Concept Note for a Network of Towns

Europe for Citizens 2014-2020[1]

(European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication)

Concept note for a Network of Towns

“Crossroads of the Regions”

Author: City of Etterbeek (Brussels, Belgium)

Deadline for submission: 01 September 2016

Etterbeek[2] is a municipality with 45.500 inhabitants, located in the Brussels’ urban area (Belgium), near the city centre.Etterbeek is characterized by a high rate of foreign and migrant populations (see image below).

Table: Etterbeek’s demographic data (2012)

Number / Population rate
Total population / 45.502 / 100%
Foreign population (non Belgian) / 19.590 / 43%
Of which EU-28 nationals / 15.014 / 33%
Of which other nationalities / 4.576 / 10%

The high proportion of European nationalities is for a great part due to the proximity with the European district where important EU institutions are located (the Commission, the Parliament, the Council,Committee of the Regions…).

Overall, this heterogeneous population tends to form different separate socio-demographic groups, sometimes at the expense of social cohesion. Often, foreign and migrant communities are not enough involved in local life. They do not take part in local activities and less than 10% of them vote in local elections, despite the fact that the law allows them to do so (with limited paperwork).

Our intention is to facilitate a better involvement of all citizens in local life, in order to improve social cohesion, to foster intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding. For this purpose, we already have a budget set aside and a plan adopted by our local authorities[3]. Some of our ideas to reach this goal are:

-To open a Community Centre where people can meet, have a coffee, read foreign newspapers and get to know each-other;

-To organize conversation tables in foreign languages, including French (the most used local language in Ettrebeek-Brussels);

-To organize cooking workshops to discover flavors and recipes from different regions of the world;

-To organize cultural events such as conferences or exhibitions dedicated to different European and world regions.

Etterbeek would like to launch a Network of Towns with other cities facing similar challenges or showing interest in these questions, in order to share experiences, exchange good practices and develop new ideas.

This Network of Towns would have the following characteristics:

-Priority matching with the Programme “Europe for Citizens 2014-2020”:

General objective of the 2014-2020 Programme: “To foster European citizenship and to improve conditions for civic and democratic participation at Union level”
Priority of the Programme for 2016: “Combatting stigmatisation of immigrants and building counter narratives to foster intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding”

-Submission at the 2016 September call for proposals

-Duration: from January 2017 to December 2018

-Budget: 150.000 euro (corresponding to the maximum authorized)

-Four core partners (including Etterbeek) representing each a case study

-Four international events, every 6 months, one per case study, during which the inviting city presents its own case, followed by an international debate and a publication (conference proceedings)

-Six to eight contributing partners taking part in the process and debates but not necessarily developing their own case study

-Each of the four international events would have a theme and would be prepared locally during approximately 6 month by the different network partners. Each partner would meet its local communities and stakeholders in order to bring up its own contribution to the international debate

-The themes of the four national events still need to be decided in a later stage, but some ideas can already be put forward:

The language barrier: how to overcome this difficulty and bring people together
“Expats” in short term stay, how to attract their interest in local life?
Creating dedicated places where foreign communities can meet: will they become ‘headquarters’ from where they can more easily connect to local life?
Kids and schools: a good vehicle to facilitate connections between parents from different origins?
Public places, squares and parks: how to improve them in order to facilitate social cohesion?

-Each international meeting could have a more social side event relating to the theme (exhibition, show…)

-The last international meeting could take place in Brussels (Etterbeek) and would have a dissemination role for the whole project. A larger audience of EU and international representatives based in Brussels could be invited.

-Final results of the network could take the form of a set of guidelines, a showcase of different case studies, a website…

-Proactivity, commitment and budgetary strictness will be asked to all partners in order to ensure success

Preliminary description of the partners’ network:

-Etterbeek: project leader

-3 other core partners hosting each an international event .The core partners will preferably have a highly diversified socio-demographic profile with an endangered social cohesion, as well as experience and advanced projects shaped to face this challenge

-6 to 8 contributing partners, facing similar challenges or showing interest in these questions, and willing to share experiences, exchange good practices and develop new ideas in the network

-ALDA[4] (European Association for Local Democracy) would be supporting partner, contributing in the coordination of the network as well as in the dissemination of the results

-Support from the Committee of the Region and other institutions, located nearby Etterbeek, will be sought

INTERESTED CITIES ARE INVITED TO FILL AND SUBMIT THE DECLARATION OF INTEREST FORM BELOW BEFORE 09 MAY 2016 AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:

Jean-François MALJEAN -+32.2 649 51 03

Chef de Projet - Contrat de Quartier Durable

Administration Communale d'Etterbeek

Avenue d'Auderghem 113-117 à 1040 Etterbeek

Europe for Citizens 2014-2020

Declaration of interest to take part in a Network of Towns

“Crossroads of the Regions”

To be submitted before 29 May 2016 at

Name of the city, country: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Contact person (name, title, telephone, e-mail):

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Your authorized authority is aware of the rules and commitments required by a Network of Towns and has given a preliminary agreement to prepare a submission as partner:

O Yes O No

Description of the candidate city, general presentation, socio-demographic situation (feel free to add accompanying documents):

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Interest to take part in the Network of Towns as core partner (explain the reasons, describe the proposed case study, show the motivation and capacity to host and international meeting) - feel free to add accompanying documents:

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Interest to take part in the Network of Towns as contributing partner (explain the reasons, describe the proposed contribution, show the motivation) - feel free to add accompanying documents:

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Date, name and signature

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[2]

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