TRIALOG training for "EC newcomers" in Latvia

At the end of January 2009, TRIALOG realised the second 2 day training on “How to write an EC proposal” in Latvia (the first one took place in early 2008).

To get into the topic, we started with presenting the frame of the EU-strategy 2007 – 2010 of the thematic programme Non-State Actors and Local Authorities, the Annual Action Plan 2008 and the Call for Proposal on Development Education and Awareness Raising in Europe.

7 participants from different Latvian NGOs worked together and decided spontaneously during the workshop, to elaborate one concrete common project to raise awareness in Latvia on development issues. In the meanwhile, the group of 5 NGOs submitted a concept note within the call by the deadline in February.

So far, Latvia is one of the few EU new member states which did not make much use of the EC development education budget line and as a consequence, no Latvian NGO was so far awarded an EC development education contract as applicant. We hope that the training was one little further step for Latvian development NGOs to compete successfully at the EU level for development education funds in future.

Information provided by Petra Kreinecker, TRIALOG

Open Partner Search for Joint Projects

There is huge interest and great potential for common projects and the exchange of experiences between European NGOs. TRIALOG supports NGOs accross the EU in getting into contact with each other.

Currently the following partner search for joint project proposals to the EC is posted on the TRIALOG website; visit http://www.trialog.or.at/start.asp?ID=117 for details:

• Hungarian NGO searching for cooperation partners for participation in specific EC country calls. Cooperation with NGOs/CSOs from both new and old EU member states with experience in development projects in specific geographical areas is welcome. Read more...

Find information how to post your own partner search at: http://www.trialog.or.at/start.asp?b=85&ID=125

You can also use the TRIALOG NGO database to search for new NGO contacts.


Information provided by Anita Bister, TRIALOG

EP report urges formal recognition of social economy actors

On 19 February 2009, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Social Economy which is likely to encourage the effective acknowledgement of the role of social economy actors in the development of a sustainable social and economic model. The text highlights the need to formally recognise civil society organisations through the adoption of European statutes for associations, foundations and mutual societies and invites the European institutions to include these actors within their social and civil dialogue practices.

The EP resolution could be a good document for development NGOs to refer to in their future advocacy actions - especially when urging recognition and dialogue with European institutions on specific issues.

Read the related press release of the European Civic Forum:
http://act4europe.horus.be/module/FileLib/ECF_Press_EPreport_SocialEconomy.260209.pdf
Access the full EP report:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P6-TA-2009-0062&language=EN&ring=A6-2009-0015

Source: EU Civil Society Contact Group, weekly mailing 26.02.09

Development Youth Prize 2008/2009: Creativity meets Africa

“Human development” in Africa is the challenging topic of the Development Youth Prize 2008-2009. The current edition of the competition is now online and open for new submissions.

In the year of Creativity and Innovation, the European competition invites students aged 16 - 18 to highlight their creative views on Africa.

All contributions must include two parts: a short message of maximum 100 characters concerning the subject of the competition and an artwork in the form of a poster or a video. The video should not be longer than 3 minutes and the visual part can be a drawing, painting, collage etc. All artworks must be sent to Brussels by 31 May 2009.

Selected by a high-level jury, national winners and runners-up will be awarded with a two-day stay in Stockholm, in the framework of the next European Development Days. The winners will also visit an African country, getting a first hand experience of European aid programmes.

More information, including the guide for teachers, are available at: http://www.dyp2008.org/

The Development Youth Prize represents a unique opportunity for students as well as an extensive learning resource for teachers. In the words of previous participants, “the Development Youth Prize is a true eye-opening experience”. The winners of the last edition and their teachers are now about taking part to a four-day trip to Zambia, where they will join Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development. Being involved in a rich programme of visits, the students will observe and discover European actions in the field.

About the Development Youth Prize: The Development Youth Prize for schools is organised by European Schoolnet (http://www.europeanschoolnet.org/) and supported by the European Commission's DG Development (http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/development/index_en.htm). It has been organised since 2006, with the theme changing each year.

Information provided by Sylvia Binger, European Schoolnet, and Lucyna Knopik, DG Development

EADI Prize for Development Studies: Call for Submissions

The European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) announces the 2009 prize for excellence in development research. The prize, worth 1000 EUR , will be awarded for an essay on an issue of development studies in any field of the social sciences submitted and written by a postgraduate student from an EADI member country or attending a programme at an institutional member of the Association (see http://www.eadi.org/?id=819).

Manuscripts should be submitted as email attachments in Word format to prize2009@eadi.org. All entries for the EADI Prize for Development Studies should reach the Association’s offices in Bonn no later than 31 May 2009 by e-mail.

Subjects may be chosen from any field of development studies, but contestants are asked to bear in mind that their work will be subject to scrutiny by one of the EADI Working Groups prior to being sent on to the jury. Entries coherent with Working Group themes will, therefore, clearly enjoy an advantage. A list of the Working Groups can be found on the Association’s website(http://www.eadi.org/?id=264).

Find more information and the submission guidelines at: http://www.eadi.org/index.php?id=1097

The Jury for the 2009 EADI Prize for Development Studies will make its decision known in September 2009. The prize winner will be invited to the Association's Annual Directors' meeting in Copenhagen (Autumn 2009, date tbc) where the award ceremony will take place. Both the winning entry and other high quality entries might be considered for publication in the European Journal of Development Research (which is upon the decision of the Editors after a refereeing process).

For further information please contact EADI: prize2009@eadi.org

Source: EADI e-newsletter, 17.02.2009

CONCORD Flash and Working Groups Newsletter

The January issue of the CONCORD Flash - with news from the European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development - is now out.

In this issue:
- A word from CONCORD on the governmental cuts in development aid
- What's next for the Policy Coherence for Development?
- Meeting of the Global Facilitation Group in Kuala Lumpur
- European election 2009 toolkit – Get started!
- Gender Budgeting: An instrument for good governance
- Ten New Member States turn five - Czech Presidency's official priorities
- What will the Swedish NGOs do during the Swedish Presidency?
… and many other subjects!

Another newly available CONCORD publication is the Working Groups newsletter which gives an overview on the work of the Working Groups for the second semester of 2008, July to December. Also the work of the TRIALOG and DEEEP projects in this period is covered.

You can download both documents from the “publication” section of the CONCORD website http://www.concordeurope.org/ or use the direct links below.

January Flash: http://www.concordeurope.org/Files/media/internetdocumentsENG/4_Publications/1_CONCORD_Flash/Flash2009/January-Flash-EN.pdf
Working Groups newsletter - 2nd semester 2008: http://www.concordeurope.org/Files/media/internetdocumentsENG/4_Publications/2_Working_Groups_Newsletter/2009-wgnewsletter/WG-Newsletter-11---2nd-semester-2008---EN.doc

Information provided by Agnès Philippart, CONCORD and http://www.concordeurope.org/

DE Times - February

The latest newsletter of DEEEP, the Development Education Exchange in Europe Project, is out now. The current issue is focussing on information coming from the readers - read about their development education projects and initiatives in the February issue of the DE Times. Link: http://www.deeep.org/fileadmin/user_upload/downloads/DE_Times/DE_times_february_2009.pdf

Global Education Guidelines

The Global Education Guidelines are the result of a need expressed by the North-South Centre network of global education practitioners - the Global Education Week network - to have a common tool, built on experience gained by the network and partners, to help educators to understand and implement global education.The guidelines should be regarded as an ongoing process, which should be regularly reviewed with new ideas and practices brought from stakeholders’ experiences.

There is a printed version of the guidelines currently under preparation, meanwhile, the electronic version is available from the North-South Centre website. Link: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/nscentre/GEguideline_presentation_en.asp

Website of the North-South Centre: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/nscentre/default_en.asp

Information provided by Miguel Silva, North-South Centre of the Council of Europe

March 23-24, 2009: Promoting Global Education in new EU member states, Budapest

The North South Centre of the Council of Europe is informing about the launching event for promoting global development education in the 12 new EU member States which will take place on 23-24 March 2009 in Budapest, Hungary. This event will be held in partnership with CONCORD and the Hungarian Association for Development and Humanitarian Aid (HAND) and is supported by the European Commission and the North-South Centre.

The objective is to bring together all relevant stakeholders in the field of global development education in a consultation process that will be followed up by 12 national seminars in all new member states in 2009-10, 3 sub-regional meetings (Baltic Sea Region, South East Europe/Mediterranean region, Visegrad countries) in 2010 – and eventually a pan European policy conference in 2011. All seminars should strategically contribute to the development of global development education in the new member states of the EU, and thus to the European development education multi stakeholder process and to the implementation of the European Development Education Consensus on national and regional level.

A concept paper that describes the launching event in more detail, the draft programme and further information can be accessed at:
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/nscentre/GE/UE-NSC_agree_kickoffevent.asp

Information provided by Gordana Berjan/Miguel Silva, North South Centre

March 30-April 1, 2009: The World in Crisis - Alternative ECOFIN Conference, Prague

The Prague Global Policy Institute - Glopolis is inviting to "The World in Crisis: Economies and Policies for Global Transformation – Alternative ECOFIN Conference" which will take place in Prague from March 30th until April 1st 2009.

The meeting of EU Economic and Finance ministers (ECOFIN) is taking place for the first time in the Czech Republic. The historical conjuncture of this event is exceptional. The world is witnessing the deepest financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression in 1929. At the same time, the climate crisis seems to be escalating; energy crisis, poverty and hunger are increasing.

In such a situation, civil society has to raise its voice and to mobilise for change. The economic paradigm dominating the last decades, has failed. We urgently need alternatives. The EU has to play an eminent role in the process of change. The conference is meant to discuss such alternatives and to contribute to the process of reform ahead.

The conference in Prague continues in the tradition of Alternative ECOFIN Conferences held since 2006 in Vienna, Berlin and Ljubljana. With respect to deep and multiple crises, the conference will go beyond the EU financial and economic policies.

The program of the conference can be downloaded from: http://www.glopolis.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=39&Itemid=59 For latest up-dates, please check http://www.glopolis.org/ (in the menu on the left side).

The registration form is available at: http://www.glopolis.org/images/downloads/publikace/world%20in%20crisis_prague_conference_registration_form%20%28final%29.doc
and needs to be send to knechtlova@glopolis.org by March 15th.

The organisers ask the participants to cover their travel and accommodation costs. The conference fee is up to EUR 25 for all participants (except speakers and facilitators). The fee can be waived if based on justified request. Those who would need further financial assistance are kindly asked to fill in the Application for funding part of the registration form and send it to knechtlova@glopolis.org by March 15th.

Find more information on the conference, logistics etc, at:
http://www.glopolis.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=38&Itemid=58

For any further inquires on the content of the conference, you can contact Ondrej Kopecny at kopecny@glopolis.org or Petr Lebeda at lebeda@glopolis.org. For help with logistics, please contact Jana Knechtlova at knechtlova@glopolis.org.

Information provided by Ondrej Kopecny, Glopolis

April 18-26, 2009: Course on Peacebuilding, Stadtschlaining/Austria

The Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR) organises a Course on “Peacebuilding”, sponsored by the Austrian Ministry of Defence and Sports. The Course will take place from 18-26 April 2009 at the premises of the ASPR in Stadtschlaining / Austria.

The upcoming Peacebuilding Course seeks to support relevant institutions of EU Member States, EU candidate countries and OSCE participating states in training experts from a wide range of professional and organisational backgrounds who are already involved or plan to become involved in planning and implementing Peacebuilding activities, either from their home base in governmental or non-governmental organisations or in a leading position in the field.

With this course on Peacebuilding experts from governments, civil society, police and military, the private sector, international institutions and agencies as well as international non-governmental organisations will be prepared and supported for their engagement in crisis prevention, crisis management, humanitarian aid and development cooperation.

Nominees are requested to send their application for the Peacebuilding course not later than 19 March 2009.

For further information about the Peacebuilding Course, the nomination of participants, application and costs, please see the following links:

Invitation letter: http://www.trialog.or.at/images/doku/pb_invitation-letter.pdf
Course Concept/Appendix 1: http://www.trialog.or.at/images/doku/appendix1_pb_course-concept.pdf
Info-Note on Nomination/Application/Appendix 2: http://www.trialog.or.at/images/doku/appendix2_pb_info-note.pdf
Application Form/Appendix 3: http://www.trialog.or.at/images/doku/appendix3_pb_application-form.doc

Any further questions regarding the Peacebuilding course should be directed to Ursula Gamauf, ASPR, gamauf@aspr.ac.at

Information provided by Ursula E. Gamauf, ASPR

February 24-26, 2009: TRIALOG Central Training, Vienna

The TRIALOG Central Training is a seminar for development NGO platforms from new EU member states (NMS). In 2009, it will take place in Vienna, between February 24 and 26. We invited 2 representatives of each NMS platform to participate - the coordinator and a board representative - as well as colleagues and experts from other European countries and CONCORD. The seminar will focus on the financial sustainability of NMS platforms. The aim is to learn from each others' experience and to think about possible actions.

We will report about the 2009 Central Training in our next TIS and on our website http://www.trialog.or.at/.

Ten New Member States turn five - Czech Presidency's official priorities

In just a few months’ time, the ten countries that joined the European Union in 2004 will celebrate five years as members. The Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU Presidency, is one of those ten new member states (NMS). It released its work plan at the beginning of the year and, in it, announced a celebration to mark the event.

Enlargement:
The work plan states the Czech Presidency’s intention to ‘further strengthen the EU prospects’ of the countries in the Western Balkans. It also intends to evaluate the costs and benefits of the 2004 enlargement ‘for all Member States and the Union as a whole’ during a conference in March.

External Relations – Neighbourhood Policies:
The new presidency has also promised to ‘push forward for the introduction of the Eastern Partnership’, a move it sees as deepening the European Neighbourhood Policy. This will be done at a high level forum in May 2009.

All the countries in the Eastern Neighbourhood are named alongside the actions to be taken, and Belarus is given a special mention, with the Presidency seeking to ‘support the gradual development of relations between the EU and Belarus, the commencement of a constructive dialogue with Belarus, and […] support the civil society in Belarus.’

The Mediterranean countries are also mentioned, with special reference to Israel, as its Action Plan expires in April, and the Middle East peace process where ‘the emphasis will be placed on supporting the negotiation process in coordination with the Quartet members, and on compliance with international law and human rights standards.’

Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid:
The Presidency has highlighted financing for development, including the impact of the current financial crisis on developing countries and aid effectiveness as development priorities. There will also be particular emphasis on South-Eastern and Eastern Europe as well as ‘geographical balance within the relations between the EU and other regions.’

Links:
Czech Presidency Priorities:
http://www.eu2009.cz/en/czech-presidency/programme-and-priorities/programme-and-priorities-479/
Recent CIDSE article (by Denise Auclair) on EU Presidencies and Development: http://www.cidse.org/Area_of_work/?id=827 (Source: CTA - Brussels Office Newsletter N° 161; http://www.cidse.org/)
Programme of the Czech NGDO platform FoRS for the EU presidency 2009: http://trialog-information-service.blogspot.com/2008/11/programme-of-czech-ngdo-platform-for-eu.html


Information provided by Rebecca Steel, TRIALOG

FoRS hostet roundtable of NGDO platforms from Visegrad 4 countries

At the beginning of January, FoRS – Czech Forum for Development Co-operation held a two day roundtable in Prague for the NGDO platforms from the Visegrád 4 (V4) – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. The roundtable was organised in cooperation with Polish CASE – Center for Social and Economic Research, British ODI – Overseas Development Institute, and BOND – British Overseas NGOs for Development.

The objectives of the roundtable were:

• To discuss the opportunities and challenges for engagement of V4 NGDO platforms in the EU Elections
• To strengthen the knowledge and skills of NGDOs in the field of research for international development

The first day, focusing on the upcoming European Parliament (EP) elections, was held by Anders Dahlbeck, BOND EU Campaign Officer and Chairman of the CONCORD taskforce for the EU Elections. The participants gained knowledge on the role of the EP in development cooperation, on the last EP elections in 2004, on how to target (future) MEPs, and on the campaigns of CONCORD and BOND for the EP elections in June 2009. Furthermore, the platforms had the chance to share their experience with working with MEPs and to discuss the campaigning and advocacy possibilities for the next elections, including topics such as which issues to be discussed with the candidates for the EP, how to maintain the contact with elected MEPs, how to engage the media, and so on.

The second day was dedicated to research methods in development and conducted by Ajoy Datta from ODI. Research methods are one of a number of tools for development and the workshop was thus aimed at giving development practitioners a greater sense of control in using research within their work. This was a crucial moment for the NGDOs from the Visegrád countries to gain theoretical knowledge on quantitative, qualitative and participatory research methods and how to use them in the policy work of NGDOs. The presentation alternated with lively group discussions on how different research methods have been used in the work of NGDOs until now and how research can be included in the future.

This roundtable was part of the project "Fostering Global Responsibility. Building a Development Policy Knowledge Network to Enhance NGO Public Outreach Initiatives in EU New Member States" led by CASE and ODI with the participation of the V4 NGDO platforms and funded by the European Commission.

More information about the roundtable can be found at: http://www.development-network.eu/events/rt_ii_-_prague

Information provided by Zuzana Sladkova, FoRS