YOUNG PEOPLE'S CITIZENSHIP AND EUROPE: WHICH WAYS ...

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YOUNG PEOPLE'S CITIZENSHIP AND EUROPE: WHICH WAYS FORWARD? Seminar on the role of youth work in citizenship education wi
YOUNG PEOPLE’S CITIZENSHIP AND EUROPE: WHICH WAYS FORWARD? Seminar on the role of youth work in citizenship education with young people, with a focus on its European dimension CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS (deadline to apply: 27 February, midday CET)

Background The theme of the ongoing construction of Europe as a space based on values related to equality of all human beings, human rights, solidarity, pluralism, respect, democracy, interdependence, peace, the rule of law and freedom, is a key topic nowadays, in a context where the rise of nationalisms, the crisis of human rights, a growing concern with sustainability and peace, are realities in many different places on the globe. The question how young people are part of European societies, not only as citizens of their state, but also having a sense of belonging to Europe and to the globe is extremely important. The experience of citizenship and Europe for young people is likely to shape their commitment or attachment to the above-mentioned values and to democracy and human rights. If young people do not have the opportunity to learn to live together or to learn democracy together, this is likely to influence how they will be able to act as active citizens in shaping their communities. For the entities working on citizenship education, this involves the question how to support young people to understand the world, and Europe therein, to develop solidarity with others, to respect others, to grow in a culture of democracy of human rights and to develop a sense of belonging and citizenship – understood broadly as the relation between individuals and their communities, from local to global, with its European dimension understood as a hub towards global citizenship, and not as a Euro-centric approach. The process of building Europe together is an ongoing process. It is not only a question of enlarging the number of member states in European institutions, but also of reforming governance from the inside, reaffirming the role of citizens and having spaces for solidarity, inclusion and democratic change to find common solutions. Such reform needs to take into account the social, economic, political and cultural changes in communities resulting from factors such as the profound transformation of the population in its composition, the interaction with global economic and financial trends, and growing consciousness of caring for a sustainable lifestyle. The role of citizenship education is key in supporting learners, and in particular young people, to make sense of the complexity of the world and develop their understanding, knowledge, skills, 1

attitudes and values, so as to be part not only of their local communities, but also active citizens of Europe and the world. The role that citizenship education and youth work can have in the construction of Europe goes beyond the legal definition of “citizenship of the European Union” as stated in the Maastricht Treaty and its amendments, but really refers to developing a sense of belonging, interconnectedness and ownerships of this common space of values based on human rights and democracy. In the current world, notions of citizenship need to make sense of the fluidity of identities, the conditions created by the globalised world, and the need to become more integral, so as to incorporate legal, political and social elements, and move away from the stricter understanding of citizenship as a relation between individuals and their nation state. At the same time, recent events testify of the growing tensions between realities in different countries on the continent and the aims and vision of citizenship education. Several stakeholders, from institutions to citizen groups, have understood that, without supporting citizenship education, we cannot take for granted people’s attachment to the values of democracy, human rights and to their belonging to a common humanity. More spaces are needed today to learn from these initiatives, to explore understandings, in order to make the sector of citizenship education with young people stronger and more sustainable.

Information about institutional work on the topic In relation to the EU–CoE youth partnership, its work on European citizenship, and more broadly the active citizenship of young people, has started almost 20 years ago. Several educational resources and academic publications on the theme were produced. A training course on European citizenship was organised for several years. Recently, in 2017, the EU-CoE youth partnership revised its publication for training and youth workers on “European Citizenship in youth work” and published issue 25 of the Coyote magazine on “Citizenship Education revisited”. In 2017, the EU-CoE youth partnership participated and supported a project on citizenship education with a European dimension, initiated by SALTO SEE and a group of NAs of the Erasmus+ programme (November 2017). It also contributes to other initiatives, such as the upcoming conference “Is Europe really lost?”, the “Speak UP! Step UP!” conference on the political dimension of international youth work, also to the expert group of the project financed under KA 3, “Youth for Human Rights”. Currently, both the Council of Europe and the European Commission emphasise in their work and priorities the theme of citizenship education, through different initiatives developed, respectively, for the Council of Europe, by the Youth and Education Departments and the North-South Centre, and for the European Commission, through the Erasmus+ programme, notably.

The seminar In this context, the EU-CoE youth partnership organises on 3 and 4 May 2018, at the European Youth Centre, in Strasbourg, France, a seminar to explore concepts, approaches and programmes related to citizenship education with young people, and, therein, the role of youth work and the role of the theme of Europe and European Citizenship. The seminar will offer a space for sharing 2

updates, initiatives, concerns, ideas, approaches and contents on how citizenship education with young people can be strengthened, especially in its European dimension. The objectives are:    

Reflect on the concepts, approaches and challenges of citizenship education with young people, particularly in relation to youth work and to the European dimension Learn from different practices, tools and initiatives that support citizenship education with young people Identify further needs for reinforcing this field, including in regards to the work of the EUCoE youth partnership Offer a space for networking and sharing of information among different entities.

The seminar will tackle such questions as:    

How do citizens shape Europe? What support is offered for citizens to do so? How to develop young people’s citizenship with a European dimension? What is the role of the youth sector in supporting development of young people’s European Citizenship, and particularly of youth work? What new forms of European Citizenship do we see emerging today? What kinds of citizenship do European or international programmes support? What further tools and knowledge are needed for the youth field in order to respond to contemporary realities and challenges of citizenship with a European dimension?

The expected results of the seminar are as follows:    

Raising the understanding of the role of citizenship education with young people in Europe today, particularly in the youth work settings Identifying new tools for supporting young people’s citizenship with a European dimension, particularly useful for youth work settings Mapping the opportunities for working on new concepts in the field of citizenship education with young people and youth work Dissemination of the work of the EU-CoE youth partnership and the approaches and initiatives of the invited representatives.

PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS The meeting will bring together 30 representatives of institutions, foundations, networks and organisations supporting citizenship education with young people. The seminar is foreseen mostly for entities supporting, in different ways and using different approaches, citizenship education, either in the youth field specifically, or more broadly in the field of civic participation and activism. Most of the participants will be based in the countries signatory of the European Cultural Convention. The participants will have the following profiles: -

Representatives of foundations that offers grants, support projects of offer capacity building and support on themes relation to active citizenship or the role of young people in the construction of Europe or similar themes;

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Representatives of institutions that support citizenship education with young people, with a focus on its European or global dimension;

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Representatives of international networks or organisations supporting citizenship education with young people, including international youth organisations and networks;

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Representatives of national institutions or organisations that support citizenship education with young people with a focus on its European dimension, particularly in the non-formal education context, but not exclusively.

All applicants must also: - have experiences related to working with young people and citizenship education; -

have an active interest to explore the themes mentioned above;

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be able to work in English.

Date and venue The seminar will take place on 3 and 4 May, in Strasbourg, France, at the European Youth Centre of the Council of Europe. Participants will need to arrive on 2 May and leave on 4 May after 17h or on 5 May.

Travel, board and lodging Board and lodging will be provided for the selected participants. Travel costs will be reimbursed by the youth partnership, after the event, by bank transfer, according to the Council of Europe rules.

How to apply All interested applicants need to apply using the online application that can be found here: http://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/youth-partnership/application-form Deadline for applications: 27 February 2017, midday CET. For any questions, please contact [email protected]

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