Established in the first decade of 2000, A Soul for Europe is an initiative of the European civil society connected to Culture, which firmly believes that it is possible to create a Europe of the Europeans, rather than just a Europe of institutions and regulations.  The responsibility of this initiative is to intervene in Europe’s political mechanisms, building Europe in such a way that it may integrate its national histories, its value systems, its world views while fostering intercultural dialogue.

At the very heart of the initiative "A Soul for Europe" is the Strategy Group made up by 55 representatives from civil society, from 21 countries, from the areas of culture, politics, business, research and the Media.
The Strategy Group is responsible for the conceptual development and dissemination of the idea”A Soul for Europe" through projects and initiatives.

The initiative also counts on an Advisory Board, lead by Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament and supporter of the initiative; as well as on a Parliamentarian Working Group which provides a link between the initiative (civil society) and political decision-makers.

The initiatives of “A Soul for Europe” are fulfilled through a set of projects carried out throughout the whole of Europe, in order to ensure that Europe improves the way it uses its cultural assets, by using culture, more than in the past, as a strategic factor for its development at local, regional, national and European levels.


Forum X – Is a series of conferences organized all across Europe with the purpose of developing new forms of collaboration between civil society and political decision-makers.

The Berlin Conference – The Berlin Conference takes place every two years and works as a civil society platform. About 500 individuals from different sectors establish and take common steps in order to strengthen the cultural component of European development.

Mobilizing Culture for Regional Development – Synergies between political decision-makers at national and European levels and the European cultural networks in order to utilize their European added value for improving structural development and regional policies.

Cities and Regions – European cities and regions share a direct responsibility for Europe, above and beyond their local and regional activities. Together with international partners, the Initiative has developed a series of guidelines meant to adopt a European mandate to its regions.

Discourses on Europe – Representatives of European arts and culture debate with the Presidents of the European Parliament and of the European Commission about Europe, its aims, opportunities and risks.


CONTACTS
With bases in Amsterdam, Belgrade, Berlin, Brussels, Porto and Tbilisi, the initiative “A Soul for Europe” develops an international network of European cities and regions, from European cultural and business sectors, as well as political decision-makers.
 
Our decentralised working structure is also reflected at a legal level: as a European Economic Interest Group (E.E.I.G. ASfE), “A Soul for Europe” has its head-office in Brussels.

In Portugal, Setepés is one of the Official Offices of this Initiative.
 

http://www.asoulforeurope.eu/