Finnish Federation of Settlement- and Neighborhood Houses, Helsinki, Finland

Website: https://www.setlementti.fi:443

DEMOCRACY - IS IT IN DANGER?

Registration has ended on May 18th.

Further questions, please contact Mr. Matti Cantell, matti.cantell (at) setlementti.fi

IFS CONFERENCE
Helsinki, June 6-8, 2018

IFS organizes an international conference for its members and colleagues every two years. This year we will focus on the issues of democracy – its challenges, promises and best practices to strengthen civil society and participation in diverse locations globally.

The 2018 conference Democracy – Is it in Danger? takes place in Helsinki on June 6-8.

On the day following the conference you have an opportunity to visit the Arctic Circle. See the program for details.

Welcome to Finland!

Location: Kalliola Settlement House
Address: Sturenkatu 11, 00510 Helsinki

PROGRAMME

June 4, Monday
IFS Europe Committee Meeting

June 5, Tuesday
9.30-12.00 am          IFS Board Meeting
12.00-1.00 pm          Luncheon
1.00-5.00 pm            Working groups
2.00-4.00 pm            Conference registration
7.00 pm                    Dinner

June 6, Wednesday: Conference Opening
10.00-12.00 pm        Registration and buffet lunch
12.00-2.00 pm          IFS General Meeting
3.00-5.00 pm            Conference Opening
6.30-8.00 pm            Reception By the City of Helsinki

June 7, Thursday: Let´s Community
8.00-9.00 am            Registration
9.00-9.30 am            Good morning and Plenary session, "The Future of Localism and Democracy"
9.45-11.00 am          Mini-seminars and workshops, session 1 (see options 1-16 starting page 7)
11.00-11.15 am        Break
11.15-12.30 pm        Mini-seminars and workshops, session 2 (see options 1-16 starting page 7)
12.30-2.00 pm          Luncheon
2.00-5.00 pm            Site visits (see options starting page 4)
7.00-10.00 pm          Dinner, two options: 1) Suomenlinna Dinner Event, 2) Dialog & wine evening

June 8, Friday: Make Democracy Great Again!
8.30-9.00 am             Arrival and refreshments
9.00-10.00 am           Good morning and Plenary session
10.15-11.30 am         Mini-seminars and workshops, session 3 (see options 17-37 starting page 14)
11.20-12.30 pm         Luncheon
12.45-2.00 pm           Miniseminars and workshops, session 4 (see options 17-37 starting page 14)
2.30-3.30 pm             Closing of the conference
6.00-9.00 pm             Ceremony of 100 years old Finnish Settlement

June 9-11, Saturday-Monday: Trip to Arctic Circle
The trip is optional programme. Detailed programme you find at the Arctic Circle trip programme.

CONFERENCE FEES

Conference fees include day time programs, luncheons, refreshments and the Ceremony of 100 years old Finnish Settlement. No VAT is payable on conference fees because the Finnish Federation of Settlements in not VAT-registered.

Regular conference fee, 6-8 June: 350 euros

Conference fee for presenters of miniseminars and workshops: 300 euros

Conference fee for participants from Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Venezuela: 250 euros

Dinner options on Thursday evening, 7 June:

 1) Suomenlinna Dinner Event: 90 euros. When registering, you may buy a dinner to your avec. In that case the price is 180 euros for both of you.

2) Dialog & wine evening: 20 euros. When registering, you may buy a dinner to your avec. In that case the price is 40 euros for both of you.

Optional programme: Trip to Arctic Circle: 400 euros

DETAILED CONFERENCE PROGRAM

You find the detailed conference program on the FFSH webpage: http://www.setlementti.fi/?x21660=1567531

REGISTRATION AND PAYMENTS

CONFERENCE HOTELS

Following hotels are nearest to the conference venue:

Cumulus City Kallio Helsinki
Address: Läntinen Brahenkatu 2, 00510 Helsinki, Finland
Tel: +358 200 48109
Fax: +358 20 601 9112
E-mail: kallio.cumulus@restel.fi

Cumulus City Hakaniemi Helsinki
Address: Siltasaarenkatu 14, 00530 Helsinki, Finland 
Tel: +358 200 48108
Fax: +358 20 601 9105
E-mail: hakaniemi.cumulus@restel.fi

Crowne Plaza Helsinki
Address: Mannerheimintie 50, 00260 Helsinki, Finland
Tel. +358 200 48101
E-mail: helsinki.cph@restel.fi

Hotel Ava
Address: Karstulantie 6, 00550 Helsinki, Finland
Tel. +358 9 774 751. E-mail: reservations@ava.fi

Web: http://www.ava.fi/hotel-ava

WELCOME TO HELSINKI – Watch video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OHFy23X5Kc&t=61s

The board of German Federation of Social-cultural work, Germany

Website:

ÉLETFA Segítő Szolgálat Egyesület, Budapest, Hungary

Website: http://www.eletfaegyesulet.hu

STATEMENT: 
We are civil society, we are free, we are Hungarians and we are Europeans

Budapest, 12 April 2017 – More than 100 Hungarian NGOs and tens of thousands of people joined the "Heroes' veto" event on Budapest's iconic Heroes' Square between 17.30-19.00 today at Heroes' Square, Budapest.

On the peaceful event, the crowd of people freed up a heart-shaped area with the word "Civil", symbolising that civil organisations are needed for Hungary. We are all part of the civil society and stand for our communities, for our environment, and for the freedom of thought.
   The new NGO bill submitted to the Parliament would require NGOs which receive funds from foreign sources independently from Hungarian financial bodies in the annual amount of more than HUF 7.2 million to make an additional registration. The organisations affected by this bill amendment have operated in a transparent way, in compliance with the legislation. Information on the sources of financial support, their amount and their use has been always publicly available. This can be verified by observing the annual reports of each organisation.

   The more than 100 Hungarian NGOs joining today's event reject the proposed stigmatisation of the new NGO bill. These organisations provide services for the society in a completely open and transparent manner: they protect children's rights, provide food to those in need, give shelter to homeless people, or work for a cleaner, more peaceful and healthier Hungary.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1178668815589658

Pictures and videos from the event will be available here (continuously updated from 20:30 UTC+2): https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8iPCrEMgANYeGN1OHFfRUE0WFU

See this article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/hungary-thousands-protest-govts-education-ngo-policies/2017/04/12/ab8b0858-1fa6-11e7-bb59-a74ccaf1d02f_story.html?utm_term=.b06bc821094c

, New York, USA

Website: http://www.un.org

Join us during the 61st Commission on the Status of Women Forum at the UN
for a side event hosted by All India Women's Conference (AIWC) and International

Community Based Economic Empowerment

Monday, March 13, 2017 

6:15 pm - 7:45 pm

Armenian Cultural Center; Verevan Hall

630 Second Avenue (Between 34th Street and 35th Street)

Panelists:

Ms. Sudha Archarya, All India Women's Conference (AIWC)

Ms. Tatiana Bejar, Hand in Hand: Domestic Employers Network

Ms. Allison Julien, National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)

Ms. Shweta Tripati: Shruti, India

Moderated by Dr. Bobbi Nassar, International Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers (IFS), Co-Chair NGO Committee on Human Rights

Please join us as we explore effective means for fully realizing our human rights to decent work. Our presenters are grounded in inclusive community based organizations.

We will address women's heavy and disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care work throughout the life cycle.

We will focus on low-income work, immigrant workers,  and engaging grassroots groups

All are welcome!

United Neighborhood Houses of New York, New York USA

Website: http://www.unhny.org

Barrio Planta Project, San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

Website: http://nebula.wsimg.com/ef2691ca71ad5914c04e2a5f15171f41?AccessKeyId=B1BBCC854DEE13229C6E&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

Bringing Metrics and Success Stories from San Juan del Sur to our Supporters
BPP's motto is simple, we Help a Child Grow. However despite the positive growth we see in our students every day when they demonstrate enhanced self-esteem, kindness, confidence and general happiness, growth can be difficult to measure in the traditional sense, which BPP has striven to represent externally since our founding in 2009. Last year, we implemented a database which tracked attendance rates, measured academic growth through quarterly assessment tests, collected surveys from parents and volunteers, and gathered testimonials from students, and we were finally able to compile all of that information to create an Annual Report that we can present to our current and future supporters. BPP is proud and excited to finally share with you BPP's 2015 Growth Report.

Northwestern Settlement, Chicago, IL, USA

Website: https://adventurestage.org:443

Northwestern Settlement's Adventure Stage Chicago Announces 2 Limited Engagements This Fall: an International Production and a commemoration of the Settlement's 125th Anniversary. Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC), a program of Northwestern Settlement (the Settlement), announces its Fall 2016 slate of public programming, continuing its commitment to new work and original storytelling in the spirit of service and community-building. Kicking off its thirteenth season is Reprise (Sept 16-17), a new play with original music forming part of the National Theatre of Scotland's Home Away Festival. The season continues with Jack's House (Oct 29 – Nov 27), a site-specific performance honoring the Settlement's 125 years of service to Chicago families. All performances take place at Northwestern Settlement's Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble St. Tickets are $10 for preview performances and $17 for adults and $12 for youth aged 14 years and younger for the regular run. Tickets may be purchased at adventurestage.org or by calling 773-342-4141

IFS Headquarters

Website: http://www.onthemove2016.com/en/

Our 2016 conference "On the Move – At Home in the World" will be held September 28 through October 1 in Berlin, Germany. The conference deals with the development of displaced people and migration as a global phenomenon and its subsequent challenges. Therefore, we have arranged a diverse and exciting program which focuses on a country comparison of the conditions and possibilities for community work in the area of refugees and migration. National and international experts will hold lectures and panel discussions. Practical approaches and best-practice examples will be presented in workshops. Visits to different institutions will allow for the opportunity to get to know practical examples in Berlin and to speak to the employees on location.

A full conference program with more than 30 interesting workshops from all over the world and 34 site visits to amazing projects in Berlin is available online now .

Registration is now open – be sure to register by June 1 to take full advantage of our early bird rates!

For more information, including details on nearby hotels, please visit the conference website set up by host organizations Verband für Sozial-Kulturelle Arbeit and Nachbarschafts Zentrum.

Barrio Planta Project, Nicaragua

Website: http://www.barrioplantaproject.org/

Barrio Planta Project, along with our partner Grow Inc, was thrilled to receive our first Family Tour, a ten-day mother daughter trip with two mothers Tracy & Tanja and their four lovely daughters, Olvia, Jillian, Jerra & Shayna, ages 12-15.

The Trip included a full week (3 full days and 4 half days) of volunteer activities with BPP's Cultural Exchange Program as well tourist activities including surf lessons at Hermosa Beach, Horseback Riding in Majagual Beach, ziplining, nature hikes, a fishing trip, a picnic in Marsella Beach, Culture Night, a hike to the Jesus Statue and a pool party with BPP kids at Surf Ranch Action Resort! The trip also included shared accommodation, a Welcome Dinner, all breakfasts and lunches, airport transportation and transportation throughout Nicaragua to Granada, Laguna de Apoyo and Masaya. Interested in a Voluntour? Learn more on our website.

The Alliance for Strong Families & Communities, Milwaukee, WI USA

Website: http://www.alliance1.org/

The Alliance Executive Leadership Conference (AELC) offers a refuge for reinvention and the enduring camaraderie of peers who become your personal, ongoing network for ideas and solutions. More than just another conference, the AELC provides an experience that many participants find both intellectually and emotionally regenerative.

The 2016 conference experience will focus on the national context through which we think and talk about our work. Attendees will unite with peers in a supportive environment—one where they can grapple with large-scale issues. With the guidance of experienced facilitators, executives will explore how inequitable systems continue to hinder the impact of our programs and perpetuate issues of disparity, as well as why the value of human services simply isn't resonating with policymakers and the general public.

This year's facilitators, InclusionVentures and the National Human Services Assembly, have proven adept at equipping leaders with the frameworks and tools needed to redefine business as usual. Above and beyond learning how to strengthen their organizations, executives will find greater purpose and relevancy in the national context.

The conference is May 11-14, 2016, in Hilton Head, South Carolina.