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Europa ponad granicami
Start date: Aug 1, 2016, End date: Nov 30, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Three groups from Lithuania, Belarus and Poland, consisting of 11 young persons each, will meet together in Wrocław. They will participate in a series of workshops, which range shall include social activity and communication, creation of social capital, building assertiveness in local environment, tolerance and openness to others, specific of the borderland, issues concerning European citizenship, democracy and European consciousness and others, connected with creating an open civil society. Participators from Belarus will be representatives of polish national minority, tied to Polish Local Initiatives od Brest and Brest Region Forum. People from Lithuania will be Polish as well, connected with Union of Poles in Lithuania. From polish side, Young people cooperating with Fundacja Kompania Kresowa will participate In the project.The aim of the project is to show them the value and importance of crossing over the boundaries in political, cultural and social contexts – especially in international aspect with special emphasis on the Schengen Zone. It is also supposed to show values and challenges connected with functioning in borderland framework, both of two countries, as well as of eastern borders of the EU. The project is to raise in its participants willingness to take action in order to break the borders, including through grass-roots work in order the build up the civil society. It should also raise in the felling of self-esteem and help them see value of being a member of two groups: certain minority – in this case, national – and European society living in the open borders community. Actions carried out during the project have to lead to development of the participants’ skills related to social activity, bottom-up initiative, assertiveness in the local community aimed at the good of their communities, and to develop an open and tolerant attitude in the spirit of European values. Significant emphasis will be placed on the affirmation of their belief, ho great is the value of open civil society, within which there can coexist and thrive minorities, border areas and small centres, - who in the case of the described project penetrate each other. Young people shall perceive practical, useful aspects of the activity for the benefit of local and European communities. Contact of the representatives of national minorities with people from Poland will help create a platform for them to exchange information, experiences and views. In this sense, it fits such key values for the existence of European Union as freedom and equality of citizens. Also those, who belong to minorities, because they should be able to function in a social setting, regulated by the recognition of its cultural pluralism, with rejection of all forms of discrimination. This also applies to young people from Belarus, a country with specific socio-political context in which citizens without fault have considerable difficulty with the process of these values.Participants of the Project will take part in weekly workshops. There, during common debates, exchange of experience, activities, city games, working in various groups and other types of activities the will analyze a character of civil society of community of open borders, as well as social activity from a perspective of their countries and local environments. This will especially include an aspect of being member of national minorities.Direct result of the project will be raising in its participants an understanding for diversity, practical knowledge of the importance of the functioning of society open borders, willingness and ability to act in one’s local environment in order to spread this and an idea of Europe of open borders. There will be the enthusiasm to work in local communities raised among them. The aim is also an indication of possible actions that improve the situation of national minorities in each region, as well as presenting and promoting the fundamental European values of tolerance, equality, openness, democracy and intercultural dialogue. In long-term project’s participants will become bearers and promoters of the idea of an open civil society in Europe above borders, working for its realization. The project also gives the chance to people from smaller centers to increase their life chances through the acquisition and development of certain skills.

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