Let’s cultivate peace through universal brotherhood! Erasmus Project

Project Title

Let’s cultivate peace through universal brotherhood!

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: Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

This project was part of a continuity that was intended to be twofold. It was the result of the extension of an E-twinning project “Let’s Act for Peace”, initiated with the Italian partner, one year earlier. It also expressed a desire to strengthen ties with the European partners of the previous Erasmus project “Share our values in the effort”As a result of this project, other Erasmus projects may be foreseen with some partners and/or the establishment of twinning between some institutions.
The objectives were to improve the learning of a foreign language, to fight against school dropout and absenteeism, to provide students with clear and concrete European perspectives in the field of the culture of peace by creating a humanitarian dynamics,
The total number of participants in the project amounts to about 3000 people, namely the students and teams involved in the project in the foreground, but also all pupils of schools and the educational community of these schools. We can add parents who have been involved throughout the project, as well as various partners and associations at the local level. The supervisory authorities were also involved in the project, albeit indirectly.
As a result, all the objectives set out in the project submission package have been achieved. In addition, we were able to add two important axes to the project because they give an international dynamic to our project: the KAKI TREE project and the International Day of Living Together in Peace.
We have seen a marked improvement in the level of English among our students, especially since they have understood the importance of mastering this language, which, from a simple academic subject, has become a real communication tool.
The dropouts found motivation to reconcile with the school environment, because thanks to the project, they were able to express their talents and highlight their skills, far from any purely academic performance. Without fear of being judged, they were able to express their know-how in various artistic fields and, above all, they were able to be strong of proposals. They thus reconnected with a school system, in a space without value judgement about their academic difficulties; these students who have regained some self-confidence and self -esteem have been asking for other projects.
The need to establish a culture of peace, through dialogue and living together, has gradually appeared to the pupils as a self-evidence. They realized that some of their attitudes could create a negative atmosphere in the classroom. They understood the effects of exclusion and rejection, through activities such as storyboards and role-playing. They also became aware of the importance of creating lasting peace between countries by opening up to other European countries. The issue of the culture of peace was thus able to take on its full meaning. In addition, they realized that peace is not only synonymous with the absence of conflict, but that it is a way of life that is part of continuity. In this regard, theywere able to attend workshops linking peace and ecology and sustainable development.
The visit of the European Parliament to Strasbourg has given birth to or strengthened this European identity that until then seemed distant and inaccessible to them.
The establishment of the Peace Schools Network (with the application), the Kaki Tree project and the celebration of the International Day of Living Together have given the project a permanent status. Indeed, for the Kaki Tree Project a ceremony must take place every year for 10 years. This will be an opportunity to recall the origin of the project and to revive the memory of the Erasmus project.
The activities carried out during these two years are visible on the Twinspace of the project, but also on the Facebook page and on the website of the project. A Twitter account was also created to give visibility to the project on specific actions. Among these actions, we can mention the participation in workshops for peace in Greece, especially through associations that promote peace through ecology and sustainable development. The students also took part in the March for Peace, which takes place every two years in Italy, and which brings together students from the Italian network of peace schools as well as civil society actors. Our students, in international groups, first drafted in English, then in their respective languages, a Chart of Universal Brotherhood, that they have offered to a German Deputy upon their visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, as part of the mobility to Germany

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 140039 Eur

Project Coordinator

Collège Jean Moulin & Country: FR

Project Partners

• Wentzinger Realschule
• 3 Gymnasio Kalamatas
• Istituto Comprensivo 10
• Ezikova gimnazia Peyo Yavorov
• Nikolaideio Gymnasio