At the end of May, foundations, corporate funders, multilateral institutions and public authorities will be gathering to encourage stronger citizen participation in local, national and global affairs by building partnerships and developing coalitions. The occasion: the EFC’s 15th Annual General Assembly (AGA) and Conference, ‘Foundations for Europe: The Athens Agora – Bridging Civilisations and Cultures’, to be held 30 May – 1 June in Athens.

Highlights of the 2004 event will include:

· The launch of the first full year of the Europe in the World (EitW) project, whose successful pilot phase was kicked off at the 14th AGA and Conference, held in June 2003 in Lisbon. EitW aims to mobilize more leadership, collaboration and resources for global development by building on and stimulating foundations’ collaboration and knowledge-generating efforts.
· The results of the Athens Assessment, a year-long effort to propose new policies that fit today’s changing times and emerging needs, to guide the EFC over the coming years.
· The first review and debate on recommendations for a European Statute for Foundations.
· The award of the European Mercator Fund’s ‘Raymond Georis Prize for European Innovative Philanthropy’. This new award recognizes an individual, project or foundation that has realized an innovative philanthropic project in Europe.
· An extended opening plenary as the Körber-Stiftung invites three authors from different European regions to highlight the cultural diversity of Europe and discuss how to communicate within the old and new European Member States on their way to a new united Europe.
· Practical sessions for funding professionals to help improve their management, leadership and grantmaking skills.

The AGA and Conference Programme Committee, chaired by John Wyn Owen of The Nuffield Trust, with representatives of major foundations, the United Nations and the World Bank, is shaping the dynamic content of the conference.

For registration forms and detailed conference information visit http://www.efc.be/aga or contact the AGA Secretariat at aga@efc.be

EFC
51 rue de la Concorde, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Tel +32 2 512 8938
Fax +32 2 512 3265
Email efc@efc.be
Website http://www.efc.be

See http://www.europeintheworld.info