The Learning Forum was an open member-led meeting addressing core issues for EAPN’s development as a strong anti-poverty network, and an open space to value the work of the members and to get inspiration from each other’s initiatives.
Fintan Farrell, Director of EAPN, presented the event in advance:
“The time we spend together in Estonia will deepen our knowledge of what is happening in relation to poverty and inequality in each country and to know deeper the impact of the EU policies.
We will also know better how our members, NGOs active in the fight against poverty, are responding to the current reality and this will strengthen our lobbying actions towards the National and European Institutions in relation to the need to have greater social impact assessment of economic policies, the need for cooperation between Member States to achieve common high level social standards and the need to ensure that the next round of EU Structural Funds has a greater capacity to address poverty and social exclusion.
A unique feature of our gathering in Estonia will be the presence of NGO representatives from Asia, Africa and South America. I am sure our discussions and our future actions will be enriched by hearing from their experiences.“
Access here: the programme of the full event
Objectives
MAIN GOAL: Strengthen the base, build on the understanding and trust among members and develop a better collective vision and work as EAPN.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
- To strengthen the membership base of EAPN by involving new activists and learning from practices that have a direct impact on fighting poverty and social exclusion;
- To contribute to a bottom-up member-led agenda in EAPN and to give more visibility to the variety of actions and approaches that members carry out in their national realities, and connecting them better to the EU-level work;
- To give value to the participation of activists with direct experience of poverty in EAPN’s work and policy-making and take forward the implementation of Goal 3 of EAPN’s Strategic Plan;
- To strengthen the trust and cooperation between EAPN members including between National Networks and European Organisations.
Report
The complete report of the Learning Forum is now out!! Access all the presentations in it, ideas, quotes and more.
Videos
Hear the impressions of some participants – both from EAPN & Dignity International – and see what they learnt about:
- Fintan Farrell, EAPN Director, on the aims of the Learning Forum
- Sonja Leemkuil, member of the EAPN EU Inclusion Strategy steering group and her learning from an Estonian community visit
- Tijah Yok Chopil’s experience as global organising partner, Dignity International Malaysia
- Richard Finch, EAPN England, and what he will take back from the Forum
- Dignity International’s visual demonstration of their goals and working methods
Presentations from skills-sharing sessions
All presentations are linked in the Report also.
- Presentation
- Handout
- Some useful websites: Popular Economics – Radical Statistics
- Optional Protocol
- Call for support – Sample letter for ratification
- Toolkit: Parts 1, 2, 3, 4
Estonian context
Photos!
Here are the collective photo-albums from the 4 days – with a big thank you to the photographers: Nele Hendrikson, Sasho Jovanov, Stanislav Mrozek, Alexandre Jutant, Goran Dahlberg, Rebecca Lee, Carmen Pamplona, Saviour Grima, Birgitta Oberg, Amana Ferro, Georgina Galanopoulou and Gianni Papa:
Find the Learning Forum on social media!
=> Connect to the event page on Facebook, visit the Facebook Group set up by participants after the event, and read updates on Twitter at #eapnlearning
Any question?
If you have any question, don’t hesitate to contact Tanya Basarab tanya.basarab@eapn.eu – +32 (0) 2 226 58 53