Introduction to Speak Out! on European citizenship
Every person holding the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union. Citizenship of the Union shall complement and not replace national citizenship. (from Article 17 [EC])
A
healthy democracy relies on its citizens to join in and speak out. Speak Out! on European citizenship gives young people the opportunity to speak out on
issues that matter to them, and to participate actively in the development
of European democracy.
Speak Out! on European citizenship aims to develop the notion of a diverse and inclusive European citizenship, and encourage active citizenship in young Europeans. It is an educational project that brings together students and teachers from across Europe in a discussion about what European citizenship means to them..
Speak Out! on European citizenship comprises:
The Teacher Guide
The Teacher Guide is a user-friendly classroom resource, which will help teachers in the delivery of European citizenship education. It includes background information on citizenship and some of the key issues for discussion, debating and discussion techniques, Internet etiquette, curriculum links and useful website links.
The Teacher Guide is available to download from this site.
Speak Out! Across Europe – Brussels, June 2002
Speak
Out! Across Europe, the study tour, took place from 25 to 30 June 2002. Sixteen
young people aged 15-18, from Belgium, Bulgaria, England, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Northern Ireland, and Sweden, who had participated in discussions about Europe
as part of Speak Out! on European citizenship, congregated in Brussels.
These young people had the opportunity to participate in discussions with MEPs and had a guided tour of the European Parliament. Three lively discussions, about the Single Currency, EU enlargement, and diversity in Europe, were held with MEPs from across the political spectrum. Following the discussions, a reception, hosted by Jean Lambert MEP and our sponsors Cable & Wireless, was held in the European Parliament to give the participants a chance to mingle with EU officials and politicians in a more relaxed environment.
The
group also visited the Justus Lipsius building, home of the Council of Ministers,
where they had a meeting with a member of the secretariat of the European
Convention on the Future of Europe, who denied the charge that the Convention
was a "glorified PR exercise", as one member of the group claimed.
Other events included a trip to the European Youth Forum, and a workshop in
which each person made a presentation about their country, in order that they
could all gain a better appreciation for each other's background.
Speak Out! on European citizenship is a strictly non party-political education project developed by the Institute for Citizenship in consultation with teachers and practitioners from Germany, Italy, Sweden and the UK.
The Institute for Citizenship is a non-partisan, independent charitable trust, established in 1992. The aim of the Institute for Citizenship is to promote informed, active citizenship and greater participation in democracy and society. Our Charity Registration Number. 1009277.
For further information, please contact the Institute for Citizenship on
telephone: ++44 (0) 207 844 5444 or e-mail speakout@citizen.org.uk.or damien@citizen.org.uk
This website is endorsed by De@fchild International
Speak Out! is supported by the UK Office of the European Parliament