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Meeting held in
the framework of: |
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European
young people want to be informed, to be heard and to participate.
It's time to consider youths as a force in European construction and no
longer like a problem to be managed.
World heritage is the
witness of history, a part of the present and our message to the future. For young people from around the world making up the next generation to
turn their attention to histories and cultures of their own hometowns and
discuss the future from a global perspective.
Youth Meetings are short theme camps organized to provide an opportunity
for young people to explore important intercultural issues and promote
European Citizenship
Young people attend the Youth Meetings to learn and work with each other,
to get to know each other, and together to seek answers to questions
about the past, the present and the future. The motto of the YM comprises
these aspects: “remembering – meeting –
understanding – working for the future”.
As well as different types of workshops, the YM involves talks with
historical witnesses, guided tours of the places, excursions and lectures.
In addition to thematic work, participants have time for personal
conversations, trips out, free time activities and getting to know
contemporary Europe.
The Youth Meetings take place usually in July or
October. Young people aged between 12 and 18 may participate for different
lengths of time. In order to take part, they must be interested in the
subject and working thematically.
Theme
Respect for cultural
diversity is the starting point for peaceful co-existence and the
inclusion of all people. It should be the basis for life in a complex
and multi-cultural world.
Many societies are becoming more and more diverse with people of
different cultural backgrounds, nationalities, ethnic groups, languages,
and religions living together. We are all different and it is therefore
important that we as individuals and groups can live together in
peace rather than conflict. We all have a right to be who we are and to
be different from others around us. We also all have a responsibility to
respect the ways in which others are different from us. Living happily
together requires accepting everybody for who they are and learning to
value differences as an exciting part of what it means to be a human
being. We must acknowledge and value equally the rights and
contributions of different cultures. Our society should strive to value
diversity and to develop policies of inclusion and acceptance which
cater for the needs of all groups. This is part of living in a society
where we all have a say in how we live our lives and which will ensure a
flourishing and creative community. This is called cultural pluralism
and it leads to acceptance, respect, unity, friendship, happiness and
harmony.
Methods
Various different methods are employed in the workshops, whether lasting
two days or longer. They include drama, video, music and art as well as
carrying out questionnaires and searching for evidence. The
participants work with documents, visit exhibitions and historical places,
and talk with invited speakers.
Free Time
Despite all the thematic work, free time is not neglected in the YM either.
It becomes full of life when participants laughingly compete in games
evenings, enjoy concerts and dance to discos in the basement, when they
lie in the garden in the sun or chat to each other in the bistro. It is
important that the participants have enough time and space to think
through their experiences, to get to know each other and to collaborate
with others on shared projects.
Programme of Cultural Events
Interested local people are particularly welcome to attend a series of
public events such as the official opening of the Youth Meeting,
traditional concerts, films and lectures. These events related to topics,
contemporary history and current affairs.
The YM aims not only to encourage international youth exchanges but also
to help people learn how to co-operate at international level.
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