Gutta Club: Climate is changing. And you?

While the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) was held in Egypt and our friends from the Climate Action Network-International persistently sought effective solutions from government delegations in the field of climate change mitigation, global adaptation and climate finance, the CDN’s Member Organisation the Republican Center “Gutta-Club” also did not stand aside.
From November 5 to November 18, the organisation prepared and held a number of thematic events under the general title “Climate is changing. And you?”, with the support of the largest European network of youth environmental organizations YEE (Youth and Environment Europe), of which Gutta-Club has been a member for more than ten years.

On November 5, a training for young people took place, which was attended by students of the Chisinau lyceums named after I.S. Nechuya-Levitsky and A.P.Chekhov, as well as students of State, Technical, Pedagogical Universities and the Economic Academy. 

Gutta-Club’s expert Irina Belous, PhD student, molecular biologist, presented an up-to-date overview of the climate situation in the world and in Moldova, spoke about the assessment of climate impact, vulnerability factors and risks, as well as about adaptation measures developed specifically for our country. 

Anya Kimakovskaya and Nastya Gordeeva prepared a presentation on the problems of excessive consumption, and also offered the guys to take a test to determine their ecological footprint. The results were so unexpected that the discussion on “How many Planets like Earth will I need if I don’t shorten my eco-footprint” would have lasted until the end of the training, and maybe even longer. In order to have time for everything that we planned, we proposed to move the discussions to the family circle and develop steps to reduce the eco-footprint in each particular family. Think globally – act locally! 

Pavel Kurkin and Alina Sandyuk shared their impressions of a recent trip to Poland, where members of the Gutta-Club team as part of an international consortium developed a climate project, and also visited a waste recycling plant, personally familiarizing themselves with all stages of waste-free production.

Then the role-playing game began. The participants were divided into teams and engaged in the development of climate startups on unusual topics obtained in the process of drawing lots. No one even imagined how unusual)) For example, the use of kinetic energy of swinging trees for street lighting of city streets. Or the secondary use of banana peel as fuel for subcompact transport. The guys laughed at first. Then they were puzzled. And only then the work began to boil) The time had to be extended several times. But when the teams were ready – the originality and thoughtfulness of the approaches, and also the fervor with which all the members of the groups promoted their offspring – could not leave anyone indifferent from the audience. Startup programs were presented by the jury, chaired by businesswoman Olya Sovko. The proposed product had to be evaluated according to the following criteria: the attractiveness of the idea, the amount of funding, the timing of the refund and the beginning of income generation, the number of jobs created, a positive effect on the environment. The jury members conferred for a long time and (just by the time the pizza was delivered), made their reasoned conclusions. As a result, all the teams received various kinds of support, both from business representatives and from donor organizations, the state budget and even the mafia) And also concluded partnership agreements with each other, since it is always more effective to work together.

After handing over certificates of participation (by the way, the certificate is the work of Anya Kimakovskaya), caps and books, a shared photo, the guys did not disperse immediately, they asked how they could become a Gutta-Club volunteer, how to go to trainings and seminars and how to continue studying abroad under the Erasmus Oficiul Erasmus+ Moldova program when the next meeting will be. Some even stayed to watch the rehearsal, which, taking advantage of the opportunity, was held for our teams leaving for Georgia, by professional dancers and volunteers Gutta Constanta Crave and Alina Cebotari.

And the next day Gutta-Club already received letters from parents and teachers, how the guys liked everything and how great it would be if such events were held more often. This is a very important and inspiring result for the entire training preparation team.
“When we met, we asked the participants to answer a simple question: “If you had a goldfish, what would you ask her for?” It turned out that it was not a new iPhone and not good bachelor’s grades (do not underestimate our youth), but something much more valuable – health and longevity to your loved ones, peace and prosperity to our common home – Planet Earth. It is wonderful! But a lot depends on us. From what exactly (here and now) we will do everything to change the world around us for the better. We came to the conclusion that we don’t need a goldfish, because we are our own goldfish. And, without putting it off, we decided to take part in gardening campaigns held in November throughout the Republic. Said and done. On November 12, our guys were already enthusiastically planting trees in the Chisinau park “Alunel”, as well as on the banks of the Dniester River in the village of Malovatoe, Dubossary district. Gutta cavat lapidem! A drop and a stone sharpens!”

And on November 18, the Gutta-Club delegation, consisting of Yaroslav Rudenko, Olya Sovko Arina Manzul, left for Bakuriani (Georgia) to participate in the international seminar “Let’s connect” under the EU Erasmus program, where, together with 24 youth activists from Armenia, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Turkey and Bulgaria will present the successful experience of the Gutta-Club’s long-term activities, including climate projects, learn interactive forms of work with young people, exchange ideas, and establish partnerships. 

A huge thank you to all the members of PrepTeam Centrul Republican

Gutta-Club says thanks to the prep-team members, the administrations and the teachers of the Chisinau lyceums Theoretical Lyceum Named after I.S. Nechuy-Levitsky, Lyceum named after. Anton Chekhov for the universal support of the initiative of our organization and for the active, caring youth, to our friends and partners from YEE – Youth and Environment Europe, Umbrella, Centrul Naţional de Mediu for productive and sincere cooperation.

Call for Prep Team: Eastern European Climate Summer Camp

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 – 13th 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:

  1. To equip the participants with the knowledge on climate crisis, its history and outcomes;
  2. To explore the causes and effects of the climate crisis on the Eastern European level;
  3. To empower the participants to fight for better climate, in order to sustain the society, culture and the world we live in;
  4. To equip the participants with skills and tools for mobilizing around climate crisis. 

 

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:

  1. Active participation in the regular online meetings prior to the event (January-June / 2-3 h a week);
  2. Participation in two-day live prep team meeting on 18-19th of February (2 full working days), arrival day 17th, departure on 20th;
  3. Other meetings scheduled weekly or bi-weekly;
  4. Dissemination of the call and selection of participants, preparation of participants  for the event and providing them with all the necessary information  regarding the program;
  5. Preparation and facilitation of the  program of the event; designing and preparing sessions based on non-formal education methodology, invitation and communication with speakers, experts and partners in accordance with the project aims (4-6 h  a week);
  6. Helping with the promotion of the event and ensuring media visibility;
  7. Taking care of practicalities and of the general well-being of the participants;
  8. Full participation during the entire event and prep team meeting before and after: Arrival 2nd of June, departure 15th of June;
  9. Supporting the finalisation of the outputs;
  10. Helping with the reporting of the event.

 

Being a prep-team member at this event would offer you:

  1. Working in a lively international environment;
  2. Experience in managing youth projects – preparation, implementation and reporting;
  3. Getting familiar with Green values and the work of CDN;
  4. Getting to know activists from different European contexts and their work;
  5. A possibility to develop your leadership and group work skills;
  6. A lot of work and a lot of fun!

Here you can find provisional agenda.
 

 

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.

 

APPLY HERE

 

*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.

Work Plan “Bring your tote-bag, but smash the system!”


Project background

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:

    1. Equip young people from the Eastern Europe with better understanding of climate crisis;
    2. Empower young people from the Eastern Europe to bring systemic change in their local communities and regions.

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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.

 

1st phase –  Eastern European Climate Summer Camp

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:

    1. Equip the participants with the knowledge on climate crisis, its history and outcomes;
    2. Explore the causes and effects of the climate crisis on the Eastern European level;
    3. Empower the participants to fight for better climate, in order to sustain the society, culture and the world we live in;
    4. Equipping the participants with skills and tools for mobilising around climate crisis.

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Date: 5-13 June 2023
Location: Montenegro

Call for Prep-team

Call for Participants (coming soon) 

Provisional agenda

 

2nd phase   Eastern European Climate Campaigns

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 regionsThis will be achieved by reaching the following objectives:

    1. To provide the participants with an opportunity to practically apply gained knowledge;
    2. To provide the participants with an opportunity to influence relevant stakeholders and climate crisis related processes across Eastern European countries;
    3. To showcase different practices of fighting for climate in countries of the Eastern Europe with different levels of shrinking space for the civil society.

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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)

 

Methodology

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

Practicalities for Delegates and Guests

You will find detailed information regarding practicalities, financial support and reimbursement rules.

 

General Information

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.

To whom will we be covering the costs?

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.

Other information about travel and financial conditions
 

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.

 

Travel to Warsaw

 

– 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.

 

Reimbursement rules

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 claimingA cost that doesn’t have its original proof, unfortunately, is a cost that never happened and will not get reimbursed!

 Examples:

  • Train/bus/ferry tickets and reservations, clearly stating the price of the ticket/reservation. This includes local transport, for example a ticket for the bus from an airport to the city centre, including the bill and bank slip (if paid by card).
  • Invoices of flight bookings (if bought online, it is usually an e-mail which states the total price of the flight) and all boarding passes (all need to be sent to office.assistant@cdnee.org). Online boarding passes are accepted. In case you do the online check in through a mobile application, please make sure to make a print-screen of the boarding pass, as they have a tendency to disappear. The flights should also have the proof of payment attached. In case you bought it through a bank transfer or credit card, it would be a statement from your bank system and if you paid in cash, you should always demand a paper bill.

All the reimbursement will happen via bank transfer after the event.

 

More details regarding reimbursement and practicalities (venue, accommodation, etc.), will be shared later with the registered delegates through e-mail.

 

Register for the 2023 General Assembly

Join us in Warsaw, March 9-12, for the most important political and decision-making event for our network.

Click Here

General Assembly 2023

 

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).

 

We invite you to nominate your delegates to the General Assembly (GA) which is the highest decision-making body of CDN. GA consists of delegates from Member and Partner (factual members) organisations and brings other friends from the Green European family to share, network and discuss. GA elects Executive Committee, adopts activity and financial plan for the next year and makes other relevant decisions.

 

This year’s General Assembly is exceptionally important for two reasons. One is that we are celebrating 20 years of CDN and we will dedicate some time to evaluate the past, discuss the present and plan the future. Second, and more importantly this year we will be amending our Statutes for which we will need a higher than usual quorum – two-thirds of all factual member organisations. Therefore, your participation is crucial. In addition, 2023 General Assembly includes the Strategic Planning Meeting during which the delegates will shape the upcoming priorities, scope of work and general development of CDN.

 

 

Regarding the Delegates:

Member organisations has a right to be represented by two delegates with voting rights at the General Assembly and has the full right to nominate its candidate for any organisational group/position or submit amendments to any organisational document. We will cover the full travel and accommodation costs of the two delegates of each Member Organization.

Partner organisations has a right to send one delegate with no voting right to the GA and has the full right to nominate its candidate for any organisational group/position or submit amendments to any organisational document. We will cover the full travel and accommodation costs of one delegate from the partner organisations.

Observer organisations also have a right to take part with one representative in the GA without a participation fee however CDN will not be able to reimburse any costs.

Guests are also welcomed at the GA, bearing in mind that CDN can’t cover their GA-related costs and they will be subjected to participant fees.

 

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).

 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Secretariat at office@cdnee.org.

Register for the 2023 General Assembly

Save the dates, and decide on the delegates and your participation.

Click Here

Call for Host Organisation: CDN General Assembly 2023

9-12 March, Warsaw, Poland

General Assembly 2023

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:

  • gaining experience in hosting an international political event
  • having a space to organise a session during the topical part of the GA
  • visibility via CDN’s social media

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.

Call for articles – Publication “We are here now!”

The project “We are the future, but we are here now!” opened a space for a discussion and questions — What are the barriers young people in Central and Eastern Europe face while participating in the civic and political processes in their home countries? What are the tools for non-violent involvement? What kind of local activities should we do to improve young people’s lives in the region? 

During the project, we heard many inspiring stories, opinions and theories from young people in Eastern Europe, and we believe it is time to gather these stories for our publication!

The current ageist approach towards youth participation is the cause of our voices not being heard in the debates and decisions on things that actively affect us and our future. The “future generation” is here now, and we have the right to express our needs and demands. People often use the argument of immaturity and lack of experience to silence young people’s voices. 

With this publication, we want to give space to the youth from Central and Eastern Europe and hear diverse opinions on the life of the young people in their communities, inspiring cases and touching stories.

We are looking for:

  • Topical stories of your local youth experience of doing civic and political activism;
  • Research, observations and analysis on the condition of youth and participation levels
  • Interviews with the local politicians working on youth policy;
  • Analysis of the current political events relevant to the author’s country and how it is affecting youth;
  • Fiction, including satire;
  • Any other topic you think would fit this publication

Technical requirements for the articles:

  • Something that has not been already broadly written (talked) about;
  • The full articles should not exceed 10 000-12 000 characters;
  • Have a logical structure and flow;
  • Use UK English;
  • Feel free to experiment with the format: your piece can be not only an article but also a video, a podcast, a comic, a poem, a fairy tale, etc.

Process:

After the deadline, the editorial board will read the proposals and prepare comments. The editorial board will send comments two weeks after the deadline. The authors will have 1 week to reply to the comments. After that, authors can start their work on the articles. They will have 4 weeks to finalise and send the stories to the editorial team. After this, we would agree on the final form of the written pieces and send the publication to the designer. The editorial board will upload the articles on the CDN website as single articles. CDN will distribute the printed publication.

If you want to be a part of this publication, send a summary of your proposal (maximum 2 000 characters ) by the 14th of September, 23:59 CEST to project.coordinator@cdnee.org. Please, do not hesitate to ask us questions if you have any. Please add project.coordinator@cdnee.org to your contacts so that you do not receive our reply in the spam folder.

Call for Executive Committee Member

Dear Young Greens from Eastern Europe,

Following the news that Paula “Pablo” Luīze Pastore is joining Secretariat, we are happy to announce a call for a new Executive Committee Member that will fill in the vacant spot and work with the rest of the EC until the next General Assembly.

This is your chance to contribute to the growing Green movement in Eastern Europe.

The Executive Committee tasks:

  • Work on the implementation of CDN’s Activity Plan, approved by the General Assembly (including project writing, coordination, implementation and reporting);
  • The newly elected EC member will be responsible for the Study Session “Green Cities for the Sustainable Planet”; make sure to check out the responsibilities here;
  • Maintaining close and continuous communication with CDN Member and Partner
     Organisations and Network Partners;
  • Actively following and supporting the smooth work-flow of the Working Groups;
  • Representing and promoting CDN during its and partners’ activities as well as in the digital
     space;
  • Answering challenges and making decisions throughout the year, between GAs, based on the CDN Strategy and CDN’s best interest;
  • Actively participating in the regular (biweekly) EC meetings (that usually last around 2h).
  • Keeping track of the well-being of CDN’s Office.

The candidate for the Executive Committee should:

  • Be motivated to advance the Green movement in the Eastern Europe;
  • Be dedicated to the goals of CDN, subscribe to its political platform and the Green Idea;
  • Be comfortable working in an international environment and have good communication and organisational skills;
  • Be willing and available for active online engagement throughout the mandate;
  • Be prepared for frequent traveling, participating in the live EC meetings, CDN activities and likely several other occasions;
  • Be regularly available on the e-mail for the ongoing discussions, work and decision making, together with regular online meetings;
  • Have a good command of English (written and spoken);
  • Have the interest to follow political developments in Eastern Europe and react to them with available tools such as producing statements, organising and supporting campaigns, assisting member and partner organisations, communicating with other Green stakeholders, etc.

More details about the responsibilities of CDN EC members and the election procedure can be found in the CDN Statutes and Internal Rules of Procedures

The candidate should submit:

  • Filled Application form;
  • Candidate’s CV;
  • Photo (Optional);
  • Introduction to your candidacy;
  • Official letter of support from a Candidate’s organisation or any CDN Member or Partner organisation*

*Only CDN Member and Partner organisations can nominate a candidate for the Executive Committee.

Applications should be submitted HERE.

All technical instructions are given on our GA website but you can also access them HERE.

DEADLINE for submitting candidacies is July 13, 23:59 CET. However, the earlier you apply the more chance delegates will have to see your candidacy on cdn.discuss.green.

In case of any questions do not hesitate to write to office@cdnee.org.

Call for Project Assistant

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Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe (CDN) is announcing a call for the position of Project Assistant in its office in Belgrade, Serbia. This is a paid, full time (40 hours a week) position, beginning from mid-July 2022 (starting date is flexible). The deadline to submit applications is the 31st of May 2022 (23:59 CEST).

Working time: 40 hours/week;
Remuneration: 800 EUR gross;
Contract type: 2 years (minimum) with 3 months probation period;

Location: Belgrade, Serbia.

Our Political Platform lays out the values on which the Network bases its actions. Make sure to get acquainted with it before applying!

We are looking for someone with the following profile:

  • Basic experience in administrative or financial work;

  • Ability to work independently and good organisation of one’s work;

  • Attention to details, good ability to work with numbers and performing administrative tasks;

  • Strong spreadsheet skills;

  • Good computer skills and ability to use various softwares;

  • Fluency in the English language.

Skills that would be an additional asset:

  • Curiosity towards Eastern European civil society;

  • Knowledge of the Green movement and Green politics;

  • Experience in managing finances of a non-governmental organisation;

  • Knowledge of any Eastern European language;

  • Use of (open-source) software (Linux, WordPress, Nextcloud, etc.);

  • Knowledge of design programs (Canva, Gimp etc.);

  • Knowledge of use of social media and communications ( Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Mailchimp, etc.)

Responsibilities:

  • Financial management:

  • Making bank transfers;

  • Bookkeeping for the projects;

  • Reimbursements of the participants and prepteams;

  • Collecting financial documentation from events;

  • Processing and archiving the financial documentation;

  • Financial reporting to funders;

  • Work with the Local Prepteams;

  • Social media management;

  • Updating website;

  • Managing mailing lists;

  • Managing the EYF Local Actions;

  • Occasional diverse ad hock tasks.

Please apply by sending your CV and short cover letter (explaining your experience and interest in this position) in one PDF document to project.coordinator@cdnee.org by 31st of May 2022 (23:59 CEST) with the subject “CDN Project Assistant application”. Please add the above-mentioned e-mail to your contact list, to ensure that our reply doesn’t end up in spam. All candidates who submit an application will be notified about the selection result. Shortlisted candidates will be notified by the second half of June and contacted for an interview.

 
 
 

The Future of Eastern Europe Conference

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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?

These will be questions that we will ask during the conference and try to find answers to through panel discussions with invited speakers, informal talks and sharing our perspectives.
 
 
With this conference, we are aiming to provide a space for Young Greens from EE to discuss what is the common vision for building an authentic Green movement in EE and what is our role in it. We want to explore existing good potentials a have the space to meet with other progressive political actors from the region.
 
 
The Conference is a part of the transnational project “Future of Eastern Europe and (Eco)democracy that we are organising in cooperation with the Green European Foundation, Green Institute of Greece, Sustainable Development Forum Green Window, Green Green Thought Association and Ecopilis Foundation.
 

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

 

Programme

Time Zone: Eastern European Summer Time (EEST) / Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) + 3

Day 1, Monday, June 6

10:00-10:15 Opening of the conference
 
10:15-11:30 Eastern Europe as a region – a story of turbulent transformation (Live Stream)
 

Speakers: 

– Sonja Schiffers, Director of Heinrich-Boell Foundation, South Caucasus Office

– Anastasiya Dorofeeva, Belarusian Green party, Belarusian anti-nuclear campaign, hub “Green foundations”

 
Description: For more than thirty years Eastern Europe is a region of independent nation-states. During this period there was the promise that after a long struggle democracy and well-being would be achieved. Looking at it today, it is clear that most Eastern European countries are far from democracy and the well-being of citizens.
In this session, we will try to analyse and reflect on the last decades of Eastern Europe, mainly focusing to find the roots of current problems and possible solutions by looking back at the recent history – what shaped the region, how the democratisation and transition took place.
 
 
12:00-13:30 Influence of Global Powers: Eastern Europe at the crossroads between democracy and autocracy (Live Stream)
 
Speakers:

– 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

Description: Discussing political dynamics and transformation of Eastern Europe cannot take place without paying attention to global powers and their involvement in the region. 
With this session we aim to map global powers: EU – China, Russia and US – and their interests; What role do they play in supporting democracy and progressive agenda or the opposite – encouraging and financing anti-democratic, right-wing and authoritarian forces. 
 
15:30-17:00 War in Ukraine: Context, Present and the Effect on the region (Live Stream)
 
Description: Russian aggression against Ukraine is continuing. Every day we are witnessing atrocities, war crimes and violations of international law from the Russian side, at the same time Ukraine is bravely defending its people, sovereignty, democracy and even Europe as a whole.
In this session, we will take a look at a few different aspects of the conflict: the context of the war, the historical roots of Russian aggression, the current events, as well as what greens should do to help Ukraine, and how the ongoing war affects countries in the region.
 
 
17:30-19:00 Energy – a veto point and/or a chance for democracy? (Live Stream)
 
Speakers:

Manana Kochladze, Bankwatch Strategic Area Leader – Democratization and Human Rights

Yevheniia Zasiadko, Head of climate and transport department at Ecoaction – Centre for Environmental Initiatives
 

Workshop: 

Sandy-Kyriaki Fameliari, ElectaEnergy Cooperative
 
Description: The energy we choose reflects the systems we support. In this session, we will discuss energy as the core factor for sustaining authoritarian regimes and the way the energy sector influences political dynamics. As well as we are going to focus on the possibility of democratisation through energy – decentralisation, renewables and the prospect of energy cooperatives in Eastern Europe. 
 

Day 2, Tuesday, June 7th

10:00-11:30 Eco-Democracy as a new paradigm for Eastern Europe
 
Facilitators:
– Annie Maniadi and Dimitris Papageorgiou, Green Institute of Greece
 
Description: The Workshop aims to add a philosophical, ethical and institutional dimension to the conversations on the Future of Eastern Europe happening at the Conference. It hopes to bring together the different voices and ideas from the wealth of participants and facilitate a meaningful discussion on how to put Ecology at the Centre of Democracy.

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?

These are some of the questions that we’ll be asking and trying to answer at our Ecodemocracy Workshop!                                         
 
 
12:00-13:30  Conflicts in Eastern Europe: the theory and beyond
 
DescriptionThe session aims to provide participants with the basis of conflict theory and conflict resolution and analyze the conflicts in EE through case studies.  The session encompasses theoretical and practical parts that will be conducted through non-formal education methods. The objectives of the session are 1)to understand the concept of conflict (origin, causes, consequences), 2) to discuss the mechanisms of handling conflict, particularly, conflict resolution, and 3) to explore the conflicts that happened in EE in recent years, their consequences and current state.
 
 
15:30-17:00 Open Mic
 
 
17:30-19:30 Movements into politics: Green Wave in Eastern Europe (Live Stream)
 
Speakers:

– 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.

During the panel, we will discuss the ongoing Green wave with newly established Green political parties across Eastern Europe with the aim to analyse current success, find the patterns and similarities, understand the importance of grassroots movements and civil society, map challenges, envision the future and their influence on the political landscape.

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.

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