Monthly Archives: November 2016

European Projects, Projects

Empatheast Vratsa Bulgaria

“Rethinking social good and social innovation”

 Changes and Changes will be one of the organizations participating in the Empatheast forum in Bulgaria  from 11-13 November

In this meeting in Vratsa, one of the poorest regions of Bulgaria, we will be embarking on a journey where we make new models of relationships between individuals, groups and communities.

Social innovations are not a solution to all problems, they are not enough per se, but they represent a way for mass mobilization of group intellect in the name of new solutions that will allow more people on the planet, in our country and our region, to live with dignity and to their full potential.

It is vital that we become more efficient at using our common resources. Only with innovative solutions by and with communities can we reduce the costs for non-effective and expensive social solutions, perpetually repeated by local and central government despite their proven ineffectiveness. So we need to change the way these solutions are designed and move towards developing solutions bottom-up, as they are more stable, honest, adequate and inclusive.

More information: http://empatheast.net/#home

Citizens Lab, Projects

First European Commons Assembly

How the commons can revitalize Europe.

The commons is an emerging paradigm in Europe embracing cocreation, stewardship, and social and ecological sustainability. Commons perspectives could help to reinvigorate Europe with constructive and concrete policy implications on many terrains. However, much of the current dominant narrative of the EU, focusing on growth, competition, and international trade is in strong contrast with the worldview of the commons. C&C chair Ed Santman was present at the first European Commons Assembly.

In mid-November of this year, the European Commons Assembly was held in cooperation with the Commons Intergroup in the European Parliament, made up of Members of the European Parliament from different parliamentary groups, mainly Greens, the United Left (GUE/NGL), and several Socialists & Democrats Group (S&D) members. The ambition was to promote the establishment of creative institutions and political alternatives, from the local to the European level. In the call for the Assembly, ‘commoners’ from around Europe stated: “We call upon governments, local and national, as well as European Union institutions to facilitate the defense and growth of the commons, to eliminate barriers and enclosures, to open up doors for citizen participation, and to prioritize the common good in all policies.