DARE Forum & the European Parliament: a mass lobby activity on development education

On May 22 DARE Forum members “invaded” the European Parliament in Strasbourg for a unique experience of mass lobby! The representatives of European DEAR NGOs met with their MEPs, inviting them to sign the written declaration n.7 on development education and active global citizenship!

The action resulted in a success, as at the end of the plenary week the number of signatures raised was 306! There is still a plenary session left for MEPs to sign the declaration, if we put a last effort into the campaign, we can easily reach the necessary majority (377 MEPs), for the declaration to be adopted!

On the same day, DARE Forum members were invited to the roundtable “Do Europeans Citizens Care about the Rest of the World”, co-organised by MEP Kaczmarek, one of the initiators of the written declaration n.7. MEP Kaczmarek, MEP Badia I Cutchet, Rilli Lappalainen (CONCORD), Mari Helene Kaber (DARE Forum) and Denis Huber (North South Centre) discussed on the relevance of development education, and the role of the European institutions- and in particular of the European Parliament. A question and answer session allowed the audience to interact with the speakers. In his closing remarks, MEP Kaczmarek announced that following the written declaration on the development education, the development committee of the European Parliament could draft an “own initiative report” on development education.

Information provided by Chiara Tripepi, DEEEP