Association of Local Democracy Agencies
Encyclopedia
ALDA, the Association of Local Democracy Agencies, is a membership association created under the initiative of the Congress of the Council of Europe in 1999. ALDA comprises 150 members (municipalities
, NGOs
and grassroots associations) and works in the field of local democracy, good governance
, EU integration and citizen participation. ALDA strives to promote human rights
, democracy
and active citizenship
through the 11 Local Democracy Agencies acting in the Balkans and South Caucasus
.
The mixed membership (governmental, non governmental) and the wide international network make ALDA a unique organisation working on the following thematic fields:
- Local Democracy
- Good Governance
- Active Citizenship
- Participation
- Decentralised cooperation
- Town twinning
- Volunteerism
- EU integration
- Local Development
- Microcredit
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
, NGOs
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
and grassroots associations) and works in the field of local democracy, good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
, EU integration and citizen participation. ALDA strives to promote human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and active citizenship
Active citizenship
Active citizenship refers to a philosophy espoused by organizations and educational institutions which advocates that members of companies or nation-states have certain roles and responsibilities to society and the environment, although those members may not have specific governing roles.Active...
through the 11 Local Democracy Agencies acting in the Balkans and South Caucasus
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus is a geopolitical region located on the border of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Trans-Caucasus...
.
The mixed membership (governmental, non governmental) and the wide international network make ALDA a unique organisation working on the following thematic fields:
- Local Democracy
- Good Governance
- Active Citizenship
- Participation
- Decentralised cooperation
- Town twinning
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
- Volunteerism
- EU integration
- Local Development
- Microcredit
Microcredit
Microcredit is the extension of very small loans to those in poverty designed to spur entrepreneurship. These individuals lack collateral, steady employment and a verifiable credit history and therefore cannot meet even the most minimal qualifications to gain access to traditional credit...