Democracy Lessons : Let’s debate like in the European Parliament Erasmus Project
General information for the Democracy Lessons : Let’s debate like in the European Parliament Erasmus Project
Project Title
Democracy Lessons : Let’s debate like in the European Parliament
Project Key Action
This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices
Project Action Type
This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only
Project Call Year
This project’s Call Year is 2017
Project Topics
This project is related with these Project Topics: Disabilities – special needs; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy
Project Summary
The project “We Debate like MEPs” will promote debating but will also draw the attention of our students to present-day social issues because they are the future builders of United Europe. Our project aims at encouraging young people to lead a dialogue, listen to each other and be tolerant while communicating.
The key objective of the project, which unites five schools from five different countries, is to help build a well-informed, capable, searching and active civil society. Project participants will learn to openly express their standpoint, convincingly and sensibly defend their own position and be tolerant to those, who don’t share their point of view. With the aid of practical lessons they will develop their oratory skills, critical thinking, master presentation and communication skills, which in turn will help them present better at a job interview. We will bring together people with different interests, views and life experience, and we will provoke them to think. When you are put in an environment, which is filled with bright young people who want to know, speak and be heard, it is something contagious. There is a place for everyone. They will challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and will set you in an environment, which will make you want to speak, be part of your society and change something. Debates are a really good environment for the development of personal qualities and communicating skills. What is more, competitive atmosphere inspires all people to want to be better than they have been the day before. At the same time it is a friendly environment, too. As a whole, it is a valuable and useful experience. But the essence of the whole project is a person to learn how to defend his/her own thesis, commit himself/herself to other people’s thesis and prove to the listeners that he/she is right. We will prepare “A Handbook How to Create a Debating Club and Debate at School”, which will help those who want to debate, without being trained to. During training meetings, we will clear up the methods and admissible means while debating, present meetings and discussions with MEPs from partner countries and share impressions from the work of local Parliaments. This will help form a citizenship and a desire for coping with social apathy. In addition, we will take care of the students with special educational needs to find their place in the project, so that they won’t feel isolated, unworthy and a burden to society. We will train teachers for mediators for conflict solving, trainers and mentors because the aim of the debate is to find information independently, systematize it and devise arguments from it.
By implementing project activities, participants will learn how to be tolerant, accept different points of view; will be acquainted with ethics and culture of communication. And this is extremely important in a time, when we observe aggression and lack of tolerance among youths. We will cooperate with NGOs, local students’ parliaments,formal and informal institutions and schools in the region for dissemination of project’s products and results. One of the best activities will be students writing essays on “I- Citizen of United Europe and a Future MEP”.The best essays will be awarded and a long-term distribution will be ensured by publishing them in a project collection. We will enclose a certification program in our project to motivate students, make them more responsible citizens and help their self-confidence. Students will be able to work in 2030 when we take into account project’s results. These certificates will be evidence for employers on labor market for the knowledge and skills the students in the mobility have acquired, and will also enrich beneficiaries’ portfolio. During project activities, students will apply their knowledge in the sphere of ICT, English language since this will be project’s main working language, History, Philosophy, Business education, Geography, Ecology, Psychology and they will make products, which will be a symbol of cross-border cooperation.Project’s voluntary initiatives “Good Deeds of Young Debaters” will support socially disadvantaged families, organize collecting food packages and necessities, which will help the work of dog shelters. Debaters will also visit homes for the elderly.Project’s sustainability will be ensured by making films, which will be shot during debates, and will be given in the form of a CD to each participant. We will use the opportunities of the cinema as the best means for communication and presentation of values.
EU Grant (Eur)
Funding of the project from EU: 98160 Eur
Project Coordinator
LICEUL TEOLOGIC ORTODOX “N, STEINHARDT” & Country: RO
Project Partners
- secondary shool hristo botev
- Luis, José Manuel y Antonio Molina Galdeano C.B.
- GOYNUK ORTAOKULU
- Scuola secondaria di I grado Carlo Poerio