Shared identity: how to build a stronger Europe beyond prejudice Erasmus Project

Project Title

Shared identity: how to build a stronger Europe beyond prejudice

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

PROJECT SUMMARY
Our project is based on the thought, that we have to tear down prejudices, when we want to build an European Union, that is modulated to a shared identity. That identity is – among other things – related to a humanistic tradition. This particular tradition revolves around the idea of cultural diversity instead of demarcation of purely national interests. The credo of the humanistic tradition, to never feel superior above any other nation, is therefore addressed to all nations.
Our assumption is, that overcoming prejudices will help to develop a suspension of judgments about each other. Our main aim is to focus on cultural diversity, which can be found in and between the schools of the participating countries: Turkey, Lithuania, Romania, Greece and the Netherlands. We believe, that we can learn from each other, once we have learned something about the very different customs and traditions. During our two year project, we wish, that our pupils will be able to embed cultural differences in a specific ethnohistorical context. The main aim of our school-to-school exchange is to create openness and tolerance between the partners, as an example of good practice in Europe.
First of all, we will introduce topics, that embody the countries’ diversity. The symbolic meaning of traditional Romanian folk dancing is one example; another example is the embedding of designs on Turkish carpets in their specific cultural context. Why can we find the cultural heritage of the Dutch in the paintings of their great masters, like Rembrandt? Why is the ancient ritual of baking bread so important for Lithuania’s inhabitants? And why are Homer’s writings an example of Greece’s humanistic tradition? If we can trigger the curiosity of our pupils about the answers to those questions, we will reach a state beyond prejudice, in which we can share our cultural heritage. After having learned about the differences, we see it as the next step to name the communalities between the participating partners. What do we recognize in each other’s culture and how does that bind us?
In the exchanges, we hope to learn appreciation of cultural diversity and its expressions in literature, crafts and all forms of art. During every meeting, our pupils will choose two shared values, that they find indispensable in shaping a European future together. A total of 115 pupils and 50 teachers of the countries mentioned above have the opportunity to share their traditions in an attempt, to realize more social inclusion in their own schools, but especially to draw attention to the need in Europe for more tolerance instead of fear for unknown cultures. The last project week is planned in Brussels, where our pupils – in a symbolic gesture – will offer a declaration to members of the European Council, in which they describe their top ten of shared values. Methodologically, our learning experience hinges on the idea, that once we have understood unique traditions, we are able of showing tolerance. On the didactic level, the teachers involved will take care of a project-based embedding in a particular ethnohistorical context. Before and after all six project meetings, spread over two years (December 2018-December 2020), we are able to monitor every learning step by:
– stimulating eTwinning and producing YouTube movies in the preparatory phase (before the beginning of the project);
– holding online questionnaires about the pupils’ thoughts about each other’s cultures to ensure a clear view of the pursued goals;
– writing special newsletters after every meeting (in English and in the national language of the participants) on a special google blog, that we will also start in the preparatory phase.
– by giving the participants e- booklets with pictures and stories about the learning activities;
– formulating two shared values based on the experiences with each other after every meeting. This will result in 10 shared values at the end of the project;
– we will offer 10 shared values in Brussels to members of the European Council, in which we plead for tolerance for and openness to other cultures;
– our didactic materials will be bundled and published on the School Education Gateway (meant for this purpose).
The results and the impact, envisaged with this project, is social inclusion within our schools for different cultural backgrounds (for instance gypsies in Romania and refugees in Turkey and Greece); hereby creating more awareness about the embedding of particular cultural expressions in diverse traditions. Most of all, we want to emphasize, that the fear for each other’s cultures is a threat for shared democratic values. We firmly believe, that we must uphold the idea of a shared identity in the EU, to guarantee a living environment, in which the stability of the Union will not solely depend on political agreements, but on mutual understanding of manifold participants.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 33878 Eur

Project Coordinator

Dalton Lyceum Barendrecht & Country: NL

Project Partners

• Mazeikiu Ventos progimnazija
• Bedriye ve Kadir Uysal Ortaokulu
• 4o Gymnasio Rethymnou
• SCOALA GIMNAZIALA “I.G.DUCA”