Our project picks up on a current topic that has occupied and polarized the EU states and their citizens for years. In 2017, 4.4 million people immigrated to the EU countries, of which around 2.4 million immigrants from non-EU countries came to the EU-28. This development is leading to a revival of nationalist tendencies and mutual isolation in many EU countries. Populist actions by politicians and parties in connection with stereotypes also among young people mean that European societies are beginning to distance themselves from the main vision of an open and united Europe and openness and tolerance towards one another. There is also increasing anti-Semitism. After Turkey opened its border with the EU at the end of February 2020, thousands of migrants are trying to get to Western Europe via the Greek external border. Our students are also concerned about this topic and are controversial. A migration movement such as 2015, when millions of people fled from the crisis areas in Syria, Afghanistan or Iraq and sought refuge and protection in Europe, created many fears and reservations for the “foreigner”, for an “Islamization”, an overwhelming challenge for schools, society and business. These fears and reservations are returning today. For this reason students from Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland are dealing with this topic. The main goals of the project are: - Integration of people with a migrant background (school, occupation, private sector) - Exchange of experiences made in all partner countries in the area of school, cultural and economic integration of immigrants - Promoting young people’s intercultural dialogue and engagement for an open, tolerant and united Europe, questioning stereotypes, breaking up xenophobic attitudes - Promotion of common values, civic engagement and participation. Other goals include improving foreign language skills and expanding intercultural, communicative and digital skills. The students first examine past migration using the example of immigration from Jews to Poland. Poland used to be a very liberal country and home to a large Jewish community. End of the 18th century 80% of all Jews worldwide lived there. They came to Poland for centuries, distributed from all over Europe. The students deal with religious-cultural stereotypes and with the question, where they come from and why they are so persistent. They will learn about the Jewish religion and the consequences of anti-Judaism / anti-Semitism. In Germany, Italy and Spain, the students examine the aspect of migration in the present. In Germany, they study classroom interviews, interviews with school representatives, integration centers, and local companies with their concepts for integrating immigrants. In Italy they get insights into refugee stories and the everyday life of immigrants there, conduct interviews and discussions with politicians. They also deal with examples of civic engagement to care for and integrate immigrants. In Spain, they use surveys, interviews and discussions with representatives of the economy to investigate the long-term social, economic, tax and demographic effects of immigration on the Spanish economy. In the last week of exchange, they draft a vision of the future EU and create it in cooperation with the District Museum Wewelsburg near Paderborn a multimedia exhibition that documents the results of the project. In the rooms of the district museum it will be made accessible to the general public over a longer period of time. It is also shown in the partner countries. The students involved in the project are between 16 and 18 years old. They belong to classes in which foreign languages and European issues play an important role. This way we can be sure that everyone is interested in participating in the project and is also motivated to get to know people from other European countries and to work with them. The products they create during the project include videos, statistics, diagrams, PowerPoint or Prezi presentations, biographies, a multimedia brochure, mini-lexica and a multimedia exhibition with a QR code. The teachers involved in the project create didactic-methodical concepts for inclusion and integration of immigrants in schools, society and business. All results will be published on the project website and in TwinSpace. Through its intercultural and integrative approach, the project helps to anchor European values among the participating young people by making them strong against populist, racist, anti-semitic and right-wing radical tendencies in their countries and promotes openness and tolerance towards everyone.
Our project takes up a current topic that has occupied and polarized the EU states and their citizens for years. In 2017, 4.4 million people immigrated to the EU countries, of which around 2.4 million immigrants from non-EU countries came to the EU. This is leading to a revival of nationalist tendencies and mutual isolation in many EU countries. Populist actions by politicians and parties in connection with stereotypes also among young people mean that European societies are beginning to distance themselves from the main vision of an open and united Europe and openness and tolerance towards one another. There is also increasing anti-Semitism. Our students are concerned about this topic too. A migration movement such as 2015, when millions of people fled from the crisis areas in Syria, Afghanistan or Iraq and sought refuge in Europe, created many fears and reservations against the “foreigner”, against an “Islamization”, an overwhelming challenge for schools, society and business. Today, in view of the refugees from Ukraine and Africa, these fears and reservations are returning. The main goals of the project are: - Integration of people with a migrant background (school, occupation, private sector) - Exchange of experiences made in all partner countries in the area of school, cultural and economic integration of immigrants - Promoting young people’s intercultural dialogue and engagement for an open, tolerant and united Europe, questioning stereotypes, breaking up xenophobic attitudes - Promotion of common values, civic engagement and participation. Other goals include improving foreign language skills and expanding intercultural, communicative and digital skills. In Kraków, Poland, the students examined migration in the past using the example of Jewish immigration to Poland. End of the 18th century around 80% of all Jews in the world lived there. In workshops, the students dealt with religious and cultural stereotypes and the question of where they come from and why they persist so stubbornly. They visited a synagogue, a Jewish cemetery and attended a Sabbath service. They learned about the Jewish religion, its rites and customs. They learned about the consequences of anti-Semitism in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and in conversations with a Holocaust survivor. In Germany, Italy and Spain they examined the aspects of migration in the present. In Germany, they interviewed refugee students about their experiences and the school management about the school integration of refugee young people. They visited 3 medium-sized companies in Paderborn and explored their concepts for the professional integration of immigrants. At the Wewelsburg District Museum they discussed the question “What makes a good exhibition?” and developed work schedule for the exhibition. In Italy, they dealt with European and national migration policy. They discussed their presentations on the “migration situation in our countries”. They took part in a debate with regional politicians on the topic of “Migration and Italian Politics”. They got to know associations and projects for the support and integration of immigrants. In a conversation with squash world champion Bilal Khan, they got insight into his escape from Pakistan and his experiences as a refugee in Italy. In Spain, they examined the long-term social, fiscal and demographic impacts of immigration on the Spanish economy. They took part in talks on the topics “Migration, myths and reality” and “Immigration and rural development”. They spoke to representatives of the Spanish Red Cross and Ahmad Sajjadi, who comes from Afghanistan. They discussed the topic “Impact of migration on the economy of each country: opportunities and disadvantages for each society and economy.” Spanish students gave a presentation on “Immigration and Urban Planning in El Astillero.” In the last week of the project in Germany, they designed a vision of a future EU and implemented it artistically. They were supported by the Paderborn artist Hyazinth Pakulla. On March 30, 2023, they presented the results of the project weeks documented and visualized in the exhibition to the Paderborn district administrator, the museum and the school management as well as other guests in the Wewelsburg District Museum. Project results: Multimedia exhibition with a QR code, a virtual form of exhibition, own/family migration stories, PowerPoint and interactive presentations, posters, photo collages, videos. The teachers involved in the project created the methodological manual “Openness, Mobility, Multiculturalism”. In the long term, through its intercultural and integrative approach, the project contributes to anchoring European values among young people by strengthening them against populist, racist, anti-Semitic and right-wing nationalist radical tendencies in their countries. The exhibition gives impulses for further discussion of migration. The methodological manual provides suggestions for teaching.