The Regional Cooperation Magazine - Issue 7 by RegionalCooperationMagazine

Regional Cooperation Magazine

N.7

APRIL 2022

Regional Cooperation Magazine

Contents 2

Director’s Editorial

Involving Young citizens in the Public Policy Decision Making Process: The Tenuous Move from Tokenism to Realisation

Regional Cooperation projects and the war in Ukraine

An interview to Tara Todras-Whitehill, CEO of TaraTW Visual Storytelling Agency

News from The Youth Employment Fund

Social Emergency Center for the Refugees

Multidimensional poverty among vulnerable young people

Foster transparency of judicial decisions and enhancing the national implementation of the ECHR

The role of BLUE-GREENWAY in engaging youth in environmental preservation

Conference for a thriving civic space: Why do we need a European civil society strategy?

Uncorking wine & cider typicality project ‘all in one’ ePlatform

HOPE Radicalisation Network: an open online hub for P/CVE experts and practitioners

Youth trust in Justice – promotion of trust in justice and rule of law through personal experience!

Our responsibility in honing young minds

Contributors & Credits

Regional Cooperation Magazine

Director’s Editorial Dear Friends, It is with great pleasure that I want to announce to you all that, with this seventh issue, we have reached one year of the Regional Cooperation Online Magazine! Our Mag grew a lot, welcoming new Projects, alongside the recent and interesting forms of collaboration with the Youth Employment Magazine. We all just hope that this network will increase further. It was April 2021 when we published the first cover picture with all the faces of our RC Family comm-managers: do you remember? I really would like, maybe in the next issue, what you believe we all achieved. Nevertheless, it is a sad moment, considering international events, to ‘celebrate’ something (while we believe it is important to give always continuity to our Projects’ success and results). I am writing to you, indeed, from a classic spring time’s Italy, sometimes sunny, other times rainy, which is a bit reflecting how we all feel about international events. While we, as Fund Operator, continue to follow a clear editorial line, we noticed and accepted that some Projects wrote about how they have been influenced by those sad circumstances. History is made, regretfully, also by wars. And, in the past (but recent) years, we have seen the negative consequences of other conflicts. We everyday see the effects on our daily life of decisions, choices, events that we cannot dominate. But, going beyond the specific situation - since I want our Mag to be a 'happy' place, we can make the difference. All the Projects here represented are the proof that the Fund is an essential part of the chance we have to change (at least) the part of the world which is affecting us the most. Our readers can see it by looking at the activities here presented. 2022 is, alongside being the European Year of Youth, the moment of renaissance. We just passed, all of us, another war, a sanitary one, and we still see the consequences. However, I am proud of all our Projects since they are making the difference, contributing - each one by specific efforts - to the general scope of the Regional Funds. As I just said, however, while from the one hand it would be impossible not to mention the global situation (especially considering that some of our Projects are directly implicated), I would like to give space to more positive thoughts. Those positive thoughts are made of the results continuously achieved by our Family members. And how many aspects we have to consider for this issue: the involvement of young people in sustainable development and into the policy making processes, their trust in justice and in the circular economy models, while not forgetting the most fragile categories and the vulnerable young people. Just making an example and considering this last aspect: after the pandemic, how much did we hear about young people with higher risk of poverty and/or social exclusion? Isn't It a concrete example of a negative consequence into our daily work? And how much, still, we must do to solve this issue considering the importance of their active involvement in our daily work? !2

Regional Cooperation Magazine Our Friend Tom wrote something very interesting about that, considering the importance of realisation. And he starts with a fantastic quote of Kofi Annan: «No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts itself off from its youth severs its lifeline; it is condemned to bleed to death». And another problem comes to us. It is true, indeed, that we, as a society, need to consider the new risks related to youth. But as Tom wrote, it is also true that "too many young people today feel that their views do not matter". And that is, in my opinion, where we have to make the change. We see everyday changes and influences, one of them is represented by the evolution of how we decide to communicate (international events, activities, etc.). Do you remember the trial we did with Tara? She is also one of our Friends! And who, if not her, can talk about communicative insights? After all… ‘influencers’ (like we all are, in certain ways, becoming these days) have to ‘show’ not to ‘write’. And that is, at the end, what we want, as Fund Operator, from our Projects. The important for us is that they continue disseminating their successes, related to the achievement of the Fund’s goals. And I strongly believe that our Projects are trying to reach those goals, however ambitious it may be. And this is demonstrated by their contributions to this virtual but real space. We have, for example, for this issue, a new entry! Please see the space we dedicated to the Project “Foster transparency of judicial decisions and enhancing the national implementation of the ECHR”, implemented by the Council of Europe (CoE) which will cover Cyprus, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia. How many countries! And how many inputs for further collaborations, isn’t it? And, talking about CoE, I am also following its engagement in the field of youth, in partnership with the European Commission. In Tirana, in particular the from 21st to 23rd June there will be this symposium: ‘navigating transitions: adapting policies to young people’s changing realities’. Unfortunately the same days the European Development Days will be held in Brussels… Let’s see where I will be able to go :) Last but not least, I am, and all the Editorial Team is, happy to see that some of our Youth Employment Fund’s Projects are here with us again. SEPAL Project is with us for this Regional Cooperation issue. This is, again, the real sense of a Family! And I believe that this is visible if we consider how all those different priority areas related to the Regional Cooperation Fund, can be melted together in a unique space. Gian Luca Bombarda The Fund Director

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Involving Young citizens in the Public Policy Decision Making Process: The Tenuous Move from Tokenism to Realisation “No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts itself off from its youth severs its lifeline; it is condemned to bleed to death.” — Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Too many young people today feel that their views do not matter, that they cannot influence political outcomes, and that democracy does not work for them. At a formal level, most citizens are not given the right to vote in elections until they reach the age of 18. In Europe, only Austria has reduced the voting age from 18 to 16. However, democracy can be understood in much broader terms as participation in civil society. Without the right to vote, young people have an even stronger claim for comparable political participation.

defining triptych of Information, consultation and public participation remains unassembled. There has been a proliferation of dialogue platforms for youth to discuss constructive suggestions for current challenges with experienced leaders, mentors and partner institutions. Many groups that have traditionally occupied a disadvantaged position in society, including women and disabled people, have increasingly entered into dialogue with politicians at local and national levels to promote and press for greater recognition of their concerns, as the instruments of parliamentary democracy have not proved sufficient to answer their needs. These groups are made of citizens, often youth groups, who are actively exercising their rights to free expression, assembly and association to influence the shaping of public policy but they still remain virtual outsiders to the decisionmaking process.

Involving young people in policies and programmes that impact on their lives and livelihoods is a sine qua non for the credibility of liberal democracies in Europe. Sadly, many countries’ report cards come with a ‘must do better’ in this domain. Tokenism is rife, but the

Citizen participation in government means interaction with public servants. For many years the question of public service reform has been on the agenda of governments in Europe. There is a new focus on ‘transparency,’ ‘openness’ and even ‘participation.’ For this process to become

part of the public narrative of government, however, it would need to be organised on a national basis in a manner suited to the underlying purpose of encouraging the ongoing participation of citizens/youth in public decision-making. Open government strategies and initiatives aim to support democracy and inclusive growth. They are an important tool to increase transparency, accountability and integrity, whilst building stronger relationships between government and citizens allowing them to participate in policy-making. As the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Open Government underlines, open government and stakeholder participation initiatives should include specific efforts “dedicated to reaching out to the most relevant, vulnerable, underrepresented, or marginalised groups in society”. Although youth are a highly heterogeneous group with different backgrounds, skills and capacities, they often find it more difficult than other segments in society to make their voices heard. Youth, therefore, can be considered as one of the groups that requires specific efforts. !4

Regional Cooperation Magazine In efforts at participatory democracy, last year the EU launched a Conference on the Future of Europe, a citizen-led series of debates and discussions that will enable people from across Europe to share their ideas and help shape a common future. Branded as a bottom-up project to shape and guide political change across the Union, it has seen all 27 member states and their citizens take part in locally organised events and forums, and share their outcomes and ideas on an EU multilingual hub. Launched on Europe Day, 9 May 2021, it hopes to improve EU engagement with its citizens and create a forum where all have the opportunity to shape what the EU might look like in the next five, ten, twenty years. Running until the middle of 2022, the Conference is an opportunity for people all over the EU to share their ideas about the opportunities and challenges facing the EU, and how to address them. Certainly, the EU institutions are gung-ho about the exercise and its outcomes, as evidenced by the reactions below: Guy Verhofstadt (European Parliament), “I was especially struck by how confidently citizen representatives defended their recommendations in their debates with experienced politicians. It's clear that they count on concrete follow-up, respectful of their broad vision, and not just cherry-picking. All recommendations will need to be addressed in the end.”

Clément Beaune (Presidency of the Council) "The Plenary must take up citizens' recommendations. Dubravka Šuica (European Commissioner for Democracy and Demography) "From the beginning, I have had full trust in this deliberative process. But it has exceeded even those expectations: I am impressed by the high quality of the recommendations adopted by the European and National Citizens panels that have completed their work so far. It is therefore all the more important that the citizens recognise themselves in the outcome of these deliberations and later see the impact of the concrete outcome of this Conference. Our democracy deserves this lively and constructive debate.”

Will this year-long exercise at participatory democracy through the ‘Conference on the Future of Europe,’ turn out to be a Conference on the Future of European Credibility and Public Acceptance? The stakes are high.

Thomas Mc Grath

As reported in an EP brief, ‘The Conference now nears the finalisation of policy proposals when a European Parliament Plenary session on 8-9 April debated concrete proposals. The Chairs and spokespersons of nine Working Groups tabled consolidated draft proposals, grouped by theme, to the Conference Plenary. The proposals were mainly based on the recommendations of European Citizens’ Panels, as well as national panels, and enriched by ideas from the Multilingual Digital Platform. These proposals were discussed by all Plenary Members. The final Conference Plenary session is scheduled for 29-30 April in Strasbourg, where proposals are expected to be approved by the Plenary on a consensual basis.’ !5

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Regional Cooperation projects and the war in Ukraine Introduction to the projects Circular Based Waste Management - CBWM The Circular Based Waste Management - CBWM project aims to address innovations in waste collection and recycling towards implementing a circular economy based waste management in three municipalities. There are 4 partners in the project: 2 from Lithuania, 1 from Estonia, 1 from Ukraine and 1 from Norway. To find out more about the project, visit www.circularwaste.eu or the project social media on Facebook @CircularBasedWasteManagement or Instagram: @circularwaste.

Introduction The war in Ukraine came as a shock to most as no one believed an invasion of this scale could be a reality in 21st century Europe. As the situation develops, the rippling effect of this act is affecting more and more aspects of the economy and society at large. In this article, we describe how three of the Regional Cooperation projects are affected and examine the relevance of their topics during wartime and postwar.

EU-WATERRES The overall aim of the EU-WATERRES project is to create tools for the coordinated management and integrated protection of transboundary groundwater through a geoinformation platform. The EU-WATERRES team consists of 9 partners (2 from Poland, 2 Ukrainian partners, 2 from Norway, 1 from Estonia and 2 from Latvia). See more about our project in official homepage: https://eu-waterres.eu/ or follow us on Facebook @euwaterres and Twitter @EuWaterres. Tick-borne Flavivirus network – TBFVnet Ticks can be found throughout Europe. They are carried either by wild or domestic mammals. Most of the time they are not a real threat for health until they carry viruses or bacteria that can be pathogenic to humans and domestic pets. Among these, flaviviruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus, Powassan virus or Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus, can cause severe diseases to humans. The TBFVnet project aims to bring together scientific research institutes across Central Europe to study and survey tick-borne flaviviruses to prevent their diffusion and the severe consequences they can cause. More can be found on the project homepage: www.tbfvnet.eu. !6

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The projects during wartime Circular Based Waste Management - CBWM During the first days of the war, a sense of disbelief coupled with disjoint on the tragedy that befell our Ukrainian partners, was shared among all of us. It rendered everyone unable to think of anything other than the wellbeing of our partners and friends in Sumy. Communication with them focused on updates on their wellbeing and has taken place through one of the project partners in order to not overwhelm their limited channels. Yet, even under these circumstances, our Ukrainian partners have been trying to connect to weekly meetings, in an effort to maintain communication and stay updated with the project. We are all humbled by their bravery, dedication and will to move forward no matter what and pray for their safety and a swift end to this nightmare. CBWM project partner Mažeikiai District Municipality from Lithuania, coordinated humanitarian aid by arranging a van to deliver much needed supplies, including personal hygiene products, baby food, medical supplies, sleeping bags, waterproof clothing and footwear, and household goods. Citizens of Mažeikiai also contributed by donating warm clothing, tents, blankets, sleeping bags, dry and canned food, children's and hygiene products, survival and first aid equipment. The journey took almost three days, with the supplies being delivered safely to the Municipality of Sumy. In addition, Mažeikiai District Municipality donated medicine and special medical items that are being delivered via the Lithuanian Red Cross and will be forwarded directly to Sumy Hospital. Regional cooperation, the key element and namesake of the fund making all these projects possible, is suffering the consequences of this war. External forces are preventing our partners from participating actively and reaping the benefits of the collaborative nature of our project. The dream behind the project is to educate, learn about best practices and eventually build the best infrastructure possible in the path to create a world where waste is no longer a pollutant or even seen as waste, but as playing an integral part of the economy.

But how can one build such a dream, when current infrastructure is pulled apart under a violent act such as war? What role can the circular economy play during wartime? This is explored in the next part of our article. EU-WATERRES Similar to the rest of the world, the whole EU-WATERRES team was devastated to hear and see how Russia’s aggression in Ukraine changed the lives of our partners from Ukraine, and consequently, all of us. Over one night the issues we faced before and were dealing with during the project, namely, improvement of transboundary groundwater management, felt negligible and secondary. Our lead partner from Poland took over the direct communication with Ukrainian partners and tried to help in all possible ways. Fears from the situation’s uncertainty and helplessness still accompany most of the partners on a daily basis, but we try to continue the work. While the partners from Ukraine remain extremely brave. They try to work in shifts, help people to cross the border and some are even on the frontlines. We monitor the possibilities to employ them in other partner countries, but not all are ready to leave. Moreover, during this war situation all Ukrainian partners remotely attended the project meeting in Norway and even gave several presentations that were unfortunately interrupted several times by the sirens demonstrating the need to find a safer place. This was hard to believe in and the rest of the team felt absolutely helpless. We truly believe that this outrageous invasion of Russia in Ukraine will end soon and will not become the new “normal”. We pray for our partners in Ukraine and all Ukrainian people. Stay safe and free! TBFVnet A war quickly reaches every aspect of society, and we can certainly say that a war is the nemesis of international cooperation – just as science aims to be its champion. We, from the TBFVnet project were overwhelmed, as was everyone in Europe, by the news coming from Ukraine in recent weeks. Initially, we hoped that our project could be immune to the consequences of this war. We believed that since science has no borders, scientific collaboration could continue beyond politics, economic crisis and maybe !7

Regional Cooperation Magazine even this war. We were naive and soon this crisis had big and direct consequences for our project. We expected a lot from our project in the coming year. During the past two years of the pandemic, we struggled to see each other and waited for calmer and safer periods to organise meetings and workshops to share scientific knowledge on tick-borne flaviviruses amongst ourselves and with our peers. We were truly excited by the prospect of being able to do so. One of the objectives of our project is to enlarge our network with the aim to foster the surveillance on tick-borne flaviviruses in many other countries of Europe. In this context we were organising a large meeting in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova to take place in May 2022. We had no project partner in this country, but some research institutes had expressed an interest in joining the network. This premise led us to believe that a new partner could be the Nicolae Testemitanu State University (USMF). Regrettably, all of this disappeared with the war. The meeting is being rescheduled, hopefully to September. In reality, we cannot be sure when or if it will take place. However, the most challenging aspect for the TBFVnet project has been that one of our partners, the Chumakov Institute, is based in Moscow. Soon after the war started and Europe decided to shut down all economic support and relationships with Russia, it became clear that this would affect our collaboration. In fact, our Russian partner was forced to leave the project as it could no longer receive payments from the Regional Cooperation Fund. Notwithstanding this setback, the collaboration continues with partners in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Norway hoping to be able to re-establish connections with our colleagues in Moscow in future, hopefully peaceful, times.

Relevance of the project topics during wartime and post war Circular Based Waste Management - CBWM Historically, at times of war, salvaging waste aimed at recovering and conserving critical resources as efficiently as possible. The main objective remained with military focus – waste comprised a type of reserve to be exploited for war purposes and survival.

During the First and Second World Wars, governments of most warring nations implemented salvage drives and collected items such as metals, rubber, paper, bones and food waste, to be recycled into materials to manufacture munitions, ships, vehicles, uniforms and other items, and to produce consumer goods. These efforts were promoted vigorously by governments identifying the act as national duty and mobilising citizens to retrieve, sort, and accumulate waste for its reclamation. During World War II, the “Salvage for Victory” campaign in the US is still today one of the most memorable initiatives. In the UK, a similar campaign is known as the Wartime Salvage Effort; this continued after the conflict to speed the country’s post-war recovery. The intense push for people to recycle ended around 1949-1950. Fast forward to today, society has evolved into one that relies heavily on single use items such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans, glass jars, paper and others. Even items such as electronics and household waste are considered disposable after some wear and tear. Concerns over the environmental impact of their disposal has sparked innovation with various solutions developed for recycling and material reclamation. The concepts of reuse and repair are also finding their way back into society. Awareness campaigns towards citizens for recycling and proper waste disposal have focused on such items with environmental protection cited as the main motivator. The need to salvage and safeguard resources is high at the moment in Ukraine. Salvage efforts similar to those during World War I and II, perhaps for different materials to back then, will help people carry on. The country’s recovery after the war will be a long one and recycling will for sure play an important role in recovering materials to help rebuild the country. Safeguarding resources so they play a useful role for as long as possible without being disposed of as waste, is of great importance even at times of peace. The earth’s resources are finite and with a growing population and the need to comply with emissions targets, moving to a circular economy is increasingly becoming a priority for policymakers around the world. !8

Regional Cooperation Magazine EU-WATERRES Groundwater resources are the main drinking water source in most partner countries, including Ukraine. Long have we worked to ensure safe drinking water and proper wastewater treatment through encouraging households to connect the centralized water networks, especially in large cities. But during the actual war situation with destroyed homes and no electricity, consequently the centralized water supply also does not work and often there is no water available in the tap. In this situation for instance old dug wells can become the only available drinking water sources. At this point also the spring outflows typically valued for their natural heritage and touristic attractiveness can help to survive, and we see the need to map them and evaluate their quality as soon as possible also in other partner countries. In post war conditions groundwater will become even more important as no food production or construction can be carried out without water. It is expected that groundwater consumption will increase with consequent extra pressure on aquifers. Nevertheless, we hope that people will be able to go home soon and we will jointly re-build a safe and sustainable groundwater management system for Ukrainian people. TBFVnet We need to be honest: ticks, as well as the viruses they can carry are the very least of the problems being faced by people of Ukraine at this time. Both soldiers and citizens literally fight to survive, and the consequences of a tick bite are not considered a health priority. However, we should also point out that the whole health system in Ukraine is being heavily affected, including the ability to diagnose infections at large, survey infected animals and instruct healthcare providers. It will take years to rebuild all this, while pathogens still circulate across borders. It will be a responsibility of networks such as TBFVnet to reinforce its activities to maintain high the attention in the Region and to provide support also towards refugees fleeing war.

One could also say that science and cross border cooperation are not big matters to lose. However, they required years, perhaps even ages, to build. And many, many years will be needed when this war comes to an end to rebuild cross border cooperation and scientific collaboration. When Western countries established sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine also many international scientific institutions followed along the same line. A notable example is the CERN Council that decided to suspend Russia’s observer status.1 CERN has made scientific collaboration the core of its mission: it was funded "with the aim of bringing nations and peoples together around science in a spirit of peace". Clearly this war affects the fundamental aspect of this international organization. Notably, many Russian scientists have risen up against their own government and its war to stand with Ukraine, the international community and peace.2 As the former Director-General of our partner ICGEB, Mauro Giacca, recently wrote in a newspaper in Italy: "It is really difficult to understand whether it is more productive to keep Russian scientists within the international community or to penalise them so that their institutions become vocal in demanding change. Either way, the notion that you can do something in life that has no political implications, including science, remains a myth that again breaks hard against reality."3 Usually, we do not know what scientific research can bring in the future, but oddly, we now risk that nothing could be the answer. Nothing will ever be discovered, explained or developed where there is no collaboration. It will be our responsibility to maintain active all scientific networks of collaboration to minimize this risk and to be able to recover as soon as possible. Maritsa Kissamitaki – Circular Based Waste Management - CBWM Project Inga Retiķe – EU WATERRES Project Fabio De Pascale - Tick-borne Flavivirus network – TBFVnet Project

1. https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/03/08/ukraine-war-cern-suspends-russia-s-observer-status-and-all-future-collaboration-over-invas 2. https://science.thewire.in/the-sciences/4750-russian-scientists-science-journalists-sign-open-letter-against-ukraine-war/ 3. https://www.icgeb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Il-Piccolo-ed.-Trieste_20220326_pag.-37.pdf !9

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An interview to Tara Todras-Whitehill, CEO of TaraTW Visual Storytelling Agency Which are the main changes that occurred in the last 5 years in terms of dissemination of communication and visibility activities? «In the last 5 years, we have seen a lot of changes in communication. Specifically, since the pandemic more communication is online, and although there will be an end to COVID, we won’t see our communication as it was before. People can’t only reach their audience in person at events or gatherings-- we have to think about our online presence. So we have to be more focused on making sure we connect with them wherever they like to congregate. And how do we do that? Through more impactful visuals and stories (photo, video, infographics, data visualizations, presentations, websites, newsletters, social media, etc.) about our work». Considering new projects, what are the main platforms or mediums people should follow in order to reach a higher level of outreach? «It depends on your audience. We do not need to focus on all social media platforms. We need to know who the audience is and what is the most effective way of reaching them. The first thing we ask our clients is ‘who is your audience’ and then ‘what is your goal’? By finding these answers we can decide where we should focus our efforts. For example, if our audience is older in their 50s or 60s then maybe Facebook is the best way to reach them. But if our audience is younger in their 30s then perhaps Instagram might be more effective way to connect». How are pictures (or lack thereof) influencing our communications and how should be they selected? «These days since we are living in a heightened online world. This means we can’t do our work without the use of visuals. Without effective visuals, all the articles, social media, newsletters, or PR releases aren’t as impactful. But how do we select correctly? This is an important question and one that we deal with a lot at my agency. We do not want visuals to ornament our client’s work, but rather to add more depth and understanding to the projects they do». Which is the future of communication? How do you think these processes will evolve? What (or which technologies) could influence the traditional activities? «I think that the future of communication will continue to need more personal stories, that connect with our audiences. As we can see with the rise of Instagram selfies and TikTok videos, people like to connect on a personal level. That isn’t to say we have to do those types of stories all the time, but it does mean we have to reach people with more intimate communications that speak to them. That’s what we help teams with -- to help them understand how to best connect with their audiences through their stories». !10

Regional Cooperation Magazine Can we say that the concept of 'citizen journalism' can be somehow related to our goals? Considering the activities followed by our Projects in the framework of the Youth Employment and Regional Cooperation Funds? «These days everyone can be effective storytellers online with the right tools and guidance. We won’t all be professional photographers and videographers, but that’s also not necessary. There are a lot of effective and authentic stories online told by ‘citizen journalists’. We just need to harness our innate skills as storytellers and figure out the best way to reach our audiences. At our agency, this is the work we do with clients. Showing them how they can become better storytellers from the inside out». What impact does social media have? Is it really fundamental for good (actual) communication? «The impact of social media is direct connection. If you want your audience to be more involved and care about your work, you have to show them what is going on, on a regular basis, not just with big campaigns that happen every couple of months. Social media is a way to build community and support so viewers feel connected and will share/care about your work». Considering your work, what are the first 3 rules to follow? «Do not consider your visuals at the end of the project - think about them at the beginning and integrate them into your project. This way it will be a lot less painful and the visuals will be a lot stronger. Even if you think that something isn’t visual, there is ALWAYS a way to create a visual that will attract your viewers' attention. Know your goal, audience, and Call To Action before figuring out what visuals you want to use. That way you’ll be able to pinpoint who you are talking to and how to connect with them». Is it possible to remain neutral when talking about communication purposes? «If we tell the stories of the people in our project authentically and truthfully then that is how we can remain neutral. We aren’t creating the stories, we are just elevating their stories so more people can see them and understand the work. We also try to show a more nuanced perspective by giving multiple points of view». Tara Todras-Whitehill !11

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NEWS FROM THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT FUND Social Emergency Center for the Refugees Due to the global context and the reality that we are facing nowadays and which started two months ago, when the conflicts in Ukraine began, more that 11 million people have left their homes and more that 5 million, their country, according to the United Nations. Almost 760,000 refugees arrived in Romania during the last two months, receiving support from numerous volunteers, NGOs, and authorities in terms of accommodation, food, medical care, access to schools and labour market, and other services such as information or counseling. In collaboration with HEKS EPER and FONSS, Bucovina Institute created a Social Emergency Center in order to support the refugees arriving in Suceava or transiting our city through which the three partner organisations are trying to meet the main needs of the refugees and to offer them a life as normal as possible concerning the crisis situation they are facing these days.

Support services - Providing counseling, information and mediation services in the labor market; Facilitate the access to the educational environment for children and youngsters Facilitate the access to resources for categories of refugees from disadvantaged groups - (focusing on people with disabilities, chronically ill, elderly, unaccompanied minors and teen mothers); Re-routing to other services/ institutions with legal attributions in the field Information services for emergency situations - Information on the responsible institutions depending on the emergency; Support groups; Specialized information to prevent human trafficking.

Since its opening, the three organisations mentioned above managed to support approximately 200 people from Ukraine. The services provided within the Social Emergency Center include the following: 1.

Diagnosis, evaluation and counselling - Evaluation of refugees’ needs with a focus on access to health services, education and integration into the labor market Granting material suport - Food vouchers and clothes vouchers for children. !12

Regional Cooperation Magazine Bucovina Institute concentrated its support, during the last period on counseling, material support (food and clothes vouchers), and socioprofessional inclusion of young NEETs, especially young mothers who came with their children in Suceava. More than this, our organisation facilitated the access to the educational environment for children and youngsters, starting an after-school program intended for them, and offering Romanian and English classes, arts and crafts, and other interactive activities. In Bucovina Institute’s office, we also have a volunteer who is helping the Ukrainian refugees with disabilities. Being a connoisseur of the Ukrainian language, he facilitates mimic-gestural communication for deaf-mute people who have found shelter in Suceava, being actively involved in the activities carried out in the Social Emergency Center. Moreover, each Wednesday, the three partner organisations organize a support group for the Ukrainian mothers who have fled war, in order to help them overcome these difficult times. What is important to mention is the fact that we also work with local, regional and national authorities and organizations and we are actively participating in working meetings. At the invitation of the Institution of the Prefect from the Suceava County, on April 14, we met with the representatives of several regional organizations, with the aim of centralizing the support services available for the Ukrainian refugees who remained in Suceava. In this context, we joined an open dialogue with the specialists from International Organization for Migration | IOM from Romania, approaching the next steps that we can take to support the people from Ukraine. Future actions will be included in the work plan of the Social Emergency Center. Ever since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we have been in touch with numerous NGOs, volunteers and also with local and regional authorities, to mobilize as many resources as possible. Together with HEKS EPER and FONSS, we are grateful to be able to provide these services! SEPAL Project !13

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Multidimensional poverty among vulnerable young people How would you describe a world with poverty at its lowest and social exclusion – a concept that’s never existed? Is it perhaps a place where tolerance, care for one another, love and peace are values at the heart of our society? Where indifference ends and friendship begins? Or is it about equal access to resources, quality education, food, healthcare services and housing?

Youth has the power of change Beyond the major implication of this phenomenon, which is the lack of income, the United Nations refers to the above aspects as well, adding that for those living in poverty conditions, the possibility of participating in decision-making activities, something they’re mostly deprived of. Being capable of changing old-fashioned mentalities and implementing sustainable visions, the youth generation is responsible for our Planet’s future and it’s essential to understand that great achievements are the result of team work, respect for each other’s opinions, access to resources and a state of mine oriented towards the common well-being. It’s our duty as an international community, to do everything in our power to offer these young people at risk

of poverty or social exclusion, a climate of equalty and sustainable development, where their needs are met and opinions heard.

The 2021 Multidimensional Poverty Index According to The 2021 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, 1.3 billion people are facing a multidimensional poverty, meaning that they’re not only affected from a financial point of view, but on other levels as well. Using 10 indicators, related to health (nutrition, child morality), education (years of schooling, school attendance) and living standards (cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing and assets), the study has found that MPI varies extremely hard between different ethnic groups, especially in Gabon and Nigeria, where the percentage rises up to 70%. Approximately 400-500 millions do not have access to usual technologies such as radio, television, phone, computer or refrigerator. Finally, when it comes to gender, it was discovered that in about 836 million cases, no woman or girl has attended more than 6 years of classes, which shows a tendency among them, of being at risk of experiencing violent intimate relationships.

What’s changed during the pandemic? Ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of children who found themselves in a multipoverty situation has increased by 15%, according to UNICEF. The report published in september 2020 shows that nearly 45% are in severe need of at least one of the following: housing, nutrition or sanitation. Most of them live in middle or low-income countries and in order to support their actions to break out the cycle of poverty, we need to focus on social protection policies, labour market inclusion opportunities, the development of social services and not only. !14

Regional Cooperation Magazine Redarding the work force, global lockdowns and travel restrictions have led to job losses among poor, taking them straight back to the state of poverty they were trying to escape from. For these people, their journey to find a workplace is more difficult due to low-educational levels and lack of abilities. At european level, 5 organisations from Romania, Spain, Lithuania, Poland and Greece have successfully completed an EEA & Norway Grants project, designed to facilitate the labour market inclusion of young NEETs. SEPAL – Supporting Employment Platform through Apprenticeship Learning, during three years of implementation, managed to support 445 NEETs from different vulnerable categories, one of them being the young people at risk of poverty, 149 benefitting from employment support services. We gave them possibility to be part of something, and to make a change in this world. On a final note, poverty is more than just a financial problem. It extends to education, healthcare and living standars, making us realize that what we find normal in a usual day, is an unaffordable luxury to others. Even though there are greater and more influential forces in the world, fighting against poverty, we, as individuals, can take matters into our own hands as well, contributing to the greater cause. SEPAL Project

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Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Low Carbon Economy Culture, Civil Society, Good Governance and Fundamental Rights and Freedoms Justice and Home Affairs Innovation, Research, Education and Competitiveness Social Inclusion, Youth Employment and Povery Reduction !16

Regional Cooperation Magazine

Foster transparency of judicial decisions and enhancing the national implementation of the ECHR We are pleased to welcome a new member of our Fund for Regional Cooperation family. The predefined project “Foster transparency of judicial decisions and enhancing the national implementation of the ECHR” is implemented by the Council of Europe (CoE) and will cover Cyprus, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia, engaging in cooperation the ministries of justice and supreme courts of these countries. The project’s objective is strengthening of human rights protection and the rule of law through increase of consistency of national judicial decisions with the respective European standards. The project will address functioning of the judiciaries and strengthen the quality of their judicial decision-making through integration of specialised tools and solutions aimed at an early identification of systemic human rights problems existing at national level. With this intervention, the CoE aims at improvement of transparency and consistency of national judicial decisions and exchange of the most up to date information on human rights issues. The project is designed following the entry into force of Protocol no. 15 to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to foster cooperation on enhancing the national implementation of the ECHR through digitalisation processes on-going in national judiciaries. For this purpose, a variety of support activities, including training, methodological and expert advice, introducing digital instruments into judicial processes and other technical solutions will be proposed. Transparency of judicial process and consistency of judicial decisions can be improved through their publication. Such publication required anonymisation of the documents. This can be done with application of special technical and methodological solutions which could assist in automatization of the preparation of the document for its publication. At the same time, such technical solutions can be used for recognition of some key words in the document and proposed categorisation. Such categorisation may be matched with the categorisation applied by the European Court of Human Rights making available access to knowledge management solutions existing at the European Court. Categorisation of cases will also allow to identify human rights issues (including new challenges), collect and analyse additional internal statistics on various human rights cases, reveal discrepancy and inconsistency in judicial decision-making, receive information about respective standards of the European Court of Human Rights for the relevant cases and situations. Additionally, categorisation proposed for the cases may be used for adjustment of search in national case law databases. This shall allow to speed up the administration of justice without comprising its quality and with faster and easier access to knowledge on human rights. Effective implementation of proposed methodologies and novel IT tools shall boost ECHR-compliant adjudication in national courts in line with the principle of subsidiarity. The project implementation began in April 2022. We are thrilled to follow its updates and present them here in our MAG. Małgorzata Nowak Fund Manager !17

Regional Cooperation Magazine

The role of BLUE-GREENWAY in engaging youth in environmental preservation the sunlight from reaching the aquatic plants resulting in them dying. Soon after algae eats all the nutrients, it dies too, leaving space for bacteria to break down the dead plants and algae and that releases more nutrients back into the water, which aggravates the cycle. Also, the bacteria consume the oxygen faster, sometimes leaving the water completely without oxygen for other plants and animals to survive. BLUE-GREENWAY provides best practices for water bodies restoration from eutrophication and co-creative capacity management to combat anoxia at the origin. Also, innovative management will increase the capacity of land users in non-polluting materials use and integrating state-of-the-art technologies will advance the agricultural sector by informing on fertilizer best practices by the state of the water body they influence. Today environmental challenges are popping up faster than expected especially negative outcomes of climate change - and can represent a major threat to the lives of youth. To mitigate these negative outcomes, it’s important to raise awareness among today's adolescents and drive them to a pro-environmental behavior. These steps in environmental education should start in schools, as the earlier individuals learn about the environment, the sooner they will be able to have an active role in the context of climate emergency and sustainable development. One of the current problems regarding the industrialization and urbanization of our world is eutrophication – a primary water quality issue for most freshwater/coastal marine ecosystems and is due to impacts from human activities. Eutrophication starts when fertilizers that are rich in nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are washed into rivers or lakes, increasing the concentration of nutrients in the water. This helps the algae to grow and reproduce faster, resulting in a thick green blanket in the water that blocks !18

Regional Cooperation Magazine Young people can make better use of these newer technologies, as the world is in continuous development and adolescents grow surrounded by tech and infinite information channels at their disposal. Being informed about our natural surroundings and understanding that human actions have a direct impact on the ecosystems around us, it’s the first step in environmental awareness. Kids can be encouraged to practice what they learn in schools at home, further sharing their knowledge about climate emergencies with their friends and family.

They have the ability to alter their lifestyle and its impact on the environment. They may make their homes, schools, and youth organizations more environmentally friendly by implementing green practices, recycling various products, and conserving resources like water and electricity. Engaging youth in environmental preservation has the potential to affect not just their own habits and attitudes, but also their parents, relatives, and households. BLUE-GREENWAY Project

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Regional Cooperation Magazine

Conference for a thriving civic space: Why do we need a European civil society strategy? Discuss with us the next steps and joint actions towards its approval by EU institutions and let’s gather broader support among CSOs for this cause! The event is free to attend, but registration is needed – please register here until 2 May 2022. For more information contact Móra Veronika, move@okotars.hu The organisers cover the costs of accommodation and travel to international participants and those coming from greater distances. Agenda and further details Facebook event Looking forward to seeing you! Human rights. Dignity. Solidarity. Equality. We believe in these values. Unfortunately, not everybody does. Over the past years, civil society in Central Europe has been under pressure: They suffered smear campaigns and vilification, harassment and even restrictive legislation. Democratic backsliding, the weakening of rule of law and the dismantling of checks and balances are dangerous trends to our societies causing harm to the people. This calls for action.

Reclaim our civil space Project

“Reclaim Our Civil Space!” is our common effort to create cross border networking and cooperation, and to bring our voice together to Brussels to the European level: by developing the outlines of a comprehensive European civil society strategy. Join our next workshop in Budapest on 1-2 June 2022 for further brainstorming about the idea and the potential content of a possible strategy. !20

Regional Cooperation Magazine

Uncorking wine & cider typicality project ‘all in one’ ePlatform Our Uncorking rural heritage project work and team are supported by an advanced digital platform that comprehensively combines, in one place, state-of-the-art solutions for our team's collaboration, information sharing, document management, communication with project members, partners and events, video communication, digital learning and a smart digital content library. We found this 'all-in-one' solution on the Slovenian market with MiTeam platform providers. We already knew the MiTeam platform from the time when we used it at the University of Nova Gorica for online learning and communication with our students (MiTeam UNG). Therefore, we were able to customise and implement it very quickly for project management and performance. The customization of the platform components to the project needs, collaboration with partners, knowledge transfer and sharing of best practises is one of the great advantages of this solution. Since the COVID -19 pandemic has severely impacted our personal work, the integrated digitalization of project work was a must from the very beginning. And we find that it is very helpful not only for project activities and workgroup performance, but also for management. We also use the MiTeam-supported platform for our official website (winecider.net), which is open to the public. The internal pages of the platform allow for different types of remote and hybrid communication - for registered regular and occasional non-registered users. The platform also provides a tool that allows us to communicate extensively within our project team. We are also able to manage news, events, and announcements automatically from one place, which saves us a lot of time. All publications, news and events entered into the platform can be distributed to selected people or audiences through any communication channels, including social networks, in a very simple and user-friendly way. The internal pages of the platform can be designed by different users with

specific rights to customise the content and communication. The collaboration environment offers a comprehensive set of tools for document sharing, chats, postings, an active wall and video communication with secure and personalised groups across different workspaces and groups in a virtual environment that can fully reflect the organisational situation of the project. The system guarantees us the full security of the users' applications. The platform, with its rich and modern digital experience, also allows interactive teaching from any place and at any time, supporting different scenarios of distance learning and collaboration - the part that is important for the different users of our knowledge transfer activities. In addition, we can monitor each individual's learning process through the integrated 'Learning Record Shop' module, but the platform also enables secure and GDPR-compliant monitoring of users' activities, which is also very useful for project reporting. In addition, the platform enables video conferencing between two users or a larger group, a live event and webinars that can be watched by thousands of people from anywhere, at any time and on any device in a secure environment. The platform has an integrated high-end video module based on the WebRTC standard that provides premium audio and video quality and supports a wide range of video collaboration scenarios. Video event presenters can easily control the flow of events, enabling the best performance for participants or performers. The ePlatform allows us to build an intelligent digital library on public and internal sites supported by many types of content for non-formal learning (written, video, interactive). This is a great support for our knowledge sharing mission, but also for sharing information about the capacities of experts, partners and regions involved in the project in a very flexible and !21

Regional Cooperation Magazine user-friendly way. The content of this library will be tailored and maintained by proven experts in the field and will be a good basis for future partnerships and project ideas, not only for project internal communication and collaboration. The unique and flexible digital environment allows us to work better, save time and develop new digital materials or just collect already published material on the project's topic. We are also testing the platform for knowledge transfer to the end users of the project results or simply as a communication tool for the topics discussed and addressed in the project activities. The customization of our ePlatform is an ongoing process and the result of collaboration between the MiTeam providers and the end users of the platform. We believe that this is a great advantage for the digitalization of project work, not only for us, but also for other potential users of such a service, who can make their decision based on our experience in this project.

Figure 2: Internal winecider pages of the project ePlatform accesible upon registration and invitation to different virtual workspaces and groups designed upon project needs.

The text was created with the help of the MiTeam website.

Figure 3: An example of colaboration tool – a registration form to join the event, material on winecider.net platform; Designed invitation to participate to Sensory panel at University of Nova Gorica that will be sent to different experts.

Figure 1: Official web page of project winecider.net. build on MiTeam platform structure.

Branka Mozetič Vodopivec and Lorena Butinar Wine Research Centre, University of Nova Gorica, Glavni trg 8, SI-5271 Vipava, Slovenia Uncorking wine & cider typicality Project !22

Regional Cooperation Magazine

HOPE Radicalisation Network: an open online hub for P/CVE experts and practitioners The radicalisation of individuals leading to extremist views and ultimately terrorist violence remains a salient problem in Europe. To address the issue meaningfully, we must find key intervention opportunities and be sure to direct our efforts to practices with proven results. However, the complexity of the radicalisation phenomenon and the lack of a unified methodology exacerbates the problem. It often results in a multitude of fragmented approaches used by practitioners across EU Member States and third countries. The variables of radicalisation in different ideologies and the shifting global panorama require that experts and practitioners working in criminal justice develop an in-depth knowledge of complex, evolving subjects. A greater degree of expertise would allow P/CVE professionals to better adjust to individual needs, thus contributing to successful interventions. So, for practitioners in the field, the first questions arise:

What are the best and proven practices? Where can we find expertly developed P/CVE training and tools?

There are multiple key intersection points with radicalisation processes in prison settings; therefore, it is imperative to intervene in this context. The increasing number of detained terrorists, including arrests and convictions of returning foreign terrorist fighters, creates challenges in managing these individuals. Prisons themselves can be used by terrorist groups to organise and radicalise new recruits. The terrorist attacks perpetrated by individuals recently released from prison increase this concern. To succeed in the reintegration of these individuals, radicalisation prevention and disengagement must be a part of a holistic rehabilitation process. Particularly, the focus should be on improving the transition between prison, probation, and the community for individuals at risk of radicalisation or who have already been radicalised. So, this preventive approach must include all parts involved in the process: offenders, front-line prison and probation staff, and community organisations.

How do we involve all these distinct organisations? Where can we find and meet individuals and institutions with shared goals to build partnerships?

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Regional Cooperation Magazine These multidisciplinary resources cover the vast spectrum of subjects relevant to P/CVE. Members can explore a multitude of topics, including prevention initiatives, risk assessment, and exit strategies and programmes. With a great variety of assets, professionals can also deepen their expertise or consult information on specific problems and solutions. Therefore, the network members can find helpful documents on issues like legislation, returning foreign terrorist fighters, online radicalisation, radicalisation risk factors within youth (incl. offenders), crime-terror nexus, or multi-agency cooperation.

A hub for continuous training and knowledge sharing The HOPE project developed and launched the HOPE Radicalisation Network to answer questions like those above. The new network provides a hub for continuous training and knowledge sharing between multidisciplinary stakeholders. The initiative’s goal is to support progress in the expertise of the field, the dissemination of best practices, and overall cooperation. With this network, the project also aims to contribute to the broader European discussion and efforts around radicalisation. This effort to promote sharing and collaboration is focused on the Balkan, Southern, and Eastern European countries due to their particular exposure to extremist threats.

The HOPE Radicalisation Network resources can be greatly helpful for the training and development of professionals, including young justice workers involved in or wishing to develop their competencies in P/CVE.

A growing resource library At the HOPE Radicalisation Network, members will find over 300 downloadable literature resources. Catalogued in 60 unique categories, the shared library includes reports, scientific articles, handbooks, manuals, and international strategies.

In addition, members can suggest new documents and resources to complement and grow this pool of shared knowledge.

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Regional Cooperation Magazine Networking and cooperation

Getting involved in project HOPE

Almost 40 organisations are already part of the network, including training and research institutions, prison and probation administrations, unions, and community organisations. In addition to the cooperation that the HOPE network promotes, it also facilitates the practical application of shared knowledge, approaches, and strategies.

In the events area of the HOPE Radicalisation Network, it is possible to follow and register to participate in HOPE project’s training sessions, workshops, high-level seminars, and policy forums. The network also makes available the recordings of the online Transnational Thematic Workshops carried out by the project - members can stay abreast of expert discussions and relevant themes.

Moreover, the presence of partners from a diverse list of European countries also ensures the transferability of project results across member states. Among the platform’s growing number of members, there are experts in offender rehabilitation, radicalisation, prison and probation administration, human rights, and other relevant fields.

The network is open and free for anyone involved in violent extremism prevention and countering, including prison and probation staff, community organisations’ professionals working closely with the criminal justice system, law enforcement agents, judicial practitioners, trainers, and researchers/ academics. After sign-up, an administrator will review the details and approve the registration request.

Interaction is intrinsic to this P/CVE hub. To encourage networking, the members’ profiles provide thorough information, including expertise fields, name and type of organisation, and contact details. The network also includes an online forum where users can comment, start and engage in conversations, share and exchange ideas, and build partnerships with other experts.

The HOPE Radicalisation Network aims to build a solid and long-lasting connection between experts and practitioners involved in P/CVE efforts, especially in the Southern, Eastern, and Balkan European countries. Given the current lack of tools and learning solutions around radicalisation, the Network is planned to continue supporting NGOs, prison, and probation systems even after the project’s lifetime. Taking this opportunity to be a part of a transnational training and knowledge-sharing hub symbolises a step toward a united European stance and strategy against radicalisation and violent extremism. HOPE Project

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Regional Cooperation Magazine

Youth trust in Justice – promotion of trust in justice and rule of law through personal experience! Processes that may be lately seen in some European countries show a general lack of public trust in the judiciary and the delivery of justice. If left untreated this negative trend could cast a doubt on the rule of law in general and pose a risk to our common democratic values. For example, the results of surveys of general public on trust in the judiciary in Lithuania reveal that only 25-35 per cent members of society trust the judiciary. The number, however, is very different and much higher among court users, who have actually participated in judicial proceedings, among whom 60-70 per cent trust the delivery of justice1. This tendency shows a clear link, that society’s trust in justice is built through personal experience, thus judiciary should be proactive in introducing and involving members of the society in daily activities of the courts. While initiatives aimed at the public in general such as ‘court volunteers’ are undertaken country-wide in Lithuania, some of the initiatives are designed directly for youth. The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania may be regarded as one of the pioneers, setting a good practice example in the area. During the year 2021/2022 two new initiatives for youth were launched. In the summer of 2021, when the court was faced with a possible flood of asylum cases, a long-term program called Learning by doing was started. It invited law students to apply for an opportunity to work in a team alongside with judges and assistants to judges. Six students were selected and started their activities at the court in August 2021. Although initially the students were entrusted with more technical duties, nine months later they are also encouraged to undertake more challenging tasks. The success of this program is visible from the fact that the cooperation with five of these students continues and one new member has joined this team. Another initiative, launched in March, 2022 and carried out in cooperation with Vilnius University is aimed at bringing students, interested in public

law, to the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania for weekly meetings with the staff of the court. During these meetings, the youth have an opportunity to familiarize themselves first-hand with the work of judges and functions of other civil servants assisting in delivery of justice as well as to learn about other court activities – such as participation in legislation and different international networks.

Learning by doing

1. Data presented on 29th March, 2021 during public discussion “Society, media and judiciary: do we speak the same language?“, organized by the Lithuanian National Courts Administration.

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Regional Cooperation Magazine “We believe that attracting young professionals and allowing them to witness the work of the court first-hand and to be a part of it, to work in a team of experienced lawyers as a member, allows young people to be a part of the justice making process and in turn – puts more trust in the execution of justice” notes Vice-president of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania Ms. Skirgailė Žalimienė.

will also contribute considerably at enhancing attractiveness of this career path for the youth and strengthen their trust in the delivery of justice.

Skirgaile Zalimiene - author Dainius

This view is shared by the members of the Learning by doing program, who in general agree that their understanding of the functioning of courts and delivery of justice has evolved significantly through the experience, with an understanding that justice is delivered through hard work and assessment of all details in a particular case and that judges bear a great responsibility for each and every decision. The two abovementioned initiatives will possibly be a good start for a wider involvement of youth in the work of judiciary, which is beneficial not only for the courts and the youth involved directly but would hopefully also have a positive impact on the trust in the judiciary in general. The project “Portrait of a Judge” is also aimed at enhancing the rule of law and promoting trust in the judiciary through researching an innovatively presenting the best practices of selection, evaluation and promotion of judges, thus this project

SACL - author Augustas Savickas

Portrait of a Judge Project

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Regional Cooperation Magazine

Our responsibility in honing young minds beekeeping. It is then when fear that my best effort might not be enough and that the message might not get through creeps up on me. Let me explain: beside fractographic knowledge, which can be obtained by a student from many - often unverified - sources, teacher's duty is to teach students of analytical thinking, to evaluate data they have access to with the critical eye. This is now much more important as it was in my generation, which didn't know google and general news sources usually had authors with names and reputation to go along. The educational system, however, seems to be stuck at some point in the past, still passing the facts in heaps but no method what to do with them. Finally, responsibility for own actions seem to be nowhere to be found, neither in past neither in current curriculums. At most, it is mentioned in the light of criminal deeds. Environment is not mentioned here. Thinking green is a key direction of a decade. And similarly, like COVID has its opponents as, trying to reduce its importance or talk down the consequences of living life »in traditional way«. Like every buzzword also has leaches attached to, making business out of it, and reducing its value to the monetary terms only. The students I am talking with are not stupid or ignorant but somehow guideless in this manner and thus an easy prey. One of the key activities of the researcher is sharing her or his peer-reviewed findings, in standard practice with the scientific community, which can use new facts to bring research to the next level. But this is only half of the story: at least as important is also passing the knowledge in non-scientific terms - I am trying to avoid the phrase »layman terms« - to other potential target groups. The latter is at least as important as the former as it brings about both the societal progress and acceptance of science in the non-scientific part of the society. In the last few years, we were frequently shocked how little trust there is in scientific findings regarding COVID within the society: one would like to lay blame at social media publishing non-peer revied »facts«, but we the scientists also share guilt for locking away ourselves from the people. Occasionally, I have contact with students, lecturing about insect biology and

Often, looking at honey bee colonies together with students we are talking about how the demands, expectations and technology have changed beekeeping in the last 20 years. Science has even coined the phrase "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD), a phrase known to many even outside sector. But now it is clear that CCD and other pest and pathogens that arrived recently are emerging the consequence of irresponsible human behavior, such as global trade chains, trying to increase profit by changing local species for another and forgetting that evolution took millions of years to adapt hosts to pests and vice-versa and that simply mending the leaky cauldron will give us not new but a patched pot. In BeeConSel we are dedicated conserve the local genetic pools. This knowledge and the awareness that homegrown is something of worth having in the apiary, is something we on BeeConSel !28

Regional Cooperation Magazine team try to pass on to students who will be future apiarists, but also future government administrators, issuing permits, sanctioning subsidies, etc. Even those, who stay outside the beekeeping or related apiculture sector count in the debate or steering the community. Dr Janez Prešern BeeConSel Project

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Regional Cooperation Magazine

Contributors & Credits From the Fund Operators Małgorzata Nowak Mateusz Wiśniewski Francesca Bombarda Sara Barbi External Contributors Thomas Mc Grath Tara Todras-Whitehill From the Projects Maritsa Kissamitaki Inga Retiķe Fabio De Pascale Branka Mozetič Vodopivec Lorena Butinar Dr Janez Prešern Ierotheos Zacharias Bálint Farkas Špela Kodre Vaidotas Norkus Erika Zuodar Silvia Bernardo Maritsa Kissamitaki

From The Youth Employment Found SEPAL Project Alina Adomnicăi Director Gian Luca Bombarda The contents of the Magazine are the sole responsibility of the authors and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Donors. !30

Regional Cooperation Magazine

Cover image: free library born with the intention of sharing the results and updates of the projects participating to the Fund to showcase the main achievements of implemented activities. Follow us: regionalcoopmag.net

FUND OPERATED BY:

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