Berlin, the foundation contributing to the development of the city

Cristina Barbetta

Born in Pfefferberg, an area that has become an important cultural and social centre, the Pfefferwerk Foundation has contributed to the regeneration of the site. It carries out and supports projects to help disadvantaged people enter the job market, in all areas of Berlin. Its experience has been selected by the European Economic and Social Committee as a story of innovative and successful social enterprise at European level

Ankara, garbage collectors open library with discarded books

Cristina Barbetta

Dustmen of the Turkish capital have rescued books left on the streets and in rubbish bins, creating a big library, open to the public, which collects more than 6000 books

Volunteering in Turkey: Be the best version of yourself

Anna Romanin

The experience of Anna Romanin, a student at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice, who left to Eskişehir, Turkey, to participate in AIESEC’s Global Volunteer project

Tokyo, the restaurant where you pay the bill by doing the dishes

Cristina Barbetta

You don’t have enough money to pay yourself a meal out? There is no problem: at the Mirai Shokudo restaurant you can pay by doing the dishes or cleaning the kitchen, for 50 minutes

A small step forward for human rights

*Valentina Pavarotti

Today ends the week of negotiations at the UN in Geneva for the Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights, an instrument that could protect the rights and the environment of many communities around the world.

Cultural projects: Italy in the lead

Staff

The European Economic and Social Committee has received 150 applications from 27 EU Member States for its Civil Society Prize 2018, that this year focuses on culture. Italy, that has presented 24 projects, is in the first place for number of applications sent, followed by Germany and Belgium, both on 13, nearly half of the Italian applications, and by Greece, with 11 applications.

The sky over Kibera: the Divine Comedy in the slum of Nairobi

AVSI

Dante brought on stage by the students of the schools of one of the largest African slums. A unique project, designed by Marco Martinelli, founder of the Teatro delle Albe and promoted by AVSI.

Social Enterprise World Forum underway

Staff

SEWF 2018 returns to Edinburgh, where it began 10 years ago. From the 12th to the 14th of September over 1000 delegates coming from tens of countries around the world will gather to share insights and learn from the example of Scotland, that has a vibrant social enterprise scene

Venice, images for human rights on show

Staff

The photo exhibition “They defend our Freedoms” opens on the 15th of June at the premises of the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC)/Global Campus of Human Rights. Launched by the European Parliament together with Magnum Photos, it celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Sakharov Prize for freedom of expression. Heidi Hautala, vice-president of the European Parliament, will attend the opening of the event.

Social enterprises, it is time to be recognised and scale up

Cristina Barbetta

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has organised the 3rd European day of Social Economy Enterprises (SEEs) in its headquarters in Brussels. The day has gathered policy makers and actors of the sector to review the progress made in building an ecosystem for SEEs and to see what the next steps are for this enterprise model to be recognised and more widely disseminated