When Commission President Barroso announced last week in his speech on the State of the Union that the European Commission would put forward a communication on the social dimension of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), expectations were raised and doubts expressed. We social NGOs have been advocating for a strong social dimension since the publication of the blueprint. Why? Because the EU is not going to reach the objectives set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy and because growth alone does not guarantee less inequalities. Read more…

Registration open: Silver Rose Awards 2013

Book your calendars! Registration is now open for this key civil society event in the European Parliament.

SOLIDAR’s Silver Rose Awards 2013 will be taking place on Wednesday 16 October at 6.30pm. This year we will gather to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of five award winners’ contributions to social justice and solidarity in Europe and around the world, including grassroot organisations working with migrants, an Asian trade union, indigenous peoples from South America and two academics who have developed a new approach to social justice. The award winners will take centre-stage at this new format conference-style event to highlight the crucial topics that they are working on to Brussels stakeholders.

Next week, from 24 to 26 September, SOLIDAR members and partners from the Middle East and North Africa will meet in Brussels to discuss an alternative socio-economic development paradigm for the region. Organised in cooperation with the Global Progressive Forum and the Global Network, this three day seminar will bring together civil society organisations, think tanks, independent trade unions and progressive political forces from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia to debate strategies that are aimed at reducing poverty and tackling growi ng (social) inequalities in the region. Updates will be posted on our website and Twitter channel throughout the sessions.

Last week SOLIDAR had a meeting with Andris Gobins (member of the European Economic and Social Committee) on the EU’s support for sustainable change in transition countries, a Communication by the European Commission and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The Communication highlights that people in every part of the world aspire to political freedom, security, accountable government, economic opportunities and justice and it indicates that countries in the EU’s own neighbourhood have recently embarked on major reforms designed to transform their societies into inclusive democracies that are both willing and able to address the needs and aspirations of the population.

This week the European Parliament’s Committee on Education and Culture has planned to have a first read and vote on the own-initiative report by MEP Katarina Nevedalova (S&D) on Rethinking Education – Investing in Skills for Better Socio-economic Outcomes, the communication presented by the European Commission last November. The document focuses on delivering the right skills for employment, new ways of teaching and learning, and new approaches to funding and partnerships. It aims to propose the new ways to address skills supply and methods to develop partnerships to provide them. Read more…

On 18 September, participants of the FP7 project INNOSERV – including SOLIDAR – organised a round table at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) to discuss the future development and research agenda for healthcare, social and education services across Europe. "Taking the INNOSERV project as an example, we need to explore and improve new tools offered by the EU to respond to new and unmet needs and challenges in society" said Miguel Angel Cabra de Luna, member of the EESC in his opening speech. Read more…

Movimiento por la Paz-MPDL have issued a press release the day before the International Day for Peace (21 September) calling for the restoration of diplomacy to build peace.

Solidar Suisse is calling for donations for Syria as according the UNHCR, only 40% of the needs on the ground are currently being covered. Solidar Suisse has already financed 282 emergency packs and 288 children packs with items such as food and nappies for babies.

On 17 October, Arci is involved in an event in the European Parliament organised in the frame of the LasciateCIEntrare (“Let us enter”) Campaign on the "Routine Administrative Detention of Migrants and Free Movement of Citizens: Time to Explore Alternatives".

On the 21 September, hundreds of red shoes collected by Auser will be put on the San Gimignano cathedral’s square to say stop to femicide.

ASB is celebrating=show&asbgallery[uid]=126] its 125th anniversary this year. See its online gallery and other activities organised.

The S&D Group has launched an online photo competition on the theme "This is my Europe". This is a chance for citizens to show them in an engaging way what Europe means to them and express their vision for Europe’s future.

Today, exactly five years to the day after Lehman Brothers touched off a global financial crisis, Finance Watch is launching a new public campaign: “Change Finance!”.

Read EAEA’s news.

Visit ETUI’s Poster exhibition: The art of preventive health and safety in Europe running from 26 September – 18 December 2013 at ETUI Documentation Centre.

Read the latest news from the Fair Trade movement.

The European Ombudsman is organising a seminar on "EU transparency: Where are we now?"on 27 September 2013, 10.00 – 12.30.

24-26 September: Social Justice in Middle East and North Africa, Brussels

24-26 September: Global Network Steering Group, Brussels

16 October: SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards, European Parliament