We invite you to register for the “CIVIL SOCIETY ENERGY 2021” project, launched by wechange eG in partnership with Ecoclub (Rivne, Ukraine) and Polish Foundation for Energy Efficiency FEWE (Katowice, Poland) and supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.

You can register via the link here

Our main goal is to create a network of renewable energy enthusiasts from Ukraine, Poland and Germany and to foster knowledge exchange about citizen-organized energy projects between our three countries.

Together with our partners we want to support the development of energy cooperatives by providing opportunities for networking, cooperation and expertise exchange about renewable and decentralized energy supply. Particular focus of the project are communities that would like to build their own local energy independence by establishing a cooperative and civil society actors that engage actively in the process of energy transition.

WHAT

In the framework of the project there would be online and offline events in Poland and Germany, including networking sessions, discussions, workshops and publication of the handbook on establishment of the renewable energy coops.

During the first phase (Summer 2021), we would like to provide convenient networking opportunities for participants to understand their expectations and interests in the energy cooperatives topic and allow them to share their experiences. This would be possible during the online networking session on the 1 of July, 2021 and via the online-community at https://community.civilsocietycooperation.net/project/civil-society-energy-2021/ 

(Please fill out your profile while registering to this community, so we know who you are, where you are active and what are your interests)

During the second phase (August to November) we plan to outline common challenges of the cooperative movement in renewable energy and together develop long term solutions for new cooperatives, as well as create a knowledge-exchange community of energy cooperation enthusiasts in three countries. In this phase two community building offline meetings are planned, first in Katowice (September) and second in Berlin (November).

In the framework of the meetings there would be an opportunity to participate in the workshops, field trips and design sessions, covering various sides of the functioning of cooperative energy projects in Germany and Poland, including social, economic, technical, organisational and political aspects of energy cooperatives.

Additionally we plan to create the Handbook “Energy Cooperatives – How To” to allow the exchange of best practices and guidelines on how to create and operate an energy cooperative from economic, social and organisational perspective.

REGISTRATION

You can register for the project until the 25 of June, 2021 via the link to the online application form.

Important: to participate in the project, you should be able to attend all public events below:

MAIN EVENTS

Online Networking 1 July, 16:00 CEST

Community Building Workshop in Katowice8-10 September

Community Building Workshop in Berlin 8-10 November

LOCATIONS

Online Networking on July 1 – online, the link to the digital conference centre will be sent to registered participants shortly before the event.

Offline meetings – in Katowice (Poland) and Berlin (Germany)

PARTICIPANTS

Project is focused on renewable energy enthusiasts from all three countries: representatives of existing energy cooperatives, local communities willing to create a cooperative, NGOs working in the field of renewable energy and all interested in cooperation for renewable and decentralized energy supply from Ukraine, Poland and Germany.

Important: Communicative level of English language is required to participate in the project, as this is the working language.

COVID-19

Depending on the development of the global health crisis, we do not exclude the possibility of changing the format of the offline events. You can follow the event development on our community page https://community.civilsocietycooperation.net/project/civil-society-energy-2021/

Selected participants would be contacted online between 26 and 30 of June, 2021.
A shortcut to the registration form is here