The Day of Citizens for Europe in Rome, Italy

Protecting Citizens’ Rights: Challenges and Opportunities for EU Passengers

On September 16 the JoiEU partner in Italy, Cittadinanzattiva (Active Citizenship) organized the latest of the series of trans-border debates, this time on the issues of mobility and passengers’ rights.

Please see the Webinar and Workshop Agenda.

Watch the Debate RELIVE here

What’s at Stake?

Transnational Mobility is the concrete application of one of the main citizens’ rights, the free movement of people, guaranteed by the Treaties to EU citizens’ since the beginning of the European construction. It is one of the factors which have contributed to the building of a common European identity.

Over the years, the EU has developed a strong policy in this area, which aims at fostering clean, safe and efficient travel throughout Europe, underpinning the internal market of goods and the right of citizens to travel freely throughout the EU.

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The “Civil Society and Solidarity in Times of Crisis” Debate

On Tuesday, June 17, 2014 the JoiEU partner NACAB (Asociația Națională a Birourilor de Consiliere pentru Cetățeni – National Association of Citizen Advice Bureaux), Romania organized this month’s debate on “Civil Society and Solidarity in Times of Crisis”. Besides the participants from Romania and other EU member states on the spot in Bucharest, the trans-border part of the debate included online interventions from Active Citizenship Network Italy, Partners Albania, ECAS Belgium and the NGO Support Centre Cyprus. The main topics discussed were:

What lessons can the civil society draw from the solidarity movements that emerged in EU Members States in the last four years?
What effects does the “new European order” have for the civil society and how can the citizens, the media and the nongovernmental organizations address them?

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The “Women for a Stronger Europe” Debate in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

On May 13, 2014 JoiEU partner Atria organized the debate on women’s role in Europe.

With the European Parliament elections from 22 – 25 May 2014 just a few days ahead, the debate addressed key questions about the role of EU for women, such as:

What is the significance of the European Union for women?
What is the status quo of the EU’s gender policy?
What can be done to improve gender equality in the European society?

Watch the Debate ReLive below:

Women for a stronger Europe – Debate Programme

Presentations made by participants:

Making Europe Better for Women – The Spanish Experience

Make Europe Better for women Estonian Women’s Studies and Resource Centre

Some background material: Continue reading →

“Civic Participation in Political Life, European Elections” Debate, Tallinn

“How to Make MEPs Talk to Citizens?”

On April 15, 2014 JoiEU partner Open Estonia Foundation organized this month’s debate on civic participation in political life and the European elections.

Watch the Debate ReLive here:

What’s in it for me?

In a modern democracy, voting is only one of the many ways to participate in politics – it is equally important that citizens have a say in public decisions on a daily basis. Whereas the work
of national parliaments tends to be under our close scrutiny, we sometimes lose sight of
Members of the European Parliament once they’ve taken their cosy seats in Brussels and
Strasbourg. What could be done to make sure this doesn’t happen after the elections this May?
The debate on April 15 looked into the theory and practice of the European
Parliament’s work, presented cases and examples from different European countries and sought to
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The “Civil Society and the Non- Europe” Debate: What Breaks Europe?

Madrid Debate
On March 11 JoiEU partner Platforma de ONG de Accion Social, Spain carried out this month’s debate: “Civil Society and the Non- Europe Debate”.

The participant from Spain and the project partner states addressed the following questions :

What are the forces trying to break Europe apart?
How does that affect European citizens?
What do Civil Society organizations do to address these threats?

Presentations form the debate: Continue reading →

New Media for Increased Citizen Participation : Debate in Denmark

The February 27 Debate in Aarhus, Denmark

On February 27,2014 the JoiEU partner in Denmark Global Citizen organized this month’s national and trans-border debate on role of new media in increasing citizen participation in Europe on the topic New Media for Increased Citizen Participation.

A full recording of the debate can be watched below. The international part included presentations and interactions by Søren Winther Lundby – Global Citizen, Denmark, Elisa Bruno – ECAS (European Citizen Action Service), Belgium, Savvas Charlambous – NGO Support Centre, Cyprus, Neda Milisic Buklijas – Cenzura Plus, Croatia, Berit Christiansen – Global Citizen, Denmark, Blerina Guga – Partners Albania, Albania and Petko Georgiev, ProInfo, Bulgaria.

Debate presentations, country examples and case studies will be made available on this site soon.

Some Background Info:

On the sites and links below you will find data, research and analysis of the impact new media has on increased citizen participation on the EU level.

“The role played by social media in political participation and electoral campaigns” – a comprehensive overview of the topic with links to dozens of research papers and reports on new media and political participation in the EU from a variety of sources complied by the European Parliamentary Research Service.

Creating a public sphere in Europe
European Parliament resolution of 7 September 2010 on journalism and new media – creating a public sphere in Europe (2010/2015(INI))

Women and New Media – European Parliament Policy Study

Mapping the EU digital public sphere(s) – a blog post on the “European Union 2.0″ blog by Tony Lockett.

Civil Society and the Economic Crisis: Debate in Cyprus

On January 21, 2014 the JoiEU partner in Cyprus NGO Support Centre organizing this third national and trans-border debate on the impact of the crisis on civil society.

As one of the EU member states hardest hit from the economic crisis civil society in Cyprus has a lot of lessons to share with its European partners. According to the organizers of the Cyprus debate… “we are dealing with a crisis that is not only Financial but also Social and Institutional. Cyprus and many European countries are experiencing multiple financial and social problems that range from spending cuts, reduction of social & welfare programs and benefits, increased unemployment and poverty. As a result, we are also observing a growing distrust towards local and European administrative bodies and institutions, enhanced civic indifference and increased outreach of extreme and undemocratic views.” The most important questions raised during the debate included:

How does that impact you and civil society at large?

What policies would be the relevant response to the crisis?

Participants in Cyprus were joined by international contributors physically present at the debate and by JoiEU partners in The Netherlands, Bulgaria, Romania and Belgium

Missed the debate? Watch it here ReLive !

Documents and presentations from the debate:

Women and the Crisis – Debate Contribution by Atria, The Netherlands

Challenges CSO’s Face in Bulgaria as a Result of the Crisis – Debate Contribution by BCNL, Bulgaria

MORE coming soon!

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The Zagreb Debate on the EU Structural and Cohesion Funds and Citizen Participation

On December 10, 2013 the JoiEU partner in Croatia Cenzura Plus organized a national and trans-border debate on the role civil society can play in shaping the EU structural and Cohesion Policy.

As the newest member of the EU and after a long and successful participation in the accession process Croatian civil society naturally examines with interest the opportunities and the experience of others in applying the EU funds for the further development of the country. The debate was attended fro participants from Croatia, Slovenia, Belgium and Bulgaria and was joined online by a number of JoiEU partners online.

Watch the Zagreb Debate ReLive !

Some Background Info

Check out the official site of the European Commission on the Cohesion Policy 2014-2020

See the Presentation Cohesion Policy 2014-120

Hallo! I would like to change….

Hallo, I would like to change…

…is a brief snapshot of the attitude of Bulgarian students to the EU and its role in Bulgaria. It is also about the changes they want to see in their country and in Europe and about the role of citizens in these changes. The video was recorded during the JoiEU launch event in Sofia, parts of it will be used in a longer documentary which will be produced later in the project, this is just a taster of what’s to come.

The students want to see many changes, ranging from EU industrial policies to the redefinition of tolerance, but above all they want their voices to be heard, especially so in their own country.

The use of the ring tone instrumental is not accidental…Since the video was shot the students of Bulgaria have woken up to their citizen call and have become far more vocal about their discontent with the political establishment. They have occupied key universities demanding the immediate resignation of the Government and the dissolution of Parliament, which they think epitomize the merging of mafia and politics in the country. As of the date of this post, over 60 % of the Bulgarians support the radical student protest and 76% agree that the Government should step down, as seen by the result of this Alpha Research poll reported by The Sofia Globe.