Antenna Europe Direct Assemblea legislativa della Regione Emilia-Romagna

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At the end of the Meeting. Many differences to create an identity

The Meeting gave us the opportunity to understand that in these last years something has changed by speaking with the students born after the fall of the Berlin’s wall, milestone in the history of European integration.
The Europe’s perception is different depending on speaking with a Swedish, a Slovak, a Maltese or an Italian young people , but these students have a strong European identity in spite of few knowledge, some prejudice, and many cultural differences.

Differences among students- It’s true: the north European students are more conscious about their rights and they can speak better English and other languages, whereas South European students are more chatterbox and friendly. Besides, there are also some students coming from Belgium, where there are the main European institutions and information fly more fluently, who care about the neighbouring countries but sometimes they ignore situations of some European regions.
“Before this meeting and before comparing with other boys and girls, I didn’t know Slovenia’s problems or the problem of corruption in Italy” says the Belgian girl. So the Meeting has become an occasion to find out problems which seem distant, although so near.

The teachers- Among the working teams of teachers and students there are some differences and some equalities: italian teachers, as their students, have some difficulties in languages. The Danish teacher is the younger and more brilliant as their students. Then, in general teachers are more pragmatic and they discuss about didactic and financial problems, whereas boys and girls are more idealists and they speak of values.

What to do- “I think we have to organize more initiatives like these to let new generation work together and make it conscious about things to do and to change to create something new” says one of the Meeting trainer.
We have decided to ask all the students what we have to do and to change in order to create something new. And we have understood a common identity exists and it. It derives from the knowledge of all these differences.

The students’ actions- The students have reviewed the fundamental rights of European Union and probably for the first time they have heard the sound of all the 23 official languages. They already know the best communication channel: the web. Internet and new media are the point on which they have discussed for most time during the Meeting. Free information to understand better the neighbours, their problems, their situation: this is why students support an approach to new media.
In fact, in all the recommendation of the working team comes out the need of a simple, direct and clear information for all the European countries.

During the last day of Meeting the students presented their documents speaking of dignity, equality and citizenship in front of the European and institutional authorities as Mr. Prodi, past president of the European Commission, Mr. Ronchi, Italian minister for European issues, Miss Donini, the President of Emilia-Romagna Legislative Assembly. They require a European television. They asked institution to commit themselves in order to spread new ideas and values with new media and in non-conventional space. Keep in touch with Europe means keep in touch with people and their experiences. “Facebook” was the English most used word  during the Meeting  and it will be also the channel on which European people who met during this initiative will keep united.

To create something- Finally, at the end of the Meeting, we recommend a new European Youth Meeting in which all these new ideas may be considered.
Students may also find a new manner to present their ideas exploiting new media. Its’ a pity to restrict their works to a written and spoken presentation, considering their brilliant ideas and capacities. Maybe a theatre-representation, a video, a film: new ideas to talk about universal themes as rights in a different way.
Also the presence of European authorities in the last day of the Meeting is seen by the guys as a limit because they feeling themselves as spectators.

Why don’t overturn the situation and propose to authorities to hear and replay to students?
The creative works which have been realized by the students during the Meeting – video, theatre-representation – could represent the questions to pose or the rises to give to the institutions.
The power of the new generation comes directly from the meeting between many different people from different countries. This kind of meeting is very common in the web, whereas is less frequently in the reality. The European Youth Meeting gives this chance: it’s an occasion to meet young people of 27 different nationalities.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear what they have to tell us. With their channels and their qualities.

EJJ  staff