Solidarité Committee 2011 Summer Stage - Mission accomplished

In March 2011 a group of 90 stagiaires continued the work of the 13 years old Solidarité Committee of EU stagiaires. Every year the trainees volunteer to raise funds for a selected project by Europe Third World. Besides their fundraising activities for this cause, they also carry out several awareness raising, humanitarian and social activities voluntarily.

 Watch the Solidarité video to see what has been done:

This year the selected project valued 6,390 euros, the cost of purchasing and installing a solar water pump for a local clinic in Madagascar. We are glad to inform you all that we reached this fundraising target and the project will be implemented very soon. We even managed to collect more than this and the rest of the money will support another ETW project.

Acknowledgements

The list of people who helped the Solidarité's work is very long, therefore here there is a non-extensive summary of the main coordinators of projects.

First of all, the greatest acknowledgement goes to Shuveta Sekhri who took on the management of the Solidarité Subcommittee investing incredible energy and time into coordinating all Solidarité activities. Her determination helped us reach this target and without her it would not have been possible.

Applause for Alexandra Newlands who prepared the very popular Solidarité European Cookbook. Thanks for all the people who contributed with their recipes, ideas and design skills, not to forget the crucial sales efforts.

Thanks to Csilla Szabó for taking care of the Solidarité Committee's communication activities, blog and advertising as well as the Easter egg action.

Thanks to Anneelie De Boer for leading the Human Rights Forum team to organise the two conferences with great success.

Thanks to Raquel Veiga for organising our volunteering with the Sisters of Mother Teresa at the Soup Kitchen to provide warm lunch for homeless in Brussels. Recognition goes to all the volunteers who visited the kitchen once or more to contribute to this great cause.

Great gratitude to Deirdre Lennon and Arend Janssen for organising the second Solidarité Cycling Tour and making a tradition for all the coming Summer Stage trainees from now on! Thanks for all the cyclers who completed the 140 km for the Madagascar water pump!

Thanks to all the volunteers who came to assist the Schuman Trophy Football tournament and the Europe Third World Awareness week!

There were some other project ideas and efforts made to facilitate fundraising or awareness raising but the circumstances did not allow their projects to happen during this traineeship period. Nevertheless their efforts and participation in other projects are also appreciated!

Thanks for all the generous donations by buying the Cookbook, the Mug, the Easter eggs and home-made cookies.  Thanks to the supporters of the Solidarité Cycling Tour and the Human Rights Forums. Thanks for all the contribution let it be encouragement, suggestion, appreciation, donation, physical help!

Thank you!

Stage is over but you can still practise solidarity!

The 2011 Summer Stage is over and many of us do not stay at the European Institutions. Sad moments and goodbyes but life goes on and so does Solidarity!

As usual the Soldarité Committee will continue its work with the new circle of enthusiastic trainees from Oct 2011 with a new fundraising cause, another ETW project but definitely with the same energy and devotion like this cycle's stagiaires did. 

Nevertheless this does not mean that former trainees cannot continue on with volunteering and doing good for others. Those who stay in Brussels can freely go to the Soup Kitchen and help the sisters of Mother Teresa when serving lunch for homeless. The Soup Kitchen serves 120 homeless daily with warm lunch. Volunteers spend there approximately 2 hrs when serving the food and cleaning up. The service starts at 2.30 pm, only on Sunday it starts from 4pm. The kitchen is closed on Thursdays. The address is Avenue du Roi 69 - 1060 Brussels, close to either Porte de Hal or Gare du Midi metro stations. Please arrive 10 mins before the service starts.

Furthermore, the Solidarité European Cookbooks and Mugs are still available to purchase. You can contact the Liaison Committee (Andre Paula Santos) to get the items from them or you can place an order through email at eu.solidarite.committee@gmail.com.

Women and the Right to Food

 

The second and at the same time the last Human Rights Forum of the Solidarité Committee took place on Wednesday 27 July, 2011 at the EuropeAid InfoPoint in Brussels. The aim was to tackle the advantages and disadvantages of women involvement in agriculture, the opportunities within and the existing arrangements on EU and global level.

UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Mr. Olivier De Schutter spoke about the situation in the world concerning hunger. Female workers in agriculture are 20% less efficient than their male counterparts due to their responsibilites as mother and their physical caracteristics. At the same time women can deal with the family budget better than men, so when the mother takes care of the family financials, children are more likely to dine better and more, go to school and therefore have a more promising future.

Ms. Chantal Symoens, Head of Sector Unit 'Rural Development, Food Security and Nutrition' in DEVCO spoke about the policies of the European community and what are the steps already taken and to be taken in the future to close the gender gap in agriculture.

 

Ms. Florence Kroff, Coordinator of Foodfirst Information and Action Network (FIAN) presented practical examples and case studies about women and the right to food. She emphasized the importance to fight against discrimination that stands on the way of people to feed themselves.

The Forum was very interesting and attracted a great number of guests. The subject is particularly interesting since food security is a priority area of the European Consensus on Development. Improving access to food is a key dimension of the EU’s fight against hunger.

The Solidarité Cycling Tour

11 volunteer bikers and 1 driver completed the 140 km bike tour challenge on the weekend of 22-24 July, 2011. The rainy weather forecast had scared away a few others but our little group remained determined and our enthusiasm brought us a completely dry weekend, just perfect for cycling. There was not a single drop of rain and some of us even got a little burnt by the sun.

Friday 22 July we left Brussels with our Pro-velo bikes accompanied by our supporting driver. Thanks to the great organisation we all had a detailed guide on which bicycle road to follow to our destination and besides smaller by-passes we completed the first 30 kms without any problem.

Friday evening we checked out the lovely city of Leuven and we happened to be there at festival time. Great way to taste Belgian beer with live concert music. After the challenge of the first day we all had a good night sleep and even if it was not that easy for all to wake up Saturday morning, we continued our way from Leuven to Mechelen by the kanal.

The Belgian bicycle road takes you through wonderful places, fields, farms, forests and it is a real pleasure to see the countryside while cycling. After lunch in Mechelen and a bit of sightseeing, the Solidarité cyclers targeted Antwerp. The 61 km ride on Saturday ended around 7pm when the team reached the city of diamonds. The trip was completed without any problem besides a few occasions when someone's chain gave up the fight and fell off but we had our chain expert who did not let any of us waiting on the side of the road for long.

Even if our bikers were not professional they cycled pretty safe with some "calculated risk". The last day was the most difficult after cycling the 2 days before, tired and knowing another 60 km was ahead... But the weather and the lovely scenery helped a lot and after the difficulties of the first 5 km on Sunday, the Solidarité cyclers were riding towards their target with great energies.

Naturally relaxing breaks at every 15-20 km increased motivation and the level of energy. Fortunately, the sun was shining enough to keep the good mood and it was not too hot to make us exhausted either.

In the middle of the last day we had to cross the kanal and it was particularly interesting because the only way to do it was by ferry. This also gave opportunity for a small break on the ferry.

Getting back to Brussels the surface became hilly and we had to make a last effort to reach the top of the capital. After 140 kms one can imagine how it felt like going up on a steep uphill. But to top it with a sweet adventure when the Solidarité cyclers had to cross an autoroad and no cross was around, two policemen appeared on horses and formed a passage for the fundraisers ensuring safe crossing.We felt really special.

Sunday 6pm we were already back to Brussels enjoying a last beer together under the Belgian sun and recalling the nice memories of the 3 days cycling tour.

Thank you guys for coming, it was a real pleasure cycling together for a good cause! 

Thanks for everyone who supported us by donating for the Madagascar water pump!

Women and the Right to Food

Lunch-Time Conference with UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food

Place: External Cooperation Info Point

Time: Wednesday 27th July 2011, 12.30-13.30

Speakers:

Mr. Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food

Ms. Chantal Symoens, Head of Sector Unit 'Rural Development, Food Security and Nutrition', DEVCO

Ms. Florence Kroff, Coordinator Foodfirst Information and Action Network (FIAN) Belgium

Food security is a priority area of the European Consensus on Development. Improving access to food is a key dimension of the EU’s fight against hunger.

In a world where women are the main producers of food and the number of female headed households is increasing, how can we ensure women's right to food? What is the role of women in food security programmes?

The Info Point welcomes you to a dialogue on this priority of the EU and the international community, enshrined in the 1st Millennium Development Goal.

Organized by the Solidarité Committee in collaboration with EuropeAid InfoPoint

Solidarité Mug - Conscience keeps more people awake than coffee...

The stagiaires of Summer 2011 have worked closely with Europe Third World, an independent non-profit founded over 40 years ago by your colleagues of the EU Commission, which finances projects all over the world with the aim of bettering the livelihoods of our neighbours. This year the stagiaires are supporting a project of Europe Third World in Madagascar, which consists of installing a solar water-pump in Mangily. This would provide safer and cleaner water to the local population, which as we all know is a crucial and basic need.
To fundraise for the water-pump, the stagiaires have worked very hard to design and produce a Solidarité Mug.

 

The Mugs are ready and you can buy your mug either at the Stage Committee office at MADOU or July 27 Wednesday at the Human Rights Forum and  you can also place an order by emailing Alexandra Newlands. Please specify in your email your building and your office number.

We are grateful for your support,

The Stagiaires of Summer 2011.

Solidarité Cookbook - Make every bite count!

The Solidarité Cookbook is on the way! Thanks for everyone for their contribution to this unique precious collection of European recipes and anecdotes!

The Cookbook is available for purchase at the Awareness Week stands and ordering from Alexandra Newlands in email. Please send your name, building, office number and phone number if you wish to order your Cookbook!

No time to travel around Europe and discover its culinary wonders?

By compiling two recipes of each Member State,

this cookbook fulfils your dream of travelling to all 27 countries

in the blink of an eye from your own kitchen.

FIND OUT the mouth-watering recipes that the EC trainees have concocted for you,

ENJOY anecdotes and special tips that will help you cook as a local chef and

SURPRISE your guests with a palette of exotic dishes.

Awareness Week

Awareness Week is an annual initiative launched by Europe Third World that consists in informing Commission staff of the purpose and mission of ETW. This year, Awareness Week will take place from Monday 11th to Friday 15th July. 

On those days, a stand will be set up in front of the canteens of selected buildings where permanent staff can receive flyers on ETW and the Solidarité Committee, give a donation and receive a Solidarité Mug or a Solidarité Cookbook.

The stands will be placed for a period of 2 hours (during lunch time) in front of the canteens of the following buildings:

Monday 11th: L-41

Tuesday 12th: SDME

Wednesday 13th: CHAR

Thursday 14th: MADOU

Friday 15th: BERL


We are looking for volunteers to help out at the stands, but you are also very welcome to simply check out the event, take your colleagues with you and donate in exchange for a pretty Solidarité Cookbook or a Solidarité Mug.

Volunteers please contact: eu.solidarite.committee@gmail.com

Solidarity Cycling Tour

The Solidarité Committee is giving birth to THEEE event you have been waiting for the entire stage!!

Yes, indeed, you guessed right, …it's the 3-city-cycling tour!

Solidarité’s biggest fundraiser is a unique way to spend the last weekend of the stage with the special friends you have made in the past 5 months.

In a nutshell the plan is;

• Friday 22^{nd July}, start cycling from Brussels around 4pm,
• ^{Arrive in Leuven on Friday evening Enjoy dinner and a well deserved drink in Leuven,}
• ^{Saturday 23rd, after a little tour of lovely Leuven, start cycling to Antwerp in the afternoon,}
• ^{Saturday evening arrive in Antwerp and for those still standing on their legs; PARTYYYY a la Antwerpen!!}
• ^{Sunday 24th, after a gentle visit of Antwerp, start cycling back to Brussels in the afternoon,}

<sup>What you need to do to participate:

The cost you need to cover is that of the hostel for two nights (approx 18€/night) and of the bikes (approx 9€/day). The exact cost depends on the number of people participating so please respond asap if you are interested (last year’s stagiaires also paid for their accommodation and bikes)

To participate we ask you to fundraise a minimum of 100€. Last years’ stagiaires found this very easy. They simply sent an email to their unit explaining the cause of the cycling tour and most stagiaires fundraised between 100€ to 200€.

ETW will send an email to your adviser to allow you to leave early on Friday 22nd, so you don't need to count this as time off.

To register or ask questions, please contact Lennon Deirdre</sup>

^{By fundraising for the cycle tour, you are contributing to our collective efforts of fundraising for the installation of a water-pump in Mangily, Madagascar. The water pump run by solar energy will improve the hygienic conditions of the staff and patients of a community health centre by facilitating their access to clean and safe water. This project has been selected by Europe Third World, a non-profit association founded by staff members of the EU.}

REGISTRATION CLOSES 7th JULY

  

Please note that the Cycling Tour is also open for officials if they are willing to fundraise the 100-200 euros! If you do not feel comfortable cycling the 3 day trip but you would like to take your share, please support one of the cyclers with a donation! The profit of the event will go entirely to the fund for the water pump project in Mangily, Madagascar!



Human Rights Forum: The Situation of the Roma in Europe

On Wednesday, June 15^th, the Solidarity Committee held its first Human Rights Forum, on the situation of the Roma in Europe and the recently adopted EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies. 

First, Matthias Verhelst, Strategic Advocacy Officer at the European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO) gave an overview of the situation of the Roma in Europe, the work of the ERGO network and ERGO’s view on the new EU Framework. 

Next, Jana Balazova, Policy Officer on Non Discrimination Policies and Roma Coordination, at DG Justice presented the perspective of the Commission and explained what strategies the EU is using to increase inclusion of the Roma. The two presentations were followed by a lively discussion with the audience on what ‘the Roma’ want, what strategies (do not) work and the strengths and weaknesses of the EU framework. 

An interesting evening! Donations made during the evening will go to the Europe Third World water pump project in Madagascar.

The Situation of the Roma in Europe - Human Rights Forum by the Solidarite Committee

Human Rights Forum

by the Solidarity Subcommittee

  The situation of the Roma

 in Europe





Wednesday 15 June 2011, 18h00 – 19h30 at the MADOU Auditorium

Discussion and debate of the minority issue among representatives of the ERGO Network, the European Commission and the Council of the EU

Speakers

Matthias Verhelst, Strategic Advocacy Officer at the European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO Network)

Márton Hajdú, Spokesperson for the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU

Jana Balazova, Policy Officer on Non discrimination policies and Roma coordination, DG Justice, European Commission

No registration for EC Staff, Non EC Staff please register until June 13, 12.00 under this link

 

The Solidarity Committee carries out volunteer and humanitarian work since 1998 and this year they volunteered to raise funds for a project in Madagascar to buy and install a water-pump run by solar energy for a local clinic.

Donation boxes will be placed at the entrance.

Why volunteering? Because you do make a difference!

2011 is the European Year of Volunteering which indicates that there are a lot of opportunities in addition to the regular volunteer activities such as assisting humanitarian and fund raising events in your town, promoting sustainable development, organising awareness raising for the citizens and young people or even as simple pastime as collecting clothes or books for people in need or collecting trash and keeping your neighbourhood clean. The scope is unlimited and there is no need for funds or others to tell you what to do, what you need is motivation and determination. 

Did you know that it is also the International Year of Youth from Aug 2010 – Aug 2011 by the United Nations? The initiative aims to actively involve young people in addressing global problems and provide sustainable and creative solutions for issues that do not distinguish between generations. Often the easiest solution lies in the mind of youngsters and even the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon acknowledged „ As we expand our efforts, we must do even more to reach out, to listen and to learn from young people.”

Would you like to get involved and do something for others while doing your traineeship at the European Commission? Follow our activities and let us know if you want to participate in them. We have plenty of them with the goal to raise funds for the water pump for a clinic in Madagascar!

Schuman Trophy Tournament success

11 enthusiastic Solidarité members contributed to the success of this year's Schuman Trophy Football Tournament. The 5 days event took place on the first weekends of May with wonderful weather, exciting football games and a great atmosphere. 26 teams were kicking the ball bringing together staff of the European Commission, European Parliament, Council of Europe and even employees from the United Nations and football teams from abroad (for example Morocco). DG Interpretation from the EC won the tournament with outstanding performance.

More important is the fact that the tournament does not only serve as entertainment and competition between the teams but it is also a charity initiative and all income from the tournament will go for a good cause: supporting the charity initiatives of the Schuman Trophy association in helping deprived children in the poorest parts of the world. Some 4000 people showed up at the location in Overijse, outside Brussels and contributed to the great cause by consuming and buying tombola tickets.

Almost a dozen trainees volunteered at the tournament giving a hand in selling drinks and ice-cream, this way directly contributing to raising funds for the support of their fellow youngsters in developing countries. Thanks to Shuveta Sekhri, Marite Jankelevica, Csilla Szabo, Taru Itaniemi, Lea Kulick, Diana Calmac, Joanna Dynek, Renata Radvanska, Lars Wirbatz, Kamila Piotrowska and Aude Van Grootenbruel for their help attesting the truth laying in this traineeship cycle's Solidarité slogan: "Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only little."