Introduction

Every 3 or 4 years, the TOGETHER Network organises an International Meeting of the Territories of Co-responsibility. Those meetings represent important moments in the network's life.

The First International Meeting took place on the 25th of September 2009 in Mulhouse, with the support of the city and the European Council. This meeting was the first step of the informal TOGETHER network. Few months after, the network beneficiated from the Urbact program with 8 pilot cities in 8 different countries.
The Second International Meeting, which also took place in Mulhouse on the 22nd and the 23rd of November in 2012 was the end of the Urbact project. It led to an enlargement of the network to all territories developping SPIRAL, leading to the formal constitution of TOGETHER during the year 2013.
The Third International Meeting took place in Braine L'Alleud on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of November 2016. It has marked a turning point for the CO-ACTE project. TOGETHER proposed to politics a roadmap beforehand debated largely with citizens and civil society. It has been as well an opportunity to enlarge partnerships with other networks that share similar goals, notably the one part of the CO-ACTE project.

Since 2012 each reunion is the occasion to establish an Extraordinary General Assembly taking in consideration new orientations in order to elect a new board.

Objective : a successful International Meeting in Braine l’Alleud

During the preparation meeting and the CO-ACTE launching project reunion, the exercise was to precise what would be a successful Third International Meeting of TOGETHER. It would be : 1. An enlarge and reinforced network

Mobilization of coresponsability territories further than the only SPIRAL community

TOGETHER must become a true network, in every sense of the world, linked with other similar networks (Territories in Agenda 21, transition, eco-village...) All actors should mutualise their experiences and go toward the same direction which will give much more weight and engage a permanent dialogue with national and European politics

Promises of a new working group with economical actors to think together about how stepping out of the profit logic at short term to go toward fundamental values.
A meeting which, one year after the COP 21 and its redefinition of the Millenium redefinition of objectives, will echoed by proposing their illustration and its concretion by corresponsability approaches in between local and global level.

2. Engaged participants

Media coverage which recognized the innovative approach
Presence of politics which recognized a different but proactive approach
Representatives of various political parties and social organisms which thought about modifying their positions towards one another
Presence of DGs from the European Comission and national ministries

3. Content, effects, and upgrade

Synthesis of the territorial and thematic reports
Political proposals that outcome
A large echo which allowed to pose the conditions of a perennial dialogue in between territories – researchers and politicians
Re-positioning actors in an ecosystem of corresponsability for the welfare of all
Alliances Council : interpretation DG research, new research programs

4. Organization and atmosphere

Lot of enthusiasm
Lot of public speaking
Recreational moments
Historical visits
Meeting in between stakeholders which do not often meet

Expected Results

The progress line towards the corresponsability for the welfare of all promoted by the TOGETHER network has won in visibility and in acknowledgment
Proposals of public politics which are coming from it are systematize and debated at an European level with concrete application prospects
Citizens and actors participate in the political and research project of TOGETHER to create a loop effect of global mobilization between citizens, researchers, elected politics

Program

Link to a temporary graphic version

Wednesday 02/11/2016

Presentation and enrichment of the CO-ACTE road map proposal

At the Cultural Center of Braine-l’Alleud – Street Jules Hans, 4 – 1420 Braine-l’Alleud

8h00: Welcoming of participants
9h00: Official opening of the meeting : Welcoming words from Mr. Olivier Parvais, Deputy Mayor, President of the Social Action Public Center and Provincial Advisor. Introduction of the day by Mr. Lassaad Ghedami, Mayor of Kairouan (Tunisia) and Mr. Dimosthenis Toulkidis, Deputy Mayor of Kavala (Greece), Board Member of the TOGETHER network.
9h30: Spiral method’s and TOGETHER network’s history by Ms Cécile Sornin, Adjunct of Participative Democracy representing the Mayor of Mulhouse, pioneer in that approach.
9h45: General presentation of the results of CO-ACTE : synthesis of the citizens’ expectations, contributions of the 4 thematic reunions and presentation of the road map proposal which ensued by Mr. Samuel THIRION, General Secretary of the TOGETHER network and presentation of the various participants working on the project – Debate with the public.
10h45: Coffee break proposed by the ASBL OXFAM of Braine-l’Alleud
11h00: Round table on the political interest of the road-map from a local level to the European one with Mr. Olivier Parvais, Deputy Mayor, President of the Social Action Public Center and Provincial Advisor ; Mr. André Flahaut, Budget Minister of the Public Service and Administrative Simplification of the Walloon-Fédération ; Ms Gilda Farrell, ex Division of Research and Development for Social Cohesion chief at the Council of Europe ; Ms Sabine Storme, Ambassador of Cittaslow International.

At the Academy of Music and the Art school – Rue du Château, 45-47

13h00: Buffet lunch realized by « Restô et Compagnie »
14h00: Workshops in order to complete the road-map on key themes for the welfare of all :
- Workshop on the Coresponsability and social inclusion (organized by Ms. Lydia Meyer, Ms. Marie Vollard, Ms Emilie Furtoss and Mr. Régis Anthonady of the city of Mulhouse and the Rouffach Hospital Center, and with the participation of Mr Sebastien Houssin, one of the initiator of the approach)
- Workshop on time banks and exchanges with time (organized by Ms. Sue Martin and Mr. Reyaz of FairShares Gloucester (UK))
- Workshop on the reflect action approach (organized by Ms. Axelle Devos)
- Workshop on trans-territoriality (organized by Ms. Anne-Françoise Nicolay from the city of Jette)
- Workshop on the Collective management of the access of common goods (organized by Mr. Sjoerd Waterna from AGTER and Mr. Orlando Sereno Regis from LCT)
- Workshop on the SPIRAL Method and the collect of the indicators of citizen's welfare (organized by Mr. Obrecht Joël and Sébastien Keiff)
- Workshop on Deliberative democracy (organized by Mr. Patrice Levallois)
- Workshop "Zéro waste" (organized by Mr. Diogo Lorena member of the Zero Waste network)
- Workshop on Social and Solidarity Economy (organized by Mr. Karl Birkhoelzer from RIPESS and Mr. Sebastien Leclef from WFTO)
- Workshop on the intergenerational relations and the elderly people (organized by Ms. Maria Stergidou and Mr. Athanasios Delios from the city of Kavala and Ms. Manuela Coutinho, SPIRAL dynamisator in Portugal, in the district of Viana do Castelo)
- Workshop on social and solidarity economy (organised by Mr. Karl Birkhoelzer from RIPESS and Mr. Sebastien Leclef from WTFO)
15h45: Coffee break l’ASBL OXFAM of Braine-l’Alleud
16h00: Second part of the workshops. What are the potential partnerships between networks for the roadmap ?
- Workshop on the coresponsability and the welcoming of refugees (organized by Ms. Gilda Farrell)
- Workshop on coresponsability in Mulhouse, leverage effects in the democratic transition process (organized by Ms. Cécile Sornin and Mr. Régis Anthonady from Mulhouse)
- Workshop on the SPIRAL Method and the collect of the indicators of citizen's welfare (organized by Mr. Obrecht Joël in English))
- Workshop on change processes (organized by Ms. Indirah Osumba)
- Workshop on how to legitimate knowledge (organized by Mr. Samuel Thirion)
- Workshop on Ecovillages (organized by Mr. Kevin Lluch)
- Workshop Cittaslow (organized by Ms. Sabine Storme, Ambassador of Cittaslow International)
17h30: Departure of buses towards the 1815 Memorial
18h00: Visit of the Memorial
19h00: Apéro dînatoire - Quatuor from the Chamber of the Music Academy of Braine-l’Alleud
19h30: Welcoming words from Mr. Vincent Scourneau, Deputy Mayor of Braine-l’Alleud and by Mr. Gilles Mathieu, Governor Of the Brabant Walloon Province.

Intervention to present what the meeting and TOGETHER network want to propose to politics by Mr. Samuel Thirion, General Secretary of TOGETHER.

21h:00 Departure of buses to the train station of Braine-l'Alleud

Thursday 3/11/2016

Thinking about the perspectives opened by the road map

At the Academy of Music and the School of Arts - Rue du Château, 45-47

9h00: Rendition of the workshops, presentation of the proposals to enrich the road-map
9h15: Rendition of the workshops, presentation of the proposals to enrich the road-map
10h30: Coffee break by l’ASBL OXFAM of Braine-l’Alleud
10h45: Debates and exchanges with participants about the propositions presented to finalize the roadmap which will be presented to governments and to the European Comission.
12h00: How can the road-map help to go further than what is already applied in some countries and regions ? Example of the Walloon region with its Social Cohesion Plans in each municipality – Organised by Ms. Carine Jansen, Director of the interdepartmental Direction of the Social Cohesion (DiCS) of the Walloon region and debate
12h30: Buffet lunch realized by the « Restô et Compagnie »
14h00-15h45: Présentation of some actions PCS applied by the Walloon municipalities and open debate on perspectives concerning the roadmap. Session organized in small groups of participants mono language (only one language spoken) going to 2 rooms with in each, a different workshop organised by a Walloon municipality :
15h45: Coffee break proposed by the ASBL OXFAM of Braine-l’Alleud
16h00-17h00: Workshops by countries : How can that road map be applied in the different countries?
- Workshop 1 : Belgium - Large cities, example of Charleroi
- Workshop 2 : Belgium - Periurban zones
- Workshop 3 : Belgium - Rural zones
- Workshop 4 : France and Luxemburg
- Workshop 5 : Portugal
- Workshop 6 : African Countries (Cape Verde - Tunisia)
- Workshop 7 (in English) : Other countries (Italy - Greece - Romania - Hungary - Bulgaria - Germany - United Kingdom)
17h00-17H30 : Synthesis and final conclusions of what will be brought to Brussels
17h45: Welcoming words of Ms. Marie-Anne Hatert-Marloye, Municipal Councillor charged of Culture and Informatique, and of Mr. Vincent Batens, Director of the School of Arts of Braine-l’Alleud.

Drums of the Academy of music of Braine-l'Alleud : "Visite d'un monde sonore !"

18h30: Animation "Kitchen" : Transposable kitchen is a project of Thorsten Baensch and Christine Dupuis since 2000. It is an artistic act, participatory, already presented in Brussels, Düsseldorf, Courtrai, Kuala, Lumpur, Louvain-la-Neuve, Munich, New-York, Singapor and Tunis. Transportable because she drives, she writes her own story by showing the state of the links which unite us throughout social statuses, origins, encouraging to not avoid the idea of a common future in choice or restriction. Kitchen is place of theater, a place of cuisine and a place to share. Exchanges through years gathered a thousand recipes which allowed to publish 7 editions of artists' books.
19h30: Walking dinner realized by « Benin Solidarity », « Fair Peace in Middle East », « Ray of Hope», « Third World Team », « Oxfam » and the Consultative Comission for the International Solidarity

Friday 4/11/2016

Bring the road-map through the network and to authorities

At the Academy of Music and at the School of Arts – Rue du Château, 45-47

9h00: General Assembly of TOGETHER presided by the city of Mulhouse

Speech by Mr. Olivier Parvais, Mayor Adjunct, President of the Social Action Public Center and Provincial Advisor ; Mr. Lassaad Ghedami, Mayor of Kairouan (Tunisia) and Mr. Diminosthenis Toulkidis, Mayor Adjunct of Kavala (Greece), board member of TOGETHER Presentation of the Activity Report by the board of direction of the network Presentation of the Financial Report by the Surveillance Council (city of Charleroi) Debate on the performance reviews and perspectives

10h30: Coffee break proposed by l’ASBL OXFAM de Braine-l’Alleud
10h45: What objectives and what strategy for the after Braine L'Alleud and the 3 upcoming year. Election of a new Board of Direction.
12h00: Buffet lunch offered by « Restô et compagnie »
13h00: Departure to Brussels

At the seat of the governing board of the Comity of Regions - Room JDE 70 - Rue Belliard, 99-101 – 1040 Brussels

14h00: Meeting with European Authorities, presentation and debate on the road map proposal
17h00: End of the meeting

Partners

The Commune of Braine-l'Alleud, the Inter-Departmental Direction of Social Cohesion (SCID) of the Walloon Region and the TOGETHER Network itself are the 3 CO-ACTE project partners in charge of the organization and the conduct of the Third International Meeting of the Territories of Co-responsibility. To them are added the following partners:

The AECEA EU (Europe for Citizens Program), the Meeting co-financer
The Brabant Province for a cross-provincial perspective, the Meeting co-financer
The Walloon Region, for a inter-community and transverse perspective, the Meeting co-financer