On July 6th, the VIMA Danube platform, performed by ILEUe.v., was launched officially during the conference  „Donau. Jugend. Europa – Perspektiven für den Donauraum“ of the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung at the Edwin-Scharff-Haus in Neu-Ulm, Germany.

A group of volunteers from 4 different Danube countries, coordinated by Ileu e.V., are working together to promote the platform and present it and how it functions during the conference. With Carmen Stadelhofer, president of Ileu e.V., the volunteers gathered in a little Q&A session to answer the most exciting questions about the platform and their work, promoting it to the conference visitors.

VIMA Danube is a platform to connect people from Europe and the Danube region. The platform was sponsored by the city of Ulm and the State Ministry of Baden-Wuerttemberg. It has different sections where people can exchange with others in interest groups or the search and offer section and inform themselves about upcoming events or news along the Danube. It allows people who speak English, German, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, or Ukrainian to comment, post and read in their language. More languages are being planned so that many people can actively participate!

Join us and meet people who share your interests!

https://vima-danube.eu/mitmachen

Shortly after the war of aggression against Ukraine began in February 2022, ILEU set up a Ukrainian aid organization in Ulm for the many people who had fled to the greater Ulm area. The aim is to provide humanitarian aid in communication, encounters, and integration. Under the motto “Together in Ulm,” associations, companies, and numerous volunteers from Ulm were sought and found to support the project. A comprehensive program was developed for refugees of all ages.  This is only possible because the ILEU team and the volunteer supporters use digital technologies innovative for organization, information, networking, and participation and combine them with analog activities. All activities are bilingual, in German and Ukrainian.

From 1st to 10th of July 2022 takes place the 12th International Danube Festival Ulm/Neu-Ulm

Around 360.000 visitors are expected in Ulm and Neu-Ulm for the International Danube Festival, where artists and guests from all countries along the Danube are getting together for a great festival of encounters. The international cultural program offers an ambitious mixture of various genres: Music from classic to Jazz, Balkan-Beats, world music, folk and pop as well as literature and dance, completed by the mutual exchange in the fields of politics, society and environment.

www.donaufest.de

This call will support civil society organisations in all EU countries in their crucial work of protecting and promoting Union Values at national, regional and local level. Civil society organisations play an important role in promoting a culture of values, based on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights. They are key partners for Member States to support them in their efforts to promote and protect fundamental rights, democracy and the rule of law. They need to be able to work in a supportive environment so that they can carry out their mission effectively.

Continue reading “Call for proposals to promote and protect Union values under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV).” →

To meet the needs of the cultural sector in the Danube region, to contribute to the implementation of the EUSDR, and to give a proper answer to the challenges of the Covid-pandemic, the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts Baden-Württemberg (MWK) initiated a pilot action for the Danube Small Project Fund which is to elaborate the final structure and to test the long-term function of this innovative funding platform. The partner organisations of the Danube Small Project Fund agreed to jointly establish a pilot implementation phase from 2021-2023. The pilot phase is based on simple online calls at least once per year (depending on funding possibilities). Cultural actors in the Danube region can describe their concepts and enter them into an online form to apply for funding.

Visit the link below to find out more about the eligibility criteria and how to apply: https://www.danubeculture.eu/danube-small-project-fund

The submission deadline for this call is 31 October 2021 at 24:00 CEST !!!

Within the framework of the pilot project DANECT, people of all ages, but especially seniors, from the Danube region come together to connect despite the social isolation in times of Corona crisis. With the help of online video meetings, they share their interests, emotions, but also competencies. To participate, you need a PC or laptop with a camera or microphone, alternatively a tablet or a smartphone and an internet connection.

There are numerous activities within the project, such as:

 – The Come Together Sessions: Every second Sunday the Danube-Networkers invite people from the Danube countries and all over Europe to an online session “Come together – Connecting people by culture in times of Corona”. A colorful program is organized via the video conference system Zoom. There is something for everyone – music presentations, singing, dance, presentations about traditions from different countries (e.g. traditional festivals, cultural customs, etc.) or even breath-relaxation exercises. These are not contributions from professionals out of the box, but according to the motto “from friends for friends!” members of the transnational network and guests design the program themselves.

 – Working groups: Powerful women, women’s history along the Danube and Europe. Interested in women’s history and want to share knowledge in an international working group? Join this working group and get to know powerful women, that played an important role in the 19th to the 21st century in your or other countries along the Danube and in Europe.

 – Sharing traditions and cultural treasures – a get together:  How does intangible culture connect us as Europeans? What customs and traditions can we learn from our Danube Neighbours? We would like to start a working group where we talk and share cultural treasures with each other based on different topics: for ex. special holidays, festivals and customs in your countries, most famous cultural treasures of your country etc. We invite you for a get-together to discuss ideas for the upcoming working groups.

 – Language conversation groups: Ongoing small conversation groups to refresh the language skills, moderated by native speakers. Current courses: English and French.

Go to the project website: www.danect.eu

Date: 11^th of January 2020

On the 11^th of January 2020, the representatives of ILEU e.V. and DANET e.V. have had the opportunity to meet and exchange with the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel in an online meeting.

Present were: Carmen Stadelhofer, President of ILEU e.V. and DANET e.V. and Viktoria Kurnosenko, deputy managing director of ILEU e.V., who presented to the Commissioner the approach of Danube-Networkers on civic participation and the report on latest activities on the “global” level and Assoc. Prof. Emiliya Velikova, vice-president of DANET e.V., who provided a “local” perspective of the activities, that the Pensioners’ Clubs of Ruse/Slivo Pole and the University of Ruse are involved in.

After a brief presentation, the Commissioner has shared a number of recommendations on promoting the activities of Danube-Networkers and suitable European programs for project applications. She underlined the importance of the cooperation with the Committee of Regions and the European Universities Initiative and have named contact persons within the European Commission, that are responsible for the issues of civic participation. The Commissioner has stated, that in the time of the pandemic, one has to consider not only the digital divide but also the social divide. For this reason, she has reacted very positively to the citizen-oriented approach of Danube-Networkers and their latest participative online-activities. The Commissioner has kindly offered to stay in contact and inform her about the further steps and approaches to make the work of the Network “Danube-Networkers” known on a socio-political level and securing its sustainable development.