[Imc-sweden-gbg] Oustanding chance for the youth of your organisation

[Cultures in Dialogue]

Dear Madam/Sir ,

We are sending this invitation to you, because we believe you are familiar with the kind of non-formal education known from courses of the Højskolen Østersøen, the Association for Community Colleges, and/or the Youth 2002. The "learning-and-living-together format" of the Nordic Boarding Schools and the idea of allowing mixed groups of Europeans to debate issues of common interest.

Please excuse this small disturbance, if you are not interested. We do hope you will help letting young people in your surrounding know about the opportunity: We are calling for applicants from Sweden for this youth event taking place at Højskolen Østersøen, Jaruplund Højskole and Deutsche Nachschule Tingleff - all are schools in Schlesvig (Denmark and Germany):

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Invitation to Cultures in Dialogue 2005 for young Europeans

The association Cultures in Dialogue invites 180 young Europeans representing Europe’s national, cultural and linguistic diversity, minorities and majorities, to the Cultures in Dialogue. The event is carried out from July 17th to July 30th 2005 on both sides of the Danish-German border. The organisers hope that you will take an interest and help inform about the event in your network, community and region.

Cultures in Dialogue is an opportunity for participants to experience Europe, explore its diversity by debating face to face and with other young Europeans, and to influence Europe’s current agenda. It is also a social event that will give participants the opportunity to expand their European network.

Participants will debate how to give recognition to national minorities within the EU of the future. 38 million or every 11th citizen in the enlarged EU is considered to belong to a national minority. This reality, however, is not reflected in any (internal) EU-policy/programme dealing with minorities. Participants will negotiate a Resolution on how to make the ideal of a Europe “united in its diversity” a reality! Cultures in Dialogue also invites participants to make TV-productions, a booklet, articles and a website presenting minorities in Europe and their expectations towards the enlarged EU. The aim is to promote tolerance Europe’s minority and majority population-groups in between. Cultures in Dialogue will mark the 50th anniversary of the 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 for the development of 
 peaceful
co-existence in the region. It is important to include on the EU-agenda the experience that national minorities are a source of cultural richness for Europe!

Cultures in Dialogue is a co-operation between the Danish, German and North-Frisian minorities and various majority organisations in the Danish-German border region. The event is carried out at Højskolen Østersøen (a Danish independent-school / folk high school), Jaruplund Højskole (independent-school / folk high school of the Danish minority in Germany) and Deutsche Nachschule Tingleff (independent-school / boarding school / continuation school of the German minority in Denmark). Though the 180 participants work on different schools during the 2 weeks, their work is closely co-ordinated with joint conferences, negotiations and social events. Participants should be between 18 - 25 years of age, with good English language skills and with an interest in minority issues.

For more information on programme, key aims, participation fee and application-procedure (deadline on May 17th 2005) please visit the project-website at www.people.hojoster.dk.

Please forward this invitation to young people between 18 and 25 (incl.) of your network in order to let them apply for participation at this one-time opportunity. Travel, lodge and board will be covered but there will be a participation fee of 100 €

Yours sincerely,

John Petersen, project consultant,
cid at acc.eu.org +45 2425 3068

Cultures in Dialogue
www.people.hojoster.dk
c/o ACC International Programme Office
Falstersgade 44, st., gården
DK-8000 Aarhus C
+45 7363 0043 (fax/ph)
+45 2425 3068 (cell)