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PROEUROPE1 MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL 2011 is the “European Year of volunteering”, a year to recognize all voluntary work and to give value to volunteering. Today, in the world, many people are indeed involved in voluntary work which is an important piece of the puzzle for the future of the society. For that, this year so many organizations organize different events to celebrate it.

Nowadays, nonprofit organizations have a special place in the society, all politicians have to see how important

is to help and to listen them. They do an incredible and useful work. Thanks to these organizations and NGOs so many sectors of the society are take cared.

But it is also a challenge to use all different ways to help increase the number of people who could do some voluntary work in every town, village, city or wherever.

And also in this issue you’ll find Enic-Naric Networks, you’ll discover Gorgonzola and more…

In agreement with:

With support of:

Sponsors:

Directive group:

General Director: Oriol Josa

Contents' Director and photographer responsible of Sports Zone: Marta Erola

Magazine’s representative and presenter of Sports Zone: Fidel Badia

Technical group:

Managing writing and contents and responsible of "We build Europe" section:

Martina Braggion

Responsible of "Cultural Europe" section: Eva Schloer

Editor: Joan Basomba

Administration Secretary:

C/Calàbria, 120- Barcelona

0034 934254064

proeurope1@proeurope1.net

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CONTENTS

Participation and training in Europe European Year of Volunteering ..................................... 4

Work and formation

Enic-Naric Networks ...................................................... 5

Discovering

Gorgonzola .................................................................... 6

Cultural Europe

Martin McDonagh-A voice of His Own .......................... 8

Eurocalendar

Look for special festivals, traditions and festivities all over Europe ............................................................ 10

We build Europe

Men can also do it! ...................................................... 21

You talk

On Challenging the Best at University of St. Gallen ..... 24

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PARTICIPATION AND TRAINING IN EUROPE European Year of Volunteering “The European Year of Voluntary Activities promoting active citizenship will contribute to showing that volunteering is one of the key dimensions of active citizenship and democracy, putting European values such as solidarity and non-discrimination into action and as such contributing to the harmonious development of European societies”. That’s how the Council of the European Union, by a decision published in Brussels in the Official Journal of the European Union on 22 January 2010 (2010/37/CE), has designated 2011 as the “European Year of Volunteering”.

Volunteering works to everybody’s advantage and cements social ties. For volunteers, it's a way to make their contribution to society, gaining new competences at the same time. For the Commission, volunteering is an active expression of civic participation which strengthens common European values such as solidarity and social cohesion. Volunteering may take many forms: you can work for a sports club, school, hospital or charity. Today, about 20% of Europeans devote some of their time to a voluntary activity.

Besides celebrating the work of existing volunteers and addressing the challenges they face, the European Year of Volunteering aims to encourage more people to get involved by:

• working towards an enabling environment for volunteering in the EU;

• rewarding volunteers, for example by formally recognising the skills and competences they acquire through their work;

• improving the quality of voluntary activities by providing training and matching volunteers to suitable vacancies;

• raising awareness of the value and importance of volunteering.

The budgetary authority (the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers) granted a dedicated budget for the European Year of Volunteering, as follows: EUR 8 million for the European Year of Volunteering 2011 and EUR 3 million for the preparatory actions 2010.A group of volunteers travel all over Europe to show their work. During the 10 days they spend in each country, they also meet

policy-makers to deal with matters they care about. In addition, a team of 27 voluntary journalists take turns at covering each leg of the tour and produce a series of audiovisual services and writings that are broadcasted and published in the media and online. Finally, four high profile conferences, dedicated to key sides of volunteering, take place throughout the Year.

The European Commission works closely with two strategic partners: the National Coordinating bodies (NCBs) and the EYV 2011 Alliance. About the first one, each Member State has been asked to designate a National Coordinating Body (NCB) that’s responsible for the planning, coordination and organisation of events and activities in its territory during the European Year. The National Coordinating body also coordinates with Community level activities and the overall planning of the Year (http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/annexes-citizenship/doc1069_en.htm).

About the second one, national level works are coordinated by the EYV 2011 Alliance, a group putting together 33 voluntary organization networks in Europe, founded in 2007. Would-be volunteers can go to the Alliance’s website (www.eyv2011.eu/ about-the-alliance) to find information on volunteering opportunities, commit theirself to give their work as volunteers for a fixed-term and see how many voluntary hours have been pledged since 1 January, too.

The EU already promotes volunteering for many years and in 1996 set up the European Voluntary Service to encourage young people to work as community volunteers abroad.

The European Year coincides and complements with activities promoted by the United Nations on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers. By this year-long campaign, the Commission expects that the European Year of Volunteering will lead to an increase in volunteering and to greater awareness of its added value, and that it will highlight the link between voluntary engagement at local level and its significance in the wider European context.

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WORK AND FORMATION Do you have to make your qualification recognize abroad? Do you want to know how to do it?

ENIC-NARIC.net: Your Gateway To Recognition

In the European economic integration context, the recognition of qualifications is a tool aiming at promoting the free movement of workers and students in the territory of member states. Among several incentive tools to the European and international mobility you include the NARIC-ENIC networks, network of information and service centres about the problems connected with the academic and professional recognition inside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) countries and many other countries in the world.

The NARIC Network

The NARIC network (National Academic Recognition Information Centres) is an initiative of the European Commission and it was created in 1984. The network aims at improving academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study.

The network is part of the Community's Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP), which stimulates the mobility of students and staff between higher education institutions of the EU member states and EEA.

All member countries, in addition to Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, have designated national centres, the purpose of which is to assist in promoting the mobility of students, teachers and researchers by providing authoritative advice and information concerning the academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study undertaken in other States. The NARICs were designated by the Ministries of Education in the respective countries, but the status and the scope of work of individual NARICs may differ because institutions of higher

education are autonomous in the majority of States. As a result, most NARICs do not take a decision, but offer on request information and advice on foreign education systems and qualifications.

Several NARICs of the EU countries serve the function of information centres for the professional recognition of qualifications, too.

The ENIC Network

Parallel to the NARIC Network (and in an integrated way) works the ENIC network (European Network of National Information Centres on academic recognition and mobility), established by the Council of Europe and UNESCO with similar aims to those of the NARIC network. In fact an ENIC, that’s a body set up by the national authorities, generally provides information on: the recognition of foreign diplomas, degrees and other qualifications; education systems in other European countries and one’s own country; opportunities for studying abroad, including information on loans and scholarships, as well as on practical questions related to mobility and equivalence. The network’s support, unlike the European NARIC network, assures the presence of centres all over Europe, in the Middle East, in Central and Northern Asia, in Oceania, excluding Africa and Central and South America.

This website (http://www.enic-naric.net/ ), a joint initiative of the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO/CEPES, has been created primarily as a tool to assist the ENIC-NARIC Networks in carrying out the tasks they have been mandated to accomplish within their own jurisdiction, by directing them to up-to-date information supplied and maintained by the competent bodies in each member country and by each member organization. It is also its express purpose to help other interested organizations and individuals easily find information on current issues in international academic and professional mobility, and on procedures for the recognition of foreign qualifications.

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DISCOVERING

GORGONZOLA

Gorgonzola it’s a small town near Milan, part of Lombardy, in the north-west of Italy. In 453 the local pieve and the nearby town of Argentia were attacked and destroyed by the Huns. The first written document mentioning Gorgontiola dates to the 10th century. In 1176 it adhered to the Lombard League and, during the ensuing wars between Guelphs and Ghibellines, it was the site of a battle in 1245 in which Enzio of Sardinia was made prisoner.

How to get there

• By Car

A4 Milan - Venice Motorway, in Venice direction, Agrate exit. Follow the signs to Melzo – Cernusco sul Naviglio and then Gorgonzola.

• By Train, Metro or Bus

From Milano Centrale, the main railway station of Milan, take the metro green line MM2 in Gessate direction. In the town there are 3 metro line MM2 stops of Milan subway: Villa Pompea (in the Mattei Way), Gorgonzola (in the Europa Square) and C.na Antonietta (in the Boito Way). The trip is quite long but convenient. There are also some buses to reach the neighboring cities. To get more information, visit the following web site www.atm-mi.it/en/Pages/default.aspx.

• By Plane

The nearest airports are:

International airport of Bergamo - Orio Al Serio, about 20 minutes from Gorgonzola;

International Airport of Milan – Malpensa, about 40 minutes.

Transport

If you want to travel around the city there are two buses lines, starting from the station, but the city it’s quite small and it’s more comfortable to move along on foot or by bike.

Accommodation

There are also two hotels: Aragosta (www.ristorante-aragosta.com/index.php), that is far from the centre and Hotel Senator (www.hotelsenator.it/eng_page/hotels.html), that’s in the centre of the city and it is also the recent and modern one.

Restaurants and shops

In Gorgonzola there are many restaurants, in particular La Vecchia Pesa (the best one) and the Vineria, where you can taste wine with salami or cheese. The “Shark Pub” and “Elisir” attract young people whileTitilla Pipilla is the best ice-cream shop in the city. Finally, the Argentia theatre puts on some plays and screens several films.

Parties and festivals:

The typical festivity is Gorgonzola fair, in the last week of September.

During this fair you can taste various specialties like the simple gorgonzola with bread, pasta with gorgonzola or gorgonzola ice-cream! You can go around the city centre the whole day and meet animals like cows, sheep or donkeys. I think it is very funny and pleasant, especially if the weather is good! Another appreciate

Ester Postiglione

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festival is the one of S. Caterina where you can find a lot of stands scattered in the whole city.

10 things that you need to know (advice, recommendations, places to visit...)

1. The most important monument is the Serbelloni Hospital. It was built by the Duke Gian Galeazzo in the middle of 1800, for those years it was very modern and innovative but, as the years went by, new great hospitals bore and in nearly 1970 some parts of Serbelloni hospitals had been closed. There is also Serbelloni street with its park, Serbelloni park that now is a communal park where everyone can go for a walk or a picnic, to study or play.

2. Another monument is the church SS. Protaso e Gervaso that was built by the daughter of the Duke Galeazzo in 1806. In Gorgonzola there is also a canal that goes till Milan. In the past it was used to bring goods.

3. In the masterpiece “The Betrothed” by Alessandro Manzoni, there is a whole chapter that talks about the city, where Renzo stops at one of the restaurants in the village, the most reliable is the Trattoria Dei Frati, historic restaurant of Gorgonzola closed far-back.

4. On April 30, 1945, the last sections of what remained of the 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian) surrendered to U.S. tanks in Gorgonzola.

5. The well known Gorgonzola cheese is claimed by the residents to have originated in Gorgonzola in 879, although other towns claim the origins.

6. Every Sunday there are some stands in the city centre.

7. The most ancient monument is the convent in the Corte dei Chiosi. It has four pointed arches and it accommodated humiliated sisters; now it has become a place to live and some families share this convent.

8. In the city you can do many sports, including yoga or pilates.

9. If you have free time, you can go to the old age university.

10. Gorgonzola received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on June 24, 2003.

SS. Protaso e Gervaso

Corte dei Chiosi.

More information at the homepage of Gorgonzola municipality:

www.comune.gorgonzola.mi.it

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CULTURAL EUROPE

Martin McDonagh - A Voice of His Own

It has been four years that I’ve been discussing culture here. Mostly books, often music, sometimes films, but never, never have I written about the theatre. Not until today! Ok, granted, the writer I am going to profile has also written for film, but he made his name as one of the young superstars of recent playwriting.

I’m referring to Martin McDonagh, and – yes, I know the word “superstar” might seem a little over-the-top. But for a playwright who has been called “the first great dramatist of the 21st century” and who was the first playwright since Shakespeare to have four works professionally produced on London stages in a single season, it just might be fitting.

McDonagh was born in London, to Irish parents. Yet, it is not metropolitan London that is the backdrop and reflective mirror of his plays, but rural Ireland, where he spent every summer with his family while growing up. Connemara, to be precise, on Ireland’s west coast, northwest of Galway.

Most of McDonagh’s plays are set in Connemara’s wild and lonely, lawless

landscape, where trivialities can lead to murder. The first seven of his plays (arranged in two trilogies and one single play, The Pillowman) he conceived in 1994, when he was 24.

McDonagh’s plays are a wild ride, a wickedly humorous, satirical, bloody and sometimes bleak exploration into the extremes of human interaction. There is a son who murders his father for making fun of his hairstyle. There is a gravedigger whose job it is to dig up old bones to make way for fresh corpses. There are lies and betrayals. The plays are black comedies, film noir on a stage. McDonagh says that he does not necessarily want his characters to inflict pain on each other. He simply follows the logic of the story according to which they cannot go unscathed, “like the iceberg and the Titanic.”

The excesses of McDonagh’s playwriting have caused some critics to disapprove of the cruelty and suffering on display in his work. Controversy has followed him throughout his career. His play “The Lieutenant Of Inishmore” took five years to reach the stage and was passed over by several theatre companies because of its depiction of Irish terrorism. And in 1996, McDonagh found himself in the British tabloids for telling Sean Connery to “fuck off” at

Eva Schloer Having grown up in Germany and studied and

worked in Munich, London andBarcelona, Eva is now a full time literary scout in New York.

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an awards ceremony. It was the same ceremony where McDonagh was being presented with the Most Promising Newcomer prize.

McDonagh has never been a perfect fit for the theatre world. He wasn’t raised in a tradition of attending the theatre and once claimed that the only three plays he enjoyed were Sam Shepard's True West, Tracy Letts’ Killer Joe and David Mamet’s American Buffalo. Many of his influences come from the world of film and punk rock. This shows through in his work, which often feels closer to Martin Scorsese and the Sex Pistols than much of what is customarily seen in London’s West End.

McDonagh left school at seventeen to write and lived on welfare. During this time, he watched TV, played snooker and read voraciously. He especially migrated to the work of Jorge Louis Borges and Harold Pinter. When welfare ran out he stacked shelves at a supermarket. He wrote grotesque stories, often based on old folk tales and started sending them to film companies. A video artist wrote back, very excited. He tried to raise funds for filming some of the stories. Nothing ever came of it.

He says for him writing is like taking dictation from what is going on in his head. When he finished his first play The Beauty Queen of Leenane, he recognized that it was good and sent it to theatres. After the play debuted, McDonagh soon found himself being touted as The Next Big Thing in theatre.

However, acclaim wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. “After the Broadway success of Beauty Queen, people were coming up to me all the time,” he told The Guardian in 2001, “and I wasn't really prepared for that level of attention. It's a really uncomfortable and unsettling experience to suddenly be public property.”

Despite these mixed feelings about fame, McDonagh has continued to draw in audiences

and rack up awards for his work, which has branched out in recent years. Six Shooter, the short film he wrote and directed, won an Academy Award for Live Action Short Film in 2006. Two years later, his first feature length film, In Bruges, was released. The film, which starred Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes, took many of the same themes found in his earlier plays (it was a dark and violent comedy), but told the story in a different medium (cinema) and location (Bruges, obviously) than his early work.

McDonagh has shown that he’s an artist who draws his influences from many sources and channels his work into a variety of different forms. But whatever he does, he always leaves the imprint of his own distinctive style, of which I’m sure we’ll see more examples in the years to come.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane (play; 1996) portrays the dysfunctional relationship between Mag and Maureen, mother and daughter.

The Pillowman (play; premiere 2003) is set in a fictitious totalitarian state, where a writer is questioned by the police about a series of murders of children that might be inspired by the stories he writes.

Six Shooter (film; 2006) In 2006 he made his first film, the 27 minute short film Six Shooter, and what can I say…he won an Oscar for it.

In Bruges (film; 2008) with Colin Farrell and Ralph Finnes about two hit men who hide in Brugges, which earned him an Oscar nomination.

A Behanding in Spokane (play; 2010) about a man, Carmichael, who travels with a suitcase full of hands. But he wants his own back.

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EUROCALENDAR

AUSTRIA

Salzburg

Stuck! New Music Clubfestival 4 to 6 August 2011 (annual)

Salzburg’s Rockhouse provides three days of alternative music this summer. The Stuck! Festival’s tongue-in-cheek motto “Welcome, and smell the hipster...” hints at the music on offer, with nu rave and post punk acts from all over Europe. The Raveonettes headline on Saturday, alongside Glaswegian scenester DJs Shitdisco. Other acts this year include We Have Band, Caribou and Riot Radio, and the party continues till 3am every night. For further details about ticket prices and more, click on www.rockhouse.at!

BELGIUM

Brussels

Festival Couleur Café 24 to 26 June 2011 (annual)

The Festival Couleur Café brings international sounds to over 70,000 visitors at Brussels’ Tour & Taxis site. With more than 40 concerts over three days, it offers the best of R&B, hip hop, world, afro, reggae, ragga, dub, dancehall, Latin, salsa, electro and rock. Couleur Café is more than a globe-trotting urban festival. The Cool Art Café exposition features work by contemporary artists from the “North” and “South” with a typical Couleur Café-touch. The Solidarity Village wants to sensitize the audience about international social problems. 10 NGOs and associations provide information about awareness-raising campaigns and concrete solutions for worldwide social problems. If you are interested in, go to the Festival Couleur Café website www.couleurcafe.be!

Brussels

Rock Werchter 30 June to 3 July 2011 (annual)

Rock Werchter is one of Belgium’s biggest and best music festivals. It takes place on a special site about 30km east of Brussels and attracts up to 50,000 people each year, with enough room for everyone to camp. The line-up for 2011 is as impressive as ever with main stage headliners The Chemical Brothers and Kings of Leon. Joining them are other biggies (namely The Arctic Monkeys, Portishead, Cold Play, PJ Harvey, Iron Maiden and The Kaiser Chiefs); and on the uppers like Swedish Pop nymphette Robyn, and Belgium rockers Goose. You can find more detailed information on the following website www.rockwerchter.be/en/home/index.aspx!

BULGARIA

Burgas

Spirit of Burgas 12 to 14 August 2011 (annual)

If you are planning your summer vacation than put a note on your calendar - 12th, 13th and 14th of August are the dates of the hottest beach festival for 2011! SPIRIT of Burgas is the rising star of Eastern European festival scene set against the beautiful backdrop of Bulgaria’s Back Sea Coast. Launched in 2008, SPIRIT of Burgas was the first event of its kind in the country offering a variety of stages and diverse range of artists covering all genres of music. The festival has continued to grow each year and was recognised as one of Europe’s best festivals alongside some of the biggest long standing Festivals. Become a part of SPIRIT of Burgas and click on www.spiritofburgas.com if you need more information!

Veliko Tarnovo

XIV International Folklore Festival 16 to 30 July 2011 (annual)

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Veliko Tarnovo, the former capital of Bulgaria, stages concerts, ethnic dancing, shows and conferences, renewing the cultural traditions of the region. The International Folklore Festival also features a famous sound and light show, attracting numerous international visitors. So don’t hesitate to directly check the festival homepage, clicking on www.d-soft.org/projects/iff

CYPRUS

Paphos

Festival of Ancient Greek Drama July 2011 (annual)

The International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama, at its 15th edition, is an annual event which attracts professional theatre companies from various parts of the world. The wide international participation in this month-long festival, taking place at the Ancient Odeon of Paphos (and other venues around Cyprus), helps to bring out the glory and universality of ancient Greek drama and underline its living presence in today’s world. For info call at +35722674920 or check the Cyprus centre of International Theatre Institute homepage www.cyprus-theatre-iti.org/indexEn.html.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Prague

Dance Prague 6 to 29 June 2011 (annual)

The 23rd edition of Dance Prague (Tanec Praha) festival is bringing to the Czech Republic top quality dance shows and stars of dance world with projects that Prague audience has never had chance to see. It’s about an international festival of contemporary dance and movement theatre that contributes to defining the differences between traditional ballet and progressive, experimental dance. Established artists as well as new and innovative ones perform at Ponec Theatre and compete for prizes in various categories, including classic, contemporary, jazz and folk and choreography, while the recently launched Dance for Children festival helps develop younger

talents. To learn more follow the festival website

www.tanecpraha.cz/news/index/mn/22/page/44

DENMARK

Copenhagen

STRØM 13 to 20 August 2011 (annual)

Denmark’s electronic music festival, STRØM (electricity in Danish) lights up Copenhagen every August, attracting a young, trendy crowd. It’s not a traditional festival but rather a selection of the best and strongest purveyors of electronic music on the Copenhagen event scene, which has evolved heavily over the last years; STRØM is funded by the city and supported by both the City and the Region to promote underground electronic music and broadcast it to the masses. It was established in 2007 in a cooperation between a number of the strongest and most important names in the Danish electronic world and aims to be among the most important electronic music events in Northern Europe. So, if you are interested in and you want to keep you posted, go to stromcph.dk.

Vejers Beach

North Sea Beach Marathon 26 June 2011 (annual)

The west coast of Jutland challenges the senses. It is a special experience, not least when running or walking. This is true whether you have chosen the 5km, 10km, half marathon or the original marathon distance of 42,195km, that this year takes you from Hvide Sande to Vejers. There is something special about the experience of being in harmony with nature, the scent of the beach, and a freshness that gets under your skin when you join in the North Sea Beach Marathon. In the last 11 years, 20,000 participants from all over the world have experienced this special North Sea Beach Marathon feeling. It is one of the very few runs in the World that take place on a beach, so don’t miss it! Sign up now at www.beachmarathon.com/uk!

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ENGLAND

Liverpool

Writing on the Wall Festival May 2011 (annual)

Writing on the Wall (WOW) is an annual programme of events (free; just some of these are ticked) that culminate in a Liverpool-based festival. The festival features local, national and international writers, artists, historians and musicians who engage local communities and broader audiences to celebrate writing, diversity, tolerance, story-telling and humour through controversy, inquiry and debate. Don't miss the uniquely interactive debates that form the centrepiece and give attendees the option to sit at the back and listen, or more aptly stand at the front and shout! Click now on www.writingonthewall.org.uk.

Cambridge

Cambridge Summer Music Festival 15 July to 6 August 2011 (annual)

The Cambridge Summer Music Festival is the city’s annual festival of classical music offering outstanding musical performances in some of the city’s most historic buildings. Performers range from chamber orchestras to opera, choir and chamber singers. Waiting for it to come, you can take a look at this year’s programme at www.cambridgesummermusic.com.

ESTONIA

Tallinn

VII Tallinn Chamber Music Festival 14 to 24 September 2011

In summer 2005 Tallinn Chamber Music Festival had its opening concert with a great number of publicity. The Festival takes place in the historic concert halls and churches in one of the most beautiful cities of the Baltic States, and as part of Tallinn's 2011 European Capital of Culture, it expands to a fortnight. The audience from Tallinn and all over Estonia together with tourists will enjoy concerts in

the Town Hall, St John’s and St Michael's Swedish Church. So, what are you waiting for? Click now on the Pille Lill (the Festivals artistic director) Music Fund website www.plmf.ee

Museum night 2011 14 May 2011 (annual)

Once a year, on a Saturday evening in May, museums and other institutions all over Estonia stay open later and offer free admission to mark pan-European Museum Night. Museum Night has a different motto each year, and due to the Tallinn - Capital of Culture 2011 theme this year’s is “Treasure in the Night”. The goal of Museum Night is to offer people the chance to discover and recall values as cultural heritage in the broader sense, on one special night. Please visit the homepage of Tallinn – European Capital of Culture 2011 at www.tallinn2011.ee/eng.

FINLAND

Sodankylä

Midnight Sun Film Festival 15 to 19 June 2011 (annual)

The atmosphere of the Midnight Sun Film Festival is one of the most unique in the whole world: the most famous film directors of the world, young directors, the international audience and the in habitants of Sodankylä meet under the midnight sun in the relaxed and informal “spirit of Sodankylä”. The programme comprises new movies, major films, silent films with live music and panel discussions at which world-class directors often appear, as well as a review of the latest Finnish film productions and films for children and young people. The atmosphere produced by the all-night sunlight, 24-hour screenings and free-flowing vodka makes it unique! Keep you posted on it at www.msfilmfestival.fi/fpage.php!

FRANCE

Paris

Paris Dance Festival

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6 to 23 July 2011 (annual)

Paris Dance Festival, Les Etés de la Danse, returns for a series of performances at the Théâtre du Châtelet, in the heart of Paris. A different company is invited to perform every year and, in 2011, the privilege goes to the exuberant and youthful Miami City Ballet, one of the most important american ballet companies that is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary season. Addressing the lack of major performing arts presentations during the summer in Paris, the festival brings the world’s greatest companies to enthusiastic audiences in the European capital of dance. Find out more here www.lesetesdeladanse.com!

Paris

Moonlit Cinema in Paris August 2011 (annual)

Every summer, Parisian quartiers put on free films outdoors during the Cinéma au clair de lune, or Moonlit Cinema festival. Catch screenings everywhere from the Butte de Montmartre in the north to the Parc de Choisy in the south. Each outdoor venue has the capacity for an audience of 300-500 people. Full details of the 2011 programme are posted here www.forumdesimages.fr, on the Forum des Images website, as soon as they are announced.

Lille

Summer Music Clef Festival 3 July to 25 August 2011 (annual)

Several venues across Lille welcome classical ensembles as the city celebrates its musical heritage. The Summer Musical Clef Festival (Clef de Soleil), at its 10th anniversary, is a highlight of Lille’s cultural summer and concentrates on chamber music concerts. What’s the reason for its success? Low rates (and some free concerts), but mostly a quality and eclectic poster that does not hesitate to mix the great repertoire and present-day music (including jazz). In fact, Clef de Soleil honours a different contemporary writer every year. By now its homepage (www.clefdesoleil.com) is in the pipeline. Anyway don’t worry, you still have some months left to get ready to this amazing event! Keep you up on it!

GERMANY

Berlin

Carnival of Cultures 10 to 13 June 2011 (annual)

During the Carnival of Cultures, visitors to the German capital, and “Kiezbewohner” alike, experience the unique atmosphere of Berlin when the Metropolis shows itself at its best: cosmopolitan, multicultural and passionate. Carnival groups from more than 70 countries dance through the streets of Kreuzberg, Berlin’s most international district. The Carnival of Cultures began as a street parade of masqueraders, musicians, dancers, DJs and artists and has now escalated into a slickly impressive extravaganza with a great programme both on- and off-stage. All information about this year's street festival, will go online at www.karneval-berlin.de/de/english.175.html in spring.

Düsseldorf

Midsummer Night in Düsseldorf June 2011 (annual)

What a better place to celebrate the longest day of the year than the charming German town of Düsseldorf! The Altstadt loves summer and it is always lively. But, as the whole city celebrates the longest day of the year, a host of late-night openings at museums, cultural events and gourmet offerings make the atmosphere even better. Parallel to the cultural events, visitors can choose from the menus of numerous delicatessens on the Lange Tafel (long table) next to the Rhine. If you don’t want to miss out on this special occasion, book your trip now at www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml!

Cologne

Summerjam 1 to 3 July 2011 (annual)

The Summerjam reggae festival, at its 26th edition, features three days of booming basslines on a pleasant island in Cologne’s Fühlinger lake. Over 40 acts parade across the main stages over three days and two other tents harbour up-and-coming bands and sound systems. Since the festival began in 1986,

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it has grown rapidly to attract some of the biggest names in reggae. Though situated in an easily accessible spot in western Germany, the island setting is isolated enough to provide that special festival atmosphere! For detailed information please click on http://en.summerjam.de/. Stand up for love!

GREECE

Athens

Rockwave Festival 1 to 3 July 2011 (annual)

Rockwave Festival is one of the most famous music festival in Greece that brings some of the best rock and punk classics and contemporary bands to Terra Vibe Park in Athens. The festival’s history begins back in 1995, but it had its popularity spread since 2004. More than music, at the festival you can watch acrobats somersaulting or try something daring yourself, like bungee jumping. Past bands have included the likes of Judas Priest, The Offspring and Manu Chao, Siouxsie and Patti Smith. Since its inception, Rockwave Festival has grown to become the highlight of the city’s rock music calendar. To learn more about this year’s line-up, go to www.rockwavefestival.gr.

HUNGARY

Budapest

Danube Carnival June 2011 (annual)

Budapest hosts one of the most colourful events in the city’s cultural calendar, for the sixteenth time. The Danube Carnival is a ten-day long multi-cultural festival which includes a chain of international dance and music programs. The carnival atmosphere will be enhanced by the various forms of artistic expression involved including folk dance and music, contemporary dance, world music, symphonic and brass music. In addition to the Hungarian traditional and professional dance groups, the carnival will incorporate many European performers from outside Hungary as well as guest ensembles from overseas. The traditions of the Visegrad Countries

are also in the highlights. Related Information at www.dunaart.com/en.

ICELAND

All over Iceland

Summer Solstice in Iceland June 2011 (annual)

Icelanders and visitors alike gather around Reykjavik and countrywide to celebrate the midnight sun’s magic on the longest day of the year. The solstice is the apex of a long month’s sunshine, when the sun hangs determinedly in the sky, never setting. Unlike some other Scandinavian countries, formally organised events are rare, but visitors will find plenty of family get-togethers with bonfires, feasting and general merrymaking. For more details, please get in touch with the Icelandic Tourist Board pressing +354 535 5500 or send an e-mail to info@icetourist.is.

Reykjavik

Tango on Iceland August 2011 (annual)

Tango on Iceland invites fans of the sultry Argentine dance to come and watch international professionals doing it right. Plus there are workshops giving festival-goers a chance to learn the moves for themselves, tango bands, a tango DJ and Milonga. The Tango Festival 2011 programme will be soon available at www.tango.is/festival/toice10_engl.html.

IRELAND

Dublin

Dublin Dance Festival 13 to 28 May 2011 (annual)

Inaugurated in 2002, the Dublin Dance Festival (DDF) has become the premier dance event on the Irish arts calendar, by presenting a select range of contemporary dance from Ireland and around the world. DDF 2011 will focus on the work of Asian choreographers, in addition to some new and some

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familiar artists from Europe and North America. More than 40 performances will be complemented by a rich programme that includes an outdoor headphone disco, workshops, film screenings, artist talks, master classes and DDF’s first “off” event. The Dublin Dance Festival website has already published full details of this year’s line-up at www.dublindancefestival.ie.

Dublin Writers Festival 23 to 29 May 2011 (annual)

The annual Dublin Writers Festival has grown from a celebration of contemporary Irish writing into a fully fledged international event. Bigger and better than ever, this year not only the festival line-up will feature the best of Irish and International authors, but also it will host very special events to celebrate Dublin’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature joining Edinburgh, Melbourne and Iowa as Cities of Literature. All events take place within walking distance of each other in the centre of the city. The new website will be launching shortly, but in the meantime mark your diaries with the new Festival Dates! Check it out at http://dublinwritersfestival.com.

ITALY

Venice

Heineken Jammin’ Festival 9 to 11 June 2011 (annual)

The Heineken Jammin’ Festival started out in 1998 and has since become one of Europe’s most popular summer rock festivals. The line-up always features an interesting selection of Italian and international rock acts at San Giuliano Park in Mestre (Venice), an area of over 700,000 square meters. In addition, it is set up a second stage to host the Heineken Jammin’ Festival Contest emerging bands and there are entertainment thematic areas that allow fans to live an exclusive live experience. National stars as Negramaro and Vasco Rossi are tipped to be appearing on stage in 2011 along with Coldplay (in their only Italian date) and others. Related Information at

www.heineken.it/main/HeinekenJamminFestival.

Poggibonsi (Siena)

Ombre International Theatre Festival June 2011 (annual)

The annual Ombre International Theatre Festival stages theatre productions at the Rocca Staggia Senese in the lovely town of Poggibonsi, near Siena. Participating companies come from Italy and other European countries. The theme of the 2010 edition was The Shadow of Life, which opened with a production of Sophocles’ Antigone, a photography exhibition by Iranian artist Siavash Laghai, and a conference entitled The Denied Child. A film and a video documentary were also on the bill. This year’s programme is still not available, but if you want to learn more about this special event visit now its website at

www.festivalombre.it/index.html.

Pennabilli

Artisti in Piazza 1 to 5 June 2011 (annual)

Pennabilli medieval town, rare beauty in the greenest heart of Italy, will be ready soon to guest over two hundreds masters of entertainment arriving from all over the world to impress and amaze all those coming to visit this international buskers festival. Excellent musicians and eccentric jugglers as well as actors, inventors, story tellers, painters, sculptors and acrobats will be the protagonists of one of the best European fantasy happening. This is why you can’t miss it! Click on www.artistiinpiazza.com/2011/?page_id=31

LATVIA

Riga

Riga International Salsa Festival 10 to 12 June 2011 (annual)

The capital of Latvia – Riga - will host the 7th edition of the Riga Salsa Festival in the best central city locations, by gathering salseros and salseras from all over the world. This amazing event is for those who are looking forward participating in the best quality workshops and partying with your favorite brilliant

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instructors on the dance floor till sunrise. The most incredible well-known instructors and also new talented enthusiastic artists are invited by organizers of the festival. Are you ready to party Latino style? So, follow the latest information at www.rigasalsafestival.com/page?lang=en!

LITHUANIA

Vilnius

GAIDA Second half of October 2011 (annual)

Held in Vilnius every year since 1991, GAIDA is the biggest and most renowned festival of contemporary music in Lithuania and one of the most important forums of new music in Central and Eastern Europe. In the last ten years the festival has become a prestigious event not only for music lovers from Vilnius and Lithuania but also for foreign audiences attending the festival concerts in increasingly large numbers. GAIDA covers and presents a broad sweep of the latest musical tendencies, fashions, and creative processes in Lithuania, Europe and the world. Related information at

www.vilniusfestivals.lt/index.php?page=apie_en.

LUXEMBOURG

Luxembourg City

New Orleans Meets Luxembourg 12 and 13 June 2011 (annual)

During the Easter weekend, Luxembourg and America’s Deep South collide for the annual New Orleans Meets Luxembourg festival. On place Guillaume II, a big swinging music stage will host around 50 live musicians playing all American music, including jazz, dixieland, New Orleans, swing, blues, country et gospel music. The festival was launched for the first time in 2006 as a support project for New Orleans’ impoverished musicians after the devastating passage of hurricane Katharina. What started as a solidarity project quickly became a success story in Luxembourg’s thrilling festival scene! Related Information at www.neworleans.lu.

Luxembourg City

ING-Europe Marathon Luxembourg 11 June 2011 (annual)

An exceptionally beautiful course marked by symbols of European history, spectators from around the world and an atmosphere infused with the international flair of the European city give this marathon its unique character. As night falls, crowds gather in Luxembourg City’s old town to watch the ING Marathon. This is more than a sporting event - the illuminated city simultaneously hosts a series of activities in conjunction with the running. Please visit the Luxembourg Marathon website, to register for or to simply have more related information about, at

www.ing-europe-marathon.lu/index.php?id=845

MALTA

Gozo

Lejlet Lapsi June 2011 (annual)

Gozo's version of the White Night, Lejlet Lapsi is a jam-packed weekend of events and activities. Exhibitions, concerts, children's shows, re-enactments, workshops and fireworks fill the island's romantic squares and narrow streets for three days. For more details, please get in touch with the Malta Tourism Authority pressing +356 2291 5000 or send an e-mail to info@visitmalta.com.

NORWAY

Tromøya

Hove Festival 28 June to 1 July 2011

The Hove Festival is a festival for those people who believe that combining the best artists with on site camping, nature, beaches and idyllic surroundings form the ultimate festival experience. Hove Festival mixes large international acts with Norwegian bands in the unique setting of an island outside Arendal city. The four-days festival is filled with bands you love and others maybe you’ve never heard before

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but besides the music, you’ll share experiences from the quirkiest art scenes, watching yet-to-be-released movies and eating delicious ecological food. If you want to discover this year’s festival programme, look it up on the following website

www.hovefestival.com/english.

Bergen

Bergen International Film Festival 19 to 26 October 2011 (annual)

Norway's fastest-growing annual film festival, the Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) is held at the Bergen Cinema and features more than 100 international films, a competition programme, documentaries, sci-fi and animation. The 12th edition entire programme will be published soon, check it out regularly at www.biff.no/2011/en/index.html.

POLAND

Warsaw

Warsaw Summer Jazz Days 17 to 22 June 2011 (annual)

The idea of Warsaw Summer Jazz Days festival was introduced in 1992. The festival itself has immediately grown to be one of the most important jazz festivals in Europe and it still keeps its avant-garde character. By introducing key international figures, including many of the emerging talents the festival occupied an essential place in the jazz scene and it has its dedicated fans not only in Poland but also abroad. Two days of innovative jazz followed by one day with a free entry jazz concert and the final day performance of best jazz artists. The main venue of the festival is the Congress Hall of the Palace of Culture and Science, where the audience can reach up to 2500 people. Related information are available at www.adamiakjazz.pl/home.html.

Częstochowa

Harvest Festival at Jasna Góra September 2011 (annual)

The most famous and not to be missed feast of the Polish country folk and culture held annually on the

first Saturday and Sunday of September. On those days farmers from all the country come to the Jasna Góra hill to thank the Holy Virgin Mary and plead for her protection. The Harvest Festival is accompanied by local agricultural fair with its exhibition of highly regarded regional products. In addition, folk rites, dances and songs from several European countries are performed on the city stages. During the European Days of Folk Culture held at that time winners of the International Folk Art Contest are selected. Please check for more information at

www.czestochowa.pl/welcome-to-czestochowa

PORTUGAL

Paredes de Coura

Paredes de Coura Rock Festival 17 to 20 August 2011 (annual)

Top international rock acts come to Paredes de Coura in north-west Portugal for the town’s annual rock music festival. Past performers have included the Sex Pistols, The Prodigy and the Dandy Warhols. There are also jazz shows and screenings of music documentaries for those tired of moshing! This year’s line-up is still not available, but if you want to find out more about the last editions go now to www.paredesdecoura.com/en/index.php.

Sines

Festival Músicas do Mundo (World Music Festival) 22 to 24 and 27 to 30 July 2011 (annual)

Created in 1999, FMM Sines - Festival Músicas do Mundo is the biggest annual world music festival in Portugal. Organised by the local City Council, it’s an event designed for an audience of music discoverers, who come to Sines for the quality of the programme, the spectacular venues and a spirit regarded as unique among Portugal’s summer festivals. The festival shows the diversity of musical expressions in the world without genre boundaries, from tradition to jazz, from folk to blues, from tango to reggae, from classical music to fusion. Please check the festival website for more details on this year’s line-up at http://fmm.com.pt/en.

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ROMANIA

Bucharest

SoNoRo International Chamber Music Festival October - November 2011 (annual)

First held in 2006, SoNoRo brings chamber music to various Bucharest venues throughout its fortnight of music making. Each year there is a theme, bringing together international and Romanian players in the collaborative art that is chamber music. The festival also breaks out of Bucharest with concerts in Cluj and Iasi. Click now on www.sonoro.ro/en.

RUSIA

Moscow

Moscow International Book Fair 7 to 12 September 2011 (annual)

The Moscow International Book Fair, at its 24th edition, is held in September each year, and presents the largest collective of publishers from CIS countries. A major book fair lasting five days and featuring an array of international best sellers. This year’s programme is still not available but if you want to keep you up on this special event, visit its website at www.mibf.ru.

Moscow

Moscow Autumn Festival Mid - October 2011 (annual)

This festival celebrates all manner of contemporary music from around the world featuring a range of different concerts at various venues. Organized by the renowned Moscow Conservatory and its New Music Studio, the event draws both performers and academics. New Music Studio members make up much of the works presented in the Main Hall of the Composers’ Union: Vladimir Tarnopolski, Alexey Sioumak and Nikolai Korndorf are among the best-known. In a city well-known for classical music, this is a fascinating glimpse of the avant-garde. Related information at the Moscow P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory’s website http://eng.mosconsv.ru

SCOTLAND

Glasgow

West End Festival 3 to 26 June 2011 (annual)

Following another successful year in 2010, this June sees the 16th anniversary of what is undoubtedly now Glasgow's most popular festival, and one of the top 3 or 4 in Scotland. The West End Festival brings music, film, art and performance events to the venues and communities of Glasgow's West End. Over a million people have attended free and paid events since the event started in 1996 and it will be made better than ever in 2011 and beyond! Full details of this year's programme are already available at the festival website www.westendfestival.co.uk.

SERBIA

Novi Sad

Cinema City – International Film and New Media Festival 18 to 25 June 2011 (annual)

During those eight festival days, Novi Sad will again become cinema city and significant festival centre with rich film, music and academic programme with numerous guests from the world of cinematography. Cinema City treats world cinema lovers to over 150 film screenings, talks and workshops. The event kicks off with a live music concert held in the atmospheric grounds of the Petrovaradin fortress and features its own awards ceremony. Full details of this year's programme are already available at the festival website eng.cinemacity.org.

SLOVENIA

Ljubljana

Ljubljana Biennal of Graphic Arts September - October 2011 (biennial)

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The Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts, admired for its openness and liberty, is the world’s oldest existing biennial exhibition of contemporary graphic arts that has taken place since 1955. The biennial welcomes worldwide institutions to present their exhibitions, aiming to help redefine the nature of contemporary graphic work, based on the importance of multiplied images as a means of communication. Several other exhibitions run alongside the main event. The biennial is held at various venues including the International Centre of Graphic Arts, Cankarjev dom and Cultural and Congress Centre. Please visit the centre’s website for the latest information on www.mglc-lj.si/eng/index.htm.

Kamnik

Kamfest 1 to 31 August 2011 (annual)

Kamnik Cultural House organises Kamfest, an open-air event of arts and culture held in the medieval town centre. Rock gigs, chamber music recitals, dance shows, video documentaries and exhibitions all feature on the packed programme. Full details of this year’s programme are still not available but if you are interested in, give the festival website (www.kamfest.org/kamfest-2010) a check!

SPAIN

Madrid

PhotoEspaña 1 June to 24 July 2011 (annual)

PHotoEspaña international festival of photography and visual arts features exhibitions, debates and masterclasses at venues around Madrid. Budding photographers from far and wide enter the competition Descubrimientos PHE (“Discoveries”), with the hope of their photographic talents being spotted. Aside from the competitive aspect of the festival, there is also a section devoted to great masters of photography. Check the festival website for full details of the extensive programme at www.phe.es/festival.

Marbella

Marbella International Art Festival 23 (Inaugural Opening) to 26 June 2011 (annual)

Marbella International Art Festival was founded in 2009 by a dedicated group of Spanish and international residents, with the support of Marbella Town Hall. The event has now grown into one of the most important street art festivals in southern Spain and a major visitor attraction. For three days of artistic celebration each June, it brings together the many different nationalities who live in and visit Marbella, uniting them all through the passion of creativity and art. If you are interested in and you want to keep you posted, go to http://artemarbella.com.

SWEDEN

Stockholm

Urban Connection Festival 14 to 19 May 2011 (annual)

For the fifth consecutive year Dansens Hus (The House of Dance) is hosting Urban Connection - a festival celebrating urban dance culture. Swedish and international dancers and companies get together for one week in a fusion of styles, personalities and expression to demonstrate artistic development in the field. Look out for the rest of the programme to be released later this spring and visit regularly the Dansen Hus website www.dansenshus.se/In_English.

Stockholm

Belly Dance Festival 1 to 5 June 2011 (annual)

The annual Stockholm Belly Dance Festival has grown in to one of the biggest events in the world for oriental dance. What makes this four-days festival such an attraction is the unique collection of teachers and artists that is gathering each year in Stockholm's Riddarfjaerdsskolan (Swedish Ballet School) to share the passion for the oriental dance as an art form. Visit the festival you too! You will experience something you never seen before...Related Information at www.bellydancefestival.se.

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SWITZERLAND

Geneva

Nuits des Bains 19 May or 15 September 2011

The Quartier des Bains Association aims to encourage and promote contemporary art in Geneva, in particular in the Quartier des Bains area, which has become over the last few years a platform for contemporary art in Switzerland. The Association organizes 3 “Nuits des Bains” – three common openings - on the third Thursday of March, May and September. The public attending the openings is very diverse. Among art buyers and artists, many students, “Young Urban Professionals”, politicians, journalists and Geneva international residents visit the Quartier des Bains. The MAMCO and the Centre d’art participate to the three events by opening their doors to the public during the opening nights. If you are interested in and you want to keep you posted, go to www.quartierdesbains.ch/bienvenue.php.

THE NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam

Amsterdam Roots Festival 23 to 26 June 2011 (annual)

Four days of free music from every corner of the world, at five different locations in Amsterdam, bring the roots of music from every culture to one Festival. Roots Indoor starts off the Festival at the best venues in Amsterdam whereas Roots Open Air, taking place in Oosterpark, marks the ending. International artists perform alongside local talent and there is an extensive children’s program, too. The stages and tents are surrounded by a Worldmarket of more than a 100 booths with a wide

variety of products from near and far, including dozens of exotic eateries. If you want to discover the full programme of the Amsterdam Roots Festival, at its 14th edition, look it up on the following website www.amsterdamroots.nl.

Rotterdam

Dunya Festival 29 May 2011 (annual)

Dunya is the world performing arts festival in the Netherlands. Its heart is in the park at the Euromast and Parklaan in the centre of Rotterdam. Activities are spread over several stages, featuring well-known and lesser-known artists from the Netherlands and further afield. A wide variety of music, storytelling, poetry and performance is presented, along with a mini Dunya Festival for children. In 2008 a total of more than 60 hours of world music was programmed. The program of the 2011 edition will be announced by the end of March. For more related information you can visit the website www.dunya.nl/nl/English.

TURKEY

Bergama

International Bergama Festival June 2011 (annual)

The International Bergama Festival celebrates the site of the Temple of Zeus (one of the wonders of the world) and its culture. It features handicraft exhibitions, folklore shows, sports competitions and concerts in the town's massive antique theatre. For related information, get in touch with the Bergama District Administration pressing +90 232 632 8005 or send an e-mail to the Turkish Culture & Tourism Office at info@gototurkey.co.uk.

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WE BUILD EUROPE Men can also do it!

After the decision taken during the International Women’s Conference in Copenhagen in August 1910, the International Women’s Day was celebrated for the first time on 18 March 1911 in Germany, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland, gathering over a million women and men. In addition to the entitlement to vote and exercise a civil service, they demanded the right to work, professional training and suspension of the workplace discrimination. Less than a week later, on 25 March the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women's Day events.

In the wake of it, on Tuesday 8 March 2011 the European Parliament organised a special ceremony to commemorate 100 years of campaigning for women’s rights. In particular, the EP marked the International Women's Day Centenary with a debate and vote on two resolutions tabled by the Women's Rights Committee: one on gender equality and the other on female poverty. A third resolution, on reducing health inequalities, was also adopted. About the first resolution, the pay gap between men and women still averages 18% in the EU and even exceeds 30% in one Member State, noted MEPs, urging EU Member States to implement equal pay for equal work laws properly and calling on the European Commission to impose sanctions on those that fail to do so. Moreover, the second resolution, facing female poverty, notes that nearly 85 million people in the EU were living below the poverty line in 2008, and 17% of all women in

the EU were living in poverty. All EU common policies should have a gender perspective, stresses the decision. Finally, in a third resolution adopted, Parliament underlines that everybody should have access to healthcare systems and affordable healthcare. The specific needs of vulnerable groups such as women, older patients, undocumented migrants, ethnic minorities, need to be taken better into account. Also within countries, groups of different education levels and social situations have widely differing health prospects.

The Women’s Day 2011 poster (europarl.europa.eu)

Member States should therefore take effective measures, such as quotas, to ensure greater representation for women in major listed companies and on the management boards of companies in general, say MEPs, citing Norway as a positive example, followed by Spain and France. Especially, in Norway the

policy has pushed hard on equal opportunities by encouraging companies (with sanctions), stimulating births, helping mothers and fathers with compulsory parental leave and public

Martina Braggion Degree in International and

Diplomatic Science

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nurseries for all. In fact, there is a “wonderful” law of the former Conservative Minister of Industry

Ansgar Gabrielson that imposes 40% of women on boards of directors of public companies. Otherwise, you’re kicked out of the Stock Exchange: the reasoning is that boards of directors have to represent 100% of the population, not just the male half! Since 2001, the goal has been reached. Also, through the project “Female Future”, it will be stimulated women managers’ careers in public and private companies because it was realized these last ones would have been more competitive if there were both men and women in command. The numbers say that, with these real equal opportunities (for example 10-weeks compulsory parental leave for fathers and nurseries that cover all need), birth rates has increased. It is used the law to force changes in society and after 10 years Norwegians could do it! On the contrary, in Italy, although there is article 9 of Act 53/2000 that allocates free grant money to help women who want a part-time job, often nurseries aren’t enough and after 10 years, half of funds have not been spent and there still are realities where the owner does not

allow anything to mothers. In Italy, the ISTAT data on the women’s employment are clear: 27% of women give up the work after the first child. In fact, when a profile for a position is drawn up, one thinks it’s necessary to be a man because it is asked willingness to travel or to work overtime: the woman has to choose to advance her career or not whereas the man doesn’t have this problem. This causes the waste of a lot of female talents, women who give up the job in order to have a child.

Parliament also calls for binding targets to ensure equal representation of women and men in politics, saying further efforts must be made at EU, national, regional and municipal levels. In Norway there are 10 women out of 19 ministers and 29% of women are parliamentarians

whereas in Italy there are 5 women ministers out of 23 (3 without portfolio). 9,2% of women are at the controls of a company and 2,36% represent the quotas in the boards of directors.

What does it means to give women’s presence up

in terms of competitiveness and value? Italy is, in Europe, among the countries with the worst results in terms of gender differentials, especially in reference to a job and politics. Japan is very similar to Italy. In both countries we find, along with the low female participation, a low birth rate and a strong economic stagnation. The womenomics has been introduced by Kathy Matsui, Goldman Sachs’ analyst, and drawn on by the Economist to define the argument that explains the need of a larger women’s integration in the economy, not only according to principles of equity but also of economic efficiency. So, more women means more convenience for all. But how can women work and keep their kids? This could be a first solution…together, to get rid of stains, not only on clothes but in life!

Some pictures of how the European Parliament celebrated the centenary of International

Women’s Day (europarl.europa.eu)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deBYy6VplZQ

Informative sources:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu http://www.istat.it http://www.economist.com http://www.nho.no/english http://www.stortinget.no/en/In-English/

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6 Months in Brief

November 2010: On the eve of the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Cancún, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December, the European Parliament set out its position by adopting a resolution on 25 November. The resolution says that the European Union would be acting in the interest of its own future economic growth by stepping up its CO2 emissions reduction target from 20% to 30%. Also, the document highlights forest protection and climate aid responsibilities vis-à-vis developing countries, stressed by MEPs, who want the European Union to show its willingness to continue in a second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol from 2013.

December 2010: Turku (Finland) and Tallinn (Estonia) are the European Capitals of Culture in 2011. The opening ceremony of Tallinn 2011 was held on New Year's Eve, with a firework display and a major public concert gathering thousand of people taking place on the Theatre Square. Many cultural events have been planned for Tallinn in 2011: a series of exhibitions, concerts and live events are holding throughout the year and, as the city is by the sea, that’s a recurrent theme. Following Turku and Tallinn in 2011, the future European Capitals of Culture will be Guimarães (Portugal) and Maribor (Slovenia) in 2012, Marseille (France) and Košice (Slovakia) in 2013, Umeå (Sweden) and Riga (Latvia) in 2014, and Mons (Belgium) and Plzeň (Czech Republic) in 2015.

January 2011: On 1 January 2011, after Spain and Belgium, that’s for Hungary to take the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Joined the EU in 2004, Hungary takes the EU Presidency for the first time. Among its priorities: the European economy stabilization, European Union enlargement, energy and Roma integration. On this last issue, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed hope that the Roma Strategy would be completed during the Hungarian Presidency and would be approved at the European Council meeting in June. Also, Hungary supports Croatia’s EU accession, looks upon enlarging the Schengen Area to Romania and Bulgaria as an important task and would like to provide Serbia with a completely clear-cut accession

perspective. In respect of energy, Mr Orbán identified the liberalisation of the single EU energy market and the creation of energy security as high priorities.

February 2011: After the EU had expressed its grave concern about the situation in Libya and strongly condemned the violence and use of force against civilians, on 28 February 2011 the Council of the European Union adopted a decision implementing the UN Security Council Resolution on Libya of 26 February (UNSCR 1970/2011). In fact, in line with the UNSC decision, the Council banned the supply to Libya of arms, ammunition and related material. In addition, it prohibited trade with Libya in equipment which might be used for internal repression and imposed restrictive measures against those responsible for the violent crackdown on the civilian population.

March 2011: The Union for the Mediterranean plenary Assembly took place in Rome on 3-4 March. Here MEPs and parliamentarians from both northern and southern Mediterranean countries called for a new plan for the European Investment Bank to improve economic relations and development, but also improve security in the region. In addition, delegates signed a declaration condemning Libya's Gaddafi regime and calling for International humanitarian assistance on its borders. This also was an historic opportunity for the Euro-Mediterranean Assembly to revive its original mission and to assert its ambition.

April 2011: Between 11 and 15 April 2011, the European Commission will promote the Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW). Hundreds of events organised in all parts of Europe will show, promote, discuss and celebrate energy efficiency and renewable energy. Wherever you are in Europe, join the EUSEW 2011 and organise an Energy Day in your city, town or region! The European Institutions, associates of the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign, and other important players in the field will organise a series of events in Brussels. These will include a 3-day policy conference organised by the European Commission, the annual Award Ceremony and many more. Take a week to change tomorrow, be a part of it!

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YOU TALK

On challenging the Best at University of St. Gallen

Releasing potential When I first heard of Challenge the Best I didn’t think twice. It is a rare opportunity and a privilege for a student like myself to get involved in a project that brings together a group of people that are not afraid to look into the state of affairs, ask questions and make every effort to understand the mechanisms of the reality in a profound way. But such ambition needs a direction. Such energy and curiosity could prove only constructive when harnessed in a rigorous analytical framework of an academic discussion – and that’s precisely the reason why the framework of Challenge the Best proved so successful. Leadership and inspiration - It’s what differentiates good student events from great ones. And a great one was about to happen, since both ingredients were at the core of the formula of this event.

I therefore wrote an essay and filled out my application. It wasn’t long before I found myself among the group of students from around Europe to see for myself how it is to debate together with the World’s Finest on the controversial topic of Climate Change.

Lead by the Leaders So we were there – at the University of St. Gallen which prides itself for being one of the best business schools in the region. Everyone with minds open, ready to share their experiences and hungry for knowledge, we awaited the first seminars where the experts from the leading academic and business institutions in Europe and the US were about to introduce us to the ground-breaking research in disciplines ranging from sociology, finance and economics to biology and meteorology.

It does not happen very often that a discussion of students with different skills, academic and cultural backgrounds can be so conclusive, however with a skillful leadership of Professor Dirk Lehmkuhl, the Chair of European Politics at the University of St. Gallen, together with Dr. Andreas Koestler, the UNDAC team member, no one had doubts where we were going with our thoughts and experiences. At any given moment, during the discussion at the preparation seminars or throughout the discussions at the main event, it was great to feel that as a group it was us that were in the center of attention. Every voice counted, everyone was able to find something relevant to his personal studies and interest – it was all about playing with the ideas, making them work, scrutinizing them and approaching them with different tools and from different perspectives.

Piotr Wetmanski University College London

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How to challenge the best? During the pre-event workshops we were given intellectual tools of the highest caliber. We knew each other better; we were aware of more problems and have been exposed to some of the most important research and practices. By the end of the seminars we felt ready to challenge the Best – Nobel Prize Laureates, International leaders, Scientists and Experts. They all had the expertise and knowledge but we had creativity, fresh view on the problem, thousands of questions and finally it was only us who could tell what is important in the global changes for students like ourselves.

But I wouldn’t forget that it wasn’t only the academic discussions that enabled us to challenge the best, but perhaps even most importantly there were all those lively discussions at parties and coffee breaks and lunches we had – that was what created a unique atmosphere of the event, friendships and valuable contacts which I am sure will last for many years.

A heavyweight in its class If you asked me what was “Challenge the Best” like, I would say this event was unique. And I would have to say it twice: it was really unique – as saying it only once doesn’t quite give justice to what happened at St. Gallen’s University in May 2010. But most importantly along with uniqueness it brought a lot of quality with it and even more noticeably Guests. It really was a heavyweight in its class. I once wrote: Very few events in Europe’s Academic horizon can be compared to “Challenge the Best”. Inspiring, thought provoking and challenging - Sounds like a slogan? – sure it does, but in this case it is a fact – true at least for me and my experience. Try it yourself and see if you’ve got what it takes to challenge the Best!

To read more about the past event and the next “Challenge the Best” and to see photos from 2010, click here:

http://www.challengethebest.org/index.php?page=home.

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