BRICKS | Made Of Words
Building Europe again through dialogue
For the Civic engagement of European youth
Connecting peoples and ideas
“Bricks Made of Words: building Europe again through dialogue” is a project dedicated to young European citizens interested in sharing knowledge and perspectives about actual key themes relevant for their future, as well as for the European Unions’ future:
- EU bodies | civic rights and duties
- EU values (peace and tolerance)
- Civil rights and media freedom
- Migration and human rights
- Youth policies
The project will select 28 youngsters (18-24 years old) from 7 different EU Countries (Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Cyprus, Italy, Romania, Republic of Serbia) according to their orientation towards EU policies related to the selected themes (Euro sceptics and Euro supporters) and will bring them together in 6 Events held in Italy, Serbia, Romania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Cyprus and Belgium.
During the 6 Events, youngsters will be involved in laboratories, workshops and study visits and will experiment innovative way of debate and knowledge sharing (storytelling, augmented reality, Lego gaming…).
Starting from knowing EU history and values, EU bodies and their functioning, participants will develop critical thinking on sensitive matters, debating and exchanging their thoughts with peers from other EU Countries, for finally developing a document containing all their ideas and recommendation to be presented in Brussels to the EU policy makers during the last event.
The project is co-founded by the Europe for Citizens Program of the European Union
Events and Workshop
The steps of the path
The overall project idea is based on the concept that Euroscepticism can be considered as a challenge and a resource to detect possible solutions to the problems Europe is facing today, and to set the bases of a new Europe, meant to be the Europe of all its Citizens.
All the events, linked by the common thread of fostering and supporting engagement between Eurosceptics and Euro-supporters, develop a set of activities that are directly or indirectly responding to the call objectives and priorities.
Event 1 (CAVRIGLIA-IT)
"MEMORIES OF THE PAST
FOR BUILDING THE PRESENT"
September 20/23-2022
Will focus on the value of remembrance, with visits to historical sites representing the memory of pivotal moments for EU history. Collateral activities will promote the EU common values of peace and support, showing alternative negative scenarios and underlining why common EU policies and actions can be more effective than national ones in facing difficulties like the ones linked to migration or economy.
Event 2 (BELGRADE-RS)
"ON THE ROADS
OF RECENT PAST
TOWARDS NEW FUTURE"
October 18/21-2022
Will be aimed to explain and display what are the EU bodies and their functioning. These activities will not only be explanatory thanks to conferences and the participation of EU Deputies, but they will directly put the participants in the position of EU Deputies and members of the European Council, roleplaying and directly living the EU bodies and how they interact. The Event will also set up activities to underline the importance of the next Eu election and why the engagement and participation of the EU citizens is fundamental for guaranteeing and fostering the Democratic process at Eu level.
Event 3 (ARAD-RO)
"SIMULATION OF THE EU PARLIAMENT/EU COUNCIL"
November 14/18-2022
Will host structured dialogue sessions in which local and international participants, Eurosceptics and Euro/supporters will exchange their thoughts and ideas, particularly regarding the increasing wave of Euroscepticism across Europe. The event will move from the findings of the previous events and will develop a deeper reflection on the project themes, whose results will be a set of structured reflections and perspectives, then drafted as a document containing recommendations for policy makers on the themes tackled throughout the project.
Event 4 (SARAJEVO-BH)
"WE ARE ALL HUMANS"
December 15/18-2022
Will be aimed to explain and display what are the EU bodies and their functioning. These activities will not only be explanatory thanks to conferences and the participation of EU Deputies, but they will directly put the participants in the position of EU Deputies and members of the European Council, roleplaying and directly living the EU bodies and how they interact. The Event will also set up activities to underline the importance of the next Eu election and why the engagement and participation of the EU citizens is fundamental for guaranteeing and fostering the Democratic process at Eu level.
Event 5 (Limassol-CYPRUS)
"yOUTH FOR THE FUTURE"
february 2023
Will host structured dialogue sessions in which local and international participants, Eurosceptics and Euro/supporters will exchange their thoughts and ideas, particularly regarding the increasing wave of Euroscepticism across Europe. The event will move from the findings of the previous events and will develop a deeper reflection on the project themes, whose results will be a set of structured reflections and perspectives, then drafted as a document containing recommendations for policy makers on the themes tackled throughout the project.
Event 6 (Bruxelles- bELGIUM)
"OUR VOICE FOR THE FUTURE"
March 26/29 2023
Will be aimed to explain and display what are the EU bodies and their functioning. These activities will not only be explanatory thanks to conferences and the participation of EU Deputies, but they will directly put the participants in the position of EU Deputies and members of the European Council, roleplaying and directly living the EU bodies and how they interact. The Event will also set up activities to underline the importance of the next Eu election and why the engagement and participation of the EU citizens is fundamental for guaranteeing and fostering the Democratic process at Eu level.
The partners of the project
Nine organizations from all over Europe
The Consortium is made by 7 Partners coming from 6 Countries: Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Cyprus, Italy, Romania, Republic of Serbia.
The project foresees the creation of 6 Events participated by selected youngsters, local associations and organizations, as well as the citizens, and combines a vertical and an horizontal set of activities.
Our mission
EU future designed by the youth
Youth are a key component in Europe’s future and should be integrated in discussing and shaping the next years’ challenges. Therefore, they absolutely need to feel a sense of ownership of how Europe should be developed in the following years.
In the midterm, the project aims to enlarge our understanding of the perception of Euroscepticism among European youth, also expecting to shape new paths for EU future designed by the youth themselves, summarising their thoughts as a recommendation to be shared with local, national, and European policy makers.
In the long term, the project aims to positive changes in skeptical youth perception of the EU. Through debating the future of Europe, the project will foster a critical thinking attitude towards different sensitive topics, political or social Eurosceptic and nationalist speeches. It is also expected to encourage a constant dialogue and discussions among EU Citizens regarding new paths for Europe of the future. Nonetheless, it is also expected to have a significant impact on the youth understanding and perception of their role within the EU voting process, empowering them toward the EU democratic process.
Partecipants
The participants to the activities foreseen in the 6 projects’ events will be a mix of Eurosceptics and Euro-supporters (aged 18-24), coming from both local community from the Country hosting the project (changing in Every event) and a same international mix of 28 participants to all Events (averaging 4 participants from each Project Country).
Activities
All the activities are foreseen with the use of innovative methodologies more closed to youngsters, to obtain the highest level of engagement and participation, aiming to foster an active civic engagement and reflection through enhancing critical thinking, active listening, and curiosity about the Union’s future.
Values
The first batch of activities will focus on getting to know Europe, its history and values, for a better understanding of where their values are coming from, as well as what they want to avoid in order to be able to brainstorm about the importance of a unite Europe in relation of peace-keeping, open frontiers, and reciprocal support.
Knowledge
The second trance of activities will be focused on a better understanding of the EU structure, its bodies and their functioning. Then, all participants will be engaged in debates and discussions about how they perceive the Union, embrace its values, remember its past and visualize their perception of the union’s future.
Partecipation
The all project is based on active participation of the youth themselves in determining what we need to avoid from their point of view and their perception of EU citizenship and its Future. For this reason the 5th event will gather all participants around producing a final statement presenting, during the 6th and final event, their vision of the new EU path and their recommendations to policy makers as part of the European Democratic process.
Engagement
A high number of individuals will be reached through the course of the project. The six events will gather a minimum of 550 direct participants that will be based on a parity between sex and most important between youth already familiar with social activities and those who are new to civic engagement, also adopt a selection criterion that privileges underrepresented groups such as second-generation migrants and or youth from marginalized areas.
Bricks News
Words can built the future
