the European Renewable Energy Industry and the newly elected European Parliament as well the new European Commission.
The conference will debate the necessary steps to make the binding 20 %
renewable energy target by 2020 become a reality and will highlight the
leadership of the European renewable energy industry in the global arena.
The 3rd European Renewable Energy Policy Conference will:
– Debate the implementation of new EU legislation in the field of renewable energy
– Provide a forum for discussion on National Renewable Energy Action Plans which Member States need to submit to the European Commission by June 2010
– Provide a panorama of the European Renewable Energy Industry
– Evaluate the investment needs in the renewable energy sector
– Explain the broader context of the energy and climate challenge
-Provide a discussion forum for market & policy prospects, exchange of experience, reinforced policies and new renewable energy initiatives.
16-17 November 2009, Trier, Germany
Series of Seminars on EU Anti-Discrimination Legislation
Series of Seminars on EU Anti-Discrimination Legislation, organized in the framework of the PROGRESS programme (PROGRESS is the EU’s employment and social solidarity programme) by the Academy of European Law (ERA). The Academy of European Law is a public foundation supported by the European Union and offers conferences, seminars, professional training courses and policy debates on different areas of EC and EU law, designed for all legal practitioners and adapted to their level of knowledge and specialisation.
16-18 November 2009, Rome, Italy
World Summit on Food Security
The World Summit on Food Security aims to address the following challenges: to find ways on how to eradicate hunger from the earth by 2050; to put in place a more coherent and effective system of governance of food security at both national and international levels; to ensure developing countries have a fair chance of competing in world commodity markets; to ensure that farmers in both developed and developing countries can earn fair incomes; to mobilize substantial additional public and private sector investments in agriculture and rural infrastructure; to agree on more effective mechanisms for early reaction to food crises; and to ensure that countries are prepared to adapt to climate change and mitigate negative effects.
http://www.fao.org/wsfs/world-summit/en/
17 November 2009, Brussels, Belgium
Climate Proofing EU Structural and Cohesion Funds
This conference is organised by CEE Bankwatch Network, Friends of the Earth Europe together with the European NGO Coalition on Sustainable EU funds in collaboration with the European Greens.
Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for sustainable and just societies and for the protection of the environment, unites more than 30 national organisations with thousands of local groups and is part of the world’s largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International.
The conference will address and explore how climate change fits into the important decisions on the future of cohesion policy and the EU budget review that are to be taken in the next three years at EU level.
The conference aims to engage members of the European Parliament, EU officials and national/regional governments, civil society and the media in a one-day constructive discussion on the following questions:
– What is the climate impact of EU funds programmes and projects?
– What are the opportunities, best practices or problems in the current financial period 2007-2013 to deliver climate mitigation and adaptation?
– What kind of cohesion policy does the EU need in order to deliver low carbon development in Europe’s regions?
http://www.bankwatch.org/project.shtml?w=147577&s=2190595
19 November 2009, Newcastle, England
Implementing Effective Governance Through Good Leadership
This course will enable you to feel more confident and knowledgeable about good charity governance and how to achieve it. It will enable you to carry out an assessment of where your board is in relation to best practice and empower you to overcome barriers and improve matters for your board and beneficiaries. The following topics will be covered:
– The key principals of good governance
– The important relationship between the CEO and the Board
– Understanding your stakeholders
– ACEVO’s Governance Review Service
– Trends and future challenges
This workshop will help delegates identify some of the main causes behind governance failure, the crucial need for good governance and how this can be achieved through the following:
-Defining good charity governance
– Achieving good charity governance in your organisation
– Breaking down barriers to good governance assessing your boards governance practices
– Demonstrating good governance practices
To find out about Acevo’s conferences, workshops and training sessions visit:
https://www.acevo.org.uk/index.cfm/display_page/ProfDev_Events
19 November 2009, Brussels, Belgium
Think Future Volunteer Together
This conference is organized by the European Volunteer Centre (CEV) in cooperation with 5 organisations from 5 partner countries.
The European Volunteer Centre (Centre européen du volontariat, CEV) is a European network of currently 74 mainly national and regional volunteer centres and volunteer development agencies across Europe, that together work to support and promote voluntary activity.
The conference will be the opportunity to present the results of an innovative project co-funded by the European Commission (Directorate General Employment and Social Affairs, ENEA preparatory action), which consisted of 100 international volunteer exchanges between Italian, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovakian and Slovenian volunteer organisations.
General objective of the project is to demonstrate how the exchange of good practice through international exchanges of elderly volunteers (target group are people over 55 years old) among 5 EU countries can contribute to change the negative attitudes and how it can stimulate social engagement, thus benefiting local communities.
The conference will discuss the following questions:
– Do elderly people have possibilities to engage?
– What does it take to be a senior volunteer?
– What can be the role of volunteer support centres in order to facilitate elder people’s active participation?
– How can local, regional, national and European decision-makers as well as organisations and institutions support active ageing through international senior volunteering?
http://www.cev.be/101-think_future_volunteer_together-EN.html
19 November 2009, London, United Kingdom
Green Strategy 2009
This conference is organized by Green Business Events, which creates events that inform businesses how to respond to climate change and related environmental crises.
This conference is designed to involve both those within and outside the sustainability team and empower both parties further. It will help companies better appreciate the agenda and how it touches all parts of a business.
http://www.greenbusinessevents.co.uk/greenstrategy09/index.php?s=background
19-20 November 2009, Paris, France
7th World Forum on Sustainable Development
Created in 2003, the World Forum on Sustainable Development (FMDD) is the annual meeting of policy makers and leaders from the business, political, educational and academic spheres, with international openings onto Asia, the United States, the Middle East, the Americas and Africa.
The FMDD is also a forum for dialogue integrating diverse points of view on globalization, ecology and sustainable development. This annual event is a bridge between the movement of the World Economic Forum in Davos and Porto Alegre altermondialisme.
With the sponsorship of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the FMDD holds several economic partnerships with organizations committed to sustainable development.
Many heads of State, dignitaries and Nobel Prize WInners have participated in FMDD. But also business leaders, scientists and representatives of various schools of thought, including NGOs, trade unions and academics.
Each year in Paris, the Forum brings together representatives of countries of the Francophone world and Europe around a central issue of sustainable development and, since 2008 the FMDD also takes place in Africa, the Near East, Asia…
The theme for this year’s Forum is: “The crisis, the ecological world order and the climate: after Kyoto and before Copenhagen”.
The outlines of the Forum are:
– Negotiations on the Climate: From Kyoto to Copenhagen
– The Context of the Global Crisis and the Ecological World Order
– Resilience and Mitigation: The Role of the Actors’ Strategies
– The Mediterranean Area, the Middle East and the Climate
http://www.fmdd.fr/english_version.html
19-21 November 2009, Lille, France
World Forum Lille for sustainable economy
World Forum Lille is organized by the Alliance network, which objective is to help enterprises so that they can improve their performances respecting men and environment. World Forum Lille gathers together hundreds of top managers, experts, students, union representatives and NGOs each year. It aims at showing that sustainability and competitiveness can match, through a wide range of pioneering business initiatives from companies worldwide.
This year, the Forum will focus on Best Practices related to sustainable finance.
http://www.worldforum-lille.org/
22-27 November 2009, Brussels, Belgium
2009 Religious Diversity Training for Adult Educators
This training is organized by CEJI – A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe, an international non-profit organisation which stands with individuals and organisations of all religions, cultures and backgrounds to promote a diverse and inclusive Europe. CEJI, a Jewish voice at a European level, works to combat prejudice and discrimination and to promote social cohesion through training, education, dialogue and advocacy.
Open to people of all senses of religious and non-religious belonging, the training module on Religious Diversity and Anti-Discrimination aims to address the religious diversity and discrimination issues that are becoming increasingly pertinent in European society. Using highly interactive and participatory methods that have proven effective in dealing with general prejudice and discrimination, it seeks to provide adult educators with tools for situations where religious diversity and discrimination are a concern. Financial support for participants is available through the EU’s Grundtvig & Comenius Programmes.
http://www.ceji.org/events/index.php
23-24 November 2009, Copenhagen, Denmark
7th ETAP Forum on Eco-Innovation
Adapting to Climate Change through Eco-Innovation
The 7th ETAP (European Union’s Environmental Technologies Action Plan) Forum on eco-innovation will take place in Copenhagen on the eve of the crucial COP 15 global negotiations on climate change.
The conference will bring together participants from business, finance, technology development, academia, non-governmental organisations and other relevant stakeholders actively involved in eco-innovation and environmental technologies to.
– showcase the best of emerging practice on policy and action at national, regional and local levels;
– explore the role of eco-innovation, new collaborative approaches and financial mechanisms to ensure effective and sustainable responses;
– enable the cross fertilization of ideas and experiences among participants;
– make recommendations to the EU and Member States in setting future frameworks to support adaptation measures.
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecoinnovation2009/2nd_forum/index_en.htm
25 November 2009, Brussels, Belgium
European Training Institute – Training programmes Working with NGOs
This seminar is organized by the European Training Institute (ETI), a leading training centre in EU Public Affairs and Lobbying.
The seminar is intended for the private and public sectors wanting to get acquainted with the NGO world and to promote partnerships with not-for-profit organizations.
Highly interactive, the seminar is delivered by public affairs practitioners coming from major NGOs.
http://www.e-t-i.be/course_working_with_ngo.asp
25-26 November 2009, Brussels, Belgium
Civil Protection Forum
Towards a more resilient society
The Civil Protection Forum – Towards a more resilient society aims to explore the concept of resilience, which is new to civil protection. Climate change is likely to increase the frequency and impact of disasters, and Europe has to be prepared for this challenge. The Forum will start a debate on a comprehensive European disaster management strategy to enhance resilience. Participants come to network, learn about new technologies used in civil protection, hear from international partners, discuss the future of European civil protection and much more. The Civil Protection Forum will bring together around 500 delegates, speakers and exhibitors from politics, academia, the civil protection services and international organisations.
The Civil Protection Forum also aims to:
– strengthen Europe’s emergency management capacity, focusing on the prevention and preparedness phase of the emergency life cycle;
– develop the network between all civil protection actors and interested parties, including the private sector;
– increase the knowledge of new prevention, preparedness and response technologies available on the market;
– raise public awareness.
The Forum will provide an opportunity to discuss the governance of European disaster management. Establishing a comprehensive disaster management strategy would enable Europe to improve its resilience; to better protect its citizens both inside and outside Europe; and to become a stronger partner in the management of emergencies on the international scene.
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/forum2009/index.htm
25-28 November 2009, Stockholm, Sweden
Urban Challenges – Sustainable Solutions
This conference is organized by EUROCITIES, the network of major European cities. Founded in 1986, the network brings together the local governments of more than 130 large cities in over 30 European countries. EUROCITIES provides a platform for its member cities to share knowledge and ideas, to exchange experiences, to analyse common problems and develop innovative solutions, through a wide range of Forums, Working Groups, Projects, activities and events.
The conference will bring together political leaders and experts to exchange on how to combine economic growth and effective measures against climate change. The aim is to present ways in which sustainable solutions can serve as engines for economic growth for all components of society: people, business, science and culture.
Europe’s cities have a pivotal role to play in creating and implementing innovation. Cities can deliver sustainable development that will lead to both short-term stimulation and longer-term restructuring of the EU’s economy.
http://www.eurocities2009.eu/pages.aspx?page=4
26-27 November 2009, Vilnius, Lithuania
The Forgotten Children
This conference is supported by the World Health Organization, has the scientific backing of the National institute for Health and Welfare of Finland and has UNICEF and the European Commission as collaborating partners.
This conference is organized by EUFAMI (European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness), a Belgian non profit organization with the aim to improve assistance and well-being of people with mental illness and to allow its member organizations to work together at a European level.
This conference aims to publicise more widely the existence of good practices which support the development of children who have parents with mental illness, especially to mental health policy makers and to promote their use in medical, psycho-social, school and NGO environments.
In fact these children are put at greater risk of experiencing mental disorders, school and adjustment problems. The family also often lives in a stigmatising environment.
The general view is that children are generally best cared for within their own families whenever that is possible
Children’s protection rights, firstly in its legal framework, then in relation to the professional and family environments, will also be examined in the conference.
The conference will attempt to analyse the practice of courts and social services in fields such as parental rights, custody, visitation, home support, temporary shelter and placement. It may also expose some of the effects of prejudices relating to mental illness.
http://www.eufami.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=75
