Here you can download the summary of the project "weReurope" in your language [Format: pdf]
The expanding
EU needs innovative instruments to promote social cohesion among member states.
(Everyday) culture and art can serve as intermediaries for a sustainable approach
to learning and for bridging cultural gaps. Can we identify a common cultural
heritage on which a shared future vision of Europe can be built, and can we
convert such findings into transferable training tools that help to overcome xenophobia
and favour diversity? We are Europe.
The project consortium
will jointly develop, test and evaluate a model of "Intercultural Dialogue
Conferences" (ICD) as a branded tool, which helps to create pathways for
adult learners to improve their knowledge about the EU and their intercultural
and key competencies via Adult Education Agencies. A learner-centred approach
and the use of art and culture as intermediaries provide a rich methodology (successful
in former GRUNDTVIG projects, e.g. ARTEMIS) to motivate learners' activities,
to raise their self-confidence and support creative expression, communication
and intercultural exchange. Five regional ICD-Conferences will involve participants
via partners' regional/national networks and experts from all 27 EU member
states. They are not only invited to discuss relevant questions and obstacles
related to European integration (e.g. border conflicts/resolution, work-migration,
the Lisbon Treaty
), but also to take an active role in developing the pedagogical
strategies and the ICD-Conference Script. All participants of ICD-Conferences will act
as multipliers to reach out to an EU-wide audience via their institutions, disseminating
the project idea in everyday work, through postcards, newsletters and lectures. As a
result Adult Education Institutions will be provided with an ICD-Conference Script
(brochure, CD) as a methodical and didactic concept developed for further use: The
ICD- Conference Script comprises ICD-methodology for the hosting (Adult Education)
Institutions and motivating methodology when learning processes with target
audiences from various cultural backgrounds are initiated.
Throughout the duration of the project an inspiring "carpet of symbols
and memories" (real and virtual) will be created to emblematise diversity in
unity. All participants of the 5 ICD-Conferences will be asked to bring along an object,
related to one of the neighbouring countries, together with a story, explaining the
significance of the object, in their native language and its translation into English.
By the end of the project, symbols and stories from all member
states will be collected, thus showing the rich potential for international
communication contained in objects, and their meanings for individuals and
collectives. This "carpet of symbols and memories" will be launched
on the project's website and continued beyond the lifetime of the project.
One of the major issues in the debate about the EU's future development is the key to motivate learning, especially among marginalised groups of society. Project partners of weReurope and experts will discuss and jointly develop a European pedagogical strategy to motivate learning by means of culture and art, by inspiring a sense of ownership through active involvement of learners, and will undertake to devise a strategy for recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning.