Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe (CDN) is announcing a call for participants for the Eastern European Climate Summer Camp.
More on the Summer Camp
More on the Annual Work Plan
Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe (CDN) is announcing a call for participants for the Eastern European Climate Summer Camp.
The summer camp will take place from 5th of June until 11th of June in Montenegro. The arrival date for the participants is 4th of June and departure date is 12th of June.
With this activity we aim to equip 45 young Eastern Europeans with better understanding of climate crisis and skills for mobilizing the youth around the issue, in order to empower them to bring systemic change in their local communities and regions.
This will be done by meeting the following objectives:
To equip the participants with the knowledge on climate crisis, its history and outcomes
To explore the causes and effects of the climate crisis on the Eastern European level
To empower the participants to fight for better climate, in order to sustain the society, culture and the world we live in
To equip the participants with skills and tools for mobilizing around climate crisis
You can read more about the project on this page.
Who should apply?
We are looking for 45 young people under 30 (15% of participants can be between ages 30 and 35), from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo*, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Serbia, Turkey or Ukraine.
We encourage applications reflecting diversity in all forms; therefore, we welcome applications from those who identify as women, LGBT+ people, people of color, with migration background, with a different ability or with any other disadvantaged backgrounds.
Participants who have activism experience in working on climate crisis, as well as those interested in starting working on the topics, and having high motivation to learn about the content of the Summer Camp, are highly encouraged to apply.
Practicalities:
Language: The main language of this activity will be English. Nonetheless, not being comfortable interacting in English should not prevent you from applying, majority of us at the event will be non-native speakers and the group will be able to help out if there is some term you might not know!
Costs: The full cost of working materials, travel costs, visa and lodging (accommodation in double rooms, food and refreshments) during the event will be covered by the CDN. For selection of travel means we encourage participants to combine the most economic and environmentally friendly way (lowest price + travel time + CO2 emissions).
The participation fee for the event is from 10 EUR to 50 EUR. It is up to participants to choose by their abilities.
Please, make sure to take a look at this PROVISIONAL AGENDA before applying.
DEADLINE for submitting online applications: 18th of April. The Deadline is way in advance before the event, so that the participants that need visa have enough time to obtain it. You will be informed about the results of the selection latest within two weeks after the deadline. Please add project.coordinator@cdnee.org and project.assistant@cdnee.org to your contacts, so that you do not receive our reply in spam folder.
*All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.
Cooperation and Development Network (CDN) is announcing an open call for members of the preparatory team (prep-team) for the Eastern European Climate Summer Camp. The summer camp will take place from 5 – 11th of June 2023 in the Montenegro. More information on the project you can find here.
With this activity we aim to equip 45 young Eastern Europeans with better understanding of climate crisis and skills for mobilising the youth around the issue, in order to empower them to bring systemic change in their local communities and regions.
This will be done by meeting the following objectives:
If you are young person from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo*, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Serbia, Turkey or Ukraine and if you are interested in the topic of the event, you are more than welcome to apply to volunteer as a member of this preparatory team.
Prep-team members should speak English, be available during the preparation period, be responsible about fulfilling their tasks, have good organisational skills, be good team players, committed to the aims of the project and CDN’s values and be familiar with non-formal education methods. We encourage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to apply for the Prep-team.
Main responsibilities of the prep-team:
Being a prep-team member at this event would offer you:
Practicalities:
Accommodation, food, working space, travel and visa costs for the preparatory team will be fully covered. For selection of travel means the condition is to combine the most economic and environmentally friendly way (lowest price + travel time + CO2 emissions).
DEADLINE for submitting online applications is 15th of January, 23:59 CET. You will be informed by email approximately 2 weeks after the deadline. Please add project.coordinator@cdnee.org to your contacts, so that you do not receive our reply in the spam folder.
*All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.
Tackling climate crisis comes as a priority for Eastern European Green youth, as shown by the outputs of the Strategic Planning Meeting 2020 of CDN and not without a cause. Contrary to popular perception, Eastern Europe faces significant threats from climate change, with a number of the most serious risks already in evidence. The climate is changing, and the Eastern European region is vulnerable to the consequences, as many other places on Earth. This issue is local and global at the same time. Many of the region’s countries are facing warmer temperatures, a changing humidity, and more extreme weather conditions, droughts, floods, heat waves, wind storms, and forest fires. As it is the case worldwide, climate crisis is disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups, forcing them into climate migrations, deteriorating the work conditions and constantly changing the job and economic markets, creating a hostile environment for these groups. Vulnerability over the next 10 to 20 years is likely to be dominated by these socio-economic factors and legacy issues. Nevertheless, even countries and sectors that stand to benefit from climate change are poorly positioned to do so, while the next decade offers a window of opportunity for these actors in EE countries to make their development more resilient to climate change while reaping numerous co-benefits. We have seen efforts and changes being implemented in Eastern European countries – participations in the international climate movement Fridays for Future and the rise of local climate activism. However, the steps taken currently are not nearly enough for sustaining the life on this planet as we know it and in order to lead a sustainable change, a push for systemic change and mobilisation of Eastern European Climate Resistance movements is undeniably a regional priority. Only by practicing grassroot, youth, informed mobilisation on climate issues we will be able to build resilient, just and Green Eastern Europe, where the human rights and the environment are respected.
To achieve this, our project aims to equip the young people from the Eastern Europe with better understanding of climate crisis and skills for mobilising the youth around the issue, in order to empower them to bring systemic change in their local communities and regions.
This will be done by reaching the following objectives:
Project summary:
The project will incorporate two phases: an Eastern European Climate Summer Camp which will be followed by Local, Regional and Cross-Country Actions across Eastern European countries. Both activities aim to bring a greater understanding and mobilisation on topics of climate rights and the climate crisis, as well as expand on the long term consequences of the climate crisis. These activities will help raise awareness among young people from the Eastern Europe on the importance of addressing the issues and actively campaigning for change.
The first event of the Work plan is a nine days long Summer Camp with the aim to equip the young people from the Eastern Europe with better understanding of climate crisis and skills for mobilising the youth around the issue. This will be achieved by reaching the following objectives:
Date: 5-11 June 2023
Location: Montenegro
Call for Participants (coming soon)
The second phase of the work plan is the direct outcome of the first phase – participants will apply in organising local, cross regional or regional (maximum 4 countries) activities in order to kickstart context-specific discussions and campaigns on climate activism. The aim of this activity will be to empower young people from the Eastern Europe to bring the systemic change in their local communities and regions. This will be achieved by reaching the following objectives:
Funding will be provided for Climate Campaign related activities for participants from 10 countries throughout a 4 month period of preparation, implementation and reporting. In this period, campaign organisers will create an activity which will contribute to project aims and build the capacity of organisations in implementing local and regional events.
Date: September-November 2023
Duration: Optional
Location: Participating countries
Call for Climate Campaigns (coming soon)
The program of the International Activityies will be based on the principles of non-formal education and intercultural learning. We strive for active, inclusive and direct communication and transfer and sharing of knowledge. Sessions of the International Activityies will be balanced between theoretical inputs, training, workshops, discussions, reflection, planning, brainstorming and other interactive methods of learning.
*All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo
You will find detailed information regarding practicalities, financial support and reimbursement rules.
We would kindly ask all participants to register by January 23.
NOTE: A registration form is not enough to register as a delegate! Delegates of Member, Partner and Observer organisations need to be confirmed by their organisation. Therefore, an official email from your organisation’s email account should be sent to office@cdnee.org confirming the name(s) of your delegate(s).
In order for CDN to be able to provide financial support for the delegates’ travel costs, the above-proposed deadlines shall apply. The deadline is determined by the IRPs “Each member and partner organisation shall inform the Secretariat of the names of their representatives at least 45 days before the General Assembly”
Guests and WG members can register for the GA by filling in the same form and notifying office@cdnee.org if they would like CDN to book accommodation in the same venue.
The delegates are expected to arrive at the venue in location the on 8th in the evening (dinner will be provided) and depart on the 13th in the morning (breakfast will be provided).
Note: We strongly encourage you to follow the good practice of having one experienced delegate (preferably, someone who has been to previous GAs) and one less experienced delegate (to ensure the transfer of knowledge).
In addition, according to IRPs 8.1 Participants of CDN events can’t be older than 30 at the moment of applying. Delegates, whom we will reimburse, are considered participants. Guests, coming at their own expense, can be any age.
For any additional information regarding the financial arrangements, please get in touch with the Secretariat.
If you’re coming as the 1st Delegate:
CDN will cover all of your costs (travel, accommodation, and meals) during the GA and Strategic Planning Meeting.
If you’re coming as a 2nd Delegate:
CDN will cover all of your costs (travel, accommodation, and meals) during the GA and Strategic Planning Meeting.
According to CDN IRP’s second delegates of Member Organizations have to pay a participation fee of 10 EUR, unless delegates are younger than 25.
If you’re coming as a 1st Delegate:
We will cover all of your costs (travel, accommodation, and meals) during the General Assembly.
If you’re coming as a 2nd Delegate:
CDN will not be able to cover any costs.
According to CDN IRP’s second delegates of Partner Organizations have to pay a participation fee of 10 EUR, unless delegates are younger than 25.
CDN will not be able to cover any costs (travel, accommodation, meals), however, there is no participation fee for Observer Organisation delegate.
We will cover all of your costs (travel, accommodation, and meals) during the General Assembly.
Non-elected EC Candidates will still have accommodation and meals covered for the duration as if they were elected.
Should get in touch with the office and financial assistance will be decided on an individual basis.
We will cover all of your costs (travel, accommodation, and meals) during the General Assembly.
CDN will cover all of your accommodation and meal costs during the event.
CDN will not be able to cover any costs of the guests of the General Assembly and Strategic Planning Meeting.
The participation fee for the guests is 10 EUR and is to be paid via bank transfer prior to or in cash during the GA.
We encourage traveling by land whenever possible and it’s the only option if the journey takes less than 15 hours (IRPs §9.1), for reducing CO2 emissions. Since it might a long way to Warsaw for some of you, flying can be the only option. However, we ask you to organise your travel in the most economic way. Only 2nd/economy class reservations will be reimbursed. This also applies to train reservations.
As a principle, we only cover travel expenses from your place of residence to Warsaw and back. In case you need to travel from or to somewhere else, please contact office.assistant@cdnee.org (cc office@cdnee.org) with a justification of the circumstances, after which we will let you know what to do.
Once you are nominated and registered as a delegate, send your travel proposal to office.assistant@cdnee.org and keep office@cdnee.org in CC. Proceed with booking as soon as it’s approved.
Don’t wait for the last chance to register and purchase tickets as it will get expensive. The deadline to booking tickets is 35 days prior to the GA – 2nd of February.
– By Land:
Warsaw Central Central is located at the very heart of Warsaw. It is reachable by train from various places in Europe: including direct connections from Vienna and Budapest that makes traveling by land from the Balkans possible. There are also connections from Ukraine and Lithuania.
You can check for the train connections here: PolRail, ÖBB, Rome2Rio, RailCC
You can also reach Warsaw by Bus. Check for routes here: FlixBus, getbybus, and Rome2rio.
– By Air:
Warsaw has two airports, so make sure you check both airports for the cheapest option.
Chopin Airport (WAW) is the main airport in Warsaw with regular flights by airline companies such as LOT Polish Airlines, Wizz Air and Smartwings. It is located 10 kilometers south of the city center. You can reach city by Bus or Train.
Modlin Airport (WMI) mostly used by low-cost airline companies such as Ryanair and Enter Air. It is located 40 kilometers northwest of the city. You can reach centre both by Bus or Train.
We recommend looking for affordable flight options here and here.
There is no participation fee for the delegates and we will be reimbursing 100% of the travel costs.
In order for us to proceed with your reimbursement, we need to receive all original proofs (tickets, bank statements, bills, bank slips, invoices, boarding passes, reservations and other proofs of payments) for the expenses that you are claiming. A cost that doesn’t have its original proof, unfortunately, is a cost that never happened and will not get reimbursed!
Examples:
All the reimbursement will happen via bank transfer after the event.
Join us in Warsaw, March 9-12, for the most important political and decision-making event for our network.
Click Here
The 14th General Assembly of Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe, took place 9-12 March in Warsaw, Poland, hosted by Ostra Zieleń (Polish Young Greens).
Throughout the four days delegates engaged in political and organisational debates, adopted reports & plans, voted for amendments and elected the new Executive Committee.
This year’s GA was exceptionally important for two reasons. We updated statutes with several amendments, including a major change of structure in membership – we opened the door for Eastern European organisations from the EU to be more involved members instead of partners. We also took a moment to reflect on our journey and celebrate CDN’s 20th anniversary with a lively panel discussion.
Reports & Plans:
Statutes and Internal Rules of Procedure we updated;
○ Stautes
Three resolutions were approved:
○ Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups in Eastern Europe
○ CDN-FYEG Relations Paper Revision
○ Resolution linked to Statutes Amendments 2 – concerning the change of the membership structure
Delegates also amended following documents:
We also welcomed new Observer organisation – Neoi Prasinoi – Young Greens of Greece. While with updating statutes, Ostra Zieleń (Polish Young Greens) and Protests became member organisations.
And finally the General Assembly also elected the new Executive Committee.
We are happy to officially announce the 14th General Assembly of Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe, which will take place between 9-12 March in Warsaw, Poland, hosted by Ostra Zieleń (Polish Young Greens).
Save the dates, decide on the delegates and your participation.
Check here
Dear CDN Members and Partner Organisations,
The Executive Committee is hereby announcing an open call for a host organisation for the 2023 General Assembly (GA) and Strategic Planning Meeting scheduled for (time is to be decided between the 3rd or 4th weekends of February or the 1st weekend of March).
General Assembly – which is the highest decision-making body – is the most important political event throughout the year for CDN; while Strategic Planning Meeting will determine the future trajectory and development of the organisation.
We are envisioning having a 3 to 4-day event which only adds to our excitement about holding the GA, finally, live and we will be very happy to receive applications from all MOs and POs that believe they have the capacity to host this event.
In order to have a better understanding of what it takes to organise, and what will be the responsibilities as well as the rights, you can access the guiding document HERE. The preparations will be challenging but at the same time very fulfilling and a valuable experience for any organisation of the network. In addition, hosting the General Assembly has several benefits including:
If your organisation is interested in hosting the 2023 GA, fill in this application form.
Deadline: Sunday, 13th of November, 2022.
The application includes information regarding the motivation, previous experience with organising events, and possible propositions for the event (location, accommodation, venue, etc.); your answers will help the committee to decide on the appropriate/suitable location.
Of course, we will follow the COVID-19 situation and organise the GA accordingly, to ensure a safe and inclusive event for all participants.
The Executive Committee will evaluate the applications and make a decision during the committee meeting in November and have a decision by the 20th of November.
For any further questions, don’t hesitate to write to us at giorgi.ptskialadze@cdnee.org.
Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe (CDN) is announcing a call for participants for the Study Session “Green Cities for Sustainable Planet”.
The event will take place from 7th to 12th of November 2022 in the European Youth Centre in Budapest, Hungary. The arrival date for the participants is 6th and departure date is 13th.
With this activity we aim to empower 35 young Eastern Europeans in tackling climate change through exploring the intersectionality of globalisation, capitalism and environmental issues – this event will provide a holistic approach towards climate change by focusing on communities, economy, human rights and urbanism and support the participants in developing new attitudes towards climate change, through exploring how governments, businesses and citizens can enable the urban and economic shift to a greener transition.
This will be done by meeting the following objectives:
You can read more about the project on this page.
Climate change is the most serious threat to humanity in the 21st century. According to UN Habitat, cities consume 78% of the world’s energy and produce the majority of global greenhouse gas emissions. As urbanisation is expected to accelerate even more, cities will have even bigger impact on the environment and climate. Many of them are also the first to experience number of consequences of the changing climate – rising sea levels, extreme heat, water scarcity and air pollution among others. Interestingly, the entities with the most ambitious climate goals are rarely countries – usually, they are cities.
Continue reading
30 years ago a major shift has happened in global politics and Eastern Europe – states dissolved and collapsed and new ones have been established, the system has been changed. During this period there was a promise that after a long struggle we would achieve democracy and well-being.
But as we look back from today it is clear that this has not happened and if it did it was not sustainable.
These last decades have been full of hope and misery, protests and revolutions, conflicts and wars, economic uphills and downfalls, democratisation and backsliding.
This story has not ended, it is developing and continuing, there are more challenges and opportunities ahead. And all of us, Young Greens and activists in Eastern Europe, are part of this.
Therefore we in CDN decided to organise a conference where we would discuss all these issues we are facing.
How did we end up where we are now? What is the role of global powers such as the EU, Russia and China in our region? Should we be hopeful for the future as we see emerging environmental movements and progressive political actors? Can we achieve climate prosperity and what challenges do we have regards energy and transition?
Although the Conference was planned to happen prior to the CDN General Assembly in March 2022, taking everything into consideration minding everyone’s concerns and safety, the Executive Committee (EC) has accessed the ongoing situation and has come to a conclusion in agreement with GEF partners for the Conference to be postponed.
Having this in mind, The Future of Eastern Europe Conference will be taking place in Riga, Latvia on 6-7th June 2022.
Location: Rija VEF Hotel, Brīvības 199c, Riga, Latvija, LV-1039
Practicalities:
Language: The main language of this activity will be English. But not being comfortable with interacting in English should not prevent you from applying. CDN strives to create an inclusive atmosphere at the events, where participants are encouraged to express themselves and ask for clarifications or translations from peers that speak the same language.
Costs: Anyone is welcome to take part in the conference with their own expenses. There is no participation fee.
In addition, CDN can cover the participation of a limited number of applications of young greens and activists from Eastern Europe (with a maximum age of 30). Meaning the cost of travel, and lodging (accommodation in multi-bed rooms, vegetarian/vegan food and refreshments).
In any case, take into consideration choosing the most economic and environmentally friendly means of travel (lowest price + travel time + CO2 emissions) and in case the trip would take less than 15 hours only travelling by land (train+bus) is reimbursed (IRPs §9.1).
Deadline: 20th of May (if applying for CDN to cover your participation.)
You will be informed by e-mail approximately 1 week after the deadline. Please add office@cdnee.org to your contacts, so that you do not receive our reply in the spam folder.
In case of having any questions, do not hesitate to write us at office@cdnee.org
Speakers:
– Sonja Schiffers, Director of Heinrich-Boell Foundation, South Caucasus Office
– Anastasiya Dorofeeva, Belarusian Green party, Belarusian anti-nuclear campaign, hub “Green foundations”
– Anton Cherepenko, the Free Hong Kong Center in Kyiv
– Zarina Burkadze Associate Professor of Political Science, Ilia State University
– Raluca Besliu, contributor of Green European Journal focusing on Eastern European affairs
– Teo Comet, European Greens
Manana Kochladze, Bankwatch Strategic Area Leader – Democratization and Human Rights
Workshop:
How can we make democracy more ecological? What kind of changes do we need to apply to our thinking about participation, institutions and decision-making to put ecology and the environment at the forefront of our political systems?
– Justine Pantelejeva, Progresīvie, Latvia
– Sopo Shubitidze, Mtsvaneebi, Georgia
– Predrag Momčilović, Ne davimo Beograd, Serbia
– Stefan Vukmanovic, Ura Montenegro
– Koray Doğan Urbarlı, Green Party Turkey
Description: For the last decades, if you checked the electoral map of Europe intending to see how Green parties have been performing, you would see a clear pattern: Greens in the west and north do well – they get elected in national and regional parliaments, city councils, win mayorships and even participate in governing coalitions; while in the east – you would see a grey colour representing either absence of Green parties from the political landscape or lack of support and therefore relevance. However, in recent years the pattern is dissolving and becoming a blur, the Green wave spreading to the East.
This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of CDNEE and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this event.