Newsflash March - Association of Charity Lotteries in the EU (ACLEU)
CHARITY IN THE SPOTLIGHT: EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP FOR
DEMOCRACY (EPD)
Marcin Walecki, Executive Director EPD:
"As a truly independent European organisation that makes an
important contribution to the advancement and strengthening of democracy
outside of the European Union, the EPD is a particularly important
addition to Europe's assistance and voice in advancing democracy.
With its established Patrons and Board of Directors the EPD has a unique
capacity to galvanize democratic transition around the world. Increasing
the people's control over good governance will lead to a more fertile
ground for all investments Europe makes in development aid. The
contribution EPD receives from the Dutch Postcode Loterij is of
indispensable importance for this starting initiative."
At the beginning of this year, the European Partnership for Democracy
became a beneficiary of the Nationale Postcode Loterij, with an annual
donation of 500.000 Euro. Democracy and good governance are important
preconditions for the fields this lottery already supports.
The EPD was founded last year by some fifteen European civil society
organisations focusing on democracy assistance. On April 15th 2008, the
EPD was officially launched during a high level meeting in Brussels with
José Manuel Barroso (President European Commission), Vaclav Havel (former
Czech President) and Joaquim Chissano (former President Mozambique) as
key note speakers.
On the 9th and 10th of March this year, the EPD -in collaboration with
the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Association for Democracy
Assistance and Human Rights (DEMAS)- organised the conference
"Building Consensus about EU Policies on Democracy Support" in
Prague. Over a hundred democracy experts, academics and practitioners
from EU institutions, EU Member States and non-state actors gathered to
discuss the biggest challenges for democracy support.
As Vaclav Havel (Chairman of EPD Council of Patrons) said: 'From my
own experience, I know how enormously important it is for those who, in
one way or another, are fighting for human rights or against
authoritarian regimes to receive attention or assistance from the
democratic world'.
For more information about the activities of the EPD, please visit: www.epd.eu
For more information about the Association of Charity Lotteries in the EU, please visit www.acleu.eu