Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe

Executive committiee Meeting Summary

Date and Place

Potsdam, Berlin 8^th – 9^th may 2008.

Present

Benjamin Grochowski, Mariana Peneva, Irina Dragan (the EC), Milan Mitrovic (Network coordinator); partly Carolina Lopez (FYEG EC)

Absent

Elena Bliznakovska

Description

This was a first Executive Committee meeting prepared and facilitated by new CDN Network Coordinator Milan Mitrovic. Lot of time past from last CDN EC meeting even though EC had several phone meetings. One of the decisions from this meeting is to create a summary of the minutes of each meeting which then will be publish on our website.

EC is satisfied with Network Coordinator’s communication with the EC. Further regulations about e-mail decision making are set up. Also contact with previous EC members should be continued and communication improved.

Website is looking good, it is regularly updated but there are still some sections that should be finished.

As decided before NM is postponed till the autumn. Call for the host is issued and EC made a decision for host of NM 2008.

As Olga Fomina has moved on and is no longer able to be member of the board Executive Committee was from the beginning of this year with four members. Also we noted that we will have a major switch of experienced EC members with newcomers on the NM 2008.

EC discussed and divided the tasks and areas of work.

EC again evaluated the 2007 projects and noted that finally all projects reports are finalized and approved.

Analysis of the work on Projects 2008 and decisions concerning prep team members and responsible persons is made.

EC had a discussion on projects 2009, priorities, topics, host organizations, fundraising…

On the occasion of the FYEG GA, CDN EC met with Georgia, Armenia, Russia and Albania organizations which were applying to become FYEG member/candidate organizations.

EC discussed the methods to improve communication with MOs and made decisions on study visits and support to travel costs of partner organizations for the NM.

Major decisions

Decision: The EC agrees to make decisions on a non-objection basis. This will be the regular procedure for making decisions in between EC Meetings, when communication between the EC members takes place exclusively on the internet. This will apply to all cases when a decision has to made by the EC, unless requested otherwise by one of the EC members or by the NC.

Decision: It is a need to set up an advisory email list, which will consist of former EC members. This list will be used if there is a need for additional information which can help to CDN work. The Calls, New Documents, Minutes Summaries, Major Changes in the work/structure will be sent on this list. Questions related to previous work and/or advices on certain issues will be posted on this list.

Decision: CDN Network meeting 2008 will be in Bosnia. The EC agreed to have the 2008 Network Meeting during the weekend of 17th, 18th, and 19th of October.

EC has decided to call to join Executive Committee 2 new members – Vesna Jusup and Gordan Isabegović.

Division of tasks:

Benji: fundraising, project writing

Irina: FYEG relations, project writing

Tasks to divide:

PR Coordinator

Gender coordinator

Culture group coordinator

Decision: Next EC meeting will be combined with the Summer camp, around July 27^th

Decision: in the future the EC should not exclude initiatives like The Sustainable Knowledge Group, but on the condition that the EC is properly involved in it. Nevertheless, CDN will use the results of the Sustainable Knowledge Group (we will use the publications for future projects and during the PT Meetings).

Macedonian exchange – Steva will be responsible for implementing the exchange.

Sumer Camp – Prep team members are Benji, Gordan, Hector, Marina and Marc. Milan is responsible for implementation.

Decision: Location priority for 2009 is Caucasus region and for summer camp we need a location where CDN haven’t organized SC before (Caucasus is a risk for big event as summer camp).

Decision: We should develop Mobile team idea: “Greening and Capacity building mobile team”. A team which can build capacity of our MOs to develop projects, manage them and also to green them. This should be a long term project and with cooperation with FYEG.

Decision: Issue a call for Project ideas from the MOs so that we have enough time to prepare the projects for donor deadlines.

Priority for spreading the network remains: Croatia and Montenegro.

Decision: Make an Update section on the website with up-to-date information on MO’s activities.

Decesion: We should support the travel costs of Polish, Hungarian and Latvian delegate. If there is not enough money, set up some limit

Decision on Study visits: Priority Caucasus. If possible Kosovo and Metohija and Albania.