MINELRES: CfA: Cultures in Dialog 2005 for young Europeans, Aabenraa (Denmark), 17-30.7.2005

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Jesper Nielsen <jen@hojoster.dk> 

 
Invitation to Cultures in Dialogue 2005 for young Europeans
17-30 July 2005 

Hojskolen Ostersoen will together with 8 other organisations carry out
Cultures in Dialogue 2005. 180 young Europeans representing Europe's
national, cultural and linguistic diversity, minorities and majorities,
will be invited to the event carried out from July 17th to July 30th
2005 in the Danish-German border region. Cultures in Dialogue will be an
opportunity for participants to experience Europe, explore its diversity
face to face, and get insights into and influence Europe's current
agenda. Cultures in Dialogue are also a social event, which will give
participants the opportunity to expand their European network.
Participants must be between 18 and 25 years of age, with good English
language skills, and with a general interest in Europe and
minorityissues. 

For more information on application procedure (deadline on May 1st
2005), please visit the website of Cultures in Dialogue at: 
http://www.people.hojoster.dk/SEEEMS/3028.asp 

Cultures in Dialogue will debate how to give recognition to national
minorities within the EU. Over 38 million or every 11th citizen in the
enlarged EU belongs to a minority. This reality, however, is not
reflected in any EU-policy or EU-programme dealing with minorities. This
in spite of the fact, that respect for the rights of minorities are now
included in the new EU-Constitution as being part of the Union's
fundamental values. Minorities experience that they are not recognised
by the EU as contributors to a Europe "united in its diversity". The 180
participants will therefore negotiate how to make the ideal a reality.
Result will be a joint Resolution, which in follow-up is disseminated to
the European public and decision-makers. The event will thus in itself
become a manifestation of a public actively shaping the democratic
processes of Europe. Cultures in Dialogue also invite participants to
produce information-material (TV, booklet, articles for publication in
regional media in Europe and website) presenting minorities in Europe
and their expectations towards the enlarged EU. Cultures in Dialogue
thus aim at promoting tolerance Europe's minority and majority
population-groups in between. Cultures in Dialogue will as point of
departure mark the 50th anniversary in 2005 of the so-called
Copenhagen-Bonn Declarations agreed on by the Danish and German
governments in 1955 with the aim of securing the rights of the
minorities in the Danish-German border region. The Declarations have
been important sources for the development of peaceful co-existence in
the region. It is important to include on the EU-agenda the experience
that minorities are a source of cultural richness (and not conflict) for
Europe! 

For more information on programme, please visit the website of Cultures
in Dialogue at http://www.people.hojoster.dk/SEEEMS/3028.asp 

Cultures in Dialogue are carried out on 3 independent schools in the
Danish-German border region on both sides of the border: At Hojskolen
Ostersoen (a Danish Folk High School), Jaruplund Hojskole (Folk High
School of the Danish minority in Germany) and Deutsche Nachschule
Tingleff (free school of the German minority in Denmark). Although the
180 participants work on 3 different schools throughout the 2 weeks,
their work is closely co-ordinated with joint meetings, joint
conference, joint negotiations and social events. 

Cultures in Dialogue is carried out by an association under the same
name with the following member organisations, beside the 3 above
mentioned schools: Sydslesvigsk Forening (association of the Danish
minority in Germany, the region of South-Schleswig), Sydslesvigs danske
Ungdomsforeninger (youth association of the Danish minority in
South-Schleswig), Bund Deutscher Nordschleswiger (association of the
German minority in Denmark, the region of South Denmark), Deutscher
Jugendverband fur Nordshcleswig (youth association of the German
minority in South Denmark), Gr?nseforeningen (Danish association
supporting Danish culture and language in South-Schleswig), Friisk
Foriining (association of the North-Frisian minority in
South-Schleswig). 


Jesper Nielsen, Project Co-ordinator 
Hojskolen Ostersoen/Cultures in Dialogue 
Flensborgvej 48 
6200 Aabenraa 
Denmark 
Telephone: +45 74 62 47 00 
Fax +45 74 62 47 01 
jen@hojoster.dk