Balazs Kos’ Post

EU launch of Bodø, Bad Ischl and Tartu as European Capitals of Culture 2024   The European Parliament hosted a special session on the 15th November to launch the three hosts of the ECoC title in 2024. It was a full house, with over 230 delegates from 22 countries.   I had the privilege of moderating a panel of political representatives to discuss the value and impact of the ECoC award to advance international cultural cooperation. I was joined by: Christopher Drexler (Head of Federal State of Styria) Thomas Stelzer (Head of Federal State of Upper Austria) Ida Gudding Johnsen, Deputy Mayor of Bodø And Urmas Paet, Member of the European Parliament for the Republic of Estonia   Points of departure for our discussion:   The teams behind Bodø, Bad Ischl-Salzkammergut and Tartu have developed unprecedented ties as joint hosts, firstly as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which hit shortly after their designation in 2019. With Europe and the world in lockdown, advancing international relations became a major challenge which required innovative responses. The teams raised to the occasion and by 2023, the outcome is a remarkable commitment to strategic cooperation within the framework of the ECoC concept.   In this context, what are the opportunities and challenges for the ECoC as an instrument for international cooperation? What may we learn from the three 2024 ECoCs?   Follow up questions:   -      How broad may be the ECoC’s international agenda? In exploring the programme’s European Dimension, how much is it about intra-European relations, how much is about Europe looking outwards / beyond the continent?   ●     How may an ECoC help advance the case for culture to help tackle other international agendas – eg. climate change, mental health challenges?   ●     How do ECoC projects help relate city agendas with regional agendas? Can an ECoC make regions better connected internationally?     We started the debate, and the three host cities highlighted the benefits of hosting joint international events to share their concerns as well as their proposed solutions.   See follow-up posts for a brief reflection on each of the ECoC 2024 ‘key messages’ Bodø2024 Salzkammergut 2024 Kulturhauptstadt Europas #tartu2024 European Parliament #internationalcooperation #ecoc2024

🗓️ From 31 January to 1 February 2024, the third international meeting of the COGREENEU project, within the EU-funded 🇪🇺 CERV programme, was held in Agros, Cyprus. In this event, under the title 'Green leaders in the environment approach' 🌱, the partners reflected on different ways to improve the involvement and awareness of citizens, especially minorities. During the two days of work, a Hackathon 💻 was held in working groups through which, with the mentoring of experts 👥 in each of the subjects, proposals and projects were developed that responded to the following objectives: Increase awareness about civic participation of minorities 📣. Improving skills about involving minorities in the civic participation processes 🔍. Reflecting about tools and strategies to promote civic participation of minorities 🛠️. As a main conclusion, it is indispensable to highlight the need and urgency of involving minorities in the main current debates in Europe today: Green Deal 🌿, climate change 🌡️, civic participation 🗳️, radicalisation and extremism, etc. Therefore, the tools and ideas collected will be essential for the proper functioning of the project and to ensure that the participation of European citizens is increasingly transversal and inclusive ✊. See you in April in Italy 🇮🇹! RESET - Research and Education in Social Empowerment and Transformation Responsible Young Drivers Vlaanderen Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas EuroAltea Oficina de Proyectos Europeos de Altea #COGREENEU #GreenDeal #climatechange #CERVProgramme

As another European ITS Congress came to an end, I want to thank the European Commission for the great collaboration and support for this Congress and for all our ITS Congresses. Their support and presence in Lisbon these three days demonstrated the great value of cooperation between the #public and #private sectors, and the importance of alignment and the sincere exchange of views and ideas. Their task in supporting #cities across Europe and beyond, facilitating the uptake of frameworks, designing common indicators to measure progress, and accelerating the availability of sustainable mobility services is crucial. Enhancing our ongoing dialogue with the European Commission has been a priority for ERTICO - ITS Europe, and the Congress continues to offer the ideal platform for this exchange.  #sustainable #collaboration #ITSlisbon2023 #FutureofTransportation #InnovationHub #DiscoverMobility #UnlockTheFuture #CCAM #Safety #urbanplanning #eugreendeal #eucommission Rosalinde van der Vlies Herald Ruijters

From April 26 to May 1, I have participated in the EU4Dialogue Change Makers Forum in Helsinki, Finland. In times of deep societal divisions and conflicts, promoting positive change becomes more crucial than ever. This forum has been an incredible platform for young change makers like myself from the South Caucasus and Moldova to come together and amplify our efforts for positive transformation. The third edition of the Change Makers Forum focused on impact-oriented community actions and effective communication strategies for change. It was great oppprtunity to engage in dialogue, share experiences, and gain valuable insights on how to drive meaningful change within our communities and beyond. #ChangeMakersForum #PositiveChange #EU4Dialogue #YouthEmpowerment

"Forging a Brighter Path Ahead” In a meeting that sparked enthusiasm and hope, the MWE team had the privilege of engaging with the distinguished Ambassador of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Mozambique . This gathering was more than just a simple exchange of ideas; it was a dynamic exploration of shared goals and synergies that will undoubtedly shape our collective journey towards a #sustainable_energy future. Amidst the eloquent discussions and the exchange of insights, the atmosphere was charged with a palpable sense of optimism. The Ambassador's interest in our organization's endeavors and her genuine curiosity in our innovative initiatives brought a fresh wave of motivation to our #team. The possibilities of collaboration seemed limitless and MWE team left the meeting not only with a sense of accomplishment but also with a deep appreciation for the Netherlands' commitment to fostering international #partnerships that drive progress. As we reflect on the productive discussions and promising outcomes, we are filled with excitement for the chapters yet to unfold. Stay tuned as we embark on this exciting journey. Good things are on the horizon, and together with our newfound #collaboration, we are determined to illuminate the path towards a brighter, sustainable #future. Ivandra L. Jofane , Taciana Peão Lopes ,Mayra Pereira,Telma Matavel Nkutumula, Razina Osman Uludağ ,laura nhancale ,Cármen Augusto, Marcelina Joel,Mariana Cardoso , Ruben Morgado #MWE #Think #Build #Connect #Lead #DutchCollaboration #NetherlandsEmbassy #SustainablePartnerships"

Interesting debate about how to involve stakeholders in selecting the best digital tools for education

What is needed to ensure successful implementation of CASPER Interreg Europe in Nouvelle-Aquitaine? 🤔🇫🇷 In their first meeting, our French partners and stakeholders sat down to brainstorm actionable strategies for robust citizen engagement. Their key recommendations include: 👫 Expand stakeholder network 🗂 Set up a steering group 🤝 Integrate cross-departmental collaboration Read more about their meeting here 👇 👇 France Active Nouvelle-Aquitaine Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine CRESS Nouvelle-Aquitaine Coopérative Tiers-Lieux Interreg Europe #CtizenEngagement #RuralDevelopment

Yesterday, January 23rd, was the last day for proposal submissions Congratulations and thank you to all the participants who idealize this solution for the young people of their community within the objectives set by the European Union Portugal, in total recived 7 proposals with 21 participants involved... I wish you all the best of luck.   Thank you to the excellent Jury composed of Councillor Carla Nunes Semedo , Cascais City Council, Teacher @PauloAlvega, Allison Newton (Project Manager & Master in Business Administration) thank you for accepting to be part of this project and inspiring these young people to be the ones to take the first step towards the change they want to see in the world . The jury has a hard job ahead to choose the 3 finalists and then it will be up to you to choose which project you want to see implemented. The final winner for each five country envolved , their representative will go to Brussels and present the proposal to the European Parlament Committee So Keep tune your vote is importante      United for Social Transformation" which aims to promote the active participation of young people in democratic life through the development of skills and the creation of participatory proposals for a more inclusive, active and sustainable Europe. It is a project that we being assisting AAUTS(Portugal) and is developed thanks to the co-financing of the European Union together with the following organizations: INCIDE (Spain), Development Perspectives (Ireland), Comune di San Venanzo (Italy), (Portugal) and As. Aktyvistai (Lithuania) with the coordination of AIIJ(Ass. Iniciativa internacional jovem )     #EUROPEAN YOUTH GOALS #CONNECTING EU WITH YOUTH #EQUALITY OF ALL GENDERS #INCLUSIVE SOCIETIES #INFORMATION & CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE #MENTALHEALTH & #WELLBEING #MOVINGRURALYOUTH FORWARD #QUALITYEMPLOYMENT FOR ALL #QUALITYLEARNING #SPACEANDPARTICIPATION FOR ALL #SUSTAINABLE #GREENEUROPE #YOUTHORGANISATIONS & #EUROPEANPROGRAMMES 

Last couple of weeks I’ve had the opportunity to participate in three very relevant events and share the different projects and initiatives that we have been implementing in the Municipality of Fundão. The first one was the CrAft - Creating Actionable Futures meeting in Bologna, where we were invited to share how the Municipality of Fundão applies the New European Bauhaus principles and how we aim to contribute to it as a city. This year Fundão is a NEB Prizes finalist with the Craft Lab project. Fingers crossed for us! 🤞 In Montpellier, at the Third Places for Europe organized by the French Ministry for Territorial Development, we had the opportunity to share the smart territorial innovation strategy that Fundão has been implementing since 2012 and the key role that EU funds have on it. It was amazing to see the interest and recognition of Fundão as an example for low density territories. After Italy and France, I packed my bags and flew to Sweden, to participate at the 2nd Forum of the EU Mission to Adaptation to Climate Change. It was very interesting to learn more about projects that are already being implemented in the EU for climate adaptation, which have a high level of replicability in other regions, as well as to connect with so many people across European Union and beyond. This kind of events remind us that there is no need to reinvent the wheel, instead we should focus on cooperate and collaborate more.💡 Now it’s time to go back home and prepare for the closure of the Iniciativa Nacional Cidades Circulares | InC2, that will take place in Guimarães on the 28th and 29th of June, and where RURBANlink InC2 network, led by the Municipality of Fundão, will be gathered for the last time. #fundão #movetofundão #EU #NEB #NewEuropeanBauhaus #CraftCities #TP4EU #HorizonEU #EUmissions #MissionClimateAdaptation #InC2 #rurbanlink