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By Jill McArdle, Global Health Advocates
What is research and innovation for? Most would respond that it is for pursuing scientific excellence, the discovery of new knowledge and understanding, for seeking solutions to the most fundamental issues we face and helping us deliver on our international commitments like the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Yet, at EU level, the major societal benefits are normally understood as competitiveness of our industries, creating jobs and economic growth. Indeed, the current EU R&I programme sits under the Competitiveness heading in the EU’s seven-year budget and is discussed by member states in the Competitiveness Council.
Other goals, such as sustainable development and excellence, are not absent, but they are mostly treated as tools in pursuit of this ultimate goal.
As civil society believing in the European project, we wonder whether today, this is the right orientation for R&I? We are told of course that we can pursue all these goals at once, but dig deeper and this response seems weak.
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By EEB
The SDGtoolkit brings together more than 300 tools ready for use including articles, presentations, social media activities, images, policy papers, monitoring and review tools, SDG coalitions and more. All the material can be researched for instance by country or SDG. The toolkit answers basic questions on the SDGs with the aim of inspiring national and local level organisations and getting them started. This toolkit aims to help NGOs in Europe to learn more about and work with the opportunities that the Sustainable Development Goals offer to the environmental movement.
Check out the latests uploads that you can check on the toolkit
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By CEV, the European Volunteer Centre
CEV launches the Vote Volunteer Vision campaign in preparation of the 2019 European Parliament Elections building from the previous campaign we implemented in 2014. CEV has prepared a toolkit that will help volunteer centres and volunteer-involving organisations ask the EP candidates “What is your volunteer vision?”. Candidates are invited to express their views on different volunteering policy areas.
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ALDA funds 10 most innovative actions to raise awareness
By ALDA
ALDA is offering 10 grants of €300 each to young Europeans up to 21 years old, for the implementation of initiatives (street actions, online campaigns, etc.) to raise awareness of youth about the upcoming European elections, which can take place between February and April 2019. Do you have a great idea on how to encourage fellow young Europeans to vote? Are you a European citizen up to 21 years old? Send the concept of your initiative by 15 February 2019.
We will select 10 initiatives all over the EU, considering their creativity and potential of reaching a wide number of young Europeans.
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By Emily Bowles, EPF
EPF is campaigning to put what matters to patients at the heart of EU health policy, and make health an issue that gets citizens to cast their votes and make a difference in the European elections to be held this year in May.
EPF has therefore identified five key ways in which the European elections can lead to positive change in patient communities. All are based on the five priorities detailed in our elections manifesto, which we also used to develop five powerful video testimonials of patients and help ensure their voice is heard.
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ANNOUNCEMENT 1: EU Crystal Ball
Check the EU Crystal Ball campaign which SDG Watch Europe also contributed to.
Read more HERE.
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ANNOUNCEMENT 3: European Parliament elections campaign on SCP (and small grants)
The Fair Trade Advocacy Office will be leading with other civil society networks (e.g. CIDSE, IFOAM-EU, RIPESS-EU) an elections campaign on Sustainable Consumption and Production ahead of the EP elections in May this year. In order to support civil society organisations taking an active role in this campaign at national level, Fairtrade International has launched a call for proposals for small grants for Civil Society Organisations in Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. This takes places in the context of the “Trade Fair Live Fair” EU-funded project. Deadline for applications is 22 February 2019, 16:00 CET.
Read more HERE.
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ANNOUNCEMENT 6: Call for Submissions: Good Practices, Success Stories and Lessons Learned in SDG Implementation
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
Three years into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), many Governments, UN entities, international and regional organisations, Major Groups and other Stakeholders, are planning or have initiated evidence-based stock-taking of progress.
Read more HERE.
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ANNOUNCEMENT 2: Take part in our survey on the Sustainable Development Goals!
This survey is based on a previous survey carried out by the Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (nrg4sd). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is also a partner in the drafting of the survey. The European Committee of the Regions wishes to thank these partners for their excellent collaboration.
Read more HERE.
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ANNOUNCEMENT 4: Small grants for projects at local level around Fair Trade and Ethical Fashion
The Fair Trade Advocacy Office has just launched a call for proposals for small grants for projects by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and/or Local Authorities (LAs) in any EU Member State to develop and implement innovative approaches that promote sustainable production and consumption at local level, in particular Fair Trade and Ethical Fashion, to raise the visibility of these approaches for policy-makers in order to encourage their support and facilitate building and sharing capacities amongst CSOs and LAs through networking & cross-learning. Deadline for application submission is 29 March 2019 by 17:00 CET.
Read more HERE.
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ANNOUNCEMENT 5: European Responsible Housing Awards 2019
Submit your projects & join dozens of innovators across Europe.
Recently we have seen how changing demographic trends, a rise in inequality and populism, increasing consequences of climate change, concerns over structural safety, are changing the political, social, infrastructural and environmental landscapes, including housing. Housing and how (and, indeed, where) we live will be a decisive factor in the shaping of our future(s), and so remains fundamental. Our aim is that the exemplary and innovative ideas and best practices that are already happening on-the-ground and that will be showcased at the European Responsible Housing Awards 2019 will be a part of these conversations and developments | DEADLINE: 15 February 2019
Read more HERE.
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