The joint project of the German school Europaschule Friesenschule Leer and the Belgian school in Diksmuide with the project name "School as a Peacemaker for Europe" (in German "Schule als Friedensstifter für Europa" SAFE for short) is based on showing young adolescents that dealing with their own history helps to understand the present, to better shape their common European future. If young people are to act as responsible global citizen, knowledge of the economic and political circumstances that affect our lives is essential. We will address current economic and political crises and democratic efforts help students understand that such political circumstances can result in fascism, communism or other forms of dictatorship that later led to national, political freedom and the expansion of the European Union. Hate, agitation and discrimination have recently flared up again in Europe and should not be underestimated as a new danger. There are also terrorist attacks and racially motivated acts of violence, most recently in Hanau. Schools should offer an answer due to students' interest. We see our common path to the future based on an understanding of peace processes and opportunities that governments have neglected to manage conflicts. These events have shaped the political and economic change in Europe in the 20th century: We are committed to ensuring that our common Europe and values are safe in the hands of our young people. We have to help them to become the future enlightened Europeans. The world is again on the brink of a possible (world) war as international leaders such as Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Recep-Tayyip Erdogan endanger peace in Europe and worldwide through dangerous threats. Recognizing the consequences of a war and the associated dramatic experiences should make it clear to the participants aged 15 to 17 that war is not a satisfactory solution to problems. For this reason, today's students should experience the horrors of war with countless victims and total destruction at former war sites in Flanders in Belgium and at former war sites in East Friesland and Emsland in Germany and use their new knowledge to help ensure that history does not repeat itself. They should take action to preserve peace in Europe. Our project should include experience-oriented history lessons, which should have lasting effects through the experiences of the students at historically authentic sites. These sites should affect the project participants in such way that they come to the realization that they must actively participate in the peace process. We summarize our main goals as follows: The students and teachers develop awareness and understanding of different countries and different cultures and are aware of their own cultural identity. In addition they expand their knowledge of different views and develop tolerance and respect for other people and opinions. Thus, they recognize that they understand the current political and economic situation better by dealing with the common European past and develop an understanding of the cause and effect of history in order to apply specialist knowledge when formulating opinions and to take decision taking tolerance and acceptance into account instead of stereotypes and prejudices. Our studetns will be encouraged to see themselves as mature and critical global citizens or Europeans who will be actively involved in politics in the future. By working with other European youths our students learn to take responsibility and learn about the consequences in terms of sustainable development regarding project activities and results. Our above goals should be achieved by joint visitis to former battlefields of WW1 in Flanders (Belgium) and Memorial Sites of WW2 in East Frisia and Emsland (Germany) to affect the students emotionally and mentally to aim and support empathy. Self-designed workbooks on these topics ensure an intensive discussion of the joint topics and are the basis of the later booklets of the results that will be made available to the community. Joint visits to museums and original locations allow a better understanding of the common European history. Walking and "feeling" places and historically significant objects make history understandable and has a much higher learning effect than conventional history lessons. The active participation in commemorative events (Last Post at the Menen gate in Ypres, Belgium) sensitizes to a great extent and gives impressions that the students will not forget for a lifetime in accordance with sustainable development.
The joint project of the German school Europaschule Friesenschule Leer and the Belgian school in Diksmuide, named "Schule als Friedensstifter für Europa" (shortened as SAFE), aimed to help young individuals understand the importance of exploring their own history in order to comprehend the present and work towards a better shared European future. It was important for young people to have knowledge about the economic and political influences on their lives, enabling them to act as effective global citizens. The project addressed current economic and political crises and democracy efforts to make students aware that such political circumstances could lead to fascism, communism, and other forms of dictatorship. These aspects were meant to underline the significance of national political freedom and the expansion of the European Union. At that time, hatred, incitement, and discrimination were on the rise in Europe, as were acts of terror and racially motivated violence, such as the events in Hanau. The school felt the need to respond to these issues, as it was a desire expressed by the students. The path forward involved a better understanding of peace processes and the opportunities that governments had overlooked for conflict resolution. These events had greatly shaped the political and economic changes in 20th-century Europe, and it was essential to ensure that European values were securely in the hands of the younger generation. The world, once again, was on the brink of a potential (world) war, as international figures like Kim Jong-Un, Putin, and Erdogan endangered peace in Europe and worldwide through dangerous gestures. The objective was to make students between the ages of 15 and 17 realize the consequences of war and its horrors, emphasizing that war was not a solution to problems. Therefore students visited former war zones in Flanders, Belgium, and East Frisia and "Emsland" to understand the impacts of wars with many casualties and total destruction. This experience aimed to motivate them to actively work for peace in Europe and defend shared values. The project incorporated an experiential history class that drew its strength from students' experiences at historically authentic sites with a "historical spirit/aura," aiming to leave a lasting impact on participants. The primary goals of the project included raising awareness of diversity and cultural identity, expanding knowledge of various perspectives, fostering tolerance and respect, promoting active engagement as responsible and critical global citizens, and encouraging responsibility and engagement for peace. Joint visits to the battlefields of World War I in Flanders, Belgium, and German memorial sites from World War II evoked strong emotional responses in project participants, promoting empathy. Self-designed workbooks and the exchange of result booklets within the community were key components of the project. Visits to museums and historical sites enhanced understanding of shared history. Active participation in memorial events, such as the "Last Post" at the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium, greatly sensitized students and left indelible impressions in line with sustainable development principles. However, the COVID-19 pandemic presented an unexpected challenge to the project's planning and execution. Travel restrictions, lockdowns, and health regulations significantly disrupted the planned activities. Several issues emerged: Initially, the planned visits to the battlefields and historical sites in Flanders and East Frisia became impossible due to travel restrictions and health regulations, leading to a postponement of the project (extension). With schools closed and the shift to remote learning, the planned meetings and workshops could not take place as intended. Instead, virtual meetings were organized. Despite these obstacles, the project team endeavored to find creative solutions to achieve the project's goals, including virtual meetings and the exchange of digital resources. The pandemic necessitated project extension.