“ACID – Active citizens for intercultural dialogue” project was implemented under the framework of “Europe for Citizens’ Programme” with the aim to empower citizenship in the participating countries through the promotion of public dialogue, active participation and undertaking action.
“ACID – Active citizens for intercultural dialogue”
“ACID – Active citizens for intercultural dialogue” project was implemented under the framework of “Europe for Citizens’ Programme” with the aim to empower citizenship in the participating countries through the promotion of public dialogue, active participation and undertaking action.
Project description
The aim of the project ACID was to organize citizens’ panels on the importance of intercultural dialogue in the context of an increasingly intercultural European Union, exploring original and innovative methodology, with the potential to encourage citizens’ participation and to stimulate dialogue between European citizens and the institutions of the European Union.
Special effort was put so as to involve in project activities, average citizens of different demographic, social and professional backgrounds and to involving citizens’ who would not have spontaneously participated in projects of a European nature.
The working language during transnational meetings and during the European panel will be English. At national level the panels will be in the national language, the DVD will be both in English and the national languages, the online forum will be in English.
Objectives
- To support citizens’ panels in all participating countries which enable the active interaction and discussion among citizens on the importance of intercultural dialogue at European level;
- To collect the opinion of citizens on a key European challenge for the future such as the
- intercultural dialogue in a multicultural Europe;
- To create mechanisms that enable European citizens to develop civic competences, to formulate their views and opinions on the European integration process in the form of recommendations for policy makers at European level;
- To encourage the dialogue between European citizens and the institutions of the EU, empowering citizens as regards EU policies and their impact, and ensuring appropriate follow up of citizens’ opinions by the EU institutions.
Target groups
- young people and young adults (aged 18-30 years old),
- migrants and refugees,
- adults and aged people, politicians,
- representatives of the civil society (NGOs, cultural associations, trade unions),
- teachers and educators from the participating countries
Activities
- transaction of 3 transnational meetings among partners for coordinating, monitoring and evaluating the project’s implementation;
- organisation of citizens’ panels in each participating country lasting 2 days, for building individual and collective opinions on the importance of intercultural dialogue in Europe. The panels were moderated and facilitated through innovative methods such as “Open Space Technology” and “Structured Dialogic Design Process (SDDP)”, and other innovative methods proposed by partners;
- organisation of a European Panel with representatives from the national citizens’ panels, lasting 2 days to define the final recommendations addressed to the European institutions;
- setting up an on-line forum to enable discussions among participants;
- Production of final video on DVD
The countries participating in the project are: Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Romania.
Duration
January – October 2009
Funding
Europe for Citizens Programme
Action 1. Active Citizens for Europe – Measure 2.1. Citizens’ projects
Partners
- UniTS Università del Terzo Settore – Leader Partner (Italy)
- Numena (Portugal)
- Future Worlds Center – Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute (Cyprus)
- Institutul Intercultural Timisoara (Romania)
- ANTIGONE-Information and Documentation Center on Racism, Ecology, Peace and Non-Violence
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