IP/09/ 1943 Brussell, 16 ta' Diċembru 2009 Il-Kummissjoni tippremja l-proġetti taċ-ċittadini bl-Istilel tad-Deheb Wara għażla li saret aktar kmieni din is-sena, il-Kummissjoni Ewropea llum se tippremja tmien proġetti bl-“Istilel tad-Deheb taċ-ċittaddinanza attiva Ewropea” f'ċerimonja fi Brussell. Qabel iċ-ċerimonja se jkun hemm konferenza tal-UE li se tipprovdi opportunità għad-dibattitu fuq il-kwistjoni tal-parteċipazzjoni ċivika permezz tal-volontarjat u d-differenza li din tista' tagħmel fl-Ewropa. Din il-konferenza, li se tgħaqqad flimkien l-professjonisti, dawk li jfasslu l-politika u l-akkademiċi, tiċċelebra l-bidu tal-mobilizzazzjoni taċ-ċittadini lejn Is-Sena Ewropea tal-Attivitajiet Volontarji għall-Promozzjoni taċ-Ċittadinanza Attiva 2011. “Il-proġetti li llum se jkunu ppremjati bl-Istilel tad-Deheb juru r-rwol ċentrali taċ-ċittadini Ewropej fil-bini ta' spazju komuni Ewropew. Wieħed mill-għanijiet ewlenin tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea l-ġdida huwa biex tkompli tqawwi ċ-ċittadinanza u l-parteċipazzjoni fl-UE u biex jipprovdi liċ-ċittadini Ewropej b'iżjed opportunitajiet milli diġà għandhom biex jiggwidaw l-Ewropa fil-ġejjieni. Id-dikjarazzjonijiet li se jiġu ppreżentati fil-programm tal-lum jagħtu xhieda tal-potenzjal li jeżisti biex din l-ambizzjoni tinkiseb ,” stqarr Maroš Šefčovič il-Kummissarju għall-Edukazzjoni, it-Taħriġ, il-Kultura u ż-Żgħażagħ. L- Istilel tad-Deheb huma r-rikonoxximent uffiċjali ta' kull sena ta' proġetti ffinanzjati fl-ambitu tal-programm L-Ewropa għaċ-Ċittadini , li l-għan tiegħu huwa li jinvolvi liċ-ċittadini fil-bini tal-UE. Mal-ewwel tnedijja tiegħu fl-2007, dan il-programm immobilizza mal- miljun parteċipant dirett fis-sena , u tagħhom l-opportunità li jirriflettu fuq l- identità komuni tagħhom permezz tal-iskoperta tad-differenzi u s-similaritajiet kulturali tagħhom maqbula ma' dawk ta' ċittadini minn partijiet oħra tal-Ewropa. Bit-tpartit marbut mal-ġemellaġġ tal-ibliet, bil-proġetti għas-soċjetà ċivili u ta' tifkira trans-Ewropej, il-programm tal-Ewropa għaċ-Ċittadini jagħti kontribut qawwi għall-ħolqien ta' Spazju Pubbliku Ewropew u ta' ċittadinanza Ewropea attiva. Is-Sena Ewropea 2011 hija inizjattiva politika tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea b'reazzjoni għar-rieda qawwija tal-organizzazzjonijiet tas-soċjetà ċivili Ewropej li jaċċennaw il-potenzjal sinifikanti ħafna tal-volontarjat, kif ukoll biex tiċċelebra l-għaxar anniversarju tas-Sena Internazzjonali tal-Volontarjat, organizzata min-Nazzjonijiet Uniti fl-2001. Is-Sena Ewropea tqajjem l-għarfien dwar l-importanza tal-volontarjat, tippromwovi r-rikonoxximent tal-volontiera, issostni d-dibattitu u t-tpartit ta' prassi biex jittejjeb il-qafas politiku tal-volontarjat u jinħalqu kundizzjonijiet aħjar għall-attivitajiet ta' volontarjat fl-UE. Għal aktar informazzjoni dwar iċ-Ċerimonja tal-premjazzjoni u l-programm ta' Konferenza, ara http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship Biex tirreġistra għall-okkażjoni: http://www.europe-for-citizens.eu/ Tfakkira qasira tal-proġetti rebbieħa tinsab fl-appendiċi ta' hawn taħt. Appendix: PROJECTS' SUMMARIES Town Twinning Projects Municipality of Monza (Italy) for the citizens' meeting "The European Value of the Exchange of Experiences" with partners from the Czech Republic Activities focused on involving young people in the town twinning programme, encouraging mobility in Europe and highlighting the significance of European citizenship for the young generation of Europeans. The meeting also addressed the issue of female entrepreneurship in particular and equal opportunities in general. Over 3, 000 people participated in the town twinning meeting. Contact person: Emanuela Danili Tel: +39 2 372 451 E-mail : politichegiovanili@comune.monza.mi.it Web: www.comune.monza.mi.it Municipality of Hamrun (Malta) for the citizens' meeting "European Citizens United through Culture and History" with partners from IT. The central part of this meeting was a celebration of Europe Day. The cultural and historical links between the two municipalities were highlighted, which contributed to the strengthening of shared identity and the feeling of belonging together, not only within the two municipalities concerned but also in the wider European Union context. Events included art exhibitions, concerts and street festivals. More than 150 citizens participated. Contact person : Philip Massa Tel: +356 2 122 20 20 E-mail: hamrun.lc@gov.mt Web: www.hamrun.gov.mt Municipality of Gyomaendröd (Hungary) for the citizens' meeting "Women's Participation in Political Life" with partners from Romania, Germany, Poland and Slovakia. A conference was held which provided an opportunity to share experiences and exchange ideas on how to overcome possible obstacles women face in their political career. A rich cultural programme was also organised offering the participants a chance to learn about their respective cultural traditions and to celebrate the cultural diversity which is characteristic of Europe. Around 100 citizens participated in the conference. This meeting helped to highlight the important subject of women's participation in democratic life. Perspectives and experiences from the local level enriched the debate and formed a good basis for future deliberations and actions in this area. Contact person : Klara Erdosi Tel: +36 66 386 122 E-mail : kisterseg@gyomaendrod.hu Web: www.gyomaendrod.hu Municipality of Rjieka (Croatia) for the thematic networking project "Emigration – Yesterday and Today" with partners from Bulgaria and Slovenia. Organisation of a debate tournament on immigration in today's Europe. The event included thematic lectures and a visit to the City Museum exhibition on emigration from central Europe to America in the period 1880-1915 as well as team-building games, entertainment programmes and a reception at City Hall. The issue was put into a historical context of mass emigration from Europe to the United States in the period from 1815 to1930 when over 50 million Europeans left their homes. Almost 5 million came from central Europe (the territory of Austria-Hungary), representing the fourth largest source of emigration after Great Britain, Italy and Ireland. Contact person : Branka Renko-Silov Tel: +385 51 209 572 E-mail: branka.renko-silov@rijeka.hr Web: www.tz-rijeka.hr Civil Society Projects Re-Life: New Tasks in an Enlarged European Union, an Italian project of the INSIEME società cooperative sociale, with partners from Austria and Croatia. The main focus of this project was to offer European citizens from different generations and walks of life an opportunity to reflect, discuss and debate on the lifestyles which facilitate social cohesion, sustainable development and respect for the environment. A European conference was organised at the end of the project to disseminate the results of the activities and to discuss experiences and best practices. Around 500 people were directly involved in the activities of the project and around 6,000 were indirectly targeted by the project through the brochures published by the project organisers and the website developed in the course of the project. Contact person : Olivio Anna Tel: +39 444 301 065 E-mail : sociale@insiemesociale.it Web: www.insiemesociale.it A citizens' Europe for all, disabled people on the move, an Irish project of the European Blind Union, with partners from Italy, Slovakia, Austria and Malta. The peak of this project was the conference "A citizens' Europe for All, Disabled People on the Move" held in Dublin. The conference addressed citizenship from the perspective of equal treatment and non discrimination, especially with regard to blind and partially sighted people. The conference resulted in the adoption of the EBU Dublin Declaration aimed at raising European Union decision makers' awareness of the aspirations and needs of persons with visual impairment. As a result, a new website ( www.inclusiveeurope.eu ) has been developed providing accessible information to the visually impaired. Contact person: Mokrane Boussaid Tel: + 33 1 47 05 38 20 E-mail: ebu@euroblind.org Web: http://www.euroblind.org/ Remembrance Projects Voix Étouffées du IIIème Reich, a French project of the organisation Forum Voix Étouffées, with partners from Germany, Austria, Romania, Poland and the Czech Republic . The activities of the project contributed to commemorating and raising awareness about composers that were victims of the Nazi regime and their lost music in order to highlight the negative consequences of the Holocaust and Nazi propaganda in the field of culture. There were concerts, pedagogical activities, information campaigns, roundtables and workshops. Around 1,000 students took part in various pedagogical activities. Around 5,000 people attended the concerts performed during the duration of the project. Contact person : Eugenia Gusev Tel: +33 628 515 774 Web: www.voixetouffees.org Ausstellungsrealisierung - Erweiterte Dauerausstellung: "Ich bin als Mensch geboren und will als Mensch hier raus!" Der Geschlossene Jugendwerkhof Torgau in Erziehungssystem der DDR" ("I was born a human being and I will leave from here as a human being!" Juvenile detention centre Torgau in the education system of the former German Democratic Republic), a German project of the Initiativgruppe Geschlossener Jugendwerkhof Torgau e.V. with partners from the United Kingdom. The project contributed to the development of a permanent exhibition in a former juvenile detention centre which is in Torgau in the former German Democratic Republic. Over 4,000 young people passed through the centre between 1964 and 1989 to be "re-educated". They had not committed any criminal offence nor did a legal warrant for their detention exist. Strict discipline and rigidly planned daily routines were enforced leading to unbearable mental pressure. The exhibition uses modern means such as multimedia presentations including photographs, documents and audiovisual materials to allow the visitors to learn about both the facts and the emotions behind this particular aspect of Europe's history. Contact person : Juliane Thieme Tel: +49 3421 714 203 E-mail : ebs.info@jugendwerkhof-torgau.de Web: www.jugendwerkhof-torgau.de