EU Project "Promoting a Responsible European Citizenship"

The project "Promoting a Responsible European Citizenship" is financed by and is part of the EU programme “Europe for Citizens” (Action 2.3) that encourages debates and reflections among university students on how to build a socially active and responsible European Citizenship. According to this, “Promoting a Responsible European Citizenship” is a research based on the EUCA collegiate halls of residence and exported to the European youth through surveys and thematic workshops.

The idea of the Project was born in EUCA as a part of its promotion of cultural and human development of university students.  The various members of EUCA, together with the Baltic Association for Education and Cultural Development (Latvia) and Intermedia Consulting, are running this project to foster European awareness among young people.The project leader is ARCES, itself a member of EUCA through the Italian CCU (Conferenza dei Collegi Universitari Legalmente Riconosciuti).

The Project started in autumn 2009, it lasts one year and it is divided in two parts: the first one dedicated to the research and the second one dedicated to the thematic workshops.

In the first, through more than 1000 surveys and opinion pool, it discovered the in-depth European feeling among young people about 4 issues: immigration, media, democracy and volunteering. Supported by a Scientific Committee the EUCA students lead the investigation that will merge into the thematic workshops and, finally, into the “Charter of the responsible European Citizenship” to be presented in Brussels in June 2010.

In the second, closed in April 2010, collegiate students discuss about the main issues of the Projects in thematic workshops:

• “Cultural diversity, immigration and solidarity within the context of a responsible citizenship” (London - 25th November 2009);
• "Basic values: Europe and media" (Rome – 25th January 2010);
• “Democracy and civic participation” (San Sebastian – 12th February 2010);
• “Volunteering and intergenerational relations” (Warsaw – 16th April 2010)

The Project was closed June, 14th with a big event at CESE in Brussels. Tens of students coming from 12 countries presented  the “Charter of the responsible European Citizenship” (download it below).

The Project will follow up in Berlin during the "Looking for European Citizenship" (17th-20th November 2010) organized by Citizens for Europe and in Prague during the 21st edition of the International Youth Leadership Conference (6th-11th January 2011). 

Visit www.citizensprogram.eu