Non profit
January 2010
A Vita Europe selection of civil society events around Europe.
2 October 2009-2 January 2010, worldwide
World March for Peace and Nonviolence
The World March began in New Zealand on October 2, 2009, the anniversary of Gandhi’s birth, declared the “International Day of Nonviolence” by the United Nations. It will conclude in the Andes Mountains (Punta de Vacas, Aconcagua, Argentina) on January 2, 2010. The March will last 90 days. It will pass through all climates and seasons, from the hot summer of the tropics and the deserts, to the winter of Siberia. The American and Asian stages will be the longest, both almost a month..
The March was initiated by “World Without Wars,” – an international organization launched by the Humanist Movement – that has been working for 15 years in the fields of pacifism and non-violence. The March is open to any person, organization, collective, group, political party, business, etc., that shares the same aspirations and sensibility.
The possible channels of participation are multiple and diverse, including virtual participation in the March through Internet.
This is a march by and for the people, with hopes of reaching most of the world’s population.
As it passes through cities there will be all kinds of forums, conferences and events (sporting, cultural, social, etc.) that will be organised according to the local initiatives that are emerging.
The March aims at achieving: the worldwide eradication of nuclear weapons; the immediate withdrawal of invading troops from occupied territories; the progressive and proportional reduction of conventional weapons; the signing of?non-aggression treaties among nations and the renunciation by governments of war as a way to resolve conflicts.
The March also aims at exposing the many other forms of violence (economic, racial, sexual, religious…) that are currently hidden or disguised by their perpetrators; and to provide a way for all who suffer such violence to be heard.
Finally the March has the goal to create global awareness – as has already happened with environmental issues – of the urgent need to condemn of all forms of violence and bring about real Peace.
31 December 2009 – 4 January 2010, Gaza, Palestine
Gaza Freedom March
On the occasion of the first anniversary of the Israeli attack to Gaza, the International Coalition to End the Illegal Siege of Gaza promotes in Gaza on the 31st of December the Gaza Freedom March, a solidarity non-violent march to draw the attention on the ongoing humanitarian crisis and on the illegitimacy of the siege asking the International Community to put an end to it. Hundreds of international activists from 35 countries will try to stop the blockade to participate to a big demonstration marching next to Gaza’s population.
http://www.gazafreedommarch.org/article.php?list=type&type=416
12-15 January 2010, Geneva, Switzerland
Second meeting of the Indonesian-Swiss country-led initiative to improve the effectiveness of the Basel Convention
The objective of the CLI is to develop recommendations for consideration at the tenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) concerning ways to ensure that the transboundary movements of hazardous wastes, especially to developing countries and countries with economies in transition, constitute an environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes, as required by the Basel Convention.
http://www.basel.int/convention/cli/index.html
13 January 2010, Brussels, Belgium
Conference: “After the Crisis – Towards a Sustainable Growth Model”
The limitations of ‘financial capitalism’ have been brutally exposed by the financial and ensuing economic crisis. This has opened up a window of opportunity to propose and implement progressive reforms. The European Trade Union Institute, (ETUI, an international non profit-making Association established under Belgian law, with three main objectives:
– conducting research, producing studies and monitoring European issues of strategic importance for the world of labour while building bridges between the academic and research community and the labour movement;
– promoting education and training activities, programmes and exchanges that strengthen a European Trade Union identity;
– providing technical support in the field of occupational health, safety and protection so as to promote a high level of health and safety protection for workers in Europe), which organizes the event, has brought together around 30 prominent critical and progressive academics and researchers to help launch a debate on setting an agenda for a reformed capitalism ‘after the crisis’. Each has produced a short policy-oriented proposal in areas ranging from macroeconomic policy and financial market re-regulation, across labour market and social policies, to issues raised by the need for growth to be ecologically sustainable.
The conference will discuss about the reforms Europe needs to shift to an equitable and socially and ecologically sustainable growth model after the crisis.
15 January 2010, Brussels, Belgium
Ageing well-European challenges
“CD&V-senioren” (the seniors association of the Flemish Christian-democrats) will discuss with politicians and Prof dr. Bea Cantillon (University of Antwerp) the results of her recent research on the income of the elderly in Europe. Special attention is given to the role of local and regional governments to answer the challenges of ageing populations. In the afternoon Yves Leterme, Belgian prime minister, will expose the ambitions of the Belgian presidency.
26-28 January 2010, Brussels, Belgium
Conference “Grundtvig, a decade of European innovation in adult learning“
This conference is included in the initiatives for the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Grundtvig programme.?The conference will bring together experts in the field of adult learning, European, national, regional and local policy-makers, representatives of successful Grundtvig projects as well as any individual or organisation interested in the field. It will offer thematic key speeches, project cases, and reflections about the future of adult learning in Europe. Around 250 participants from all over Europe are expected to attend.
http://ec.europa.eu/education/grundtvig/doc1974_en.htm
27 January 2010, Leicester, United Kingdom
Risk management: how to manage risk effectively
Risk management is a fundamental governance tool for any organisation. This session will introduce a practical approach to risk management allowing you to analyse the risks to your charity and how to identify the “ownership” of risk within your organisation.
The following topics will be covered:
– Provide a practical understanding of risk management
– Defining the risks that faces our charity
– Practical session on risk mitigation and setting our appetite for risk
– Understand our key responsibilities and the practicalities of embedding risk management
http://www.acevo.org.uk/Page.aspx?pid=1297
To find out about Acevo’s conferences, workshops and training sessions visit:
http://www.acevo.org.uk/Page.aspx?pid=227
http://www.acevo.org.uk/Page.aspx?pid=1043
27-28 January 2010, Paris, France
Impact of the Information-Consultation Directive on Social Dialogue in the Member States: Results and Perspectives
This conference is organized by Europe et Société, an association striving, through different activities and demonstrations, to offer to managers of enterprises, professional organizations, unions and retirement institutions, a place of meeting, of reflection and a place to gather proposals, based on Europeans answers towards the challenges of the present world, especially towards economy’s globalization. Europe et Société strives to create bridges between the world of enterprises, of the European society and European institutions.
The conference will cover the following topics:
1. Emergence and building of the notion in the European Union
2. Impact on European social dialogue
3. Examples of enterprises in the Member States (concrete implementation of the Directive)
4. Examples of European Work councils (link between information-consultation in the Member States and at EWC level)
5. Facing the creation of new obligations and legal heterogeneity of the preexisting practices, what are the consequences on the nature and structure of social dialogue in the Member States?
6. Consequences of the chosen modes of implementation
7. What do the experience feedbaks reveal?
8. How can their consideration be used to improve the European social model?
http://www.europeanagenda.eu/events/27758.php
28 January 2010, Malmö, Sweden
A Trans-European Road to Renewable Mobility
This conference is organized by NGVA Europe, which mission is ?to foster good relations with European and international Institutions, and to define and advocate the positions of the European NGV (Natural Gas Vehicles) industry. NGVA Europe advocates the use of a fuel which in many different ways will help to secure sustainable mobility.??In addition to natural gas, the industry can also offer the use of renewable biomethane. It can also provide reliable information on the market development, not only in Europe, but also globally.
The European Union (EU) has set the target of increasing the share of biofuels and so-called alternative fuels, including gaseous fuels, in road transport to 20% by 2020. Upgraded biogas (biomethane) and compressed natural gas (CNG) offer an environmental friendly alternative to the conventional vehicle fuels in use today. But in order to create new markets the crucial questions still remain the continuous expansion of the network of CNG and L-CNG filling stations and the increase in the number of Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs).
The EU funded project GasHighWay (www.gashighway.net) aims at tackling precisely these questions. NGVA Europe, together with its GasHighWay partners, invites you to attend the first international seminar during the project “A Trans-European Road to Renewable Mobility”.
http://www.europeanagenda.eu/events/27555.php
More events for this month to come…
If you would like your event to be included, please contact Cristina Barbetta
