What do Guerilla Gardening, Open Source Projects such as Wikipedia and Smart Mobs have in common? All three concepts describe new forms of social engagement and social participation which recently have evolved parallel to the traditional volunteer work. The International Elias Canetti Society and MitOst e.V. will follow these trends and would like to invite you in České Budějovice to the International Workshop „New Engagement“, part of the 9th International MitOst Festival.

The main topics will be „New engagement in environmental protection“, „Digital engagement/Participation 2.0“, „Initiatives in public space“, „Between art and politics: New forms of action“ and „Custom made society: The project as a method“. In a series of workshops and discussions we shall compare the new forms of engagement in the different European countries and discuss the priorities and the necessity of action and where we can lean more on the topic. In campaigns and mini-projects we shall experiment directly on site.

Participation and application

The International Workshop „New Engagement“, part of the International MitOst Festival is looking for participants from European countries like Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia and Kosovo. Working language of the seminar is German. Application – online on the homepage of MitOst, deadline – September, 1st 2011.

More information on application, participation fee and travel expenses on www.mitost.org/mitglieder/mitost-festival.html Contacts: ucsnay@mitost.org, cepickova@kredance.cz

The International Workshop „New Engagement“ is a partner project of MitOst and the organizations „Barevný děti“ (Czech Republic), Antikomplex (Czech Republic), The International Elias Canetti Society (Bulgaria), Südwind Entwicklungspolitik Niederösterreich Süd (Austria), Zavod O (Slovenia) und Genius Loci (Poland). With the support of program „Europe for Citizens“ 2007-2013 of the European Union.