The Marienthal Seminar 2013 has the motto “Young Citizens Working Actively for Europe”. From the 8th to the 15th of September mor then 50 students will meet in different workshop an work on this topic.
This is the official call for ideas for the seminar:
High unemployment figures throughout most of Europe, austerity measures making the lives of many Europeans spiral downwards, tensions that were thought to be a thing of the past surfacing again – headlines on European affairs have been dominated by tough news these days.
In recent years Europe has had to struggle to come to grips with the financial crisis, putting many people’s belief in a united Europe to a severe test. It is especially young people who have been hit hard and whose future prospects suddenly seemed to fade.
At a time when European institutions are blamed for problems people are facing in their day-to-day lives, it is crucial to bring to mind the merits of a united Europe.
The current project of Network St. Marienthal – “Young Citizens Working Actively for Europe” – intends to do just that. In the months preceding the 16th Intercultural Seminar at St. Marienthal young people in eight different European nations are making videos showing what Europe means to them. These films will of course deal with problems people are facing in their day-to-day lives but will also point to ways in which they
* have benefited from their countries’ membership of the European Union
* can participate in shaping the social, cultural and economic life of an entire continent
At the 16th Intercultural Seminar of Network St. Marienthal (8th – 15th September 2013) these videos will be presented and discussed. The main work of this seminar will consist in producing new video clips as well as a short film. They are supposed to highlight how young Europeans can make a difference in coping with challenges we are confronted with. The internationally composed film crews will be side-lined by an online radio team as well as a multimedia “seminar reporter” group, which are to document not only the seminar activities but also local and regional initiatives.
It is Europe’s young citizens who have been the most fervent torch-bearers of a united Europe in the past. At a meeting of young activists with government representatives a few months ago, a Spanish student said, “We need more Europe, not less!”
This is the spirit that has fuelled the projects of Network St. Marienthal. We are looking forward to 70 creative young Europeans adding more fuel to the fire at the 16th Intercultural Seminar in September.
