Once upon today… in Europe: (Y)our 1989.
2019 sees Europe celebrating the 30th anniversary of the end of communism and of new democratic beginnings in Central and Eastern Europe. For all countries in the region, 1989 is not some distant event in the past, but the dramatic societal, political and economic changes continue to have an impact on the lives of people and their communities today.
In the spirit of our project title “Once upon today… in Europe”, we want to explore the way that 1989 is currently remembered, debated and reinterpreted in the countries across the region. As 30 years also mark the transition between two generations, we want to develop new, innovative and creative ways to explore the meaning of the year 1989 with young people:
- What is (y)our story of 1989?
- How has the revolution changed the lives of your families or your community?
- How is 1989 currently remembered and discussed in the country you live in?
- What is our story of 1989 as Europeans?
“Once upon today… in Europe” focuses on issues of belonging, identity and historical narratives in Europe. What does this mean? When people talk about history, memory and identity, they constantly tell a story about themselves, the communities and states they live in. These stories – or narratives – help people make sense of reality and they are made up of diverse facts, myths, official commemoration and personal memories. Like any other story, they are constantly shaped and reshaped through communication and reflect the values, interpretations and political objectives of the communities and people who share it. Thus, any narrative could start like a tale in present: “Once upon today…”
The project has 3 stages:
- International Training – 04.-11.04.2019 in Krzyżowa
- The development of micro-projects by the participants in their communities – April 2019 till September 2019
- International Youth Meeting (including presentation of micro-projects) – 29.09.-04.10.2019 in Krzyżowa
Participants of the training are invited to carry out small projects on the topic (Y)our 1989 with young people in their home cities over the summer. It is not obligatory in order to be a participant in the training, but applicants with tangible ideas for carrying out projects will be given special consideration. One participant from each country will have the chance to return to Krzyżowa with up to eight young people for the international youth meeting taking place from 29.09.-04.10.2019.
Where? International Youth Meeting Center Krzyżowa (Krzyżowa7, 58-112 Grodżiszcze, Poland)
Who?
- Are you already active in youth work, citizenship education or history projects and would like to learn new methods and approaches? Or are you interested in the topic and youth work, but have never done it before? Either way we invite you to apply!
- We value diversity of backgrounds, experiences and work fields. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our national coordinators to find out more about the project and what could be your role in it.
- However, there are a few conditions: You need to be an adult (18 years upwards) living in Estonia, Germany, Moldova, Poland, Romania or Ukraine. Citizenship is not a precondition. Since the training is going to be held in English, a good level of English is required.
How to apply? See our Call for participants 2019 for complete information and use the online form on our website.
Application deadline: February 25th 2019
Once upon today… in Europe
- is an international training where you can meet people interested in history and historical narratives from 6 countries and get the chance to learn new non-formal education methods,
- focusses this year on personal and community stories related to 1989,
- encourages its participants to develop their own project ideas and to put them into practice with young people from their local communities.
You will learn how:
- To bring together different perspectives on the same event/subject and learn practical methods to approach history
- To develop personal connections and explore how stories shape your personal identity, which stories are told in your family, community and how they influence your identity
- To use history in everyday life and various other projects
- To promote tolerance and better understanding of cultures and what brings our stories close together
- To develop critical thinking and grow awareness of the existence of more than one truth