From a Triangle to a Square: who shares the European Identity?
The project tried to answer the question: what makes the participating youngsters Europeans, and what keeps them connected to their national identities? By attending the exchange, youngsters had the opportunity to recognise their own cultural particularities and to integrate them in a wider, diverse European context. They did that in a concrete and creative manner, by making collages representing a European Cultural Square, as the final goal of the project. The Cultural Squares were represented during a creativity session at the end of the programme and were based on the experiences and exchanges of information acquired during the daily activities as well as during the preparatory phase of the project.
Youngsters of various backgrounds came together to discuss European topics, to exchage cultural habits and to learn more about being citizens of Europe. They joined in different intercultural and recreational activities dealing with contemporary issues in today’s Europe.
By creatively representing their own ways of perceiving the European identity, youngsters were able to better understand each other’s cultures. They became aware of the differences between their countries, at the same time developing a sense of European Citizenship – since they are all citizens of Europe.
Talking about cultural differences and similarities between their countries, participants experienced basic aspects of the cultural diversity in Europe. The exchange also aimed at giving insight on the various traditions and cultures, on the practical aspects of youth participation and youth understanding in a wide and diverse European context.
The programme took place in The Hague and it was attended by 35 people from Romania, Bulgaria, Iceland and The Netherlands. The project was financed by Youth in Action.
