Evens Foundation

🗣️“Today’s democracy for me means freedom, freedom of human rights, freedom as a minority. That no one forbids me to use my mother tongue.” 🇭🇷Tünde Šipoš Živić is one of 31 witnesses who have generously shared their stories with us as part of the #ChangingDemocracies project. Tünde lives in Croatia, which declared independence 33 years ago on June 25, 1991. 📌If you are in Croatia, you can catch our Travelling Workshop at Muzej Slavonije in Osijek this summer. Come along and explore more perspectives on European democracy from the past and present, and share your hopes for the future.

"At best, we’ve bought ourselves breathing room for five years." In the wake of the #EUElections, Evens Foundation director Joseph Elborn explores political, social and economic contexts that have allowed the far-right to gain so much ground, and shares some ideas to prevent a further slide in 2029. https://lnkd.in/egTZEkRE Published by Friends of Europe, this article is part of the Voices4Choices campaign, which aims to shed light on the need to reimagine our societies and pave the way for a revitalised Europe.

Our latest update from the #ChangingDemocracies project comes from Lithuania! 🇱🇹 "Memory Dialogues: Stories from the Transition Period", organised by project partner Atviros Lietuvos fondas this spring, brought together young people to engage with stories around the country's return to independence in the 1990s. Students from grades 9 to 12 gathered at the Visaginas Education Centre to connect the past with the future. A forum theatre performance based on three fragments from the Changing Democracies testimonies offered different experiences of the transition, followed by stories from 10 local residents of Visaginas. The students then shared their own perspectives, discussing how they view democracy today and how that might have changed as they listened to the personal stories of the individuals who experienced life before and after its arrival in Lithuania. ALF was the first non-governmental organisation established after Lithuania declared independence in 1990, with a mission to foster an open, democratic civil society. Relaunched in 2017, it now focuses on civil society, education, science, culture, law, free public expression, independent media, and strengthening the protection of basic human rights in Lithuania and Europe. Find out more about the other Local Experiences taking place across Europe on the Changing Democracies Instagram channel: https://lnkd.in/e2mzxM2n

It's a big week for Europe! Have you voted yet? #EUelections Witold Liszkowski is one of 31 individuals from across Europe who are sharing their personal stories of the transition to democracy as part of the #ChangingDemocracies project. "Go and vote. Have your own mind, do not give in to manipulation, do not believe those who promise a lot and do not believe those who praise you," says Witold. "Because populism is about reaching people who want to be praised, liked or at least want to be talked about, and then they can be bought very easily." "Ale iść i głosować. Mieć swój rozum, nie poddawać się manipulacjom, nie wierzyć tym, którzy dużo obiecują i nie wierzyć tym, którzy Ciebie chwalą.  Bo populizm na tym polega, że trafia do osób, które chcą być chwalone, lubiane albo przynajmniej chcą, by o tym do nich mówić i później je można kupić bardzo łatwo." Find out more about the Changing Democracies project and discover more extracts from these stories on our dedicated Instagram channel: https://lnkd.in/edfW9Weg

Voting has begun, but why give a damn about the #EUelections? The latest episode of The Europeans podcast asks exactly that. "They’re the second biggest elections on Earth. For the next four days, 373 million people are eligible to take part in the vote for the European Parliament. And yet in most EU countries, the prevailing mood is… ‘meh’.  This week, we take on the challenge of convincing you that these elections are anything but meh, with the help of one of our favourite explainers of all things EU, Beatriz Ríos."  Listen here: https://lnkd.in/dmQ4-HUj The podcast is one of the recipients of a rapid-response grant from the #CultureofSolidarity fund's Democracy Resilience edition, supported by the Evens Foundation and Allianz Foundation. #getoutthevote #democracyinaction

27 posters by 27 artists, all designed to #getoutthevote for this week's EU elections. Available free to download, print and share: https://lnkd.in/e8gkbmB2 This project by Fine Acts is one of the many supported by the European Cultural Foundation #CultureofSolidarity fund's Democracy Resilience edition, backed by the Evens Foundation and Allianz Foundation. Don't forget to vote!

During this year's Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association Forum in Ghent we brought a group of Foundations to the European Parliament to discuss the pressing issue of polarisation and Foundation's role in it.

🗳 It's EU elections week! 💶 We're proud to be a part of this innovative rapid-granting initiative, led by our friends at the European Cultural Foundation, providing a much-needed financial boost for initiatives helping to mobilise the vote. #euelections #getoutandvote #solidarity

📣 Calling all educators in Antwerp and beyond! 📅 Next Wednesday, 2pm to 4pm, we're hosting a free consultation on multiperspectivity and dealing with controversial issues in the classroom at Antwerp's Permeke Library. This event is part of the programme for Is Your Democracy My Democracy? – a Travelling Workshop that explores the challenges facing contemporary democracy through the stories of 30 people who have experienced the transition to democracry. 🗣 Come along to talk about how we can use these stories to raise important questions in the classroom and beyond... Find out more: https://lnkd.in/dz2DsCZK

According to recent data, Europe's children aged 10-19 experience more mental health disorders than the global average. Poorer mental health implies poorer physical health, education, employment and relationship outcomes later in life. Yesterday, in the frame of the #PhileaForum2024, we had the opportunity to tackle this critical issue by co-facilitating a workshop with Evens Foundation and Fondation Botnar. In a session titled 'The Challenge of Poor Mental Health in European Children and Youth: What Role for Philanthropy,' we explored effective practices in treatment, prevention, and the promotion of positive mental health while identifying roles and potential actions to support the well-being of children and youth. This collaborative effort brought together a diverse group of attendees representing different organizations, including a youth panel. A huge thank you to all attendees for their engaging participation! It's imperative to unite to improve the lives of European children and youth. Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association