Even a network can network – this is why Generation Europe – Young Democracy in Action presents itself at the NECE conference in Marseille. From the 6th to the 9th of September actors of civil society from more than 40 countries will meet in the French city in order to deliberate on the challenges for European Democracy Education in a rapidly changing world.
„Networking European Citizenship Education“, this is what the abbreviation NECE means. Together with international partners, the Federal Agency for Civic Education initiated the platform. The goal of the conference: Developing shared strategies on how to defend and support human rights, democracy and the rule of law through civic education.
“This is just the right place for us to present our new programme Generation Europe to the wider European public”, says Elke Wegener, General Manager of the International Association for Education and Exchange (IBB e.V.) in Dortmund. “With Generation Europe, our 30 project partners from 15 European countries give practical answers to current challenges. The participating youth work institutions want to motivate more young people to become involved at the location. Continual collaboration across national boundaries, action plans developed by the youths themselves, combined with European youth encounters – this is our concept, which we will collaboratively test and develop over the next three years.”
Already this autumn, the first ten youth encounters take place as part of Generation Europe. “This will be an exciting time for all of us”, says Michael Bergmann, staff member of IBB at the Generation Europe project office. “But now I am looking forward to the exchange in Marseille – and to presenting our plans. Much of it is innovative, for example an online platform based on the model of liquid democracy, which enables the youths to make democratic decisions together. Additionally, the participating international youth work professionals will collaboratively develop new concepts and methods on the topic of Active European Citizenship. For all of this, the exchange with others, working on the same topics, theoretically and practically, is of great importance for us.”