Join us
Why Join?
There is a growing realisation that the events of the past few years mark a kind of watershed. There will be no going back to “normal”, that is say as to how it was before 2008. We are heading for a “new normal” but the journey is not so clear and what will be the “new normal” is also in the process of emerging.
What is clear is that we need a new paradigm in order to manage effectively the transitions we face.
What we know is that we need innovation and in particular social innovation to help us “think out of the box” in facing the changes.
Becoming a member of LUDEN will provide you with information, contacts, and opportunities to join EU projects which will reflect sub themes highlighted in what we see as a need for a new paradigm in local urban development.
If you are a local authority, NGO, research or educational organisation and you share our view that we are at the start of a number of great transitions -demographic, climatic, energy security, structural levels of long term unemployment and the long term implications of the mountain of unpayable debt that has been created within our financial system, then you should consider joining.
You also need to share a commitment to working at a European level in terms of learning from good practice and exchange of experience. That means having an interest and resources to take part in EU projects that the network develops.
You will also need to have the resources to send one delegate to our annual study tour which brings members together round a topic that again connects with our transition sub themes.
What does membership offer?
We provide members with arrange of services:
- Information about key EU policies and programmes
- Contacts with EU institutions
- Advice on EU programmes
- Support in finding transnational partners for projects developed by members
- Opportunities to join EU projects that LUDEN will develop. We develop at least 4-6 projects per year.
- Annual summer study tour that provides a focus on a topic that relates our transitions sub-themes and provides an opportunity for members to share their priorities and thus feed into the work programme for the LUDEN secretariat.
- Participation in EU Open days. This is an annual event organised by EU institutions which provides access to over 2000 events held over three days in the beginning of October in Brussels. LUDEN always has an event as part of the Open Days programme and we have also pioneered what has become an Open Days “Off” programme.
What does membership cost?
There is no fee for becoming a member. Membership is FREE.
HOWEVER, please note that in becoming a member you will sign a contact commits you to three main conditions:
- To have a focus on change and transition issues in the context outlined above;
- To agree to send one delegate per year to the Annual Study Tour. That means having the resources to pay for flight, accommodation (two nights) and subsistence for your delegate’s participation. This amounts to €1000 per year.*
- To have an interest in joining relevant EU projects developed by LUDEN.
(*Note: Several of our members in fact prefer for LUDEN to pay for all the logistics related to their participation in the Annual Study Tour and as such make payment of €1000 to LUDEN as “membership fee”)
How to Join
You will need to complete a contract which forms part of our membership pack which you can download here.
The pack also provides you with more details of our work.
Once you have completed the contract you will need to send by registered post or by email two signed copies (only one by email).
The postal address is:
Rue Vieux Marché aux Grains, 48
1000 Brussels
Belgium
The email address is: h.saad@ludenet.org
Your signed contract in fact constitutes an application to become a member of LUDEN. This will need to be approved by the Executive Bureau and then a signed copy will be returned to you to confirm your membership.
If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us by phone: +32 (0)2 524 45 45 or e-mail: h.saad@ludenet.org