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Our Europe

2019-3-FR02-KA105-0165662019Youth mobilityfinalizedGood practice
Countries: FR|EL|HR|DE · Grant: €12,802.72
EU Citizenship, EU awareness and DemocracyCreativity and cultureYouth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Objectives

This exchange has taken the form of a week where young people from different countries and who are confronted with different social and cultural realities have met. The Plattform and its partners wanted to create the possibility of an exchange for young people who are often marginalized, who haven't had the opportunity to experience mobility before and who come from all walks of life. The project was based on the observation of low involvement of young people in the European elections. The lack of interest and non-involvement of this age group could be explained initially by a lack of information about European policies: How does the European Union concern a young person who is struggling to find an employment in his/her home country? What is the point of voting if you feel marginalized? The Plattform and its partners want to concern young people by giving them the necessary information to be concerned, but also by leaving them a free space to think, analyze and express themselves through workshops using different methods of non-formal education. The project "Notre Europe - Unser Europa" offered participants from different social and cultural backgrounds of the European Union a space for debate, expression and exchange in order to define and become aware of their European citizenship and at the same time in order to develop a critical state of mind. The expression of their opinions has taken place in several languages (mainly in French and German, but also in the other mother tongues present in the group) as well as through different channels: debates, animations from non-formal education, meetings with professionals, but also through artistic workshops which will also become a medium for their reflection on the future of Europe. This mobility had several objectives: - the confrontation of different European social and cultural realities (particularly geographical and economic, between Germany, Croatia, France and Greece, but also the reality of refugees arriving in Europe); - the deconstruction of clichés and stereotypes; - learning about European values, but also a transfer of these values into civil society; - better knowledge of European rights, duties, mobility programs, European institutions and activist associations of young Europeans; - allow the participants to develop a critical state of mind and a spirit of initiative in order to express themselves about current topics (that the participants will have defined with the help of the speakers and group-leaders): stigmatization of the refugees in Europe, euroscepticism, immigration, the rising of political extremism in Europe, European Pillar of Social Rights, environment, ...; - stronger participation of young people in the political and civic life of the European Union; - the emergence of a common notion of European citizenship. We have tried to satisfy needs such as: - need for information (in particular about the mobility possibilities, about the cultures of other countries, about the Union) closely llinked to the need to raise awareness about European citizenship; - need for support for personal and professional development with the aim of facilitating the professional integration of young people; - need for opening up (being confronted with multiple realities); - need for learning and acquisition of skills that can be mobilized for the purpose of professionalization (linguistic, oral expression, team work, organization and management of a group); - personal needs (social human needs of meeting and exchanges). The strong disinterest of young people in european citizenship and therefore in the construction of Europe can only be countered by a better knowledge of the European area and its diversity. Based on this observation and with this conviction, we have decided to initiate an intensive exchange, consisting in discussions, information sessions, debates, participatory workshops and artistic practice (theatre improvisation or comic drawing). , in order to address these issues on another level.

Project partners (4)