General Assembly 2016

SERN General Assembly 2016 in Throllättan

The SERN General Assembly 2016 was hosted by the Municipality of Trollhättan. Several activities took place from thursday 19th to saturday 21th of May.

Thursday 19th May

Seminar on Project Cycle Management (8.30 – 10.00)
The seminar aimed at providing an overview of the methodology used within the network to develop projects according to a step-by-step approach based on project cycle management. Issues addressed included how to develop a project idea in the project cycle phases of indicative programming and identification.

• Nicola Catellani – SERN

Seminar on Agriculture as a tool for increasing integration and competitiveness
The seminar addressed the issue of employment in rural areas as an important tool to increase integration and social inclusion. In the last year, at EU level, particular attention was paid to the inclusion of young farmers in the sectors to increase, on the one hand, the employment rate and competitiveness of these areas, and on the other hand, to tackle the problem of abandoning rural landscapes. In the meantime, agriculture can offer significant opportunities to involve marginalized categories such as refugees, young people with disabilities or addictions, people with economic difficulties or low contractual capacity. Working in the agriculture sector, can become a way to offer the chance of a “green integration”?

• REN project results and examples of transferring best practices between partnering municipalities – Laura Avanzi (SERN) and Stefania Baratta (Municipality of Pellegrino Parmense)
• Farming experiences for disadvantaged people; Lorenza Felici, CIOFS Emilia Romagna
• Migration in Sweden from a rural perspective; Pascal Tshibanda, Falköping Municipality
• Green integration project in Vänersborg; Per Hasselberg and Anders Friden, Vänersborg Municipality

Study Visits on education welfare (Immigration) and Innovatum

Seminar on integration of migrants in education
The seminar addressed the issue of migration and its impact on local and regional policies. In particular, the contributions focused on the challenges pertaining integration of refugees and, more in general immigrants, in the field of education. Some of the questions addressed were: how a multicultural approach in education can facilitate the integration process? How quality can be improved through fostering the participation of families in the life of the educational services? What new skills should the teachers be equipped with in order to cope with the current situation?

• Cvijetic Svjetlana and Mats Fahlgren, Municipality of Linkoping, The Adjunkten unit and the reception of newly arrived pupils
• Silvia Biglietti, CIOFS Emilia Romagna, Vocational Training and integration of migrants in Emilia Romagna
• Peter Götblad, Municipality of Trollhättan, Parental support from an educational point of view

Friday 20th May

Seminar on the 50-50 Project
The 50/50 project introduced the themes of environmental sustainability and energy saving at school by making use of a methodology that fosters changes in pupils´ behavior both at school and at home. The seminar was the occasion for the participating schools from Italy and Sweden to meet and share the results of the second year of activity.
The seminar started with presentations from schools and municipalities about the project activities and the savings achieved. Working groups were organized to provide more information about the project. In the afternoon the participants in the project visited two 50/50 schools in Vänersborg and Trollhättan.

• Pre-schools Äppelgården and Nordgärdet– Municipality of Ale
• Primary schools Valli and Bersani and middle school Fiorini – Municipality of Forlì
• Primary school Tärnanskolan – Municipality of Vänersborg
• Lower Secondary school Galilei – Municipality of Cavriago
• Primary school Malmslättsskolan – Municipality of Linköping
• Lower Secondary school Guatelli – Municipality of Collecchio

Seminar on the future of local elderly care policies in ageing communities
The seminar addressed the changing nature of elderly care in the light of current demographic trends and the main challenges the elderly care services at local level are currently facing. In particular, themes addressed included strategies fostering of home care, deinstitutionalization, and the new skills required by the staff to deal with elderly in a multiethnic society

• Presentation of the MOBEC project development in Italy and Sweden Inga Lill Felizia, Norrkoping Municipality and Laura Avanzi, SERN
• Feedback from MOBEC participants in job shadowing activities Synnove Halmstrom, Norrkoping Municipality; Rose-Marie Lindgren, Norrkoping Municipality; Cecilia Nilsson, Linkoping Municipality
• Growing old in a multiethnic society: needs and perspectives Stefania Miodini, Ad Personam – Parma
• Elderly care in Alto Adige: home care strategies and integration Gay Kerschbaumerb, Comunità Oltradige Bassa Atesina

Seminar on industrial conversion and the impact on local development
Due to the economic crisis, a number of large and SME companies have closed / moved. The seminar addressed the implications this has had on some local economic contexts in the network and which responses the local and regional authorities can put in place to relaunch local economic growth through innovation in urban and rural contexts.

• Roberto Silingardi, – Municipality of Scandiano
• Erik Wallin – Position West

Saturday 21th May

SERN General Assembly
Order of Business and Minutes of the Assembly

1. Call to order
2. Opening of the Session and approval of the order of business
3. Approval of the minutes of the 2015 session
4. SERN Annual Report 2015
5. Financial Report 2015
6. Report of the Board of Auditors
7. Budget Proposal 2016
8. SERN Strategic Guidelines 2016-2018
9. Venue of the 2017 Session
10. Adjournment and Closing of the Session