December 2012

 

Listed events (for further descriptions of events and links scroll down):

1 December 2012, Warsaw, Poland, EU-Russia Civil Society Forum

3 December 2012, Milan, Italy, Estates General of Cultural Volunteering -Bellezza che vive 

3-4 December 2012, Copenhagen, Denmark, URBACT Annual Conference 2012 

4 December 2012, Milan, Italy, Social Innovation Europe

4 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium, From Rhetoric to Action – Tackling Child Poverty and Promoting Children’s Health and Well-being in the EU 

4-5 December 2012, London, UK, Trust Women: Putting The Rule Of Law Behind Women's Rights

5 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Combating malnutrition: An All Stakeholders Breakthrough Summit 

5 December  2012, Brussels, Belgium, Creating a culture of entrepreneurship-What’s holding Europe back? 

5 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Human Rights Day 2012 – Human Rights in Flames

6 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Political party integrity in Europe

6-7 December  2012, Brussels, Belgium, EESC Young European Entrepreneurs Seminar 2012

6-8 December 2012, Berlin, Germany, European Young Leaders: '40 under 40' – Berlin Seminar

7-8 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Stop the financialization  of nature 

10 December 2012, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Pitch and Match

  11 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Eco-innovation-empowering entrepreneurship

12 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium, 5th edition of the EESC Civil Society Prize

 12 December 2012, Rome, Italy, AIESEC Connection Day 2012

 12 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium, The impact of grassroots activities 

13 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Europe 2020 Conference – Youth on the move

17-18 December 2012, Berlin, Germany, New opportunities or new restrictions? Social innovation and providers of social services in Europe

19 December 2012, Milan, Italy, Consolidating over time and approaching different contexts: issues of scales for social enterprises

 

 

1 December 2012, Warsaw, Poland 

EU-Russia Civil Society Forum

The EU-Russia Civil Society Forum is a permanent common platform for cooperation and coordination of civil society organisations from Russia and the European Union with the purpose to develop common positions of civil society groups and increase cooperation between the civil society members.

The second conference of the Forum in Warsaw aims to finalize position papers with policy recommendations by each working group to be delivered to the EU-Russia summit in December in Brussels and work out concrete and realistic plans of the Forum’s work for 2012, as well as develop effective mechanisms of communication between the Forum members and its decision-making mechanisms between the conferences. To find out more about the event please click here 

To read more: www.eu-russia-csf.org

 

3 December 2012, Milan, Italy 

Estates General of Cultural Volunteering -Bellezza che vive 

In preparation for the international Day of Volunteering Vita, benchmark third sector magazine in Italy, and  Fondazione Italiana Accenture, a foundation  promoting  social innovation initiatives, are organizing a special meeting on the issue of cultural volunteering in Milan, Italy. The main associations promoting cultural volunteering in Italy, such as FAI, Fondazione CittàItalia, Italia Nostra and Touring Club Italiano, together with the protagonists of some best  practices of the sector will present experiences and figures of their activities. 

The objective of the Estates General of Cultural Volunteering is to analyze the phenomenon as an opportunity for development, with the aim of exploiting  the territory and the cultural heritage.

As part of the initiative, an open air photo exhibition named Bellezza che vive: Volontari per la cultura in azione (Living Beauty: Volunteers for culture in action) will take place in via Dante, in the heart of Milan, from 1 to 16 December 2012 in partnership with  Shoot4change, witnessing the action of volunteers an d their practical  commitment.  

The meeting will be attended by, among others: Lorenzo Ornaghi, Minister  for Cultural Heritage , Stefano Boeri , Councillor for Culture of the Municipality of Milan, Anna Maria Buzzi, Director General for the Valorization of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, Riccardo Bonacina, President of Vita Non Profit, Diego Visconti, President Fondazione Italiana Accenture, Pierluigi Sacco, Professor of Economy of Culture, IULM University,  Ilaria Borletti Buitoni, President of FAI, Franco Iseppi, president of Touring Club Italia, Marco Parini, President of Italia Nostra, Ledo Prato, President of Fondazione CittàItalia, Fiorenzo Galli, Director General of Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia (National Museum of Science and Technology).

www.vita.it

www.fondazioneaccenture.it

 

3-4 December 2012, Copenhagen, Denmark

URBACT Annual Conference 2012 

URBACT  will hold its Annual Conference 2012 in Copenhagen, Denmark. This conference will bring together urban practitioners, policymakers and experts from across the EU to investigate solutions to the critical challenges faced by EU cities. Key urban issues will be addressed such as :

-How can cities create more jobs;

– How can cities foster active inclusion through social innovation

– How can cities fight against the socio-spatial pide;

-How can cities deal with the urban shrinkage;

-How can cities improve buildings’ energy efficiency;-

-How can cities develop low carbon urban environment through better mobility and accessibility

To read more: www.conference2012.urbact.eu

 

 

4 December 2012, Milan,Italy 

Social Innovation Europe

This is the third workshop of the cycle: Social Innovation: changing contexts and open challenges. The Social Innovation workshop series, promoted by Avanzi, HUB Milano, Make a Change, City Monitor, Societing, Centro Ricerche IED, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca and  INDACO Politecnico di Milano, has the objective to  contribute to the debate about the transformative potential of social innovation vis-à-vis the changing political and economic  contexts in Italy and in Europe, by discussing four themes at the forefront of research and practice on this theme.  In particular, the series will focus around a possible working definition of social innovation, given the persity of current theoretical approaches and emerging practices; on a reflection upon the entrepreneurship dimension and its relationships with the regulatory framework; on a cross-European comparison of different practices and actors, and finally on the scale of these phenomena, exploring the tension between global and local dimension. The workshop series will be based on the exchange between researchers and practitioners, with the aim of accumulating knowledge and proposing a final output document, to be further discussed in a subsequent moment with relevant policy makers at local and regional level.  

To read more: www.irisnetwork.it

 

4 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium 

From Rhetoric to Action – Tackling Child Poverty and Promoting Children’s Health and Well-being in the EU

This seminar aims to discuss  with representatives of the European institutions and public health and social policy stakeholders the importance of the multi-faceted nature of the child poverty-health link and the need to adopt a comprehensive and holistic approach to tackling and preventing it at the EU level.

The meeting aims to provide room for constructive debate on the issues of poverty, inequality, health and well-being as they concern children, and should reflect the ongoing and prospective work of the EU institutions, such as:the Joint Action on Health Inequalities and the undergoing work on the European Commission recommendations on Child Poverty, a proposal for a European Parliament own-initiative report on Children’s Health, a proposal for the Commission-initiated EU-wide Strategy on Children’s Health and a proposal for the Commission and Member States Joint Action on Children’s Health.

To read more: www.epha.org

 

4-5 December 2012, London, UK

Trust Women: Putting The Rule Of Law Behind Women's Rights

The Trust Women Conference is about making connections that make a difference. It places the world's most innovative leaders in women's rights in front of the best minds in law, finance, technology, media, government and philanthropy, to help spark new collaborations and solutions.

Comprised of 350 delegates from around the world – female and male leaders in their fields – the conference will offer a provocative mix of keynote speeches, multimedia, plenary discussions, debates, break-out “action groups” and opportunities to engage online.

The first day of the conference will explore clashes between “culture” and the law, honing in on concrete strategies to tackle such wrongs as child marriage, female genital mutilation, acid attacks and honour killings. Delegates will delve into what the Arab Spring means for women and how to embed women’s rights in new constitutions. Day two will embrace issues ranging from financial independence and the corrosive effects of corruption to how to put the trafficking business out of business and end domestic slavery. The conference is organized by Trust.org, a gateway to the services of the Thomas Reuters Foundation, dedicated to empowering people in need with trusted information. 

To read more: www.trustwomenconf.com

 

5 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium 

Combating malnutrition: An All Stakeholders Breakthrough Summit 

The Public Advice International Foundation (PA International), in cooperation with the Cyprus EU Presidency and with the support of the World Food Program and UNICEF association is pleased to invite you to register for a high-level, international conference on efforts to respond to the “silent crisis” of malnutrition through sustainable and effective means.

Bringing together key stakeholders from international organizations, NGOs and the industry, the conference will aim at finding the best way to integrate the private sector in the fight against malnutrition; more specifically, how to optimize the role of the industry in the food value aid chain.

To read more: www.pa-international.org

 

5 December  2012, Brussels, Belgium  

Creating a culture of entrepreneurship-What’s holding Europe back? 

As European governments turn their attentions to more growth-focused strategies, what role can entrepreneurship play in pulling Europe out of the economic crisis? What is being done at EU and member state level to support entrepreneurs and foster greater levels of entrepreneurship in Europe? 

What challenges do entrepreneurs in European markets face, when compared to less mature and high growth economies? Does culture play as much of a role as access to finance? Is it the case that Europeans are less entrepreneurial than their US counterparts for instance or is it in fact pointless to talk of a European entrepreneur, when member states vary so markedly in their approaches and attitudes to entrepreneurship? Is it necessary to change perceptions of what being your own boss entails? What mechanisms exist, both regulatory and market driven, that can operate as bridges to entrepreneurship for European citizens?

This debate will examine what impact increased entrepreneurship would mean for Europe from both social and economic perspectives.

To read more: www.eu-ems.com

 

5 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium

Human Rights Day 2012 – Human Rights in Flames

International Human Rights Day marks the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by United Nations members on December 10, 1948. The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are entitled. It is arguably the world's most influential document on human rights, inspiring human rights frameworks across the globe. However, many people across the world are still denied the basic human rights that many of us take for granted. Regardless where they are born or what religion they practice, people take to the streets to demand the same things: dignity, freedom and human rights.

In many countries people have taken to the streets because they are excluded. Excluded from established areas of influence, from corporate power, from the media, from the electoral system or simply from the opportunity to work and earn their own living.In far too many cases peaceful protesters and human rights defenders have been met with brutal repression. New laws have been implemented that brand peaceful protesters as terrorists. Journalists have been targeted. We are witnessing increasing obstacles to freedom of expression and seeing violent repression of peaceful dissent. New and restrictive laws are being justified by the authorities in the name of security.

Democracy is on the offense worldwide. But on the ground we often see another reality. This critical situation compels us to search for new ways to protect these brave inpiduals and the vital role they play.

On the occasion of the celebration of the Human Rights Day 2012 The  International Council for Human Rights  – ICHR would like to discuss specific human rights challenges in the context of self-determination, violence against women, and mass graves in conflict areas, and in light of the relevant UN-resolutions in relation to various conflicts including Palestine and Kashmir.

To read more: www.europeanagenda.eu

 

6 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium 

Political party integrity in Europe 

The upcoming European Parliament elections in 2014 present an ideal opportunity to discuss the current state of affairs and outlook for political party governance and accountability towards the citizens of Europe. 

The relationship between political parties and powerful outside interests pose the highest risks of corruption across Europe, according to Transparency International’s recent report on Money, Politics, Power: Corruption Risks in Europe (2012). In the majority of EU member states, more than 50% of citizens have strong doubts in the integrity of political parties (see TI’s Global Corruption Barometer 2010/2011). 

Enhancing the legal regimes governing political finance – including campaign financing – and ensuring effective enforcement will allow present and future representatives of Europe’s citizens to demonstrate high standards of ethics. Europarties and their leaders could set a good example for national politics to follow. This may help regain EU citizens’ trust in political institutions and promote a stronger Union that is at the service of its citizens. 

To read more: www.transparency.org

 

6-7 December  2012, Brussels, Belgium

EESC Young European Entrepreneurs Seminar 2012

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will hold the fourth edition of its Young European Entrepreneurs Seminar (YEESeminar) on 06-07 December 2012 in Brussels.

 The  workshops will stimulate interactive exchanges on the following topics:

– Does the new Action Plan on Entrepreneurship by the European Commission address the real needs of entrepreneurs?

– Entrepreneurship for everyone: entrepreneurship as a career path, tailormade support for all budding entrepreneurs, nurturing young entrepreneurs – incubators and mentors, mandatory entrepreneurship education

– Business environment: opportunities for financing, regulatory and administrative framework, e-business, European Private Company statute, managing risk

– Market Access: cross-border trade, creation and cooperation among entrepreneurship associations, innovation and internationalisation

– Being an Envoy: How to Promote Entrepreneurship

– How to give entrepreneurs a European identity?

To read more: www.eesc.europa.eu

 

6-7 December 2012, Maastricht, The Netherlands 

How Can Member States Better Promote Cross-Border Mobility? The Free Movement of Persons, Recognition of Qualifications and Social Security Rights

Although EU citizenship facilitates the free movement of citizens within the European Union, people are still faced with barriers when they decide to live or work in a Member State other than the one of their own nationality. The seminar aims to help Member States identify measures that constitute barriers to workers’ and professional mobility so that these can be eliminated.

To read more:  http://seminars.eipa.eu/en/activities09/show/&tid=4930

 

 

6-8 December 2012, Berlin, Germany 

European Young Leaders: '40 under 40' – Berlin Seminar

Each year, forty young leaders from perse professional and cultural backgrounds and various European nationalities are carefully selected to take part in a series of bi-annual 3-day meetings. On 6-8 December 2012, the second group of selected European Young Leaders for 2012-13 will meet for their first seminar in Berlin. 

The European Young Leaders ‘40 under 40’ programme by EuropaNova and Friends of Europe engages forty of the European Union’s brightest young minds in order to create a new generation of opinion leaders promoting a European identity. The Young Leaders are asked to reflect upon the major problems confronting Europe and to generate innovative ideas that can provide lasting solutions. They will become ambassadors for a new vision, one which can counter the re-emergence of nationalist tendencies and provide inspiration for a European renewal.

To read more: www.friendsofeurope.org

 

7-8 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium 

Stop the financialization  of nature 

One key approach of the Green Economy proposal is the financialization  of nature: the pricing of nature and the application of market mechanisms for profit. A larger audience and policy makers lacks information on these ongoing processes and concepts. This is the background of a decision taken at the Vienna conference on “Socio-ecological transformation and energy policy in Latin America and Europe” to make the financialization of nature as one of the main thematic focuses in the project “ Socio-ecological Transformation” (Energy).

In this strategy meeting Rosa Luxembourg Foundation brings together civil society actors from Europe and the world regions, with the aim: 

-To initiate a longer term working cooperation that aims at strengthening the struggles against financialization  of nature

-To develop a common strategy and working approach, also for effective media work

-To define the cooperation with the actors in Europe and in the world 

To read more: www.rosalux-europa.info/events_en/financialization-of-nature

 

10 December 2012, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Pitch and Match

PITCH & MATCH is a unique event where investment professionals are introduced to the most inspiring social entrepreneurs. It is also a remarkable opportunity for like-minded people from different professional backgrounds to inspire each other and further the cause of social entrepreneurship! The event will consist of two parts – first, 6 inspiring entrepreneurs will pitch their business ideas for the panel of investors and the audience. Then, the scene is set for everyone to interact during the “borrel”. Students from the University of Amsterdam and the SocioNext Foundation organize this event to generate funds for scholarships for talented students in South Africa through the renowned study fund organizations Studytrust and TSiBA.

The event is must-attend for everyone interested in innovative ideas, entrepreneurship, networking, social change, and South Africa!

To read more: www.socionext.org/pitchmatch

 

11 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium 

Eco-innovation-empowering entrepreneurship 

This conference will discuss the role of eco-innovation policies and businesses in supporting European competitiveness, jobs creation, environmental protection and the well-being of European citizens.

Following a policy introduction, the conference will focus on concrete examples of today’s eco-technologies, services and processes, which are flagship initiatives for Europe green economy and society (City, Materials Research & Innovation and Enhanced collaboration). Particular attention will be given to the role of entrepreneurship and business incubation as an engine for microeconomic growth. In addition to providing an excellent opportunity for networking, the conference will showcase the latest European policies and will lay the foundations for future collaborative project opportunities. An exhibition area will display examples of regional microeconomic accelerators as well as related EU initiatives.

To read more: http://ecoinnovation.youreuevent.eu/

 

12 December 2012, Rome, Italy 

AIESEC Connection Day 2012

Sustainability, innovation and diversity in Italy: what is the role of the youths? It is with this question that AIESEC Italia invites young people to participate to AIESEC Connection Day. Sponsored by the Italian Ministry for International Cooperation and Integration, the event is an opportunity for university students and enterprises, as well as non-profits, to exchange experiences, to confront  and interact. It is the most important event of Employer Branding and  Talent Attraction that AIESEC Italy  offers to enterprises. AIESEC Connection Day will take place alongside One Day on Earth, the World Earth Day, when people from all over the world will film daily life scenes from every continent and every point of view.

To read more: www.aiesec.org/italy 

 

12 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium 

The impact of grassroots activities 

Civil society is a sphere distinct from government and business, it is the collective denomination of non-governmental organizations and institutions that manifest the interests and will of citizens. With a subject as large as human rights and all it embraces, needless to say that players in this field are numerous.

What is the impact of those on the ground, actors of the civil society who seek to advance human rights education, protection of advocates, freedom of expression or the very subject of ethics in human rights application?

To read more: www.humanrightsday.eu

 

13 December 2012, Brussels, Belgium 

Europe 2020 Conference – Youth on the move

This conference will be the first in a series of seven conferences regarding the EU flagship initiatives, which are part of the Europe 2020 Strategy. The Committee of the Regions has taken the lead to go for a bottom-up evaluation of all flagships.

The ‘Youth on the Move’ conference is organized by the Committee of the Regions (CoR) in cooperation with the European Commission’s Directorates ‘Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion’ and ‘Education and Culture’, as well as the European Associations of local and regional authorities. It is those authorities, which primarily have to face the challenge of unemployment in the European Union – currently over 10%.

The conference will provide a platform for:

– Showcasing good practice on how to fi ght youth unemployment

– Preparing the CoR’s contribution to the mid-term assessment of the Europe 2020 strategy

– Giving a voice to the Regions and Cities

– Participating in ongoing debate on youth issues 

The participants of the conference will discuss the flagship initiative both from the EU and from the local and regional points of view.

To read more: www.cor.europa.eu/en/

17-18 December 2012, Berlin, Germany

New opportunities or new restrictions? Social innovation and providers of social services in Europe

This conference is organized by the Observatory for Sociopolitical Developments in Europe organizes on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

The focus of the conference will lay on the current European initiatives on social business and social innovation as well as on their consequences on social services providers in the EU member states. In addition to discussing developments at EU level, the conference will offer the opportunity to consider what approaches are already being taken by providers of social services to generate and disseminate social innovation and to what extent these approaches differ.

The conference will combine discussions about policy and practice with a mixture of lectures and discussions by speakers and participants from EU institutions, national governments, leading practitioners and social entrepreneurs.

The aim will be to identify areas where common interests meet and where mutual learning is possible. The results of the discussions and debates will create the basis for further cooperation.

To read more: www.sociopolitical-observatory.eu/en/conference-social-innovation-and-social-services-in-the-eu.html

 

19 December 2012, Milan, Italy

Consolidating over time and approaching different contexts: issues of scales for social enterprises

This is the fourth workshop of the cycle: Social Innovation: changing contexts and open challenges. The Social Innovation workshop series, promoted by Avanzi, HUB Milano, Make a Change, City Monitor, Societing, Centro Ricerche IED, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca and INDACO Politecnico di Milano, has the objective to contribute to the debate about the transformative potential of social innovation vis-à-vis the changing political and economic contexts in Italy and in Europe, by discussing four themes at the forefront of research and practice on this theme.

In particular, the series will focus around a possible working definition of social innovation, given the persity of current theoretical approaches and emerging practices; on a reflection upon the entrepreneurship dimension and its relationships with the regulatory framework; on a cross-European comparison of different practices and actors, and finally on the scale of these phenomena, exploring the tension between global and local dimension.

The workshop series will be based on the exchange between researchers and practitioners, with the aim of accumulating knowledge and proposing a final output document, to be further discussed in a subsequent moment with relevant policy makers at local and regional level.

To read more:  www.irisnetwork.it/