  
See the Brochure: PDF The World Federalist Foundation is offering a grant of up to $2,000 to support travel and participation costs for a Canadian young person attending the 26th International Seminar on Federalism, Ventotene, Italy, August 30 to September 4, 2009. BACKGROUND Since 1991 the World Federalist Foundation has supported the Bob Hale Memorial Fund for Young Activists. The Fund honors the life of Bob Hale, who served for many years as a board member and volunteer for the World Federalists and a variety of disarmament causes. Through the Bob Hale Fund, young activists were provided financial support to help offset the cost of their training or internships with non-governmental organizations. The 2009 Bob Hale Award will provide up to $2,000 to send a young person to attend the 26th International Seminar on Federalism at Ventotene, Italy. Ventotene (the “windy island”) is off the coast of Formia, near Rome, Italy. During Mussolini’s fascist government the island was used as a prison. In 1941 Altiero Spinelli, often referred to as one of the Fathers of the European Union, joined with a number of Italian activists imprisoned on the island to draft the Ventotene Manifesto, entitled “Toward a Free and United Europe.” The manifesto advocated that a new democratically founded European federation would succeed in preventing future wars on the continent. Spinelli led the Movimento Federalista Europeo after World War II. Today the Instituto di Studi Federalisti Altiero Spinelli is one of the sponsors of the annual Ventotene Seminar (along with the Young European Federalists and the World Federalist Movement). The seminar takes place 30 August to 4 September, 2009. Young people attending the seminar learn about the principles of federal systems of governance, the evolution of the European Union, and the application of the principles of federalism to world affairs. A brochure describing the 2009 Ventotene Seminar is available: click here. A subsidy of up to $2,000 to offset travel, registration and accommodation costs is available to Canadian applicants interested in attending the Seminar. Applicants (between the age of 18 and 30) are requested to send a short (300 to 500 words) letter indicating why they are interested and how they hope that attending the seminar will help in their future studies, work or other activities. Young persons active with branches of the World Federalist Movement – Canada are particularly encouraged to apply. The deadline for applications is 15 June, 2009 Secretary,
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