Out of the Box InternationalJust another WordPress site

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Menu

Supported by Erasmus + Programme

Read More

Open Digital Europe

Read More

Out of the Box International develops a tailor made open data model and policies based on open digital environment which is transparent, accountable and secured.

Social Businesses

Read More

Out of the Box International works with already existing hubs, various local and national stakeholders and social entrepreneurs in order to further develop and promote successful social entrepreneurship policies and practices.

Solidarity Europe

Read More

Out of the Box International delivers expertise in the field of cohesive policies by using cross-sectorial approach and non-formal  education, in a global perspective.

European Project

Read More

Out of the Box International  works further to enhance current cooperation in South East Europe region and actively supports the integration of all European countries in common European project.

We live and thrive on this sphere called Earth, but can we be loud enough among 7.9 billion voices to be heard. It seems hardly achievable, but there are ways to speak your mind and contribute to the development of your future and the future of us all. The European Union is determined to foster this exchange and shape its goals through a bottom-up approach, together with its citizens. To make this happen, EU has developed a number of events and tools. One of them is the Conference on the Future of Europe, a multilingual digital platform for citizens to share ideas, concerns, needs and debate on Europe’s challenges and priorities. One more example is the European Week of Regions and Cities, an annual event during which cities and regions showcase their capacity to create growth and jobs, implement European Union cohesion policy, and prove the importance of the local and regional level for good European governance[1]. The EU Green Week is one more annual event fostering debate and discussion on European environmental policy. Citizens’ health, the resilience of ecosystems, clean air, water, and soil are the main goals of tackling pollution trough strengthening the EU capacity. This year Green Week will be dedicated to the ‘zero pollution ambition’. It will also look into other relevant European Green Deal initiatives, such as the climate initiatives, the upcoming Chemicals Strategy, as well as initiatives in the fields of energy, industry, mobility, agriculture, fisheries, health and biodiversity.[2]

One of the biggest problems of today is climate change, that is, humankind’s negative impact on planet Earth – an impact that repeats and accumulates over the years for the benefit of humans, but actually to the detriment of all beings on earth. It seems that people have become unaware of themselves and their surroundings. The hedonistic consumerism resulted in detaching humans from the source of life, and we need to revive the trend of living in a mutually beneficial way with nature, and exist together.

Climate change is a challenge faced by modern cities, and sadly we do not see many innovative and effective policies widely implemented across Europe. Why? Do we lack solutions, political will or maybe the exchange of promising practices is missing? This year, Out of The Box International, together with Union of the Baltic Cities and Ducky platform, hosted a workshop “Building innovative and effective policies stimulating behavior changes in modern cities – towards zero pollution” as a partner event under Green Week and fostered discussion to answer these questions.

Marko Paunovic, the Director of Out of The Box International presented new trends of how modern city policies can contribute to the zero-pollution goal. Bogdan Glogovac, Storyteller & Eco-expert from Ducky platform, shared insight in digital tools and the importance of awareness and minimizing the Personal footprint on Earth. Lastly, Mantas Jurgutis, the President of Union of the Baltic Cities showcased the Baltic Sea region and its practices as one of the pioneers in promoting green policies and cooperation between the cities.

The workshop gathered 30 diverse stakeholders from European Networks representing cities, innovators and policy makers and shared experience, practices and knowledge. By sharing we grow and change, and change is what the Earth needs.

[1] https://europa.eu/regions-and-cities/

[2] https://www.eugreenweek.eu/

Why Out of the Box International

The seemingly ever-lasting depression of European economies has shaken the very foundations of many European societies. The shear rate of unemployment in Europe and the omnipresent environmental crisis coupled with the often frustratingly slow process of decision making in the EU, are calling for civil society actors to step in and fill the void.

In the aftermath of the 2008. economic crisis, the apprehension of falling under the spell of apathy of economic depression across the continent has not been easy to shake off. However, pinpointing the culprits for the current state of affairs on any particular EU decision maker is not the answer. Nonetheless, the fact remains that the current approach to the economic and environmental crisis hasn’t yet shown the affected citizens the light at the end of the tunnel.

As representatives of the civil society we feel the need to make our voice heard in the midst of the current debate on economic crisis. Being a social enterprise we offer new and feasible ideas in education and community work, creative cross-sectorial cooperation among different actors and strong networking coalitions to turn these dire economic challenges into possibilities through social entrepreneurship initiatives which aim at benefiting wide range of citizens, particularly vulnerable groups and those affected by the economic crisis.

Social entrepreneurship is a simple concept that has been put into practice by civil society actors for the benefit of a specific social group or people, and this is precisely what we want: to create projects and initiatives with fresh ideas in different policies, educational programs or tools, support businesses, empower cultural initiatives and offer different solutions to individuals, corporate bodies, everybody who believe that we can have more Creative, Innovative and Cohesive Europe.

 

Read More

Contact Us

Recent Tweets