Joint leadership meeting of CEE CN, ECON and CEBSD
Budapest, January 18 - 19, 2012
Minutes
Present:
Nicoleta Chirita, Kajo Zboril, Miljenko Dereta, Hans Andersson, Chuck Hirt, Grzegorz
Wojkowski, Mate Varga and Anna Karailieva.
January 18
Chuck welcomed everybody on this historical meeting of our three Networks and
explained background of the meeting.
1. Introductions
Mate facilitated the first part of the meeting. He opened a round of personal
introductions.
o Brief review of history
Mate mentioned the connection between our three Networks and he pointed that
HACD was part of each Network from very beginning.
o Each Network introduce themselves and brief description of plans for the
coming year(s)
Hans introduced CEBSD – the European Community Development Network, Chuck
introduced Central and Eastern European Citizens Network and Kajo introduced
ECON – the European Community Organizing Network. We tried to clarify for
ourselves the context of community development and community organizing that
are the main approaches of citizen participation.
2. Looking for a common platform for 2013 European Year of Citizens and
beyond
o Framework and present situation
Hans presented a common framework for our work together. He stressed that it is
important to realize what is our common goal based on our values. Maybe we can
develop some form of simple platform where we can work together.
o Present ideas from all three Networks
1
We should develop a plan A (CEE CN gets the EU Operating grant) and B (it does not
get the grant) for 2012 in terms of EU grants. But in any case year 2012 should be a
year of preparation of 2013. What could be a possible content for our 2013
activities? – for example a year of public debates of what is citizens role in
democracy, about permanent right to participate, how participation can be
sustainable in systematic not financial way, what is the citizens’ future in Europe,
etc.
A lot of people around Europe show frustration – we should take that frustration in
the direction that they want. We, as community workers should help to formulate
people’s frustrations into the goal and actions.
o Suggestions from Roman Haken
A basic message of European Economic and Social Committee is that they are
disappointed about the proposed content of the Year. They are finalizing
opinion/suggestions for EC that the framework of European Year of Citizens should
not be limited to free movement etc. but have much more of an Active Citizen
approach. On January 26 they are going to host public hearing about that issue.
Roman will send us the opinion for our comments.
o Brainstorm additional ideas
We can use the Year of Citizens for enlargement of identity from local and national
to European level as we, as citizens, want to influence European policy. We should
not have only the right to express our opinion but also to have right to be heard.
How to link the European identity crisis with national crises in different member
states?
The solution of this crisis should have citizens and also European dimension.
How to get people to pay attention and understand what is going on EU level in the
way to help them to make changes on EU level. We should discuss how to empower
people to be able to influence EU decision making - it would be better to have a
Year of European Citizens.
We should try to discuss issues of citizen participation with members of EU
parliament. In that way we can add to our bottom up approach the top down
approach.
2
EU always asks how citizens could be more active in policy influence or decision
making but there is no system developed for that. Maybe we can try to develop
that mechanism.
Power of civil society is that we are active in local level. But our future is in Europe
and we do not want to have frustrated citizens and politicians without legitimacy. If
we can find people from both groups – citizens and EU politicians - we can develop
a mechanism how to make the situation better. Maybe we can facilitate the process
how to find some solutions.
If we will develop some Action plan it would be worth it to include our main issues
e.g. Budapest declaration, the Code, CP Week, etc.
During dinner three separate tables were arranged so each Network could conduct their own
discussions.
January 19
We started the day with feedback from everybody about the discussion from
previous day. Everybody expressed their satisfaction that three Networks met (sign
of maturity and openness) and want to cooperate and develop some platform of
mutual thinking and ideas. It could have a long term positive effect in many ways.
We continued in brainstorming:
The fact that Europe is in crisis influences people in very local level. We should take
opportunity of this crisis for re thinking the role of citizens and filling a gap by
combining the crisis with some opportunities (with something positive).
The possible theme for project: From European Year of Citizens to Year of European
Citizens.
3. Concrete suggestions for common activities and projects
First we should clarify for us who we are and what is our goal. Maybe comparing
missions of all three Networks may help us to find common mission of our platform.
Or we can start from the point what we think we should do about citizen
participation and than to define who we are.
3
Civil Society should always provoke, so we should provoke EU parliament with some
questions and help different local groups to have dialog with parliamentarians on
different topics and in different context.
Our project should be built on needs assessment of our communities that we are
working with and should have a long term perspective of our cooperation.
To create civil European Parliament and went through the same agenda as EU
Parliament has and see what will be solutions of actual problems or to organize a
public hearing. To bring problems to the level of EU Parliament is very important.
And also to find a way how people can participate in decision making processes in
much easier way.
CP Study conclusion could be a framework for our platform.
Community, participation and empowerment – three key words of our Networks
Who we are?
Empowered Citizens - European Platform for Citizen Participation (EPCP)
Participation:
- a way to improve the live of citizens and communities
- right of citizens
Goals:
- create and enlarge more space and opportunities for citizen participation
- support citizens and institutions to use this space and opportunities
4. Continue discussion about concrete suggestions for activities and projects
Concrete suggestions for activities to be included in the project from CEE CN:
 CPW
 CPU
 CPS
 Citizen project about citizen initiative as a new mechanism for citizens
Concrete suggestions for activities to be included in the project from ECON:
 How to get people to think about being European citizens, about their local
activities and to make them understand how they can influence the EU policy
and what would be the impact of that in their everyday life.
 How our strong local groups could be active in national and international
level.
4
Concrete suggestions for activities to be included in the project from CEBSD:
 This possible project could be an awareness project for citizens to understand
importance of their involvement and for EU politicians - we want to have
them understand local issues. So, the dialog is needed between local people
and their elected representatives.
Comments:
The role of civil society is to overcome the limitations. We have to always widen the
scope of our activities and to work in partnership with other organizations.
Discussion about the concrete steps:
 awareness action
 mechanism for participation
 involvement of EU politicians in some debates
 participation through solving some problems of local people
 presentation of CP Study by authors of the case studies
 to take part in CPW with on-line activities - interviews with EU
parliamentarians (what would be the best way for CP?, etc), exhibitions, post
on our web sites, survey about trust to institutions, etc.
 to make CPW broader we can open a call for small funding for CPW activities
and to hire a CPW coordinator in all our member countries
 we should develop a strategy of approaching politicians that they can benefit
from
 creating competition is very stimulating – maybe we can invite citizens
groups and municipalities to the process for CP award; modeled after CeRe’s
Gala event
 ordinary citizens do not want to participate but if it is about their common
interest they are ready to participate
 NGOs do not represent all citizens
 to involve local politicians and national EU parliamentarians for local debates
(we can have a common format for these debates) and possibly to organize
some international debate about citizens participation. It would be nice to
end debates with a big event e.g. in Brussels with the theme “From Noise to
Voice” to include all those protests and demonstrations across Europe. The
noise is reaction to the lack of communication with citizens so citizen
participation should be taken more seriously and good mechanisms for
participation should be developed.
5
How we can develop a project that will affect also our members from non-EU
countries?
CoE parliament is composed from our national parliamentarians – so we can
approach CoE to negotiate with European Commission to get funding for EU
Year of Citizens also to European Networks that have also non-EU members.
5. Develop agreement on activities and projects – both short and longer term
We used the OPERA method facilitated by Hans for finding activities for our
common project.
OPERA:
Own thoughts
Pair’s thoughts
Expose
Range
Arrange
6. Finalize plans and evaluation session
A. What
Each country will host an Award ceremony for citizens, NGOs and political
institutions to recognize outstanding examples of citizen participation
When
During CPW 2013
How
In each country should be a leader of organizing award ceremony (to find partners,
media partners, etc) – collaboration between countries. We can invite different
institutions to be involved in this process.
Who
The lead organization in each country together with the Networks coordinators and
with the CeRe know how and coordination.
B. What
Common event in Brussels – we can talk about state of CP, promotion of the studies
but also to present certain recommendations how to increase CP in local, national
and EU level
When
End of 2013
How
6
With a lot of financial resources
Who
Joint effort of three Networks
Tools we might use: the Code, CP Study, CP University:
What
C. The Code
When
Early of 2013
How
Develop a citizen friendly version of the Code and have it available in local
languages
Who
Bojana from CI Serbia, INAK design – Slovakia and back to each country
What
D. Complete the CP Study
When
Phase 2 in 2012 and Phase 3 in 2013
How
To build on the CPS developed during CALLDE project
Who
Team of researchers with the help of expert group
What
E. CP University
When
July 2013
How
To develop a theme connected with Year of Citizens plus to think about a longer
term agenda
Who
CEE CN
What
F. 1-2 min CPW videos of what people see as CP with English subtitles
When
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Through year 2013 and especially during CPW 2013
How
On line judging and give some awards
Who
Member organizations
What
G. Letter to new chair of CoE
When
Now
How
To write a draft and ask for comments
Who
Miljenko with Chuck signed by Networks leaders
What
H. Debates – local, national, international
When
CPW 2013 and CPU 2013
How
Activate target groups and find local partners, cooperation with media
On international level – working groups of all three Networks in cooperation with
EU and CoE institutions and Parliamentarians
Who
Member organizations and Network leadership
What
I. Preparation of CP mechanism
When
2012 - 2013
How
International working group to analyze and prepare draft for Networks comments
Who
Network leadership should find people for the working group
Closure:
Feedback about OPERA method was very positive.
8
Chuck expressed his hope to the common project.
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