November 2011

Deadlines up to 15 March 2012

Documentation

European Opportunities

Highlights

Upcoming Events

Quote of the month

EBL Activities

Network Calendar

Eurodesk Brussels Link Bulletin

2011 Eurodesk Awards

Eurodesk @ Go Strange !

Eurodesk Network Meeting, Antwerp

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EU pocket info A colourful booklet on the European Union for young people. It contains essential information on each Member State: its geographical location on the map of Europe, population, language, dialing code and other useful data. http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/eu-pocket-info-pbQC3111008/?CatalogCategoryID=iEKep2Ix3hEAAAEud3kBgSLq Global Employment Trends for Youth: 2011 update The report contains the latest global and regional labour market trends for youth and examines whether or not the situation that young people face in the labour market has improved or worsened over the year and a half since the release of the special edition of the Global Employment Trends for Youth (August 2010) on the impact of the economic crisis. One year later, with an environment of growing uncertainty in the economic recovery and stalled recovery in the job market, the report draws the unfortunate conclusion that the situation facing youth in the labour market has not improved and that prospects for the future are not much better. http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---emp_elm/---trends/documents/publication/wcms_165455.pdf Eurobarometer: Attitudes towards vocational education and training Vocational education and training are essential tools when it comes to preparing young people for work in the modern economy. The survey sets out to assess the image that European citizens have of vocational education and training and of its potential impact on society and on the economy. It also looks at the factors that influence young people when they choose between vocational education and training and other forms of education. http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb_special_379_360_en.htm#369 Eurobarometer: Social Climate The surveys on the social climate cover 15 areas and asks respondents to assess, for each of these areas, the current situation, how the situation has evolved over the past five years and how they expect it to change over the coming year. Three waves have been conducted: the first wave was conducted in 2009 (Special EB 315), the second wave in 2010 (Special EB 349) and the third wave in 2011 (Special EB 370). Even though the impact of the crisis is still being felt, overall some improvement has been observed in 2011. http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb_special_379_360_en.htm#370 Maximising the Potential of Mobility in Building European Identity and Promoting Civic Participation in the EU The general objective of this study is of deepening understanding of how the potential to support civil society mobility offered by the Europe for Citizens programme can be enhanced. The study critically reviewed existing practice to inform an analysis of what steps could be taken to make trans-national civil society mobility more effective within the Europe for Citizens programme, including taking account of lessons learned from the Programme’s Innovative Actions component carried out in 2009. The study also considered the capacity of civil society actors to participate in any such scheme, including an assessment of the level of interest and need and potential synergies with other EU programmes.

Documentation

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To inform the development of possible options, success factors derived from existing trans-national civil society mobility schemes were reviewed and any lessons learned from these were taken into account in the study. The study is available on: http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/pdf/doc1379_en.pdf Youth Participation in Development- Summary Guidelines for Development Partners The guide is a summary of the 2010 publication "Youth Participation in Development – A Guide for Development Agencies and Policy Makers", developed by the UK Department for International Development- Civil Society Organisation (DFID-CSO) Youth Working Group coordinated by Restless Development. The guide has been developed to assist development partners working with and for youth, including Governments, donor agencies, policy makers, NGOs and civil society, and to increase understanding of the growing importance of, and greater potential for, youth participation in development. The guide goes beyond the rhetoric of many policy advocacy papers by exploring key issues and approaches and providing practical information and promising case studies to assist donor agencies and policy makers on how to work with youth at the operation level in respect of policy and programming. http://social.un.org/youthyear/docs/policy%20guide.pdf European Journalism Training Association Mobility Catalogue Journalism students can identify the best programme and place to study abroad by completing their academic courses. The catalogue offers a wide range of topics: multimedia journalism, media convergence, international reporting and much more. http://www.ejta.eu/index.php/mc Xplore Health: A new portal to explore current health research New interactive web portal with teaching resources and multimedia tools to bring current health research closer to young people. Through games, videos and virtual experiments, the portal covers the latest research being carried out in different biomedical areas such as drug development, genomics, skin cancer, HIV/AIDS, etc. Xplore Health will also visit schools, science centres and museums all over Europe, organising hands-on experiments based on real research and engaging in dialogues on the ethical, legal and social aspects that surround health research. http://www.xplorehealth.org Eurypedia New online tool from the Eurydice Network providing specific information and analyses of national education systems and policies across Europe. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/index.php?title=Home Teach.us Web community for teachers interested in integrating Web 2.0 in classes at school. It supports Web 2.0 projects at schools and motivate teachers to use modern Internet technologies in classes. To join the community teachers do not need to be experienced, because teach.us is a starting point in the world of teaching with Web 2.0. http://www.teachus.eu

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Competition: Design the Europa Diary cover 2012-2013 Open to all citizens from all the 27 EU Member States, this competition consists of designing a cover for the Europa diary 2012-2013. The cover should not contain any text and should be suitable for distribution to young people aged 16-18 in all countries of the European Union. Each participant may submit multiple entries. The Europa diary is a publication aimed at young people, distributed in all 27 countries of the European Union, which covers topics such as environment, consumer affairs, responsible consumption, and the European Union itself. The top three winners will receive cash prizes. The deadline for submitting entries is 12 November 2011. Detailed information about the competition can be found at: http://www.europadiary.net The competition is an initiative of the Generation Europe Foundation. Encouraging young people to become farmers – European school competition for an advertising campaign Young people aged 14 to 19 who attend agricultural and forestry secondary schools based in the European Union as well as in Serbia and Croatia are invited to submit their ideas for a campaign encouraging young people to become farmers or to work in the agricultural sector. Schools interested in the competition should send their letters of intent to the European Council of Young Farmers by 15 November 2011. The winning project team will be invited to a 3-day study trip to Brussels. The European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA) represents the young generation of farmers to the European Institutions. CEJA calls for an ambitious European policy on generational renewal in the agricultural sector: in 2010 only 6% of agricultural holders were under the age of 35 in the EU-27 and the situation is even more critical in some particular Member States. CEJA and its project "What would be your advertising campaign to encourage young people to become farmers or to work in the agricultural sector?" are supported by the Youth in Action programme. http://ceja.eu/en/projects/ceja-projects/european-school-competition-project http://www.facebook.com/pages/European-School-Competition-Project/211454648886217 Jean-Claude Reynal Scholarship The Jean-Claude Reynal Foundation, under the auspices of the Foundation of France, in collaboration with the Fine Arts School of Bordeaux, offers an annual scholarship of € 10,000 to enable a young artist, who works directly on paper, to travel to a country of their choice for a period of 6 months maximum. Candidates must be between 20 and 30 years old and must have had an artistic practice on paper for at least two years. All artists are eligible regardless of educational background or nationality. Half of the scholarship money will be paid before departure and the other half at the time and place of the residency. Deadline for online registration is 15 November 2011. Deadline for submitting entries is 12 January 2012. For more information: http://www.rosab.net/bourse-reynal/accueil.php eTwinning Prizes 2012 The European eTwinning Prizes competition aims to highlight best practice in collaborative school projects using Information and Communication Technology

EuropeanEuropean Opportunities

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(ICT). To join the competition, projects must be registered on the eTwinning Portal and approved by the relevant National Support Services. This year the prizes will be awarded in three age categories (4-11; 12-15; 16-19) and three special categories: - Spanish language (prize sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Education) rewarding a project that uses Spanish as its main communication language or focuses on the learning of Spanish in an innovative way - French language (prize sponsored by the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the International Federation of Teachers of French, eTwinning National Support Service in France) rewarding a project that uses French as its main communication language or focuses on the learning of French in an innovative way - Marie Skłodowska Curie Prize (prize sponsored by the National Support Services in France and Poland and established to honour the life and work of Marie Skłodowska Curie, a pioneering woman scientist, winner of a Nobel prize on two occasions for both Physics and Chemistry) rewarding the best project using any science or mathematical topic as the basis for work. This special prize is also open to projects, in other disciplines, which have any aspect of the life and work of Marie Skłodowska Curie as their main topic of work. Deadline: 30 November 2011 Read all details on: http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/awards/european_prizes/rules.htm Your Europe, Your Say 2012 The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is inviting secondary school children from the 27 EU Member States to take part in a simulated youth plenary session to see how the EESC decision-making process works in relation to a specific subject. Schools wishing to take part must register online through the EESC's internet site before 30 November 2011. The selected schools will then choose three students in their pre-final year of secondary education (aged 16 years) to represent them, as well as a teacher who will accompany them. These people will have to be able to express themselves in English or French. The event will take place in Brussels at the headquarters of the European Economic and Social committee from 26 to 28 April 2012. The EESC will pay the travel and accommodation expenses of the students and accompanying teacher. Find out more: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.your-europe-your-say-2012 Danceweb Scholarship Programme 2011 The Scholarship Programme is a 5-week residency, taking place every year in July and August in Vienna within the frame of ImPulsTanz festival. The Programme offers around 65 young professional dancers and choreographers from mainly European but also from non European countries the possibility to take part in an intense multinational further training programme. Dancers and choreographers with professional ambitions from European, Eastern European and non European countries preferably between 22 and 30 years of age and a good knowledge of English are invited to apply. The quality of the applicants’ dance background is the main criteria for participation in the Programme. Deadline to apply is 15 December 2011. For more information: http://www.jardindeurope.eu/index.php?id=57

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Pact Zollverein Residency Programme in Essen, Germany From August to December 2012 PACT Zollverein is offering a residency programme for the development and realisation of projects and productions. The programme is open to professional artists from both Germany and abroad working in the fields of dance, performance or media art. Awarded twice yearly by a jury, residencies provide artists a local space and accommodation. Residents will also receive technical support and advisory assistance with press and public relations and dramaturgy. The closing date for applications for the residency period August to December 2012 is 12 December 2011. Further information: http://pact-zollverein.de/en/artists-centre 4th European Award of Excellence “City for children” 2012 All major European cities are invited to compete for the 4th European Award of Excellence "City for Children" 2012 on the topic of "Child-Friendly Neighbourhood Planning". All European cities consisting of more than 100,000 inhabitants can submit their projects in the field of child-friendly neighbourhood planning. Projects may have been developed in cooperation with other municipal and non-municipal organisations and institutions. Deadline: 15 December 2011 For more information: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/News/News/04_Cities_4_children_award_2012_en.asp The Millennium Youth Camp 2012 Young people worldwide born between years 1993 and 1996, interested in mathematics, natural sciences, information technology and other sciences are invited to apply to the Millennium youth camp that will take place in June 2012. The programme of the camp is based on three fundamental pillars: science, technology and nature and includes lectures, workshops, visits to companies and universities and time for enjoyable social activities. All educational activities, travel, accommodation and food will be free of charge. The camp will focus on these themes: environmental science and technology; climate change; renewable natural resources and energy; water; information and communication technology and digitalisation; and applied mathematics. Deadline to apply is 18 December 2011. The successful candidates will be announced on 15 March 2012. Further information is available on: http://www.technologyacademy.fi/millennium-youth-camp.html European Charlemagne Youth Prize 2012 Young people from 16 to 30 years old, from all the EU Member States, are invited to participate in a competition on EU development, integration and European identity issues. The "European Charlemagne Youth Prize" is awarded to projects which promote the European and international understanding, foster the development of a shared sense of European identity and integration, serve as a role model for young people living in Europe and offer practical examples of Europeans living together as one community. Participants can apply individually or in groups. Representatives of the 27 national projects selected will be invited to the award ceremony in Aachen, Germany on 15 May 2012. The application deadline is 23 January 2012. Further details are available on: http://cyp.adagio4.eu/view/en/introduction.html

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The competition is organised by the European Parliament and the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen. 1 of 7 Billion: Short Film Competition On 31 October, the world’s population will reach seven billion people. This unique moment in human history represents both an achievement and a challenge, and will have an impact on every single person on the planet. A world of seven billion has implications for sustainability, urbanisation, access to health services and youth empowerment. However, it also offers a rare call-to-action opportunity to renew global commitment for a healthy and sustainable world. On this occasion, the 7 Billion Actions campaign and Foundation 10.12.48 are inviting film professionals and amateurs, individuals and organisations to join the international short film competition, “1 of 7 Billion”, to raise awareness of issues concerning human rights, population and development, poverty and equality, gender, young people, environment, reproductive health, aging and urbanisation. Films must be in original and digital form and be from 1 to 10 minutes in length, including credits. Entries must have English subtitles if presented in another language. Film must focus on one or more of the 7 key issues of the 7 Billion Actions campaign: - Poverty and breaking the circle of inequality - Empowerment and progress of women and girls - Young people - Reproductive health and rights - Healthy environmental and healthy people - Aging - Urbanisation-planning for growth. Entrants may participate in a team or individually and may submit up to two short films. A jury will choose ten finalists from the entries submitted. Then, through online voting, users will choose the three winners who will be awarded with cash prizes. The winners will be announced on 8 March 2012. Deadline to submit entries: 15 February 2012. Further information: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/37859854/Short%20Film%20Contest%20-%20Rules_and_Guidelines%20-%20Final.pdf Please also look at the Programmes folder within the

Eurodesk intranet for news on European and international

(funding) opportunities.

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EU-China Youth Leaders Summit / Youth "Future Camp" As the 2011 EU-China Year of Youth approaches its end, 200 EU and Chinese youth leaders gathered in Beijing to take stock of the outcomes of the Year and look at future challenges and opportunities. Over 2.5 days, the young participants engaged in challenging talks about the role of young people in an ageing society, the development of EU-China relations in a multi-polar world, climate change and sustainable development as well as youth entrepreneurship and business leadership for the future. The outcomes of their lively and passionate discussions were summarised in a joint statement. Acknowledging the important role of the EU-China Year of Youth in fostering people-to-people contacts and friendship between young people from both sides, the youth leaders also put forward their recommendations on how to deepen these exchanges and how to develop EU-China relations further. Their conclusions and recommendations were handed over at the closing of this last flagship event of the Year to Androulla Vassiliou, Member of the European Commission responsible for education, culture, multilingualism and youth, and Lu Yongzheng, Vice President of the All-China Youth Federation. "The EU-China Year of Youth has given us the chance to deepen dialogue and cooperation in many different areas. Now we have a joint responsibility to build on its achievements and take them forward" – said Commissioner Vassiliou recalling that people-to-people contacts are playing an increasingly prominent role in EU-China relations and that this will be reflected in a new High-Level Dialogue to be launched soon.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/news/20111027-eu-china-youth-leaders-summit_en.htm Barroso: EU budget is not for Brussels, it is for young people On 20-21 October the Polish Presidency, in cooperation with the European Commission and the European Parliament, hosted in Brussels the EU Budget Conference with 40 Members of the European Parliament, more than 100 Members of National Parliaments and representatives from the governments and the European Commission. The European Union's Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 has been one of the main topics discussed at the event - a first in the history of budget negotiations. During the event, in his opening speech, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso put a lot of emphasis on the Europe 2020 strategy and mentioned the importance of investing in the EU: "So as you go back to your respective Member States and institutions today or tomorrow, let me ask you one thing – to make the case for Europe. To resist some of the tendencies that sometimes we see here and there trying to manipulate data, trying to manipulate some facts, trying in fact sometimes to give in to populism if not sometimes to very narrow nationalism. Don't be misled by the myth that this is money for Brussels. It is not. It is money for our young people who cannot find work. Money for our researchers and innovators to bring their ideas to market. Money for our SMEs and entrepreneurs to do business across our continent more easily. Money for our regions so that they can promote green growth, sustainable growth." In November the European Commission will publish a proposal for the new EU budget, including details on the funding of EU Youth Programmes.

Highlights

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http://pl2011.eu/en/content/budget-conference-brussels Sakharov Prize 2011 goes to the Arab Spring The European Parliament Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought in 2011 goes to five representatives of the Arab people, in recognition and support of their drive for freedom and human rights. It will be presented to the winners by President Jerzy Buzek at Parliament's formal session in Strasbourg, on 14 December. The Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought in honour of the Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, has been awarded by the European Parliament every year since 1988 to individuals or organisations that have made an important contribution to the fight for human rights or democracy. The prize is accompanied by an award of €50,000. This year, the other two shortlisted finalists were Belarusian civil activist and journalist Dzmitry Bandarenka and the Columbian San José de Apartadó Peace Community. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/staticDisplay.do?language=EN&id=42 European Parliament supports stronger legislation against child sexual abuse On 27 October 2011, the European Parliament approved the European Commission's proposal for a Directive on combating sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. The Directive, including a number of amendments adopted in the Parliament, closely reflects the Commission's proposal. It includes provisions not only on the prosecution of offenders, but also on the prevention of offences and protection of child victims. It provides for the right of employers to ask for information on criminal records, and for awareness raising campaigns and the training of professionals as preventive measures. The Directive also introduces the obligation for Member States to remove child pornography pages hosted on the Internet in their territory and to take

action to have them removed if hosted abroad. The EU Member States in the Council are now expected to formalise the political agreement and adopt the Directive shortly. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/1255&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en Winners of the 2011 European Union Prize for literature announced The winners of the 2011 European Union Prize for Literature, which recognises the best new or emerging authors in the EU, were announced on 11 October at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The European Union Prize for Literature is organised by the European Commission, the European Booksellers' Federation, European Writers' Council and the Federation of European Publishers. The aim of the prize is to celebrate the diversity of European fiction, to promote the chosen authors outside their own country including translation of their work, and to contribute to boosting the international circulation of literature more generally. The prize is unique, being the only award to reward authors from so many different European countries writing in such an array of languages. The competition is open to the 36 countries involved in the EU Culture Programme. Each year, national juries in 12 of the participating countries nominate the winning authors, so that all countries in the programme are represented over a three-year period. This year's winners will be presented with their awards at a ceremony in Brussels on 28 November, in the presence of Commissioner Vassiliou and leading public figures from the worlds of literature, culture and politics. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/1176&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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EU supports 12 new transnational projects in the field of sport 12 new transnational projects, put forward by public bodies or civil society organisations in order to identify and test suitable networks and good practices in the field of sport, have been selected for an EU

grant following the 2011 call for proposals in the framework of the Preparatory Action in the field of sport. http://ec.europa.eu/sport/preparatory_actions/results-eac-18-2011_en.htm

Please also look at the News folder within the Eurodesk intranet for other European news from the network.

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9-10 November 2011: EU Conference on Sport Agents, Brussels, Belgium Organised by the European Commission, the conference will gather representatives of football (federations, leagues, clubs, players and agents) as well as representatives of other team sports with an interest in the activities of sports agents. The purpose of the conference is to facilitate exchanges of views and sharing of good practices. Find out more: http://ec.europa.eu/sport/news/20111026-eu-conf-sportsagents_en.htm 14-20 November 2011: Global Entrepreneurship Week The Week is the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators, who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. During one week people worldwide, through local, national and global activities meet and exchange ideas to explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. Find out more: http://unleashingideas.org 17-18 November 2011: Evidence-base Policy Conference "Youth and Social Inclusion", Brussels, Belgium Organised by DG Research and innovation of the European Commission, in support of the "Youth on the Move" and "European platform against poverty" Flagship Initiatives, the conference will focus on policy solutions to break the glass-ceiling at

individual, social and institutional levels. Researchers, stakeholders and policy-makers will discuss the potential for inclusive educational and labour market policies, activated civil society, and finally, social intervention programmes carried out in cooperation and partnerships of public and private sectors supported by social protection measures, together with young people. Find out more: http://youth-partnership-eu.coe.int/youth-partnership/news/attachments/20111117_YouthInclusion_Programme.pdf 22–23 November 2011: European Employment Forum - a perspective on the new labour market reality, Brussels, Belgium This is an annual conference and exhibition focusing on the major social and economic issues surrounding employment while creating an effective discussion and meeting forum. Find out more: http://www.europeanemploymentforum.eu 30 November – 2 December 2011: Online Educa 2011, Berlin, Germany World's largest international conference on technology supported learning and training. New Learning Cultures will be the theme of this year, as it sets the agenda for an in-depth discussion of the most important questions facing those in education and business today. Find out more: http://www.online-educa.com

Upcoming Events

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31 January - 1 February 2012: iLearning Forum 2012, Paris, France The forum will be the place for all the demonstrations and the presentations of the latest international innovation in e-learning (simulations, interactive video, serious games, skills and management applications, the development of contents tools, social networks of learning...). The access to the forum is free. Find out more: http://www.ilearningforum.org 8-13 January 2012: 23rd International Youth Leadership Conference, Prague, Czech Republic Over 120 students from more than 35 different countries are invited to join this weeklong forum on world politics, international relations and justice and exchange ideas concerning the future of world leadership. Find out more: http://www.czechleadership.com 12-22 April 2012: 6th World Youth Congress, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The Congress is a festival, a fun and multi-faceted series of training courses, an advocacy exercise for youth-led development, a hands-on series of action projects with local people and many other things besides. Worldwide young people from 18 to 30 years old, interested in issues concerning environmental degradation, social justice and economic equity are invited to apply by 31 December 2011. All details are available here: http://wycrio2012.org European Citizenship Training Courses 2012 The courses are meant to support youth workers and youth leaders developing their critical understanding of European Citizenship and encourage them to integrate the topic in their practical work. List of proposed Courses for 2012: -Training Course 1: ECTC-RO in Romania (31 October-6 November 2011) Deadline was 4 September 2011 -Training Course 2: ECTC-UK in the United Kingdom (27 November-4 December 2011) Deadline was 4 September 2011 -Training Course 3: ECTC-DE in Germany (6-12 February 2012) Deadline: 13 November 2011 -Training Course 4: ECTC-IT in Italy (19-25 March 2012) Deadline: 10 January 2012 -Training Course 5: ECTC-BE/FR in Belgium (14-20 May 2012) Deadline: 21 February 2012 -Training Course 6: ECTC-FR in France (7-13 May 2012) Deadline to be announced. All details are available here: http://www.salto-youth.net/rc/training-and-cooperation/tc-rc-nanetworktcs/europeancitizenship Salto-Youth: Training Calendar The European Training Calendar contains current training offers of different institutions and organisations, such as SALTO, the National Agencies for the YOUTH IN ACTION Programme, non-governmental youth organisations, the European Youth Centres of the Council of Europe, the Partnership Programme on European Youth Worker Training, etc. They are addressed to young people, group leaders, mentors, trainers and other specialists. Find out more: http://www.salto-youth.net/tools/training/find-a-training/?&pagerOffset=90