The Centre for Cross Border Studies (CCBS) / International Centre for Local and Regional Development (ICLRD) News & Events

Date for Your Diary: Joint ICLRD & CCBS Conference
29-30 January 2015
 
Shared Services, Shared Opportunities: New Models of Public Sector Collaboration and Partnership
 
The annual ICLRD & CCBS conference will take place in the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, 29-30 January 2015. The conference will focus on the issue of shared services and will explore the opportunities for local authorities and public sector organisations to collaborate to ensure more effective service delivery for citizens, particularly in the Border region. A conference programme will be available in the near future.

The Centre for Cross Border Studies 15th Anniversary and the Launch of the Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland 2014
 
The Centre for Cross Border Studies 15th Anniversary and the Launch of the Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland 2014 will take place Thursday 13 November 2014 from 5.30 pm – 7.30 pm at the European Commission Office in Northern Ireland, Dublin Road, Belfast.
 
Head of Office of the EU Commission Belfast, Ms Colette Fitzgerald will speak and launch the Journal. Light refreshments will be served at 5:30 pm and the launch will begin at 6:15 pm. There is no charge for this event.
 
Car parking is available nearby (see here).
 
If you would like attend please register online here or contact Claire Toner.

ICLRD Shared Services Learning Network Seminar
 
The third Shared Services Learning Network seminar will take place on 25 November 2014, 4pm-6pm, at the Ballymascanlon House Hotel, Dundalk. The seminar will be addressed by Prof Deborah Peel, Chair in Architecture and Planning at the University of Dundee, who will particularly focus on the Scottish experience of implementing a shared services agenda at local government level. To register for the event, please email Andrew McClelland.

Next Border People Seminar -
UK Right to Reside and Irish Habitual Residency Conditions
 
Lee Hatton, Law Centre NI and Jean Plummer, Department of Social Protection are confirmed speakers at the next Border People seminar which will take place on Thursday 20th November, 9.30am-1.30pm, in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk.
 
The event will focus on the UK Right to Reside and Irish Habitual Residency Conditions. Both have implications for entitlement to social welfare and as always there are exceptions for cross-border cases. This seminar is suitable for those working in information providing organisations in both jurisdictions. So it is an excellent opportunity for cross-border networking and knowledge sharing. There is no charge to attend and places will be issued on a first-come basis.
 
Online registration is now open and can be accessed here.
 
For further information please visit www.borderpeople.info.

Border People project strengthens links with
the European Citizen Action Service based in Brussels
 
On 6th October Annmarie O’Kane and CCBS colleagues met with Assya Kavrakova the Director of the European Citizens Action Service (ECAS) and Vera Soldanova, EU Rights Manager to discuss current collaboration between the Border People project and the My Mobility Mentor project and to look at future cooperation between CCBS and ECAS for the future provision of cross-border information provision.     
 
The European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) is an international non-profit organization, based in Brussels with a pan-European membership and 22 years of experience. It provides services to a network of about 150 civil society organizations and citizens on EU citizens’ rights enforcement and civic participation in the EU decision-making process.  
 
The My Mobility Mentor project aims to create a network of rights advisors who can mentor Bulgarian and Romanian workers moving to Belgium, Italy and the UK by providing them with information on moving to those countries to work, by mentoring them during their stay and by providing them with legal support should they need it. In addition to the five actively participating countries, existing sources of legal information are being monitored and assessed in Denmark and Ireland as well. 

Learn more at http://www.borderpeople.info.

CCBS hosts seminar at Northern Ireland Executive office in Brussels
 
Taking advantage of the presence in Brussels of many key individuals with an interest in cross-border cooperation in Ireland and Europe, the Centre for Cross Border Studies hosted a seminar on 8 October at the Northern Ireland Executive’s office in Brussels on 8 October. CCBS Director, Ruth Taillon, Research and Policy Manager Anthony Soares and Border People Manager, Annmarie O’Kane all made short presentations and answered questions about the work of the Centre.  Despite being in competition with numerous other events, we were delighted that our audience included a representative from DG Regio and those from Ireland who took time during a busy schedule to attend. Thanks again to the NI Executive Office staff who were extremely helpful in facilitating the event.  While in Brussels, CCBS staff were also pleased to attend the best practice/networking evening hosted by the five Local Authority Led Cross Border Groups of Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland on 7 October.

CCBS at NWRCBG/ICBAN/EBR Joint Conference
 
CCBS Research & Policy Manager, Anthony Soares, spoke at the joint conference organised by the North West Region Cross Border Group, the Irish Central Border Area Network, and the East Border Region, which took place in Buncrana on 2nd of October. The conference, entitled “Cross-Border Connections”, focused on strategies to bring local authorities to the forefront of cross-border collaboration and partnership. Whilst Anthony spoke on the importance to cross-border cooperation of a regional dimension and the principles of subsidiarity and partnership, Professor Greg Lloyd spoke of some of the challenges to local authority collaboration, and Padraic White, Chair of the Border Development Corridor Steering Group, presented the draft Solidarity Charter for the Economic Revitalisation of the Irish Border Corridor. Mr Joe McHugh, Ireland’s Minister of State for the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs and for the Department of Communication, Energy and Natural Resources, as well as Northern Ireland’s Minister for the Environment, Mark H. Durkan, were after-dinner speakers at the conference. For Anthony’s presentation click here.

CCBS focuses on the Border Economy at Meeting of Enterprise Committees from North and South
 
CCBS was invited to speak on the border economy at a meeting of the Oireacthas Joint Committee for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, which took place in the Senate Chamber at Parliament Buildings on 3rd November. CCBS Director, Ruth Taillon and Research & Policy Manager, Anthony Soares, were joined by independent economist, Philip McDonagh and Padraic White, Chair of the Border Development Corridor Steering Group. The CCBS team emphasised the urgent need for specific focus to be given by both governments to the border region in order to avoid the risk of regional disparities increasing as the economies on both sides of the border appear to show signs of recovery. Underlying structural deficiencies were highlighted, including insufficient access to broadband and lack of transport connectivity. The Senators, TDs and MLAs present actively explored with the CCBS team the issues it raised and noted the concerns it brought to their attention, as well as the initiatives CCBS are involved in to address them, such as the Solidarity Charter for the Economic Revitalisation of the Irish Border Corridor. 

Click here for a copy of the CCBS’s written submission.

ICLRD/AIRO Census Seminar:
Health and Acute Specialities on the island of Ireland

The latest ICLRD/AIRO seminar exploring data from the 2011 censuses on the island of Ireland took place on 30 September at the North South Ministerial Council, Armagh. The AIRO Director, Justin Gleeson, provided an insight into the general health and well-being of the population and showcased a new mapping tool that can be used by health service professionals on both sides of the border. The seminar formed part of the CroSPlaN II Programme, sponsored by the Special EU Programmes Body under INTERREG IVA.

Presentation slides are available to view here.

TEIN Presentation at EU Open Days

CCBS Director Ruth Taillon and Research and Policy Manager Anthony Soares joined other partners from the Transfrontier Euro Institute Network in Brussels on 8 October at the EU Open Days.  At a seminar hosted by TEIN, Anne Thevenet,  the Euro Institut (French-German border) introduced the Network, a partnership representative of nine different European border regions and its innovative approaches to capacity building to support cross-border cooperation. Marek Olszewski, Olza Association and Hynek Böhm, Euro Schola (Czech-Polish Border) used their experience in the PAT-TEIN project to illustrate the importance of appropriate methodologies for intercultural work in cross-border work and Ruth Taillon (Ireland-Northern Ireland Border) made a presentation on the Centre for Cross Border Studies as a case study in practical support to cross-border cooperation and the results of bilateral cooperation within TEIN, mutual co-operation of its members and application of outcomes from one border area to the other ones.

Find the presentation here.

CCBS Shares Best Practice with Macedonian Civil Society Organisations

CCBS Director Ruth Taillon travelled to Skopje, Macedonia recently as a participant in the Euclid Network’s Civil Society Peer Exchange Programme.  The programme is supported by the Center for Institutional Development and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Civil Society Peer Exchanges are intended to allow Macedonian CSO professionals to benefit from the sharing of best practices that will increase capacity to deliver services and products that foster democratic reform; strengthen human rights and the create of economic opportunities.  Drawing on the CCBS Impact Assessment Toolkit, Ruth worked with the Forum-Center for Strategic Research and Documentation to develop their proposal for a project to support the involvement of civil society in the processes of local and regional development plans through a network of watchdog monitors and training. The visit also provided an opportunity for our two organisations to share experiences and information about civil society, powersharing governments and peace agreements in our respective countries. While in Skopje, Ruth was also able to attend a masterclass on policy and advocacy with other Peer Exchange participants from Macedonia and the UK. Forum-CSRD CEO, Slagjan Penev, spent time in Armagh earlier this year as a volunteer at the Centre for Cross Border Studies.

Sector News & Events

Scholars at Risk

 
News and updates will be posted on the SAR section of the Universities Ireland website regularly.

Scholars at Risk Ireland Section Coordinating Committee Launch

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of higher education institutions dedicated to protecting threatened scholars, preventing attacks on higher education communities and promoting academic freedom worldwide. Universities Ireland is the Irish Section of Scholars at Risk.  The Centre for Cross Border Studies is the Secretariat for Universities Ireland and therefore also provides supporting services to SAR.  Over the past number of years, Irish universities in both jurisdictions have provided placements for several scholars who have needed to leave their own countries and some of these scholars have received financial assistance from Universities Ireland.
 
While a number of individuals working and studying at Irish universities have also been engaged in other activities in support of SAR, until now this has not been coordinated across the academic community. It has now been agreed by the Universities Ireland Council that a SAR coordinating committee should be established to take forward a shared programme of work in each of the ten Universities Ireland member institutions.
 
The SAR Ireland Section’s coordinating committee will be launched at an event that will take place on the evening of Wednesday 10 December at Trinity College Dublin.
 
Please rsvp Claire Toner if you are interested in attending.

Scholars at Risk position openings


Scholars at Risk seeks immediate applications for the following openings. Candidates interested in more than one position are invited to explain their interests in a single submission. All positions are based in the SAR offices at New York University, NY, USA.


1. Program Officer, Membership and University Relations: 
This position offers primary responsibility for managing SAR's relationships with participating member universities and associations, SAR sections, and SAR partner networks. It is a full-time, temporary position posted as a maternity cover for up to 10 months, with the possibility of extension or conversion into a regular, full-time staff position. The position reports to SAR's Executive Director and European Director. Follow this link for full position description.  

2. Program Associate, Protection Services: 
This position supports SAR's protection services, including reviewing, researching and assessing applications for assistance from scholars facing threats to their lives; providing support for placement efforts at SAR network member universities; communicating with scholars assisted by the network; providing scholars with advice and referrals; compiling nomination documents for SAR staff to share with network representatives; and supervising casework interns. It is a full-time, temporary position posted as a maternity cover for up to 10 months, with the possibility of extension or conversion into a regular, full-time staff position. The position reports to SAR's Director for Protection Services. Follow this link for full position description.

3. Program Associate, External Relations: 
This position provides primary support to the Executive Director and board in all membership outreach, communications and fundraising activities including coordinating meeting schedules for the board, board committees and Executive Director; preparing letters, emails and other communications; tracking follow-up; drafting and editing outreach materials; researching contacts and cultivation opportunities. It is a full-time, temporary position posted as a maternity cover for up to 10 months, with the possibility of extension or conversion into a regular, full-time staff position. The position reports to SAR's Executive Director and requires regular communication with other SAR staff, board members, advisory group members and donors. Follow this link for full position description.

4. Program Assistant, Administration: 
This position provides primary administrative support to the Executive Director for all program operations, including processing, tracking and reporting on revenue and expenses; processing and tracking invoices and reimbursements; assistance with scheduling meetings, travel and events; generating reports; compliance with all relevant host campus (NYU) procedures; general office administration; and maintenance and administration of program contact database entries, website, email and social media platforms. The position reports to SAR's Executive Director and Program Officer for Membership and University Relations, and requires regular communication with other SAR staff, board members, advisory group members and donors. Follow this link for full position description.

5.P/T student worker, Protection Services (up to 20 hours per week): 
This position provides primary support to the Protection Services team, including reviewing, researching and assessing applications for assistance from scholars facing threats to their lives; providing support for placement efforts at SAR network member universities; communicating with scholars assisted by the network; and compiling nomination documents for SAR staff to share with network representatives. The position reports to a Program Officer for Protection Services. Follow this link for full position description.

6. P/T student worker, External and university relations (up to 20 hours per week): 
This position provides primary support to the External Relations and Membership staff in all membership outreach, communications and fundraising activities. The position reports to a Program Officer/Associate, and requires regular communication with other SAR staff, board members, advisory group members and donors. Follow this link for full position description.


HOW TO APPLY:
PLEASE APPLY IMMEDIATELY (no phone calls or email inquiries, please) by emailing in a single document: (1) a letter of interest, (2) resume, (3) list of references or letters of reference, and (4) a brief, unedited writing sample. Please use" [Position title]-[Your last name]" as the subject of your email. Applications accepted on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. Submit to scholarsatrisk@nyu.edu. SAR-NYU does not discriminate due to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital or parental status, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship status, veteran or military status, age, disability, unemployment status or any other legally protected basis, and to the extent permitted by law. Qualified candidates of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to apply. (Regrettably, SAR is not able to sponsor work-eligible visas for these positions).

Cross-Border Education

SCoTENS Conference

The 12th Annual SCoTENS Conference took place in Enniskillen 21st and 22nd October 2014. The theme of the conference was ‘Always learning, always teaching: Making the journey’.

The conference was jointly opened by the Republic of Ireland Minister of State at the Departments of Education and Skills and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation with Special Responsibility for Skills, Research and Innovation, Minister Damien English T.D. and the Northern Ireland Permanent Secretary in the Department of Education, Mr Paul Sweeney.

Ms Phillipa Cordingley, CUREE (Centre for the use of Research and Evidence) in Education and Professor Ian Menter, University of Oxford gave the keynote addresses.  There was a panel discussion on professional learning, including the concept of CPD Frameworks involving representatives from higher education institutes and teachers, North and South.  Attendees also had an opportunity to attend and contribute to workshops on Early Professional Development; Practitioners’ Perspective in Lifelong Learning; Leadership; Special Educational Needs and Theory and Practice.

Approximately 100 people tuned into a live stream of the keynote addresses. Video recordings of the keynotes will be made available at www.scotens.org over the coming weeks.

The Atlantic Youth Trust
 
The Atlantic Youth Trust is a youth development charity that plans to deliver a world class educational programme on a purpose built tall ship. Young people from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will come together for exciting and challenging voyages. 
The Trust’s Mission is “to offer young people on the island of Ireland, and our diaspora, the best possible youth development and educational opportunities at sea. Incorporated will be peace and reconciliation, job creation, tourism, enterprise, and adventure.”
The ship will then be delivering a full programme by 2018.  The annual programme will be focussed on five to ten day youth development voyages. Forty trainees will be recruited for each voyage, (twenty males and twenty females) from forty different schools or youth groups across the island.

For further information:
Email: nohagan@atlanticyouthtrust.org
Phone: +353 1 271 5598

Cross-Border News

Border Lives Launch of Films, Website, App and E-Learning
 
Border Lives recently launched its six films, a website, an app and an e-learning course. The project is managed by Tyrone Donegal Partnership and funded by the European Union's PEACE III Programme, managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Pobal.
The Long Hall in Stormont was full to capacity for the official launch of Border Lives on the 30th September. 
The event was to showcase the work of the Border Lives team in delivering:
•    Six films focusing on different areas along the Border;
•    Seven virals previewing each of the films and the project;
•    Ninety interviews
•    A new website
•    Thirty-six public events
•    Smartphone & tablet app
•    Four eLearning modules
The new smartphone app is available on Android and Apple App stores, while the four eLearning modules may be found here. For further Information, and more on the six new films, visit the project’s new website at www.borderlives.eu.

Irish Political Studies Vacancies: Co-editors

Irish Political Studies (IPS) is seeking expressions of interest for two co-editor positions for the data issue of the journal.

Candidates should have a specialist background in the politics of the Republic of Ireland and/or Northern Ireland. The positions are tenable for three years from 2015-2017.
 
Candidates should send their expressions of interest, a short statement on their editorial vision and a curriculum vitae to Prof Thomas Hennessey and Dr Theresa Reidy, co-editors of Irish Political Studies at t.reidy@ucc.ie by 12 November 2014.
Informal queries about the role of the data editors can be submitted to either Thomas Hennessey or Theresa Reidy.
The selection decision will be made by the co-editors and the successful candidates will be notified at the end of November.
 
IPS is the journal of the PSAI and was established in 1986. It is the only refereed journal exclusively dedicated to the publication of high-quality academic articles on Irish politics. It covers politics in the Republic of Ireland, in Northern Ireland, the politics of their bilateral relationships and the politics of their relationship with the United Kingdom, the European Union and beyond.

Doors open at Europe’s first cross-border hospital

The Cerdagne cross-border hospital, the first of its kind, opened on the 19th of September on the French-Spanish border. Serving the local mountainous area the hospital, for which preparations took over ten years, the hospital involves cooperation between the two participating states of Spain and France, with substantial funding from the European Regional Development Fund.

Read more on the MOT website.

Cross-Border Events

NIRSA/ESPON Conference: "Creating the Regions of Tomorrow:
Maximising Ireland’s Reform Opportunity"

A joint NIRSA/ESPON conference on reform of regional development policy took place on Friday, 26th September 2014, with delegates from CCBS in attendance.
This one-day conference aimed to take stock of these developments and will have a specific focus on the spatial aspects of policy implementation, particularly the proposed review of the National Spatial Strategy and the new Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies which are to be developed as integrated cross-sectoral policy vehicles for economic development, investment and job creation.

Presentations given at this event can be found here.

European Matters

Debating Europe: Should the EU have more powers to cut red tape in border regions?

The Debating Europe Platform, launched in 2011, aims to engage encourage a genuine conversation between Europe’s politicians and the citizens they serve by presenting online questions, ideas and comments from the European public directly to policy makers for them to respond. 
Debating Europe has interviewed more than 900 policy-makers and experts from across the political spectrum. This includes 184 MEPs, 58 national ministers and state secretaries, 41 national MPs, 13 EU Commissioners, 6 Prime Ministers and the Presidents of the European Council, the European Commission, and the European Parliament. Each has agreed to answer some of the 35,000 comments submitted from citizens online, including from a growing community of over 175,000 people on Facebook and Twitter. 
Recently, Debating Europe have launched an online debate about the challenges of living in cross-border regions, in partnership with the European Commission (DG REGIO), titled “Should the EU have more powers to cut red tape in border regions?” and is keen to involve citizens and experts living in Europe’s cross-border regions.

Find more information and take part in the debate here.

EU Finance Ministers agree rules on automatic exchange of information

At the Economic and Financial Affairs Council earlier this week, EU Finance Ministers reached agreement on a draft directive extending the scope for the mandatory automatic exchange of information between tax administrations. This information is related to certain categories of income that taxpayers hold in a member state other than their state of residence.

The proposal brings interest, dividends and other income, as well as account balances and sales proceeds from financial assets, within the scope of the automatic exchange of information.  It will enable EU countries to strengthen the combat against tax fraud and tax evasion and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of tax collection.
The text of the new directive will be adopted at a forthcoming Council meeting.

Find out more here.

Citizens Rights Exhibition, Europe Direct Information Centres around Ireland


The European Commission Representation in Ireland is launching a new exhibition on European Citizens' Rights entitled: "What does it mean to be a citizen of the European Union?".

Over twenty years ago the member states signed the treaty of Maastricht, which established EU citizenship. Any person who holds the nationality of an EU country is automatically also an EU citizen. EU citizenship is additional to and does not replace national citizenship.

Being an EU citizen guarantees you a number of rights which are relevant to your daily life. It also offers you various channels you can use to make yourself heard in Europe. European legislation guarantees such fundamental principles as freedom, the right to vote, as well as such practical issues as compensation for flight delays or lower phone tariffs when using your mobile phone abroad. The EU wants you to be aware of and to make full use of the rights you have as a European citizen every day.

This exhibition was originally produced by the European Commission Representation in Spain via the Regional Office in Barcelona and is being showcased in the several Europe Direct Information Centres around Ireland. Future dates and venues are as follows:
 
 
22 October - 25 November 2014
Tubbercurry Library, Co. Sligo

26 November - 7 January 2015
Carraroe Laibrary, Co. Galway

8 January - 4 February 2015
Ballinasloe Library, Co. Galway

5 February - 4 March 2015
Mallow Library, Co. Cork

5 March - 8 April 2015
Waterford Library

7 April - 12 May 2015
Mountmellick Library, Co. Laois

Eurostat's Regional Yearbook 2014 

Eurostat's recently published Regional Yearbook 2014 provides an overview of European regional statistics covering a wide range of fields: population, health, education, the labour market, the economy, structural business statistics, research and innovation, the information society, tourism, transport, and agriculture.
Among the many interesting stats contained in the Yearbook is that four of Ireland's eight NUTS 3 regions (Mid-East, Midland, Border and South-East) feature among the ten regions in the EU where young people accounted for a particularly high share of the total population (i.e. over 20% of the population is aged 15 or less).
The Yearbook also shows that Dublin was one of only 5 EU capital cities to have an old-age dependency ratio of less than 20.0 %. Dublin (20.3%) was also one of seven EU capital cities where foreign citizens accounted for 20% or more of the inhabitants. Luxembourg (63.8%), Brussels (33.8%) and Riga (26.0%) had the highest shares.

Learn more here.

Donegal County Councils Strategic Policy and EU Unit Update.  

The EU Unit of Donegal County Council was established in 2010 within Donegal County Council.  This electronic bulletin provides news and updates on the nature and extent of work being progressed by the unit. The Unit works with all directorates of Donegal County Council and with external partner organisations to explore and maximise funding opportunities for the region.

Please right click on this link and follow the security advise to download the EU Update Bulletin.
 

Vote for Hozier and be in with a chance to win a trip to the
European Border Breaker Awards show

On 14 January 2015, the Dutch city of Groningen will host a televised show featuring the winners of the 2015 European Border Breakers Awards, which include Irish singer-songwriter Hozier.

If you would like a chance to be in the audience, all you have to do is vote here for your favourite among the EBBA winners: Klangkarussell, Melanie De Biasio, MØ, Indila, Milky Chance, Hozier, The Common Linnets, Todd Terje, Tove Lo and John Newman. The act receiving the most votes will win the Public Choice Award. Fifteen lucky voters, chosen at random from different countries, will be invited to the award show: each will be able to bring a friend and the prize includes their flight and hotel costs. The vote is open from 21 October to 19 December.

Funding Opportunities

Free Information Seminar on Creative Europe – MEDIA

Wednesday 26 November 2014, timings tbc,
Booking essential
Belfast, Venue to be confirmed
 
Creative Europe Desk UK – Northern Ireland invites you to a free event for film, television, games and new media organisations interested in applying for funding from Creative Europe.
 
Creative Europe’s MEDIA sub-programme is comprised of 14 funding schemes which support different areas of the audiovisual sector. Over €100 million is available each year. This information seminar will focus on producer schemes: development funding, TV programming and video games as well as providing an overview of the funding opportunities of the MEDIA sub-programme, which offers support to:
•           Film and television producers
•           Video game developers
•           Distributors
•           Sales agents
•           Audiovisual training providers
•           Market/network/fund organisers 
•           Festival organisers
•           Film education specialists
•           Cinema exhibitors
 
Following the seminar, there will also be the chance for you to network with peers from the sector.
 
Guest speaker, Agnieszka Moody the Director of Creative Europe Desk UK will be joined by Northern Ireland Screen as well as Creative Europe Desk Ireland – MEDIA Office Galway.
 
Registration details will be sent out soon. For the latest updates, please sign up to the Creative Europe Desk UK newsletter and follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
 
Creative Europe Desk UK – Northern Ireland is in partnership with Arts Council of Northern Ireland and led in the UK by the British Council and British Film Institute.
 
A similar Information Seminar will be held in Derry/ Londonderry. More details to follow.

Publications

Making Europe Open and Polycentric
Vision and Scenarios for the European Territory towards 2050
 

This new ESPON publication serves as an appetizer on the results of an ESPON applied research project, ET2050. It provides answers to the following key questions:
 
1. Why does Europe need a territorial vision now?
2. How will Europe develop if current policies are not changed?
3. How could different policy scenarios influence Europe?
4. How to make Europe more Open and Polycentric?
5. What policies could support this?
 
A territorial vision at European level would serve as a common reference framework for the long-term development of the European territory. This could bring several benefits, among which: 
Support Europe integrating in an increasingly interdependent world;
Provide a territorial dimension to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth;
Serve as a reference for policies as well as public and private investments;
Give citizens a transparent view on ambitions for the development of the territory of Europe, the context of their region and city, and framework conditions to expect for their well-being and life quality.

"Making Europe Open and Polycentric" has been elaborated in a participatory process involving all 31 countries in the ESPON Monitoring Committee, the European Parliament (REGI), the Committee of the Regions (COTER), the European Commission (DG Regional and Urban Policy), related European organisations, stakeholders and experts.
However, further debate on a European Territorial Vision is necessary to generate a shared ownership and to ensure an anchoring of the vision and its aims in policy. It is now for the policy arena to take the next step.

Learn more on the ESPON website 

Peacebuilding

Innovative Peacebuilding: Launch of the PeaceTechLab

The International Conflict Research Institute (INCORE) at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, in partnership with The Nerve Centre in Derry, The Young Foundation, The Agirre Lehendakaria Center for Social and Political Studies in the Basque Country, New York based Culture Shock, and Scensei in Washington have jointly launched the PeaceTechLab. This new initiative, which will be based at the FabLab in Derry-Londonderry, will explore how technology and new media can be used to enhance peacebuilding practice.

A range of events will take place over coming months in relation to the PeaceTechLab. INCORE with the Nerve Centre will also run one of its modules on the Annual INCORE International Summer School on Peacebuilding and Technology.

If you would like to learn more, please contact INCORE.

Call for Abstracts: Special Issue on Documentation,
Human Rights & Transitional Justice, Journal of Human Rights Practice 

Guest Editors
Brandon Hamber and Grainne Kelly (INCORE, Ulster University)
Elisabeth Baumgartner, Briony Jones, Ingrid Oliveira (swisspeace, University of Basel)

The role of testimony and documentation is crucial to human rights work in transitional contexts. Such evidence is vital in societies seeking to deal with a past of human rights violations, and for ongoing human rights campaigns. That being said, the identification, protection, preservation and management of archives and records related to human rights violations, as well as their dissemination and utility within transitional justice mechanisms, has often been under-estimated or overlooked. 

This special issue of the Journal of Human Rights Practice on Documentation, Human Rights and Transitional Justice addresses this gap by bringing together academics and practitioners in an exchange on the role which documentation can, does, and should play in addressing human rights abuses of the past, and ensuring non-repetition of violations and that a human rights legacy can be established for the future. 
Possible themes include, but are not limited to:
Accessibility, reliability and utility of existing archives for human rights practice.
Creation of new archives by transitional justice mechanisms.
Alternative forms of documenting human rights abuses such as digital archives, popular song, and art.
The relative value of different forms of archive for human rights practice.
Use of archives of transitional justice mechanisms whose mandates have expired.
Research methodologies for working with and on archives documenting human rights violations.
Ethical implications of the creation, use and analysis of archives documenting human rights violations.

Submission Details

Please submit abstracts of no more than 400 words by the 1 December 2014 to Grainne Kelly. We will review abstracts for articles as well as for policy and practice notes.

The review of abstracts submitted will take place in the first week of December, and authors of selected abstracts will be invited to submit full papers for peer-review by 25 February 2015.

Border Roads to Memory and Reconciliation

The Border Roads project team will be launching the www.borderroadmemories.com interactive map and website in the coming weeks.  The team will be showcasing interviews recorded by local border residents, along with photos taken at the time of the road closures and newspaper articles that covered the events.  Six interactive booths will be available for attendees to view interviews and explore the website.  

The showcase events will commence at 7.30pm, unless stated.  Refreshments will be provided. If you cannot attend your local event, you are more than welcome to attend another of the showcase events.  
Showcase Date                   Area                 Venue
Tuesday 11 November        Ballyconnell        Slieve Russell Hotel
Thursday 13 November      Clones                Creighton Hotel
Tuesday 18 November        Clogher              Corick House
Thursday 20 November      Castleblayney      Glencarn Hotel
Monday 24 November*       Belfast                174 Trust                                
Tuesday 25 November        Dundalk             Carrickdale Hotel

*These events will start at 2.00PM
 
To confirm your attendance please contact the team via:
Telephone: 00353 42 97 42003 or Email.

If you would like to include a cross-border event, research or news item in the next issue of Border-Zine please send to Thomas Haverty by Tuesday 25th November.