International conference organized by ALDA
in the framework of the project
Cities acting for Peace and Democracy in Europe
Financed by the European Union, DGEAC

8-9th June 2006
City council, Budapest

EUROPE AT THE CROSSROAD:
MINORITY CONFLICTS AS A MENACE TO PEACE OR AS AN OPPORTUNITY?
The role of European local authorities

Partners of the project “Cities acting for Peace and Democracy in Europe”:
Leader: ALDA
Other partners: - Cités Unies France – France
- Warmian and Mazurian Association of Communities – Poland
- Association of Italian Local Governments (ANCI) – Italy
“Italian association of Local Authorities for Peace and human rights”” (Italy)
-Local Assoc. of Municipal. and Communes of Karditsa's Prefecture (Greece)

INTRODUCTION
The project “Cities acting for Peace and Democracy in Europe” aims at
- improving the understanding and the role of local governments as actors for peace and democracy in Europe;
- to involve citizens, in particular young people in the exercise
- to participate in the European Union building process with an additional added value brought by the active role of the local governments and the participation of their own community

OBJECTIVE OF THE CONFERENCE
In May 1945 Europeans woke up from the worst nightmare in their modern history in which millions of them lost their lives, their loved ones and their homes. Entire populations were uprooted, borders were shifted and nations were annihilated. It was said that no poetry can be written after the horrors of Auschwitz. And yet cold and hungry Europeans began an uneasy way towards re-building mutual trust and respect which lead to a remarkable achievement of peace and prosperity in Western Europe under the umbrella of what we today call the European Union. It was however, only a few years after the end of the Second World War that hundreds of millions of fellow Europeans disappeared behind the iron curtain. They were not to enjoy the benefits of peace and prosperity for forty long years. Today, 25 European nations are together again to share common future. But peace, freedom, security and prosperity do not come for free. They are fragile achievements that cannot be taken for granted. Today’s Europe is not free from ethnic violence and discrimination. Stereotypes and prejudice towards ethnic groups and indeed entire nations still exist. Democracy is an everyday plebiscite that needs committed citizens who shape and develop it further.
As time goes by, the “never again” feeling is fading from the collective memory of today’s Europeans. This sentiment is no longer able to mobilise public opinion or to inspire a popular movement as it was at the end of the Second World War and which contributed greatly to the start of the European Project. The current years might also be the last opportunity to share the memories of those who lived through the disasters of the War.
It is in this context that the present conference has been conceived. The idea is to not limit the reflection to Remembrance but, through the debate and the exchange of different experiences, to collect new mobilising ideas that will make today’s Europeans committed to the process of building Europe. Therefore, the purpose is not only to commemorate the past but also, with the perspective of the 50th anniversary of the signature of the Treaty of Rome (25 March 2007), to reflect how Europeans can actively contribute to making Europe their own space in which they feel free and safe and in this context which role the local authorities can have. A space in which local authorities can be active, grow, use their talents, learn from each other and make the citizens feel appreciated and respected, to make sure that the unprecedented experience of 60 years of peace can be perpetuated.
The conference is organized in plenary session and workshops which will give an interactive role to the participants for analysis and debate. The result of the conference is the basis for a report which to be circulated among the partners, the participants to the conference and interested target groups.

PROGRAMME:

8^th June
13.00 Welcoming luncheon

14.00 Welcome speech and introduction: Gianfranco Martini, President

14.15 The project “Cities acting for Peace and Democracy in Europe”: objectives and action plan, Antonella Valmorbida. Director ALDA

Five working groups: Promoting peace and democracy at the local level
14.30 16.00 exchanges of best practices
16.00 17.30 identifying difficulties, opportunities, methodologies
I-II group: Participation of civil society in order to improve democracy and peace, coordinators: President Local Association of Municipalities and Communes of Karditsa's Prefecture and Victor Magiar, Association of Italian Local Governments (tbc)
III-IV group: Youth participation at the local level in order to improve democracy and peace coordinators Flavio Lotti, “Italian association of Local Authorities for Peace and human rights” and Ryszard Kozyra, Vice Chairperson of the Management Warmian and Mazurian Assoc. of Communities (tbc)
V group: Democracy and Peace at the local level: communication and media, coordinator Andréas Korb Cités Unies de France (tbc)
19.30 Dinner

9^th June
9.00 Introduction: Gianfranco Martini, ALDA President
9.10 Welcoming speech Mayor of Budapest (tbc)
9.20 Peace in Europe after 60 years: minority conflicts can be a menace or an opportunity for pluralist coexistence? Ms Livia Jaroka,
 Member of European Parliament for Hungary (to be confirmed)
9.35 Peace in Europe after 60 years: minority’s conflicts can be a menace or an opportunity for pluralist coexistence? Ewa Chilinsky, Deputy Director of the European Center for Minority issues
9.50 The role of local authorities in the promotion of peace, Representative of the Congress of the Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
10.05 The role of civil society in the promotion of peace and respect for minorities, international NGO
10.20 The participation of youth in promoting peace and democracy in Europe: the experience of the commitment of the 11 LDAs, Stève Duchene, Delegate of LDA Kosovo
10.30 Coffee Break
11.00 Presentations of the results of the working groups and debate
12.15 Conclusion
12.30 Lunch

Participants

a) Partners of the programme Cities for Peace and Democracy in Europe b) Member of the Association of Local Authorities (ALDA) c) Partners of ALDA from all over Europe d) Representatives from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe e) Delegates of the LDAs in the Balkans f) Cities, provinces, regions active or interested to be active in decentralized cooperation g) Civil society organizations and youth groups working closely with local governments on the issues of the conference h) Hungarian Local Authorities, Universities i) Hungarian NGOs and associations, citizen

For info

The participation to the conference is free, but it is necessary to register sending a fax within the 20th May to the following address [email protected] or by fax +39 0444 231043

Facilities and arrangements are foreseen for the ALDA members.

For further information: Association of the Local Democracy Agencies– Strasbourg - France Vicenza office 22, Stradella della Racchetta 36100 Vicenza

Stefania Toriello Tel. +39 0444 540146 Fax +39 0444 231043 +39 349 7160034 [email protected] www.ldaaonline.org