Shaping european future means defining shared ideals - We can make it!

<< Background >>The shift to the right in Europe is intolerable. Taking democracy for granted is dangerous. The school environment of all our participating schools is particularly ‘protected’ and seems far removed from all the challenges that prevail in Europe in general, as well as in the countries participating in the project, i.e. climate change (not a focus of the project), flight/migration, increasing ‘democracy fatigue’ and even rejection/right-wing populism. However, even within our schools, it is becoming increasingly clear in 2025 that the student body is becoming more diverse and international, which has led to a backlash of defensiveness and resentment among some of the students. Integration processes are becoming apparent, with all their opportunities and challenges. These developments were identified in discussions and exchanges between our schools and were accordingly chosen as the core theme of our project. We wanted to urgently sensitise our student body to the issues and problems mentioned above and prepare them for current and future developments. Our need was therefore to recognise migration and integration as a historically normal process and to actively shape it for the present.<< Objectives >>As correctly stated in the evaluation of our project and already mentioned in the application, many of our goals are quite vague or ‘invisible’ because they are intended to initiate a longer process in the minds of young people, which may also take place subconsciously and whose fruits may only be reaped in years to come.Our first step was to raise awareness among young people of European (and quasi-universal) developments and processes such as migration and integration, as well as right-wing populism (racism and hostility to democracy), as many pupils have previously lived in a kind of ‘bubble’ in their local areas and have only been exposed to these challenges through (social) media, which always carries the risk of fake news. However, as this is currently changing visibly, the issue has become more urgent.And yet we also wanted the pupils to develop initial concepts for how integration can be achieved and actively shaped in their microcosm of school and, in some cases, beyond (e.g. at the local level). << Implementation >>We have conducted various workshops focusing on theoretical, practical and artistic/musical topics, e.g. feminism, everyday racism, migration/integration workshops, as well as theatre and art workshops. In addition, we collaborated with external experts such as the Asociación de la Memoria Histórica de Espana in Madrid/Tres Cantos and the Integration Café in Hattingen. We have created places for dialogue and getting to know each other, where students with a migration and/or refugee background have met with project participants and exchanged ideas about their arrival and life in Germany, as well as their integration into the school system (as an example of a European country). We went on excursions, e.g. to the Valle de los Caídos near Madrid, to learn about Spain's dictatorial past and make connections to the present day. We also visited Münster, the site of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, to learn about conflicts and peace in Europe. In addition, there were meetings with the respective mayors, where we exchanged views on forms of local migration policy.<< Results >>As already criticised in the feedback on the application, the specific outputs of the project are difficult to measure, as the main aim was to stimulate cognitive processes among the pupils, which it did. Nevertheless, there are specific outputs:A podcast, two presentation evenings with presentations of the workshop results (videos, music pieces, dance choreographies, plays, discussion rounds); initiation and implementation of permanent cooperation with extracurricular organisations such as the ‘Asociación de la Memoria Histórica de Espana’ and Amnesty International with our partner school in Tres Cantos. The implementation of a ‘Europe’ course in the core curriculum of the Waldstraße Gymnasium and the I.E.S. P.A.L., in which topics related to the project (migration, integration, right-wing populism, fake news) were established. Permanent exhibition of artwork created during the week at the school; introduction of a ‘meeting café’ where students with a refugee background carry out joint activities with other students from the school community. Visits to refugee accommodation for direct exchange and awareness-raising about the challenges and questioning of European migration policy (Belgian school).