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CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT IN HERITAGE
feb 25
The “CSE in Heritage” project kick-off meeting and the European Movement International Congress in Istanbul, February 2011
On 10 February 2011, in conjunction with the European Movement International Congress in Istanbul “CSOs challenge public authorities”, the European Commission, DG Enlargement, organised in Istanbul the kick-off meeting for the projects which have received financial assistance from the European Union under the three Instruments for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) call for proposals: Support to Partnership Actions between Cultural Organisations, Support to Partnership Actions to Minorities/Vulnerable Groups Organisations and Socio-Economic Partnership Programme. These projects all aim to strengthen the role of Civil Society Organisations.
During this meeting, the DG Enlargement presented the applicable rules and procedures of the support to the representatives of some 150 organisations representing 32 projects (including 10 projects in the Culture field).
Europa Nostra is partner of the winning project “Civil Society Engagement in Heritage”, lead by one of our Member Organisations from Romania, the Transylvania Trust, in cooperation with 4 other partners: Cultural Heritage without Borders, Emancipimi Civil Ma Ndryshe, Europa Nostra Serbia and Expeditio (Center for Sustainable Spatial Development).
The project entitled “Civil Society Engagement in community building through the understanding, development, management and preservation of the built heritage of the Western Balkans” (in short: “Civil Society Engagement in Heritage”) has a duration of 22 months (till end October 2012) and will be lead in Romania, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia.
Its overall objective is to strengthen the role of Civil Society/Cultural operators in raising awareness of the value (social, economic, educational, cultural) of the built cultural heritage in society building and community development.
Numerous activities will be realised through the project including the assessment of existing heritage training initiatives, education awareness raising, and formal programmes in the region; modules “training the trainers” and implementation of local heritage initiatives through the establishment of Training and Information Programmes.
Representatives of NGOs from the South East Europe will participate to the Europa Nostra Annual Congresses 2011 and 2012 to have access to the best practitioners within the heritage field and to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the leading NGOs in Europe. Europa Nostra will also be in charge of the coordination of the external evaluation of the project.
Following this kick-off meeting, on 11 and 12 February, more than 300 civil society delegates, high level experts and decision makers gathered at the European Movement International Congress to discuss the theme “Civil Society Organisations challenge public authorities: From political commitment to active dialogue” and in order to exchange their views about the role of civil society, in presence of Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy, Egemen Bagis, Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and chief negotiator of Turkey in the accession talks with the European Union and Pat Cox, President of the European Movement International.
The European Movement International welcomed the significant progress of civil society engagement in candidate and potential candidate countries to the European Union, especially the Turkish path of modernization, particularly since becoming candidate country to the EU in 1999.
More info
European Movement International
“CSE in Heritage” and the other projects selected under the IPA call for proposals 'Support to Partnership Actions between Cultural Organisations' 129799 of the European Union, DG Enlargement