Decide on Europe
The educational project “Decide on Europe – Become a European Policy Maker for the Day” is a unique combination of youth meetings, one-day interactive seminars in the regions, simulation of meetings of the European Union institutions and conference. The project aims to promote dialogue between young people in the Czech Republic and Slovakia on European topics, meetings and discussions with politicians, experts and other public figures. At the same time, the project aimed towards secondary school students from all types of schools throughout the Czech Republic and Slovakia brings the decision-making process at European Union level to young people from both countries.
New year of the project started with a meeting of young people from the Czech Republic and Slovakia near Olomouc (July 1 – 3, 2019). During October, November and December 2019, one-day interactive seminars will take place in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. These will be followed by a five-day model meeting of EU institutions at the end of January 2020 with the participation of important guests, this time taking place in Slovakia. The whole project in the school year 2019/2020 will be completed in March at a one-day conference in the Czech Republic!
The main objective of the project is to contribute to increasing the participation of young people in public affairs by involving more young people in policy and social dialogues. In the same way, we pursue to achieve a deeper awareness of the functioning and competences of the European Union institutions and to connect active young people not only within the regions but also in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The project consists of different types of activities, which represent a unique combination of informed debate with politicians and other decision-makers, accompanied by a simulation of meetings of the EU institutions.
The international meeting of young people from the Czech Republic and Slovakia “Decide on Europe: Beginning”, near Olomouc (1 – 3 July 2019), was intended especially for project participants from previous years. A rich and diverse program was prepared, consisting of a range of non-formal learning activities. At the same time, the participants had a unique opportunity to become a team member who will prepare a new year of the project!
During October, November and December 2019, one-day interactive seminars will take place throughout the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Regional seminars will take place in 12 cities of the Czech Republic and 8 cities in Slovakia. The seminars are intended for high school students from all types of schools. Each of the regional seminars will consist of two parts – a simplified simulation of the negotiations between the EU Council and the European Parliament and debate with politicians, experts, and other public figures.
The top event of the project will be a five-day model session of the EU institutions, this time taking place at the end of January 2020 in Slovakia. A model meeting of the EU Council and the European Parliament will be attended by distinguished guests from the ranks of politicians and experts. The meetings of the EU institutions will be prepared in a way that is as close as possible to the reality and that the students will learn playfully the decision-making process on the European level. The most successful participants in the regional seminars will automatically proceed to a model meeting of the EU institutions. However, everyone who attends regional seminars in the Czech Republic and Slovakia will be able to register for the model session! The selection of the participants will be based on an essay, which they will write on one of the two assigned topics.
The whole project in the school year 2019/2020 will be completed in March by a one-day conference in the Czech Republic!
The Project “Decide on Europe – Become a European Policy Maker for the Day” is prepared by EUTIS and the Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association in cooperation with the Center for European Policy (Bratislava), European Affairs Information Department of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic and the Representation of the European Commission in Czech Republic. The project partners are Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the National Working Group for the Structured Dialogue with Youth, Europe Direct Czech Republic and the Department of Political Science of the Faculty of Social Studies of Masaryk University. The project is co-financed by the Erasmus + program. The media partner of the project in the Czech Republic is the Euroskop.cz.
Wepbage of the project: www.rozhodujoevrope.cz