jef - Dworp seminar report

Dworp seminar report

Activity report of the international JEF seminar in Dworp & Brussels

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“Europeans for the World - Youth can make the Difference!” was an international seminar jointly organized by JEF-Belgium and JEF-Europe in the small town of Dworp in the Flemish part of Belgium as well as in the European capital Brussels from 30 March till 4 April 2009.

Young People from different corners of the continent and beyond worked six days on the promotion of volunteer work within and outside Europe as a way to promote European identity and solidarity towards European and non-European countries. During a variety of different activities, such as lectures, workshops, podium discussions, group activities and simulations, the participants were able to access these complex topics from various different angles. Inherent to all discussions was the question of how to define concepts like European identity, European citizenship and European values. The Flemish youth TV Javi paid us a visit and here you can watch the coverage of our event here.

Being set in the wonderful natural surroundings of the Flemish countryside for most of the days, the seminar venue was offering an ideal location for many outside activities and provided perfect circumstances for successful socializing within the group of participants.

During the international evening the participants had the chance to explore food and drink specialities from various countries, as well as to present their own homeland (however defined) to the rest of the group. A European short film evening and the ‘Absolute European Party’ completed the leisure activities of the week.

The participants could actively experience the spirit of European solidarity while at the same time working in a diverse group, with people from different countries and backgrounds. They also had the chance to develop their own project campaigns and engage in activities such as theatre, filming and writing articles. Hence everyone was able to personally experience that youth indeed can make the difference!

JEF international seminar in Tarxien, Malta | 17-23 March 2010

“The ultimate solution for a better life: (im)migration?” is an international seminar organised by JEF-Europe and JEF-Malta in Tarxien, a small village in the south east of Malta from 17 until 23 October 2010.

When speaking about immigration it is important to make the distinction between legal and illegal immigrants. Despite the obvious difference in their legal status, immigrants in both categories often feel unwelcome and excluded from their host societies, which is closely linked to xenophobic attitudes widespread across Europe and openly manifested especially in recent years, but also the lack of adequate policies and assistance of governmental institutions in host countries.