International Youth Programmes

Become part of a group of 16 participants from eight European countries who will meet during three 5-day-workshops in Berlin, Nice and Belgrade between June 2022 and March 2023.

Together, we want to engage with the growing challenges to democracy in Europe and the Western Balkans posed by nationalism and populism. In a spirit of (self-) critical thinking and constructive debate, we will explore and question dominant perceptions and narratives about our values and identities, our respective understandings of history, the role of the media (both mainstream and social), of free speech, fake news, democracy and propaganda.

We will cooperate in working groups, joint discussions, with guest speakers, in visits to important sites and opportunities for creative inputs across three different European cities.

Our aim is to encourage an atmosphere where learning from each other by listening to each other – with basic respect for views other than our own – becomes possible.

The programme consists of three workshops:

    Berlin, Germany (June 6-12, 2022)
    Belgrade, Serbia (September 2022)
    Nice, France (March 2023)

The workshops build on each other thematically, and the programme lives of the shared group experience over time. Therefore, it is important to us that participants are prepared to attend all three workshops.

For the workshop, there were two main goals. First one was to stimulate peer to peer interaction and learning. This was made possible with interactive tools such as Miro board where participants from both countries were able to react and reflect simultaneously. Furthermore, small group discussions helped participants to feel at ease with explaining their ideas in depth and ask question to their peers.
Second aim was to discuss the thematic topics (I.e., Just Transition) related to Germany and France from a youth perspective. The discussion was based on a clear theoretical framework (the justice framework) that was shared by both groups. In addition, the German group shared their feedback on an excursion trip they organised in a coal town. This allowed participants to discuss real life issues with a critical perspective and bring their own youth vision as a potential tool for a fair and green transition in France, Germany and in wider European context.
With these two goals in mind, the workshop was kicked off with introduction of the project and project partners and the recognition the support from OFAJ. It was followed by a linguistic ice breaker session.
After the participant introduced themselves, they participated in the Energy Dictionary Wall. This activity was designed to ease the transition from introductory activity to the energy discussion. The participants picked important terms and policies and they explained the role of these terms and policies in Germany and France. This activity allowed them to actively participate in the discussion and stimulated peer-to-peer learning.

In the next activity, they discussed what just transition means and how it is related to energy justice. During this activity, the participants provided examples from Germany and France as well as the rest of the world. They created post-its to mark the places of injustices in the world. This helped them to recognize the diversity of the issues around energy justice.

In the afternoon, students discussed their visions of Just Transition first in small groups and then in a plenary session. Here, the expert team supported them with three questions that address three tenets of energy justice framework; what are the energy injustices, who are being impacted, how the policies and decision mechanism should be designed? While participants discussed the problems, they also worked on their vision for a solution. During the final session, each one of them contributed and reflected upon their youth vision of Just Transition.

The common language of the workshop was English. However, the participants were welcomed with a linguistic activity that allowed them to introduce themselves either in French and German and exchange basic phrases in each other’s languages. Furthermore, during the Energy Dictionary Wall exercise, they introduce energy-related terms in French and German.

The group had an interesting discussion on the concept of just transition and the difficulties France and Germany were facing to translate it. The French side explained that just transition is translated in French into “transition juste” but also “transition solidaire” which refers to different concepts but are used interchangeably. The German side explained how they struggled with the translation since several concepts may refer to the same idea: Strukturwandel und Energiewende for the transition aspect but the concept of “justice” translated into “sozialgerecht” or “sozialverträglich” is not very widespread in the current German rhetoric. This difficulty in the translation of the EU concept launched the discussion on the content of a Youth vision on just transition.

The team of experts led by Dr Rachel Guyet, created the program, and facilitated the sessions to ensure that the workshop met the expected level of quality in the exchanges and the results of the discussions. The preparatory sessions as well as the dynamic discussions ensured the quality of the exchanges. Each participant was asked throughout the workshop to systematically share their point of view. Listening and respect were two qualities of this workshop. Furthermore, the participants were asked to provide feedback to the workshop. Overall, the common reaction was that they enjoyed the intercultural exchange and this workshop allowed them to learn more about France and Germany’s energy transition especially during the small group discussion where they felt more comfortable talking with their peers. They also stated that this workshop allowed them to compare and learn from the experiences of France and Germany. One unanimous feedback was that they wished for a trip to coal town all together and meet in person when the global health conditions improve.

The meeting aimed at creating a platform for young people from France and Germany to discuss and exchange ideas and perspectives of just energy transition and create their own youth vision. These objectives were met during the workshop. The participants through their discussions with their peers and facilitators learn about different dimensions of energy transition in France and Germany. They managed to go beyond their first-hand experiences and bring their perspectives forward to bridge them with empirical evidence and theory there were exposed with during the workshop. They were confronted with different inputs and perspectives. They kept comparing their experience in order to come up with some common ideas on a Youth vision of just transition. As future decision makers, each participant was asked to recommend one action to be taken to promote a just transition. Several common ideas were put forward such as the need for articulating better the different levels of governance and for supporting of the participation of citizens in the decision-making process. The feedback of the participants was positive and they all said that they were hoping for a future in-person workshop to keep exchanging.

Overall, this first hybrid workshop showed us the importance of youth empowerment through discussions with a group from another country. To continue the debate with the next generation and boost the discussion on their youth vision, we aim to organize workshops and field trips with a third country. We will utilize this experience and share the learning and the vision with incoming students of CIFE and Erfurt.
d. Possibly quotes from participants.
One participant from France said: ‘Youth are left out. Youth should be a key decision maker in Just Transition; we are living and we will have to live with the consequences of the policies that are in place now.’ Another participant from Germany said: ‘We need to be informed about the transition first, so that we can participate and get involved.’

To bring together virtually a group of young people who are not yet very involved in associations, civil society and their to discover new horizons, to better understand the institutions that surround them and the tools at their disposal, to benefit from their energy to question democratic institutions and processes and to reinvigorate them.

The project will start with an upgrading of knowledge about the European institutions (Council of Europe, European Parliament, etc...), the different functioning of the countries participating in the project.

Then a simulation will be organised with the active participation of young people.

In parallel, discussions will be organised with officials from the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the Franco-German channel ARTE based in Strasbourg to help participants understand how democracy, democratic institutions and practices work.

Objectives

Strengthening interest in democratic institutions, questioning them while questioning their own sources of information, strengthening participation and individual commitment, bringing together young people from different backgrounds and teaching them to respect each other.

Through a simulation game, enable young people to discover certain rules of negotiation, speech and strategy.

This project essentially deals with two thematic complexes:
a) - How do the participants experience "political culture" and the underlying values and norm system on the one hand and the institutional conditions (state/societal structure) in the participating countries and regions on the other? - What is the history of the concept of "political culture" and the political culture experienced in the respective countries? - What role does "ethics" play in political culture? How can ethical principles (e.g. peace, freedom, justice, common good) be anchored in politics?
b) What can young citizens actively contribute to giving weight to their idea of political culture? How can young citizens find their role and responsibility in political decision-making? How do young citizens from France, Germany and the Western Balkans (and especially from two countries whose bilateral relations are very tense) envisage peaceful cooperation within the framework of a regional and European integration process? What are the intercultural challenges here? With its participants, the project consciously seeks dialogue with politicians in parliaments, but also in regional and local administrations. It looks for answers in history and in discussions with political scientists, sociologists and artists.

Our programme offered an exceptional opportunity for young citizens from Albania, France and Germany to meet, work and engage in energy and environmental issues across Europe. Participants enhanced theoretical and practical knowledge and applied it in expert discussions, field trips and a final symposium in presence of the Deputy Minister for Environment of Albania, the French Ambassador to Albania, the German Ambassador to Albania.

The interactive programme have foreseen visits to key public institutions and private organisations, field trips to sites of interest for energy and environmental issues, discussions with external experts, cooperation in thematic intercultural working groups as well as training in presentation and debating skills.

Here the results of the work and excahnge of the participants: document and video. Well done! Bravo and Falemenderit!

Despite increasing and unprecedented mobility and communication across borders in Europe since the beginning of the 21st century, “dialogue” remains an essential element and basic objective for allowing groups inside and across countries to establish common ground for interaction and exchange. The Danish Youth Council (DUF) uses the following definition in a youth context in their 2012 Dialogue Handbook:

“Dialogue is a special form of communication, in which participants seek to actively create greater mutual understanding and deeper insight.”

The project will address the basic principles and values on which dialogue has to be built: trust, openness, honesty and equality. They are intertwined and related to each other. Through them dialogue becomes possible and at the same time they are strengthened by dialogue. Dialogue does also not happen in a vacuum. Europe is seeing the (re-)emergence of ethnic and economic nationalism, a proliferation of “post-factual” politics promoting prejudice and mistrust across borders and the scenario of European dis-integration. More specifically, the European Union is facilitating a dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia with the aim of helping to normalize their relationship. A first agreement was reached in April 2013, the implementation of which is not advancing as planned. These issues form the common background for the participants and organisers of the project. These issues will also be elements for a common reflection of the importance of media and communication which are inseparably part of any dialogue situation.

A series of three workshops for young people (18-29 years old) from France, Germany, Kosovo and Serbia (5 from each country) who are interested or already engaged in dialogue, information and communication projects or are working with and in the media on issues regarding dialogue in and between communities they are living, cross-border and European cooperation.

The workshops took place in Berlin, Germany and Nice, France, in Prishtina/Mitrovica, Kosovo and Belgrade, Serbia. The interactive programme consisted of joint reflection and analysis of intercultural challenges, inputs from participants and experts, visits and exchange organisations and institutions as well as training and exercise element; with the aim to develop and improve the participants´ skills and capacity to work on outreach and communication.

The development and stabilisation of democracy and civil society is a fragile and protracted affair in which the young generation plays a decisive and forward-looking role. The participants from the transition countries were to be encouraged through the exchange of experiences to become active themselves in the reform processes of their home countries and to recognise their importance for civil society. In addition, the youth exchange was expected to sensitise the participants to the problems of others across countries.

While the first seminar in Lviv (Ukraine) in November 2015 focused on peace and conflict resolution due to the situation in Ukraine, the meeting in Bad Liebenzell (Germany) was to concentrate on the topics that are currently of great importance in Germany and Western Europe: Migration, integration and social cohesion, and the living of European values.

The project was organised with the Europa Zentrum Baden Württemberg, the JEF Moldova and the National Youth Council of Ukraine and with the support of the Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ/FGYO).

The project consists of three parts with a first seminar held in Berlin from 24 to 29 November 2014, the second seminar held in Chisinau, Moldova from 6 to 11 April 2015 and a final seminar in Paris and Brussels from 14 to 19 September 2015. The same group of young people is involved in all three parts of the project.

The first seminar focuses on the current situations in the participants' countries and will address the role of the European Union and its neighbourhood policy. The programme will look at the geopolitical factors of the current crisis in the EU's Eastern Partnership and aims to identify possibilities for non-violent political approaches to defuse the problems faced by this region and by Europe as a whole. Almost 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Iron Curtain, young people from France, Germany and Georgia will come together to analyse and discuss the future of Europe; the relationship between the European Union and the countries of the Caucasus, and in particular the political prospects of Georgia in the wake of the war in Ukraine. The seminar provides a platform for trilateral dialogue of young European citizens on concrete initiatives and programmes as well as opportunities for youth participation.

The second part of the project will take place in Georgia in spring 2015 and will immerse the participants in the situation of the country after the entry into force of the Association Agreement with the EU. The theme of the third part in autumn 2015 in Paris, France and Brussels, Belgium will be the perspectives for European integration.