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The Great Euro Crash with Robert Peston

On Thursday evening, the BBC showed an interesting programme on the developemnt of the euro.

For more than two years Europe has teetered on the edge of an economic precipice – one of the factors that has pushed Britain back into recession. How exactly did Europe get itself into the current financial mess? Talking to historians, economists and politicians, BBC business editor Robert Peston takes a long view of the euro – from Churchill’s vision of a United States of Europe to the bail-outs of Greece, Portugal and Ireland. Meeting a property developer in Ireland, a taxi driver in Rome and a German manufacturing worker, the film exposes the high cost being paid by European workers today for the dream of monetary union – and how close Europe came to a complete banking meltdown. The crisis could yet claim another victim – Britain, with its vast financial sector, would be dragged down by the collapse of the euro. The cost for saving the euro may be high, but the alternative would be a return to the economic mayhem of the 1930s.

If you missed it yesterday, here is the link for the programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01hy4xr/

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By carolin – May 18, 2012

Celebrating Europe Day with a tribute to the Founding Fathers of the European Union

How much do you know about the people who worked assiduously to create the kind of Europe we live in today: a Europe which has known continuous peace for over 60 years?

There have of course been many men and women involved in the process of European integration over the past decades, but we can identify eleven of them as having played a major role in this process. These we call the ‘Founding Fathers’ of the European Union:
 
Konrad Adenauer – Germany;
Joseph Bech – Luxembourg;
Johan Willem Beyen – the Netherlands;
Winston Churchill – United Kingdom;
Alcide de Gasperi – Italy;
Walter Hallstein – Germany;
Sicco Mansholt – the Netherlands;
Jean Monnet – France;
Robert Schuman – France;
Paul-Henri Spaak – Belgium;
Altiero Spinelli – Italy. 
 
The European Commission has now prepared a series of eleven fact sheets and video clips focusing on each of these individuals and their role in the history of European integration. The fact sheets contain not only details about their professional and political careers, their war experiences and their beliefs in the benefits of European integration, but a fascinating personal profile of each of them, including information about their diverse backgrounds. Who would have guessed for example that one of them was a Nobel Prize winner and another a Davis Cup tennis player?
These materials will be launched today, Europe Day, as a tribute to their achievements, and intend to further develop and add to this roll call of key players in the history of the European Union.

 
Go to http://europa.eu/about-eu/eu-history/index_en.htm to see these and other materials about the European Unuion’s history.

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By admin – May 9, 2012

Europe Day 2012

Everything is Possible and Europe Direct are organising an Open Day focusing on European Opportunities Abroad  on the 9th  May 2012 from 13.00 to 19.00 at the Leeds Central Library (third floor). The event is open to everyone even though we are primarily targeting young people from 16 to 30 years old.

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By carolin – April 30, 2012

Stephen Spender Prize 2012

“Here’s a competition for the linguists amongst you!

You are invited to translate a poem from any language, classical or modern, into English. There are cash prizes for the winning entries, and selected poems will be published in The Times newspaper. The closing date for entries is 1st June 2012. You can find full terms and conditions, and details of how to enter, on the Stephen Spender Trust website.

The Stephen Spender Trust aims to widen knowledge of 20th century English literature, and promote literary translation. You can find out more about Spender on the trust website, or we have a range of titles available in our libraries, including his collected poems, journals and literary criticism, and the authorized biography.”

As read on Leeds Reads, the blog from Leeds Library and Information Service.

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By carolin – April 25, 2012

EUROTALK@JISCMAIL.AC.UK

“Following the winding up of the European Information Association, a new discussion list has been set up for people willing to share their experience and expertise in handling EU information and/or who are seeking help with EU-related materials. The move is intended to provide a forum not only for discussing EU information issues, but also to gauge the level of interest in setting up some new group and what form it might take.”

Seen in: CILIP International News Bulletin April 2012

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By carolin – April 24, 2012

New competition announced for 20 year olds: Generation 1992

In 1992 all countries belonging to the European Union decided to create a single market, guaranteeing free movement of goods, people, services and capital among those countries.

20 years on, you can travel across Europe without having to show your passport, work and live in another country without any difficulty, and find the best deals across Europe when shopping online.

In this competition you can choose between different themes and formats to tell your story, share your ideas or voice your complaints.

Visit http://www.generation1992.eu/ for more details.

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By carolin – April 23, 2012

eco-fair 2012 1st May 2012 @ Leeds United

We’ve come across the ecofair taking place on the 1st of May

“eco-fair is the largest environmental event in the North of England.  We focus on real business issues and best practice case studies. Our themes for 2012 are waste, energy, greener buildings and strategy. Additional bitesized support sessions will be running all day on travel costs and environmental regulations.”

Visit the website for more information and to book your place http://www.eco-fair.co.uk/

and follow them on twitter @ecofairy

 

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By andrea – April 20, 2012

Twitter chat: “Europe in crisis: the challenge of winning citizens’ trust”.

On 24 April (from 10:00 CEST to 12:30 CEST), the European Ombudsman will organise a major event in Brussels with European Commission President Barroso, European Parmiament President Schulz, and the Danish Prime Minister Thorning-Schmidt, entitled “Europe in crisis: the challenge of winning citizens’ trust”. Further details are available at: this link 
The event will be webstreamed at: http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/home.faces
The European Parliament and Europe by Satellite will also broadcast the event live.
 
Citizens from all over the European Union will have the possibility to ask questions to the four speakers via Twitter, using the hashtag #EO2012

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By carolin – April 17, 2012

Our first Human Library opens on Friday 27 April

To celebrate the Day of Solidarity between Generations we open our first Human Library on Friday 27 April.

Meet people who are involved in work with older people or who are ageing actively.

Friday 27 April 2012, 11am to 1pm

Central Library, 3rd floor meeting room

 

This event aims to highlight awareness of the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (http://europa.eu/ey2012).

So far you can borrow:

A Holocaust Survivor
who has been an active volunteer for over 20 years and regularly speaks in schools and to other organisations about her experiences as a child refugee arriving in England in 1939 and settling and making her life in Yorkshire.

A volunteer
who also runs her own business in Leeds.

A library assistant
who works for Leeds Library and Information Service, which of course caters for all ages, and who volunteers for Leeds Action for the Blind, and has volunteered for other organisations in the past. She has also studied textiles and loves knitting in her spare time.

A 65 year old gentleman
who has been diagnosed with dementia for a few years. He has spent all his working life on a farm and loves animals. He was referred to the Peer Support Service from the Younger People with Dementia Team. He now attends most of the support groups and also is a dementia champion. He is on the Peer Support Service board, attends meetings, conferences, training sessions, community group meetings and drop in sessions and is always happy to share his experience of living with dementia.
He has shared his story with the local media, including a radio interview and an article in the Evening Post. He wants to “give something back to the services that support him” and also wants to share his story to raise awareness and be helpful to others who are experiencing memory problems. He wants to encourage people to live life to the full and spread the message” living well with dementia”.

A volunteer
In retirement, eight years as a volunteer in the office of Older People’s Action in the Locality in Leeds 16. Also enjoying exercise classes and outings provided by OPAL, and knowing that I can turn to them for any problems and difficulties. Good to belong to an organisation that helps older people to live more happily and safely in their own homes.

You can read more about the concept of the Human Library at http://humanlibrary.org/.

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By carolin – April 11, 2012

Life 2.0 – Ready for a new start

The PES Group in the Committee of the Regions (CoR) is launching a photo competition for Europeans aged 18-108, inspired by the theme of the 2012 European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.

Amateur photographers are asked to send in a photo that illustrates the way they perceive senior citizens taking an active part in society and developing their potential.

“Life 2.0 – Ready for a new start” seeks to capture various types of turning the challenges of an ageing population into opportunities, be it by discovering new vocations, keeping moving, staying fit and healthy or fostering inter-generational learning.

The competition runs from 1 March until 30 June 2012.

The jury consists of members of the PES Group in the CoR – representing local and regional authorities across the EU – and professionals from the world of photography. It will select the best three photos.

Winners will be awarded a number of substantial prizes. The first prize of the competition consists of two trips for two persons to two European cities and a tablet computer.

For more information on the competition and promotional material, visit www.pes.cor.europa.eu.

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By carolin – April 2, 2012