Ref. CG-PR018(2012)
The Council of Europe Congress launches a new web platform for the European Local Democracy Week
Strasbourg, 02.08.2012 - The European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) takes place every year during the week of the 15 October, and is coordinated by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. The 2012 edition will take place from 15 to 21 October and will focus on “Human rights make for more inclusive communities”. Local and regional authorities of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe are invited to take part and to organize events in their community, in order to strengthen citizen democratic participation at local and regional level. To make the task of the participating communities easier, several innovations have been included in the new ELDW internet platform.
“I am convinced that the new web tool will give a boost to the 2012 edition of the Local Democracy Week and more visibility. Municipalities and regions will be more likely to join in and organise events in their communities. The new platform also provides the national associations and other European and international partners with their own dedicated section so their contribution to raising awareness on this pan-European event will be recognised” said Congress President Keith Whitmore. President Whitmore has been a firm supporter of the Week since it was launched in 2007.
“The new web tool is user-friendly and interactive; it will bring the ELDW ever closer to participating towns and regions’ friends and followers thanks to the link to the most frequently used social networks” said John Warmisham, the Congress’ political coordinator of the Week.
The strengths of the new Internet platform include:
· Registration for SEDL is facilitated by a dynamic form for each of the three profiles: Partner, “12 Star city” or Association
· Each participating community will have a dedicated web space for displaying various contents: description of the community, pictures, the programmes of the activities, documents, etc.
· Communities will manage their web space directly with a username and a password, and content can be edited at any time, modified, updated and supplemented.
· The visibility of their contribution will be improved and enhanced through a dedicated web page, ergonomic, and through sharing tools such as Facebook and e-newsletter.
Access to the new EDLW web tool
Contact:
Maria Baroni
Project Manager of the ELDW
Tel. +33 (0)3 90 21 59 94
[email protected]
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The Congress has two chambers, the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions.
It brings together 318 full and 318 substitute members representing more than 200 000 European territorial communities.
President of the Congress: Keith Whitmore (United Kingdom, ILDG), President of the Chamber of Regions: Herwig van Staa (Austria, EPP/CD), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Jean-Claude Frécon (France, SOC)
Political Groups: Socialist Group (SOC), Group of the European People’s Party – Christian Democrats (EPP/CD), Independent and Liberal Democrat Group (ILDG).