Theme: Sustainable local development and social impact in Europe

Description: Some of the challenges that Europe is facing are related to the creation of sustainable living opportunities for all citizens, in order to share the common good through the promotion of good practices. Therefore, the project aims to bring together specialists in the social impact areas that promote the inclusion of populations identified as vulnerable, aiming to strengthen people's capacities and create opportunities for citizens, in the present and future, so they can actively participate in society and the labour market. In this sense, meetings for sharing and reflecting about the difficulties of each country are important for taking actions and create more uniform public policies that benefit the largest number of citizens.

For this, we will carry a debate cycle, divided into two sessions in which the following topics will be discussed:

• Sustainable development in Europe - the role of local communities
• Social Impact in Europe - Present and Future

These two debates will serve as a motto for a final conference to discuss the importance of investing in human abilities and the sustainable future of European communities:

• Inclusive micro-entrepreneurship and sustainable local development

Aims:

• Understand how does poverty and social exclusion is manifested in European countries
• Understand what efforts have been made to empower excluded people and to reach a common good practice in Europe
• To identify and share the methodologies that were created to solve social problems specially in depopulated or rural areas and with vulnerable groups (e.g. unemployed people, single parent families, low educated people, etc.)
• Understand how can we guarantee the sustainability of social innovation projects
• Collect opinions from local and European people in order to create guidelines of their needs and how can public policies intervene

We are a reliable partner with a rich experience in
writing project proposals, applying for funding and
leading project implementation, looking for a leading
applicant who will consider our organization as
beneficiary of project activities and a relevant partner
in exchange of knowledge, culture and relevant
practices.
We are interested in a collaboration in the following
areas:
• Natural and cultural heritage
• Sustainable tourism
• Social inclusion and welfare
• Public services
• Sustainable development of rural areas
• Sport and leisure
• Rural depopulation
• Community empowerment
• Cross-national solidarity
• Intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity

PRISMA is conceived as a Network of towns dedicated to current affairs and day-to-day issues related to EU citizenship and its opportunities.
Through the Network, information, training and spaces of meeting, discussion and cooperation will be offered to intergenerational groups of citizens.
The purposes of the project are:
- To support the process of European integration by counteracting the effects of Euroscepticism, valuing the achievements and advantages of the Union.
- Encourage citizens as key agents in decision-making, execution and evaluation of European public policies.

The aim of the project is to strengthen intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding and combating the stigma of different social groups (minority groups, immigrants, refugees, etc.). It will be conducted by monitoring media messages concerning: (1) those key groups mentioned above and (2) phenomena that warm public debate to red, such as: climate change, LGBT rights, refugees relocation, problems with vaccines, technologies and their influence on citizens, etc. By exposing media manipulation, unreliable content, fake news and hate speech during the media monitoring process the citizens will receive reliable information about the arguments that appear in the public debate in essential matters and will be able to form their own opinions based on facts and then they will be able to become involved in shaping public policies in those issues. One of the project’s results will be the map of information sources showing which of them are reliable on the one hand, and which of them are unreliable on the other hand that.

Proposed project consists of four phases:

1. Educational phase (media literacy) – in which young volunteers will be taught how to responsibly receive and consume different media messages (Internet, TV, Press, Radio);
2. Media Monitoring phase – in which trained young volunteers will proceed the process of monitoring media messages in essential issues concerning key social groups;
3. Reporting phase – in which the results of the monitoring will be shown in the form of professional reports and interactive digital maps;

Public Policy Influence phase – in which young people and the representatives of the project’s crew will try to influence public policy by distributing those reports, that were prepared earlier.

2017 marked the 60^th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome that reflect on the state of the EU, the future of Europe and the integration process. In the same year,  the White Paper on the future of Europe maps out strategies and paths to identify challenges facing Europe in the upcoming years. One of the challenges is clearly identified in the growing mistrust in EU institutions and the integration process.

In the recent years Europe is facing an immigrant crisis with more than 59, 5 million people forced to flee their countries of origin because of persecution, conflict, and violence or human rights violations. This continuous immigrant flow increases the tensions among European citizens and contributes to the growing scepticism in EU policies. The flow of migrants from diverse backgrounds accelerates changes in the cultural environment within the host countries. Cultural diversity may evoke fear and rejection within national communities, and prompt stereotyping, racism, xenophobia, intolerance and discrimination.

The project “My Multi-faced Europe” stimulates an informed debate on the future of Europe in the context of the immigrant flow and the changing cultural map of Europe. Through this debate, the project intends to foster intercultural dialogue between migrant and local communities. One of the aims of the project is the juxtaposition of participants viewing cultural diversity as enrichment to those who see it as a threat.  In this way the project will challenge the perception of migrants as a threat which is an integral part to Euroscepticism.

The project will focus on managing cultural diversity in a democratic and non-violent way and to bridge the divide between local and migrant communities through shared activities. Another project objective is to create an environment where the groups can discuss and share their vision on the future of Europe. The project will introduce the European Union, discuss the subjective and objective meaning of the European core values and enhance a sense of European community and belonging.

Role of the partner organisation in the project

The partner organizations will be involved in each activity of the project and they will implement similar actions in their regions. During a preparatory meeting all activities will be discussed and delegated accordingly.

Short description of the project, including its aims         

The project aims to find solutions to each of the Programm’e priority (such as Euroscepticism, debates on the future of Europe, solidarity, intercultural dialogue, fighting the stigmatisation of minority groups, active citizenship, EU values, cultural heritage) which are actual for other European towns through active volunteering of the local community members, both young and elderly, involving them to act and help the municipalities to contribute to the social and cultural development of the region. Through collaboration with other municipalities/civic society organisations we want to establish a tight network across Europe and promote volunteering in the smaller towns. The network between governmental and civic society organisations would become a valuable synergy in order to offer high quality volunteering opportunities in the region, involving local communities and raising their awareness of the common EU issues and strengthening the civic society.

Role of the partner organisation in the project

Partner organisations depending on the capacities would need to think and propose one of the issues/problems in their region which could be solved through active citizenship of local community members. Participate in international meetings and events and depending on the final workprogramme host one international event.

Short description of the project, including its aims
We are looking to partner with a lead applicant to look at twinning, particularly in relation to young people and youth work.
Role of the partner organisation in the project
We would like to be considered as a partner

We are seeking to create a solid framework to ensure that individuals and families experiencing, or at risk of homelessness, the rights holders, are at the centre of service delivery and advocacy and can engage in debate and awareness raising at local, national and EU level on policies and legislation which impacts them on an individual and collective level. By strengthening opportunities for those at risk of, or experiencing homelessness to be actively involved in advocating for their rights, informing, and improving homeless service provision, this project aims to seek effective solutions to address the homelessness crisis experienced in Ireland and contribute towards shared learning to other homeless services across the EU.

Under a Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission funded project, Galway Simon Community have been able to commission UK based experts in partnership working with those experiencing homelessness to review Client Advocacy structures within the organisation. This has enabled us as an organisation to engage in a process of exploring the ways in which we work in partnership with those who access and best understand through experience our services. This has laid the ground work to further explore and create a platform to springboard from and seek to widen this debate and learning at a wider EU level.

In partnership with suitable partners across Europe, we are seeking to create opportunities for debate and intercultural dialogue, sharing of ideas and learning as an EU citizen in amplifying the voice of many who are marginalised and under-represented in society. We believe that by strengthening opportunities for those experiencing homelessness to be involved in determining the direction of, and developing solutions for homelessness, we will enhance our ability to secure successful outcomes with them and to improve the effectivness homeless service delivery.

Key objectives:

• Begin a journey of deeper understanding and embed cultural change across all partner organisations around participation and involvement initiatives with those experiencing homelessness.
• Through partnership with other EU based homeless services, we would aim to host a number of workshops and activities where those experiencing homelessness can use this platform to share their experiences and learn through debate and dialogue.
• Facilitate meaningful dialogue on housing/accommodation from a human rights and equality perspective.
• Disseminate key learning outputs from workshops and shared activities across the housing and homeless sector in each respective country.
• Strengthen our range and depth of participatory channels to assist those experiencing homelessness to vindicate their right to housing/ accommodation.
• Build awareness and understanding of the right to housing/ accommodation and how it relates to other rights as an EU Citizen among those experiencing homelessness

“Developing innovative mechanisms of a  culture for solidarity among citizens, in times of crisis”

Solidarity has traditionally been at the core of the cohesion of modern European societies and the legitimacy of our political systems. It is deeply rooted in the European identity, perceived by third parties as one of its distinctive features and often as one of its most worthwhile values. The European integration adventure has referred to solidarity many years before. The recent economic crisis has very harshly impacted in Europe, challenging and calling into question both solidarity between Member States and citizens. The crisis has revealed serious weaknesses in the EU model of integration and has put at risk the fragile European identity. Within this frame, what solidarity should mean which intensity of increased solidarity, and how the solidarity mechanisms should be built and worked, have generated new tensions in public sphere and discourse.

The chosen issue for “Developing innovative mechanisms of a  culture for solidarity, among citizens, in times of crisis”, aims to stimulate debate, reflection and cooperation on the issue of solidarity to create shared values, concrete civic participation and common mechanisms for volunteering. The project attempts to reflect on the nature and characteristics of solidarity within a supranational context, explain what solidarity has meant so far in the EU, how much solidarity we had during the crisis, what type of solidarity is needed, how to build it up and how culture can contribute in this direction. It focuses on solidarity mechanisms in all its facets during and after the economic. The project is promoted by the Cultural company “Paremvasi” with the cooperation of associations/companies/sectors of other countries, with a view to promoting more open thought and action in the topic of Solidarity in times of crisis.

We are interested in collaborating  in the following fields:

• Art and culture
• Sustainable tourism
• Citizenship
• Social inclusion and welfare
• Public services
• Sustainable development of rural areas
• Sport and leisure, facilities / events
• Historical and cultural heritage
• Rural depopulation
• Youth education and civic participation

We are open to participate in any project which would create conditions for thematic and long-term cooperation between European rural areas working in the fields indicated above.