Project co-financed by the European Union
In the framework of the program “Europe for Citizens” 2007 – 2013”
European Project
«Promote civil dialogue in Europe: mutual learning between civil society organisations in old, most recent and new member States.»
Final Conference: Thursday the 15th of May 2008 - Brussels
«How to foster civil dialogue in Europe? »
The conference aims to present the results of the project to a large audience, including notably civil society represents, public powers, civil servants and european experts, researchers, etc. Such as to present its dissemination tools, the European good practices and to generate a debate on future of civil dialogue in Europe. The conference will be the occasion to take stock of European civil society and its means of expression through different experiences, testimonies, analyses collected during the project.
In order to better involve the European civil society, this conference is organized in partnership with CEDAG (European Council for non-profit organizations), that calls up its network of European actors highly active in the field of civil dialogue. Based on the debates occurring through the day, and on the results of researches led during the project, a practical guide for civil dialogue will be produced. The guide will propose several recommendations to reinforce and develop this mean of citizens’ expression.
For more information & registrations:
Diane Grossot
Chargée de mission – Think tank européen Pour la Solidarité
Tel: +32 (0) 2 535 06 69
Fax: +32 (0) 2 539 13 04
E-mail:
Website: www.pourlasolidarite.be
Web of the projet: www.beingcitizen.eu
Adress: Rue Coenraets, 66 - B-1060 BRUSSELS - Belgium
«How to foster civil dialogue in Europe? »
Thursday, the 15th of May 2008
Room VMA3, Building Van Maerlant
1040 Brussels
agenda
9h30 – 10h00: Welcome of participants
10h00 – 10h15: Opening Denis Stokkink (Pour la Solidarité)
10h15 – 10h45: Introduction to the concept of civil dialogue
Aim: to define civil dialogue and its implementation in the enlarged European Union.
Speaker: Julien ADDA (Conférence permanente des coordinations associatives-CPCA,
France)
10h45 – 11h45: Round table on realities faced by civil society in Europe
Aim: Taking stock of civil society in the enlarged European Union.
Speaker: Yves Mathieu (Missions Publiques), facilitator
Civil society represents national public authorities and experts from different member States (Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, Hungary and France)
11h45 – 12h30: Round table on civil dialogue at European level
Speakers: Anne Delvaux, member of the Senate of Belgium and Vice-President of the
European Movement Belgium
Head of unit «Relationships with civil society», DG EAC
12h30 – 13h00: Debate
13h00 – 14h00: Lunch
Comité européen des associations d’intérêt général
European Council for non-profit organisations
14h00 – 14h20: Opening
Speakers: Jillian Van Turnhout, Vice-President of the EESC
Anne Van Lancker, Member of the European Parliament and President of the
European Movement Belgium
14h20 – 15h00: Round table on realities of civil dialogue in Europe
Aim: Presentation of the official agreements (on the model of the English Compact) and the informal processes of civil dialogue.
Speakers: Jeff Weitzel EGCA (Luxembourg) and Oliver Henman NCVO (United-Kingdom)
National processes in the enlarged European Union
15h00 – 15h15: coffee break
15h15 – 16h15: Round table on initiatives and next steps of the European civil dialogue
Aim: Presentation of tools and initiatives able to promote the European Civil dialogue (European Civil Charter, European Statute of Association)
Speakers: Staffan Nilsson, President of the Group III EESC,
The activities of the EESC in the field of civil dialogue
Gérard Onesta, Member of the European Parliament
The Citizen’s Agora and the activities of the European Parliament
Social Platform and delegates of European networks and Platforms
Next steps and perspectives
16h15 – 16h45: Debate
16h45 – 17h00: Conclusions and presentation of recommendations
17h00: Evening reception
PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT:
In the enlarged European Union, rich of the diversity of its members States and citizens, European citizens must find spaces for expression in complement to representative democracy.
The project is aiming to reinforce the influence of civil society organisations as mediator between citizens and their elected represents, with public institutions at all levels, but also between citizens and the socio-economical actors, such as companies, across Europe.
The reinforcement of civil dialogue, between civil society and public authorities at all levels, is thus a priority of this project, due to the fact that civil dialogue is a form of an active citizenship which promotes participation and implication of European citizens.
This project leads to evaluate civil dialogue in Europe, by setting up a comparison of experiences of civil dialogues in all member States, targeting especially the most recent and new member States. The confrontation of experiences will allow citizens and civil society organisations to learn how this dialogue has been organized and developed.
This study of valuation gathers the expertise of 7 civil society organisations from 6 member States. It generates a concrete cultural dialogue, through the exchange of practices and knowledge.
This European project allows notably to realize, during 9 months:
à A European publication, printed in more than 700 issues largely diffused under electronic format. We aim at producing a didactical Guide for training on civil dialogue, addressed to civil society represents or actors interested by the development of citizenship, public or private actors, social dialogue represents.
à A website on citizenship and participation of civil society will provide European information, articles, good practices, contacts and useful links.
à Two European newsletters on civil dialogue and participatory democracy, sent to more than 20 000 European contacts.
à The formation of a European and operational network of civil society organisations specialised on citizenships and participatory democracy.
à Three European conferences will also take place in order to form and develop the partnerships existing between civil society organisations in Europe:
· Kick-off meeting on the 10th and 11th of October 2007 (Vienna)
· Opening meeting on the 14th of March 2008 (Bucharest)
· European conference on the 15th of May 2008 (Brussels)
The project is developing concrete tools to help the European society in its role of go-between and to gather citizens from all over the EU, in order to evolve towards a shared vision of the EU.
Civil dialogue at all levels will be reinforced and will contribute to the development of Active Citizenship in Europe, and to the reinforcement of democracy.
3