March 2012

1 March 2012, Istanbul, Turkey, International Social Entrepreneurship Conference

2 March 2012, Vienna,  Austria, Central European Good Practice Fair: Promotion of Active Ageing

5-6 March 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Diverse talents for the future of Europe

6 March 2012, Paris, France, Promoting social entrepreneurship in France

6 March 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Social Innovation in Education and Training

 7 March 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Preserving knowledge of the mother tongue abroad

12 March 2012, Berlin, Germany, CSR and Societal Innovations

12-17 March 2012, Marseilles, France, 6^th World Water Forum

15 March 2012, London, UK, ‘Free Euclid Network Event: A European Spring? Shape The European Social Innovation And Social Business Agenda’

15-16 March 2012, Venice, Italy, Promoting the understanding of co-operatives for a better world

18-21 March 2012, Soro, Denmark, Youth conference

21 March 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Towards a Common European Asylum System: Improving Protection, Solidarity and Harmonisation

26-27 March 2012, Riga, Latvia, Family Reunification Procedures in European Migration Law

27 March 2012, Glasgow, UK, The Social Enterprise Exchange

27 March 2012, Brussels, Belgium, Ageing well in European Cities

28 March 2012 London, UK, Supporting homeless people into work

28-30 March 2012, Oxford, UK, Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship

31 March 2012, worldwide, Earth Hour

1 March 2012, Istanbul, Turkey

International Social Entrepreneurship Conference 

This conference is organized by TACSO in partnership with the British Council and TÜSEV (Third Sector Foundation of Turkey) and it is  hosted by the Kadir Has University.

The objectives of the conference are to:
• Strengthen connections between social entrepreneurs from the region with social entrepreneurs from the EU, and particularly the UK.
• Strengthen relationships between social entrepreneurs and those supporting the development of social entrepreneurship in the public, private and civil society sectors.
• Facilitate exchange of knowledge and best practice in social entrepreneurship.
• Improve awareness of the potential role that social entrepreneurship can play in the region.
• Widening and improving the regional network of social entrepreneurs.

To read more: http://tacso.org/news/training-opp/?id=6159

 

2 March 2012, Vienna,  Austria

Central European Good Practice Fair: Promotion of Active Ageing

Hosted as an official event of European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations2012, the Fair is designed to ensure the promotion of efficient and concrete tools directed to active ageing in Central European countries.

To read more: http://www.csreurope.org

 

5-6 March 2012, Brussels, Belgium

Diverse talents for the future of Europe

This international conference looks at what civil society organizations have to do in order to improve education and social cohesion in multicultural European societies.

Which educational policies are needed to meet the Europe 2020 targets?

How can all young people, including those from an immigrant background, be given opportunities to develop their full potential and contribute to Europe’s future?

How can partnerships between schools and civil society, including the immigrant communities, contribute to achieve the European education ambitions for 2020 ?

The aim of this conference is to discuss different experiences with educational policies and systems in order to highlight the civil initiatives and to investigate the institutional arrangements that deal with diversity in education and labor market.

To read more: http://www.educationconference.eu/

6 March 2012, Paris, France

Promoting social entrepreneurship in France

The CAS (Centre d’analyse stratégique) and the OCDE-LEED Programme (Local Economic and Employment Development) are convening a conference to promote social enterprises in France.

Muhammad Yunus, Founder of the Grameen Bank (Bangladesh) will be a speaker of honour at the conference.

Social entrepreneurship is on the rise. As the most prestigious business schools as well as the traditional financial sphere look at it with great interest, innovative initiatives and targeted policies multiply all over the world. The last two years have noticeably given birth to the Social Innovation fund in the US, the ‘Social Business Initiative’ of the European Commission, the ‘Big Society’in the UK and the reenactment of the French Conseil Supérieur de l’Economie sociale et solidaire.

The profusion of social entrepreneurship is challenging the modes of public intervention. In the light of emerging alliances (State, market and citizens), new economic models and the need for social innovation, we are undergoing a transformation in the production of general interest services and goods. How could these innovations start building up a virtuous circle with traditional policies? How to transform related expenses into community investments rather than costs? The social enterprise model, despite its obvious capacity to satisfy needs, still remains relatively scarcely used. What, is to be done, in a French context that is undermined by a strong opposition between public and private sectors, to create an enabling environment to its development?

To read more: http://www.oecd.org

 

6 March 2012, Brussels, Belgium

Social Innovation in Education and Training

Today little is known about social innovation compared to the vast amount of research into innovation in business and science. EUCIS-LLL understands social innovation as changes in ideas, practices and institutions that aim to resolve existing social, cultural, economic and environmental challenges for the general interest. This seminar aims to give an insight on social innovation dynamics that are generally bottom-up and on how to create a favorable environment in Europe to stimulate innovation in teaching and learning.

To read more: http://www.european-agenda.com

 

7 March 2012, Brussels, Belgium

Preserving knowledge of the mother tongue abroad

Preserving knowledge of the mother tongue is a fundamental right of each individual and allows for life chances to be put into practice, thus improving quality of life. 

In times of economic crisis it is private initiatives and actors, more than the State, that provide an opportunity to overcome difficulties. 

The speakers will present best practice examples from other countries. Innovative forms of learning, i.e. e-learning, as well as funding possibilities including European Funding, will be discussed.

To read more: http://www.alde.eu

 

12 March 2012, Berlin, Germany

CSR and Societal Innovations

The theme of UPJ annual conference 2012 is “CSR and social innovation.”

UPJ network provides a great opportunity for managers, practitioners and experts from large and medium-sized enterprises, regional intermediaries, charitable organizations, networks, science, associations, foundations, policy and administration, to exchange ideas about the “How” and “Where?” and aims at opening the path for discussions on current issues and challenges. 
 Lectures, workshops and discussions with experts from practice, science and politics to give new impetus to the design of CSR, corporate citizenship, corporate volunteering and a stable infrastructure to stimulate the transfer of practice and present programs, tools, management issues, environment and know-how for their contribution to social innovation.

To read more: http://www.csreurope.org

 

12-17 March 2012, Marseilles, France

6^th World Water Forum

The Council’s World Water Forum, organized every three years since 1997 in close collaboration with the authorities of the hosting country, is the largest international event in the field of water. It primarily serves four main purposes: to raise the importance of water on the political agenda; to support the deepening of discussions towards the solution of international water issues in the 21st century; to formulate concrete proposals and bring their importance to the world’s attention and to generate political commitment.

The World Water Forum mobilizes creativity, innovation, competence and know-how in favour of water. It gathers all stakeholders around today’s local, regional and global issues that cannot be undertaken without all stakeholders into a common framework of goals and concrete targets to reach.

The goal of the 6th World Water Forum is to tackle the challenges our world is facing and to bring water high on all political agendas. There will be no sustainable development while the water issues remain unsolved. Everywhere on the planet, for all and everyone, the Right to Water (recognised by 189 states at the UN one year ago) must be guaranteed and implemented.

To read more: http://www.worldwaterforum6.org/en/

 

15 March 2012, London, UK

‘Free Euclid Network Event: A European Spring? Shape The European Social Innovation And Social Business Agenda’

The launch of the social innovation agenda in 2010 started a new era in the European Union, putting civil society in the driving seat of social and economic development. The Social Business Initiative reinforces Brussels’ commitment to this new agenda.

To tackle today’s problems we have to think differently. Europe’s Social Business Initiative looks to civil society for solutions.

This event will explore new opportunities for civil society organizations and social enterprise in the UK to engage with the European agenda to foster an enabling environment for the sector. This is your opportunity to take part and define the priorities for British civil society.

The inputs from the conference will feed into a paper on EU social innovation and social business agenda for Office for Civil Society.
This event is the third in a series delivered by the Office for Civil Society Strategic Partners (Europe), co-led by Euclid Network and NCVO.

To read more: http://www.euclidnetwork.eu

 

15 -16 March 2012, Venice, Italy

Promoting the understanding of co-operatives for a better world

What  potential does cooperation hold for “a better economy”? The international conference “Promoting the understanding of cooperatives for a better world” will offer an opportunity to explore this and other issues linked to the cooperative world in a fresh and direct way. The conference will bring world-renowned economics experts to Venice, including Romano Prodi, former President of the European Commission and Prime Minister of Italy; Sir Partha Dasgupta, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Cambridge; Pauline Green, President of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA); and Luigi Marino. The conference is organized by Euricse, the European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises, and the Alliance of Italian Cooperatives, with the support of the Ivano Barberini Foundation. The conference will be one of the three official events on the ICA calendar for 2012, the International Year of Cooperatives, and represents a key moment when reflection on the issue of cooperatives can be presented to an international audience

To read more: http://conference2012.euricse.eu/en

 

18-21 March 2012, Soro, Denmark

Youth conference

The subject of the conference is how to foster young people’s creativity, innovative capabilities  and talents as means of increasing their active participation in society and their transition to employment. The conference is organized in the framework of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2012.

To read more: http://eu2012.dk/en

 

21 March 2012, Brussels, Belgium

Towards a Common European Asylum System:
Improving Protection, Solidarity and Harmonisation

The Symposium will support the exchange of ideas and encourage delegates to engage in thought-provoking topical debate with local and regional practitioners and policymakers at EU level.

Delegates will:

– Discuss new methods and tools for gathering comparative data on asylum seekers in Europe

– Understand current standards, procedures and decision making processes in assisting and identifying asylum seekers

– Explore possibilities for increasing cooperation between Member States and major stakeholders in improving reallocation and resettlement policies in Europe

– Exchange best practices from pivotal projects implemented in Europe

To read more: http://publicpolicyexchange.co.uk

 

26-27 March 2012, Riga, Latvia

Family Reunification Procedures in European Migration Law

The issue of family reunification applies not only to third-country nationals seeking to obtain permission for their family members to join them in an EU Member State but also affects EU nationals and thus goes to the heart of the free movement of persons. This seminar will provide legal practitioners with an in-depth analysis of the relevant legislative measures, the most recent and important developments in jurisprudence and the impact of European human rights instruments on this matter.

To read more: https://www.era.int

 

27 March 2012, Glasgow, UK

The Social Enterprise Exchange

People from all over the globe are coming together for what will be the world’s largest social enterprise event of the year. Join over 1,000 delegates and 150 exhibitors. 

Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna and enterprise leaders, including Sophi Tranchell MBE of Divine Chocolate Ltd, and Jim Duffy, CEO of Entrepreneurial Spark, will take part in the ‘Good Business and how to do it’ debate, chaired by broadcaster and journalist, Kirsty Wark.

Delegates to the Social Enterprise Exchange may be eligible to apply to the Santander Social Enterprise Award, a unique award, in which organizations stand to win £5,000,a bespoke support package from Santander and the Social Enterprise Exchange partners, and which will be presented on the main stage of the Social Enterprise Exchange!

The event programme:

– World-class speakers, high-quality workshops, and up-to-the minute policy thinking

– Master classes on social investment and engaging with the private sector

– A managed networking and trading area

– Practical workshops on sales, start-ups, spin-outs, impact measurement + more

–  1:1 clinics with experts in the field.

To read more: http://www.socialenterpriseexchange.com/home/

 

27 March 2012, Brussels, Belgium

Ageing well in European Cities

The conference, organized by EUROCITIES,  aims to bring together representatives from cities, civil society organizations and European institutions to discuss how to make European cities age-friendlier.

Next to discussions about European initiatives on active ageing, the conference will also provide a platform for cities to present what is already happening in local employment policies, barrier free design of housing and public space or social service provision in speed-networking sessions.

To read more: http://www.csreurope.org

 

28 March 2012 London, UK

Supporting homeless people into work

The benefits of working are far wider than just financial ones, both for the community as well as the individual. Working can significantly contribute to the recovery and resettlement of an individual, improving their health, self-esteem and social standing. Whilst society benefits from greater social cohesion, a more appropriate use of medical services and prevention of intergenerational worklessness.
This event will explore how we can increase the number of homeless people who find paid employment.
There will be three core strands to the day that all support and lead to sustained employment:

– How to deliver effective pre-employment activities.

– The different pathways into employment that exist.

– The support needed once someone is working to retain the job.

To read more: http://homeless.org.uk

 

28-30 March 2012, Oxford, UK

Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship

The Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship is the premier, international platform for accelerating entrepreneurial approaches and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing social issues.

Each year in Oxford, 900 distinguished delegates from the social, finance, private and public sectors convene in Oxford for three days and nights of critical debates, discussions and work sessions aimed at innovating, accelerating and scaling solutions to social challenges.

The Skoll World Forum is a programme of the Skoll Foundation and is co-produced with the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the Saïd Business School, Oxford University.

To read more: http://skollworldforum.org/

 

28-29 March 2012, Paris, France

Produrable: People, Planet,  Profit

This high level CSR event, a fifth edition of the prestigious PRODURABLE conference, will welcome participantsfrom business (CSR, HR, Environmental, Innovation and Marketing), government, EU, other leading CSR organizations and thought leaders. The event will be an opportunity for participants to network, share experiences and best practices.

To read more: http://www.produrable.com/

 

31 March 2012, worldwide

Earth Hour

Hundreds of millions of people, businesses and governments around the world unite each year to support the largest environmental event in history-Earth Hour.

More than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour 2011 alone, sending a powerful message for action on climate change. It also ushered in a new era with members going Beyond the Hour to commit to lasting action for the planet.

To read more: www.earthhour.org