Last week GreenBristol visited our German greenmapping colleague Pit van de Loo in Berlin. This was to discuss the possibility of launching a European greenmapping collaboration with Berlin and Bistrita, Romania. Pit took Ivor and Steve on a whirlwind tour of the city taking in many fascinating nooks and crannies including a cafe offering free roast wild boar and beer! Steve's friends Mark and Christina were kind enough to provide accommodation, bicycle and more sightseeing during the trip.
Steve and Pit visited Dr Renata Eras of European Project Management, Neukölln. Renata is enthusiastic about the possibility of a collaboration and was very helpful in suggesting the first steps to take. Briefly these are for us to convene a preliminary conference in Bistrita in the Transylvanian mountains of Romania with Ciprian Samoila in January. The likely participants would be adult/lifelong learning groups who could use ICT to benefit their respective communities' environment.
We should submit a formal funding application with at least the three cities as participants - preferably two more to make up a five city project. This to be submitted before the deadline in March 2009. Consideration by the relevant EU Commissioners could take two or three months. Then we could get approval for the project assuming a suitable legal body (preferably in Bristol) could take charge of administration. Steve is approaching Knowle West Media Centre and Bristol Council to discuss possible support.
