Justin Olusunde, from Re-Zolve, describes some community projects they run to prevent unwanted goods from ending up in landfill – and in which many youngJustin Olusunde, from Re-Zolve, describes some community projects they run to prevent unwanted goods from ending up in landfill – and in which many young people are involved as volunteers, trainees, and paid workers. These include Resource, which takes unwanted furniture and white goods eg fridges, and refurbishes them for sale to local people at cheap prices; and ShreddyBed, which makes animal bedding from waste card, which is used by farmers, horse owners, and any animals needing bedding – even alpacas! Justin is concerned that projects like these seem to be well represented in the UK but less so in other EU countries; he would like to see successful projects like these helping others getting established in other countries – similar projects could even be franchised across the whole of Europe.(more)(less)
"Scrapstore" is a recycling project which helps young people by rescuing materials and products discarded by local companies, for use in art, craft, and"Scrapstore" is a recycling project which helps young people by rescuing materials and products discarded by local companies, for use in art, craft, and creative play activities – for example painting, collage, sculpture, making jewellery, building theatre scenery, props and costumes, and creating gardens. The materials include things like paper, plastic, card, fabric, wood, wool, paint, wallpaper, and carpets; the project ensures that they are re-used instead of being dumped in local landfill sites. Gary, who runs Cornwall Scrapstore, explains that the Scrapstore model is popular in the UK, but hasn’t transferred very much to other EU countries. Gary says that the EU has an important role in supporting and promoting projects across Europe like Scrapstore,which help both the environment and local young people, as exemplars for others to follow.(more)(less)
Brian Shipman, European Policy Development Officer for Cornwall County Council, South West England, has worked with colleagues across Europe and beyondBrian Shipman, European Policy Development Officer for Cornwall County Council, South West England, has worked with colleagues across Europe and beyond to try to find solutions to common problems which confront everyone, such as sustainable development. He says it is exciting that the 'Erasmus generation' are committed to the European ideal, and wants to see young people actively engaging in these long term debates about big issues such as climate change and the future of the environment. They go far beyond the perspective of a 5 year national parliament, and need long term thinking. Brian thinks that his generation has set the framework for debate, but today’s young people should engage in the debates, because, after all, it’s about their own future.(more)(less)
This interactive application (turn off PopUp blocker to view it) lets you discover a lot of information on Europe - from different areas like demography,This interactive application (turn off PopUp blocker to view it) lets you discover a lot of information on Europe - from different areas like demography, consumer prices, education benchmarks, employment situation and many more - See the current figures and the development over the time - you can select and look at these data in an interactive visual way! Data are taken from the servers of EUROSTAT, the statistics agency of the EU.(more)(less)
Mag. Horst Barwinek - Expert for labour market of the Federal Chamber of Labour in Styria/Austria on the topic Flexicurity: In Austria the labour marketMag. Horst Barwinek - Expert for labour market of the Federal Chamber of Labour in Styria/Austria on the topic Flexicurity:
In Austria the labour market IS already flexible. We have a higher rate of job resumption than do have the US; the average benefits unemployed people get from unemployment insurance are much lower than is the European average.
Overall the Austrian labour market cannot be called inflexible.
So, if you take this ambiguous term of "flexicurity", it turns out that maybe it is more important to stress the part "security" in it!
Moreover one should always be careful to "import" terms and concepts and the expectations linked to them from other countries. You have to be aware, that in the Scandinavian countries, where the term flexicurity comes from, the cultural and historical development of economy and social systems is nearly uncomparable with Austria, the kind and size of problems there are different to ours; it seems quite natural that this influences the practicability of a solution...
DEUTSCH:
Mag. Horst Barwinek - Experte für Arbeitsmarktfragen der Arbeiterkammer Steiermark zum Thema "Flexicurity": In Österreich IST der Arbeitsmarkt ja schon höchst flexibel; die Jobwiederaufnahmerate ist höher als etwa in den USA, der Bezug von Leistungen aus der Arbeitslosenversicherung ist weit unter dem Europäischen Schnitt; von starrem Arbeitsmarkt kann ingesamt in Österreich nicht gesprochen werden. Nimmt man daher den zweischneidigen Begrfiff der "Flexicurity", dann wäre in Österreich eher an der Security anzusetzen!
Im übrigen sollte man generell vorsichtig sein, solche Begriffe und die daran geknüpften Erwartungen aus anderen Ländern zu "importieren". Man muss auch bedenken, dass die kulturell-historischen Unterschiede etwa zu skandinavischen Ländern sowie gänzlich anders gelagerte ökonomische Entwicklungen und Problemstellungen eine große Rolle für die jeweils adäquaten Lösungen spielen.(more)(less)
Sustainable development means satisfying our present day needs, leaving the possibility at the same time for the future generations to satisfy their needsSustainable development means satisfying our present day needs, leaving the possibility at the same time for the future generations to satisfy their needs and requirements. Lithuanians, being citizens of the EU today want to satisfy their needs as soon as possible. We have designated the goal in the year of 2020 to reach the living standard of the old EU countries of the year of 2003, but we didn’t foresee what will be the price of this rapid development and what we will leave for our grandchildren. What Lithuania will look like in 2050? - will it be a robot-land with no natural resources and we will satisfy our hunger by swallowing a “food pill”? Or will it be a really harmonious country with its natural beauty, sand beaches, still undamaged by the climate change?
To my mind, National Strategy for sustainable development in Lithuania is still in words, in paper, and the implementation of the strategy is rather vague, without proper coordination between different fields. On the other hand, going this path and each putting his own share into the common project, we have the chance to live in harmonious society in 2050, and our grandchildren will inherit it after us. I represent NGO and I work in this direction.
Darnus vystymasis – tai mūsų poreikių patenkinimas ir palikimas galimybės ateities kartoms patenkinti savo poreikius. Šiandien būdami ES nariai mes norime labai greitai patenkinti savo poreikius. Nusistatėm sau tikslą 20 metais pasieksime 2003 m. ES lygį, bet nepagalvojome, o kokia kaina mes tai pasieksime, kas liks mūsų anūkams, kas bus 2050 m, ar tai bus kažkokia robotų žemė, kur neliks jokių gamtinių išteklių ir mes labai gerai gyvensime prarydami tabletę, ar ,iš tikrųjų, tai bus tokia darni Lietuva su savo gražia gamta, su dar likusiu smėliu, nenuniokotu klimato kaitos.
Lietuvos nacionalinė darnaus vystymosi strategija, mano nuomone, kol kas yra tik „žodis“, „popierius“. Kol kas jos įgyvendinimas vyksta labai nedarniai, atskiros sritys nederina savo veiksmų. Bet pamažu žingsniuodami tuo keliu, kiekvienas įdėdamas savo trupinėlį, mes gyvensime darnioj visuomenėj po 50 metų ir paliksim anūkams tą darnią žemę. Aš, kaip nevyriausybinių organizacijų atstovė, dirbu šia kryptimi.(more)(less)
Interview mit Doris Hasenschwandtner, einer Sozialmanagerin im Jugendbereich aus Österreich bezüglich Lebensqualität, Chancengleichheit und sozialemInterview mit Doris Hasenschwandtner, einer Sozialmanagerin im Jugendbereich aus Österreich bezüglich Lebensqualität, Chancengleichheit und sozialem Zusammenhalt:
Der Mensch bewältigt sein Leben durch Kooperation. Studien zeigen, dass nicht der Stärkste sich durchsetzt, sondern der, der am besten kooperieren, nachgeben und Bündnisse schließen kann. Auch ich selbst merke immer wieder, wie schön und befruchtend es ist, wenn Gemeinsames gelingt. Auf dieser Idee basiert der Wohlfahrtsstaat: Auf welche Weise er umgesetzt wird, ist eine andere Frage, doch grundsätzlich bin ich dafür.
Interview with Doris, an Austrian socialmanager in the field of youth regarding life quality, equal chances and social cohesion:
Man masters life by cooperation. Studies show that he who prevails is not the strongest, but he who knows best how to cooperate, to concede and to form alliances. Personally I appreciate many times to succeed in cooperative action. And that's also the idea of a welfare state. There are different ways of implementing it, but generally speaking I favor it.(more)(less)
Interview mit Elisabeth Szmoylan und Doris Hasenschwandtner (Soziales und Jugend) aus Österreich bezüglich Lebensqualität, Chancengleichheit und sozialemInterview mit Elisabeth Szmoylan und Doris Hasenschwandtner (Soziales und Jugend) aus Österreich bezüglich Lebensqualität, Chancengleichheit und sozialem Zusammenhalt:
Ich erinnere mich an einen Beamten, der vor ein paar Jahren gesagt hat, er kaufe sich nun ein Stück Land, um – falls wieder schlechtere Zeiten kämen – dort Kartoffeln anzubauen. Ich frage mich, was hier falsch läuft: Obwohl wir in einem der reichsten Länder leben, dringt das nicht in die psychologischen Grundlagen und alte Ängste dominieren.
Ich halte die Idee der Solidarität für eine sehr gute Sache: Daß diejenigen, die sich leichter tun, jenen helfen, die es schwerer haben. Ich selbst bin dazu bereit, jene zu unterstützen, denen es nicht so gut geht wie mir, und wünsche mir, daß auch umgekehrt mir geholfen wird, wenn ich Hilfe brauche. Ich bin gegen eine Welt, in der die Starken gewinnen und die Schwachen auf der Strecke bleiben – das entspricht nicht meinem Konzept des Lebens.
Interview with two Austrian social workers regarding life quality, equal chances and social cohesion:
I remember an old man who told me a couple of years ago that he would by himself some land to beware of bad times and grow his own potatoes. I don't know what's going wrong: In spite the fact that we live in one of the richest countries, people don't behave like that and old fears remain present.
I favor very much the concept of solidarity. I dislike a world where the strong rule and the weak fall by the wayside. I am inclined to help those in need of help and I'd appreciate to recieve help myself when I need it.(more)(less)
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