An Initiative of
About the Conference
We can all observe that tensions and growing divisions are endangering our societies. Hate speech, social media filter bubbles, incitement to antagonise each other based on cultural, social, economic and religious differences have become everyday phenomena. Therefore, finding ways to bring people together is more important than ever.
At the 7th NOW Conference „Space for Encounter – Overcoming Division“ Mayors, young citizens from all ways of life, community workers, innovative NGOs, renowned researchers and practitioners, social entrepreneurs and urban planners from the Middle East to Northern Europe came together to work on how social cohesion and youth participation in wide-reaching decisions can be brought forward at the local level.
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Conference Schedule
Saturday, 15 February 2020
Youth Day 1
The Youth Days offer a programme exclusively tailored to young participants
15.00 – 22.00
Sunday, 16 February 2020
Youth Day 2
10.00 – 17.30
Mayors’ Day
The Mayors’ Day offers a programme exclusively tailored to Mayors and municipal representatives
9.00 – 16.30
Registration & Networking
18.00
Welcome Dinner at the conference venue
19.00
Monday, 17 February 2020
Registration
8.30
Opening
Mag.a Doris Schmidauer
André Heller – Multimedia Artist and co-founder of Act.Now
9.00
Sparkling Inputs: Involve the Youth!
Jürgen Czernohorszky – Executive City Councillor for Education, Integration, Youth and Personnel of the City of Vienna | Austria
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09.45
Sparkling Inputs: Diversity & Division
Regina Arant – Researcher/Postdoctoral Fellow at Jacobs University Bremen (Psychology & Methods) | Germany
Jérémie Gagné – Senior Associate and Researcher at More in Common | Germany
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10.30
Coffee Break
11.00
NOW Promising Practices Introduction & Phase I
Each community is different. But the challenges of living together are often similar in different local contexts. The series NOW Promising Practices showcases living examples of how to strengthen inclusive social cohesion in diverse communities. We understand practices as methods or ways of action which are adaptable to other local contexts. It is not about describing a project but about explaining how municipalities or local civil society actors tackle societal challenges.
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11.30
Lunch
13.00
Sparkling Inputs: Encounter enables Cohesion
Andri Christofides & Hayriye Rüzgar – Home for Cooperation in the UN buffer zone in Nicosia | Cyprus
Dima Merheb – Executive Director of NGO Al Midan | Lebanon
Halil Ibrahim Akıncı – Social Support Manager Sultanbeyli Municipality | Turkey
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14.00
Workshop Phase I: From knowledge to action
During the conference, we will gather different insights on how we can overcome division in our communities. But how can we transform this expertise into action? The workshops will focus on how we can act to actually change something at the local level. This format serves as a laboratory to deepen the understanding of our conference topics and allow participants to experience the themes first hand.
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14.30
Coffee Break
16.00
Sparkling Inputs: Insights from Practitioners
Martin Winkler – Entrepreneur and founder of “In the Heart of Hernals” Vienna | Austria
Edoardo Caroli – Activist and founder of Turbe Giovanili | Italy
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16.30
Encounter with All your Senses
18.00
Dinner
19.00
DJ Eugene Quinn
21.00
Tuesday, 18 February 2020
Arrival
9.00
Sparkling Inputs: Insights from Mayors
Peter Eisenschenk – Mayor of Tulln | Austria
Ivana Marković – Mayor of Supetar | Croatia
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9.30
Talk: Mayors under pressure
Isabella Conti – Mayor of San Lazzaro di Savenat | Italy
Tjark Bartels – Former Head of Administration of Hameln-Pyrmont District | Germany
Igor Marentič – Mayor of Postojna | Slovenia
Mohamad Saadieh – Mayor of Dannieh | Lebanon
Facilitator: Uta Zeuge-Buberl – Act.Now | Austria
10.00
Coffee Break
10.30
Sparkling Inputs: Peace & Acceptance
Adham Darawsha – Deputy Mayor for Cultures of Palermo | Italy
Lea Suter – Founder of “PeacePrints – Following the Footprints of Peacebuilders” for Peace Reporting on Post-Conflict Countries | Switzerland
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12.30
Lunch
13.00
Fishbowl Discussion: Connecting the Dots – Enacting Local Change
Mayors, practitioners and young people discuss the key conference findings in order to connect the conference and the actions of the participants at the local level.
Facilitator: Thomas Seifert – Wiener Zeitung | Austria
14.00
Closing Ceremony
16.00
