Chartering Into The Future brought together over 150 people from 30 countries across the world. The Euclid Network event was a great opportunity for the Spread! Network to present its mission, plans for this year and also get feedback from people all around the EU. Here is the article which was originally published on the Euclid Network webpage.

In the morning, Thierry Weishaupt, President of Euclid Network, and Stephen Barnett, Executive Director of Euclid Network, welcomed everybody to the conference before we heard from official sponsors of the event, Yves Le Tallec, Conseiller Général du Bas-Rhin, and Paul Macmillan, Global Industry Leader for Public Sector, Deloitte. 

Luisa De Amicis, Deputy Executive Director of Euclid Network, then introduced the five challenges of the Chartering Into The Future. The five challenges were presented by their Challenge Leader: Attila Mong (Ashoka), Fanny Loux (La Communauté Urbaine de Strasbourg), Anne-Cécile Mailfert (MOUVES), Neven Marinovic (Smart Kolektiv), Eleni Svyriadi (Thessaloniki Otherwise).

In the afternoon, Challenge Leaders presented their findings to our Panel of Experts who provided feedback on comments on the proposals. The discussion was chaired by John Low, Chief Executive of Charities Aid Foundation. The Panel Members were: Karol Sachs (Head of Innovation Department of Crédit Coopératif and Honorary Chairman of FEBEA -- European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks), Madi Sharma (Founder of the Madi Group and Member of the Employers' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee), Catherine Trautmann (Member of the European Parliament and Vice-President of Communauté Urbaine de Strasbourg). 

Following the conclusion of the conference, the British Council hosted a drinks reception with which they brought an international perspective to the discussion on social enterprise and showed a short film, with footage from their work in Myanmar, China and Indonesia. To learn more about the work of British Council, including their vision of social enterprise in 2020 and their plans for a blended learning programme, and to share your views on the topics please read this article here. 

Podcasts from Chartering Into The Future
You can listen to the entire plenary session with a podcast which includes the opening session, introduction to the challenges and Panel of Experts discussion.

Further photos from the event
You can view and share all the photos from Chartering Into The Future via the albums on the Facebook page of Euclid Network.

Videos from Chartering Into The Future
All activities from the main plenary room are now available via the YouTube channel, Euclid Network TV.

One of our group members, Luciana Grosu from Romania wrote this piece on a social polyclinic - A passionate cardiologist’s foundation and the municipality government have partnered to bring medical services to the city’s poor and homeless. Read the story here.

Read one of our members', Veronika Munk's story in English about three amazing persons with intellectual disabilities living in downtown Tapolca, Hungary. Two years ago they were confined to a residential institution that accommodates two hundred people, like the twenty thousand other intellectually challenged people in Hungary. These three are the exception, who can live independent, ordinary lives. The original report was published in index.hu. The full story in English here.