FORUM FOR NEW EUROPE

The European Literature Circle was opened on 9 May 2000 as a forum for discussion, creation and initiative (Forum for New Europe), concerning the present and the future of our continent. This international forum is opened to all the young people of Europe and of all over the world who want to participate and contribute to the building of a new Europe and a better world. Our first creation is called "The Magic Pencil". Every night, at 12 o'clock GMT, a magic pencil starts on-line from Greenwich and stops somewhere in a town in Europe, west, east, north or south. This magic pencil is going to 'write', in each of these stops, a (fairy) tale. On Tuesday, 9 May 2000, the magic pencil stopped in Brasov, Romania; you can read below the tale written by Vlad Parau, a 13 years-old young boy. We invite you to take part in our Creation Contest (literature, painting, music, etc.) Euro-Asia Publishing and Impresario House will edit the best works in a book, at the end of the contest, twice a year. The winner will gain a week free trip in Romania.

We have the honour to inform you that, during 23 – 25 October 2001, the festivities of the “Forum for New Europe” took place in Brasov, the first international edition of the European Literature Circle Forum, the first Literary Circle on Internet, an edition supported by the great Romanian pianist, funding member of the Circle, Mihaela Ursuleasa.

The Awards Festivity of this first edition took place within the Army Hall, here in Brasov, Wednesday, the 24^th of October, and it was followed by an Extraordinary Recital performed by the pianist, Mihaela Ursuleasa.

The festivities were also attended to by Mr. Adrian Rattenbury, President of the “Junior Proms” Association in Barnsley, England, and by the “Chitta Chatta” music group; they are the English partners of the European Circle, and were awarded Excellence and Competence Diplomas.

Beneficiaries

The direct beneficiaries of the project are participating organizations and their stakeholders including recipient of their services. The representatives included those who work strategically and also at delivery level with young people, NGOs (creative and learning institutions) and industries (large corporations, small and medium enterprises). These direct beneficiaries will become strong advocates for the project. They have an important cultural and educative role within their organizations and as was externally through their local, regional, national and European network.

Follow-up – Long Term Strategy

*In order for the proposed New Europe Forum to be successful, action has been taken to extend the membership in a wider and more representative range of transactional partners.

*Time and effort needs to be assigned to identify and develop these new partnership links including trans-national visits to the agencies concerned and potentially using videoconference links.

*There is also a need to devote resources to the long-term maintenance of these partnership links in order to ensure the continuous evolution of the New Europe Forum.

*It is clear that the New Europe Forum will require a management and co-ordination structure, with a specific secretariat.

*This would include the establishment of agreed terms of reference for membership, clarifying mutual objectives.

*This could also include the development of an agreed trans-national collaboration document, duly signed by the relevant heads of the partner organizations concerned in which a commitment is made to a shared vision and ongoing collaborative links and transfer of experience and priorities for development.

*It will be important to ensure that commitment is made at a high level in the partner organizations concerned i.e. at chief executive level or at member level if there is a political structure, as well as relationships established between relevant staff. This is vital to ensure ongoing sustainability and to ensure resource commitment to the network.

*To ensure the sustainability of this new Forum and support these development and management costs, as well as to give an important focus for the collaborative activity between the partners at least one EU program bid needs to be developed during 2002.

The objectives to include the following:

*Innovation

*Involvement of target group –

*Partnerships/trans-national partnerships Two levels of trans-national partnership were identified. The first is knowledge base platform (monitoring and evaluating good practice) and the second is production.

*Mainstreaming

*Outcomes and impacts of best practice

The project begun with a research study to identify the organizations with similar value and goals to forge alliances and develop this intercultural project. The funding of the research led to the first Edition – Contest of the Forum for New Europe (October 23 – 25, 2001, Brasov – Romania) with the representatives of UK. The three-day Forum – Contest presented to Romanian and Foreign participants ( 30 persons) the opportunity to play and listen music Concert, to lunch exhibitions of painting and graphic arts, to exchange ideas of the best practice in the respective and varied areas of work and explore trans – national partnership opportunities through intercultural projects.

The key features of the work of this trans - national group are: young people, creativity, cultural diversity, new technologies, social inclusion.

The Vision of the Organization is to make Europe a more inclusive continent of opportunities for all.

The outcome of the Forum was the commitment to develop a trans – national partnership network of NGOs and learning institutions with sheared values and goals.

Achievement of the Project:

• Opportunity to build project partnership with key stakeholders from the private and voluntary sectors to address a range of issues to increase life long learning and cultural opportunities for all young people in Europe;
• Creation of a lobbing, advocacy and consultative body to inform and influence European policy and implementation locally nationally and in a European context so that they benefit all young people across Europe;
• Networking opportunity to promote lives and virtual showcases of creative talents to employers in a range of industries especially the creative and IT industries;
• Networking opportunities for policy makers and training providers and industries in build strong links to gain better insight into the needs of the European labour market;
• Exchange of experience and the best essential practice on issues of common concern;
• Access to existing and new marketing and distribution channels for our new products and services;
• Mainstream cultural diversity and creativity across Europe.

TV and Radio networks and newspapers from Brasov and Capital city, Bucharest, described the atmosphere of our Forum:

• “Three days of new experiences, fun and cultural atmosphere…in the Young way… spiced with Romanian hospitality”;
• Gazette of Transilvania, one of the main local publications noticed that “the Forum for New Europe of the European Literature Circle was one of the most important Cultural event from our medieval town in the 2001 year”.
• Adrian Rattenbury, the President of the UK “Junior Proms” Cultural organisation, participant at this event, declared: “ By far the most interesting part of this Forum was the meeting with the Romanian young artists. The conclusions are, I guess, the same as in any similar program – the friendship established during this Cultural exchange won’t disappear by rights, and everybody was a little bit changed by the contact with a foreign group of young people”

An agreed communication, marketing strategy and central ELC platform needs to be established in order to promote the Forum, invite new members, promote collaboration for new EU projects and disseminate best practice. This would take the form of an interactive website as well as printed promotional material. Purpose of the website, Marketing tool :

Communicate values and goals, recruit new members, advocate best practice, European talent and knowledge bank, showcase new talent and product, search engine for new talent, partner organizations, debate/chat room

Evaluation

Following the first successful meeting, a monitoring and evaluation strategy is being developed. The first Forum was documented a writing and circulated to participants for action. Lessons learned are used to improve the effectiveness in the organization and delivery of the Second meeting will be evaluated in terms of preparation and contents of the agenda. The involvement of additional staff from the host organization has been used a measure of success in engaging others. There was a total of 2o EAPCF staff involved in the first Contest – Forum and 5 staff from Junior Proms.

An industry professional webmaster will be invited to monitor and evaluate the research, design and production of website. All the participating organizations will be requested to involve a young person in the monitoring and evaluation of the project. The seminar will be documented in print, editing a book and CD (subject to funding) and circulated.

At present due to limited resources the documentation will be produced in two languages, English and Romanian.

JUNIOR PROMS – NON PROFIT MAKING ORGANIZATION

1) The name of the organization shall be: "Junior Proms".

2) The organization's aims shall be: To organize and promote musical opportunities for all children irrespective of social or ethnic background, ability or disability charities.

Contact person:

Adrian Rattenbury

President Junior Proms

P.O. Box, Barnsley – South Yorkshire S753YW – UK

Tel: 0870/7445089; Fax: 0870/7445091

Email: Adrian@RPTeurope.com

www.chittachatta.org