(17 March 2014) – Today, we publish the report on the conference, ‘Reinventing Europe through Local Initiative’, held in Brussels on 19-20 February by AEIDL, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary.
The report was written by Michael Dower, Professor at the University of Gloucestershire, who concludes:
“We may in coming years be able to realise the full force of the ‘quiet revolution’ which was explored in the conference. The emergence of active and self-reliant communities, energised by local initiatives, and the acceptance by governments that such communities are the best guarantee of long-term well-being, can indeed lead to a reinvention of Europe and a rising commitment by its citizens to the European project.”
“We may thus be able to grasp the vision of a Europe rich in the diversity of its landscapes, its communities and its culture, open to the world, striving for a new economic, social and environmental equilibrium… a Europe which is indeed (in the proper use of these adjectives) ‘smart, sustainable and inclusive’”.