Minutes of meeting in Cyprus Limassol 12 – 15 the March

On Friday the 12th March 2004, representatives of the partner organisations, together with representatives from the Community Centres, gathered informally for an intercultural celebration. Participants brought with them various food and drink items from their home countries, and shared them with others. The meeting was officially inaugurated on the following morning, Saturday 13th March, at 9.30 a.m. with an official welcome. Participants introduced themselves.

Saturday the 13th March was dedicated to the presentations and discussions of the reports on the draft action plans. The draft action plans that were received prior to the workshop were already online, while those received during the workshop will be put online shortly. The reports were given in the following order:

· Report 1 - Regione Abruzzo 
· Report 2 – Epimorfotiki Kilkis
· Report 3 – Ecognosia
· Report 4 – Edinburgh Telford College
· Report 5 – Friends of the Earth (Malta)
· Report 6 – Friends of the Earth (Cyprus)
· Report 7 – LAEA

The reports and discussions were continued on Sunday 14th March at 10.00 a.m. in the following order:

· Report 8 - Legambiente
· Report 9 – Phoenix Carita Horezu
· Report 10 – Phoenix Carita Bicaz

On particular feature of the March meeting was the representation not only of the partners in the project, but also of learners involved in the community centres, or the primary beneficiaries, This included the presence of the young people from Babeni centre. This feature was considered to be very important and gave an “on the ground perspective” to the meeting. It is worth pointing out that this was a democratic decision taken after an email discussion preceding the meeting. 

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During the Sunday 14th March Afternoon Session we discussed the problems encountered in setting up community centres.

Rita: 
1. No financial resources. The project can help to solve problems but not to provide money.
2. A sense of isolation has been a gap. 
3. Problems with setting up one of the centres, due to the unwillingness of the persons to go out of their isolation, various solutions have been studied but is not possible, at the moment, to say which will be the right one.
Elias:
1. Lack of trust. What is the economical income of who is organising? The project is what it is …the important is the process.
2. There is a conflict with repatriated people and immigrants. Up to now working only with repatriated people an not with immigrants.
3. With farmers the main problem was to go to their village and to make contacts. It was overcome by speaking simply on concrete problems and not with great words.
4. The big problem will be when the project will be closed and how to continue the project. No solution has been found until now.



Andreas:

1. Communication problems in the team.
2. The fear of change.
4. The local authority is not interested to make change. They completely refuse. A few agree but the rest stay behind.

David:

1. Started off by creating groups that were not there. The gypsies turned out to be not possible because they are nomads. Youths were not interested in what was happening. Once we went in groups that were already put together.


Caroline:

1. Asked what will they get financially. Not that interested. There was a difference between the full timers and the part timers. For the full timers they took it automatically that it was part of their work, while for the part timers it was work over and above. It was necessary also to identify a team of 4 from the team of 9.
2. Unsure how to approach the higher levels of staff. 
3. Did not go often enough to visit people because there is not a public place here people meet. To actually meet people Caroline was knocking on doors. 
4. Regards the bottom up approach the issue of environment friendly does not come up. What about issues related to the environment which people do not mention? How to introduce something which is not mentioned?

Daniele Calza Bini:

1. It is not easy to get trusted by isolated people. It is difficult to break into their everyday life.
2. The second problem is the frequency of meeting these people. The project does not allow for the constant contact with these people. 
Ilze:

1. How shall we motivate people?
2. A problem of a slow start for the project.
3. People turn up for the meeting.

Dafnis:

1. Kalo Chorio was a project to set up from scratch. The first difficulty was to organise people and to get them together.
2. How to understand the project?
3. It was difficult to connect the two community centres together.

Nicoletta:

1. It is difficult to convince the young people to attend the meetings.
2. It is difficult to involve teachers.
3. The relationship with the local authority.

Lia:

1. Definition of the NGO
2. No professionals in rural areas 
3. Corruption and transparency
4. Mentality
5. Money
6. Results are often not immediate
7. No access to information
8. Why oblige me to be educated? The value of education is not important.

After identifying the problems encountered in setting up the community centres, the participating partners set about reflecting on possible ways of resolving or overcoming these problems. 

Lia:
· Create colleges for social workers
· Short courses in social work
· Realise services fort the population
· Donors, sponsors are very important
· Try to develop volunteering with young people in the schools, through using animation, communication by art, and interschool communication & networking. 
· Remove fees for people who offer to help.
Rita:
· Governor will put some money in the project
Dafnis:
· Acceptance at the local level is a key factor for success – the key word is European Community Centres
Andreas:
· What is the most important thing when we are going to solve a community problem? 
Elias: 
· The solution provides maximum benefit.
Lia: 
· You must believe in your work and believe in the idea – i.e. concept of valuing self. 
David: 
Most people seem to react if they can be convinced that in some way this can help them.

Daniele:
· Legambiente is thinking about changing the name. The suggestion is to keep this discussion alive even when we are away i.e. after this meeting. 
Vince:
· Insertion phase in Community Development
· ABCD (Assets Based Community Development)
· Sustainability
Loukia:
· The University of Malta ought to start thinking of a new proposal to keep the project going.
Caroline:
· We are taking the principle of train the trainers. This can be a means of financial gain, but also a means to ensure the sustainability of the project. 
Lia:
· Apart from training there exists the practical part. 
Periklis:
· Periklis suggested making meetings in homes.
Dafnis:
· We ought to initiate an ongoing forum on money aspects.
Periklis:
· Open bulletin boards ought to be used to facilitate discussions.
Caroline:
· By people in power I am referring to e.g. at Tereza Spinelii the management levels.
Andreas:
· First of all is not to fear them.
Dafnis:
· We need people in power. People in power are often afraid that their power structure is threatened. People want to increase all their personal ambitions. We have to take the approach that we ae going to enhance your power because through you things are going to happen.

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During the following session Rita gave an overview of the Twinning Project. This might help further support our project. The call for proposals is designed to plan events and actions in the framework of town planning. Twinning gives the opportunity to find out more about the daily lives of citizens in other European countries. To this end the European Commission awards grants to Twinning events which include educational programmes on topical European issues.

At the end of the twinning session, Lia gave an overview of European Projects in view of future collaborations. This involved the presentation on various budget lines within the European Union, including MEDA and youth exchange. The aim was to explore other collaborations between partners. Lia offered some materials about these possible future exchanges. 

This session followed by a Romanian intercultural lovely game, co-ordinated by Lia Elena Porfir. Special thanks go to Lia for this wonderful effort, and for her financial contribution to make this possible. This game was realised for developing flexibility and good communication in our team, as well as to inspire for activities in our centres and work back home.

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The morning of Monday 15th March 2004 was dedicated mainly to administrative matters.
The aim was to agree on a cut off point of the first phase of the project to move on to phase 2 & 3
This includes finishing off all the outputs of phase 1, and sending in all the necessary documentation and reports. Vince explained that we are approximately six months late from original timeline. We have an option to ask for an extension. We can decide whether to ask for an extension depending on what work needs to be done in the last two phases. The second phase focuses on the implementation of actions plans we are finalising during this conference and use of journal over internet to evaluate work. The third phase focuses on the actual products – these need to be ready at the same time (ie handbook and translations). Money has to be spent within the time frame of the project (spreading the money out between the partners is not considered spent). 

Work left to be done to close phase one:
a) review actions plans post conference discussion
b) use a standard format for the finalised action plans
c) send in timesheets. 
d) Photos of this conference and activities – for the website, documentation (photos are sources of verification) and products. To send photos use only mforum@maltanet.net)
e) Tickets, boarding passes, receipts from travel agency and any other receipts from travel to get to Larnaca from the airport and back… best for this to be done quick, keep a copy, send the originals because auditors for the project will require originals. If the partner organisation requires to keep the originals it will be negotiated. (must keep documentation for five years) 

Vince explained that the webpage is a resource not only for coordinators but also for the community centres as source of info about environment in their country. Each partner should find a list of links that will benefit the community centres. This is necessary to close of first phase – each link will need a short description (one sentence). Teaching tips on the webpage – partners are encouraged to email descriptions of their teaching methods example Swedish study circle. This is not adding work this is the work that has been done that simply needs to be transmissible.

If partners are planning a press release to the media back in home countries, a copy ought to be sent to Vince. Lia suggested a general press release about this conference from Vince for the mass media because this is the first stage so it is important to have a unified image. This was agreed. 

Major output is training manual, need these translated in to participating languages, countries who share a language should also share the translating work because of the workload – in contract an emphasis on translation so is very imp.

Next meeting – last suggestion Romania, today we possibly discuss dates to fit in with discussion on revised timeline

Internal travel funds aimed at regular meetings between community centres, in order to have two representatives at this conference certain reallocation, send in costs of internal travel as quickly as possible since the distances in certain countries are considerable. Will determine how much budget is available for such funds and allocate to those who need it most.

Ilze asked when do we get feedback from external evaluator? It is important for the partner’s personal evaluation. Vince had invited the external evaluator to conference and asked him to revise action plans. He could not attend due to lectures. However we ought to contact him again to ensure that we can finalise our action plans. In fact Vince will emphasise to our external evaluator the need felt by the conference for his contribution.

Daphnis suggested that the cut off point for the first phase ought to be the end of April. Daniele said that if the answer from EU is simply yes or no should research if asking for a shorter extension has more chance of being accepted. David suggested the cut off point can only be decided when an extension has been achieved or not especially for action plan dates. Rita iterated that we must work thinking that we will not get an extension, because that will slow down the work. If it comes all the better. Especially since the EU takes a long time to approve or not.
Caroline: when using dates do not put specific dates.

In the end the partnership agreed to aim for end of April as the cut off date for phase one. The extension will be applied for but partners will work without considering possibility of extension.
Work of phase one and two can overlap. Importance must be given to the journal now for the handbook. On the web page there is a template.

During the workshop it was confirmed to hold the next meeting in Romania? During mid of third year agreeing the finalised handbook and the training manual. Difficulty of Romania – not accessible in winter, so how long do we have till the end of the project to be within our timelines?
Eligibility of Spending that have to stop by 30th Sept 2005. So translation and printing will need 4 months therefore the limit date for third workshop is mid- May 2005. 

For Internal travel costs need receipts as these are considered direct costs. The quicker Vince receives all the receipts related to the march meeting the quicker he will know how much is available for internal travel.

The workshop was closed with a short session on matters arising. Vince explained that he had to give in interim report by 1st January. Asked EU commission for an extension for the interim report. No procedures for this so not given. But what Vince handed in was enough. Vince also explained that partner 12 is still empty as University of Pitesti resigned and still empty. Lia has found a replacement. EU has rules, partner has to send a letter requesting to be a partner. Letter took 2 months, EU’s reply still not come, average 2-3 months. Daniele – tech ass office, not necessary to find another partner as long as the work is redistributed among the existing partners as well as the resources. Univesity of Pitesti was also responsible for the common research language therefore that responsibility must also be redistributed. Vince also explained that there is a problem when one partner drops and is replaced from another country because of the different staff rates from on country and another. David asked if a new partner will this affect our timelines? Vince commented that existing partners must continue working as they are the new partner will work within the time left and with the budget left. Ilze asked who will do the summary of action plans? It was agreed that Vince will do the summary. Caroline asked who are the 15 people, what documentation about them? Vince explained that these are the small group doing the learning process, but then these will make links with larger bodies. 

Various partners reminded the group of our intention to link the Community Centres through a Grundtvig 4 project, and possible also through the twinning project and the Youth programme. 

Mention needs to made of the evenings very ably organised by Loukia and her team at Friends of the Earth (Cyprus). The food was extraordinary, and ethical!!! This contributed to the European Dimension of the project, and to the strengthening of the partnership. The non formal atmosphere of dance, song, games, animation...and good food surely contributed to the success of this workshop. 

At the end of the meeting Perikles expressed his solidarity with the Spanish people who were victims of the recent tragedies and asked whether we can do anything? Daphnis suggested observing a one minute silence. Vince suggested including our expression of solidarity with the victims in the press release. The one minute silence held.

A round of evaluation on this workshop wrapped up the conference. Andreas: 1st time, so just followed to learn. Feels we were well prepared. Tried to help with his ideas, has offered help in the future. Daphnis: 10 out of 10 with one recommendation: Allow time for a field trip to a community centre as part of the learning process. Anite: Thank you, glad to be here, very interesting and wonderful people. The project is very interest, she has got many ideas she will go home and work.
Ilze: Thanks Cypriot colleagues for organising outings as well and Vince for organising conference and making it possible for two people to ocme. Let’s keep in touch. David: also thanked hosts, very good hosts, rush to go home and work. Sarah: thanks for the possibility of coming and thanks the hosts, she really enjoyed the experience. Elias: thanks for the organisation, wonderful experience. Thanks to Vince you were like the chicken mother who gathers the chicks around him with a good meaning. Perikles: A wonderful occasion to meet people, contributing to the integration of the EU this is the right way to do it. Thanks the hosts who welcomed us so warmly, thanks to Vince and the team from Malta who organised the meetings so well. As Daphnis would like an opportunity to visit the centres. Rita: Thanks to the Cypriots we enjoyed everything. And thanks to Vince for past present and future work. Thanks to everybody for the exchange and all the ideas and all we are doing in this project. Agreed with Daphnis if it would be possible to see at least one centre to take back an tangible experience of a centre. Emilia: Very positive evaluation not only for the work but also for the human relations that we had. Daniele: was a bit worried about how the project was going. First meeting we discussed issues of the project. But this meeting has been really productive in this sense - ie the work of the project. Thanks to Vince. Offered his help where it is needed. Not only visit a community centre but since this is a project on sustainability our next conference should be sustainable. Caroline: Great fun thanks to Cypriot colleagues but also met our working team has encouraged our work. Vince: Thanks to the hosts, to minute taker, and this week we did not only discuss partnership but we were a partnership. Daphnis: Suggested a thanks to Vince and Malta team from the conference. 

End of meeting

Quote: “The meeting … in Cyprus had a special colour, the participants’ smile was open, involving directly and positive.” Lia Elena Porfir