Maison des Associations, 1A place des Orphelins
67000 Strasbourg
France
- Democracy and community development
Statute: Association Staff employed: 10 The Association of the Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA) is an International non-governmental organization. The Association has been founded in 1999 as an initiative of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities to coordinate a network of Local Democracy Agencies (LDAs) already in existence since 1993.The LDAs are local NGOs acting to foster Human Rights and local democracy. Budgetary resources: 1,5 million € / year Sources of funding: European commission, State institutions, Member fees, private sector... Modalities of action: ALDA bases its activities on manifold methodologies and strategies (Decentralized and multilateral cooperation, European and international networks for local action, Fostering of partnerships. Current projects range from trans-border co-operation seminars, capacity building for local authorities and NGOs, youth or women empowerment to micro-credits and trainings on European integration. Fiels of activity: Local Democracy and Civil society, Sustainable development, Education and Training, International and Inter-Cultural Communicatio, Humanitarian Aid and Human rights, Youth and gender Equality Main partners: Non state actors (NGOs, Associations), Local authorities, LDAs network
The Association aims to build an international partnership and to achieve the objectives of the Local Democracy Agencies' Programme. Its main mission is: 1. to facilitate relations between the ADLs and their partners (municipalities, regions or NGOs, including the hosts of the ADLs) and the Council of Europe, particularly the Congress of Local and Regional European Authorities (hereinafter "the Congress"), ensuring their compatibility within the overall project; 2. set priorities for the maintenance of existing ADLs and the creation of new agencies; 3. promote partnerships between local and regional authorities of Europe; 4. to establish a network of ADLs, on ne hand able of meeting local partners' expectations and, on the other hand, to serve as relay for some activities of the international community, especially fot the European one, ensuring that the activities of the ADLs and ALDA respect and promote a closer relationship between the EU and the host countries; 5. manage the LDAs network for promoting local democracy, involving the decision-making bodies of the Council of Europe (the Secretary General, the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress, etc..) and the European Union (European Commission, European Parliament, the Committee of regions), and fostering cooperation between different agencies of local democracy; 6. to serve as an interface between the ADLs and the services of the Council of Europe, including the access facilitation to the Council of Europe and EU's cooperation programmes; 7. to train delegates and senior local managers in the techniques of management and local projects' coordination; 8. to evaluate the work of the delegates and LDAs staff, including the financial management; 9. to promote contacts, coordination and dissemination of information between the LDAs, the foundations, public and private agencies (national or international) but also with governmental and non-governmental organisations and LDAs; 10. to promote LDAs activities for developing a new form of decentralized cooperation on the basis of inter-municipal, inter-communities relations in Europe.
The Association of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA) is a European non-governmental organization that promotes the protection of human rights, the affirmation of democracy, of the local development and citizen participation in all of the aspects of local governance. Its activities can be grouped as following: - Activities in the South East Europe and the Caucasus, through the network of 12 Local Democracy Agencies, acting for the support and strengthening of local democratic institutions and European integration; - Active citizenship and local democracy; - Technical assistance and training to local communities and associations. The working method of the ALDA is based on a multilateral decentralized cooperation providing cooperation between local, national and international partners from all over Europe and their conection in networks. Partners are building relationships on trust, the exchange of good practices and they develop fruitful projects together with the stakeholders. The network of ALDA currently extends to 29 European countries and includes 300 members and partners (local communities, economic sectors, associations, universities, research groups and others).