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| We would like to invite You and your organisation to become part of the network of supporters of the First European Community College (FECC). We are a European organisation working for the development of a European public sphere, using the residential Community College format. We were inspired by the Nordic Folk High School system and believe a parallel movement and network of schools could be developed on a European level, committed to the common interest of Europeans. We ask You to show your support for this initiative by e-mailing us at seminar@acc.eu.org one or more of the following: 1) Your comments and/or critique on the basic papers enclosed 2) Your and/or European Commission, Directorate General Education and Culture’s support of the FECC 3) Your banner for use on the FECC website to show your support 4) Your help developing contents for a European citizenship education by forwarding (a) tools and methods (games, simulations, material, etc.) (b) principal considerations concerning what is common European? (c) suggestions for basic contents of a European citizenship education We intend to/will: 1) invite You to the opening of the FECC, taking place when European commitment to the project has been consolidated, 2) report on this first consultation, revise the basic papers on the comments from individuals and organisations all over Europe, and forward it to you, 3) share the database of methods & tools, principles & aims among everybody replying to this request. With this we are inviting everybody to take part in three web-seminars dealing with contents of a future European citizenship education. The first web-seminar will take place between October 25th – 31st, the second from November 15th - 21st and the third from December 6th to 12th. After each session there will be an interim report sent as well as a final report at the end. Contributions to the seminar@acc.eu.org (excluding the senders e-mail address) will be visible here at the website in order for everybody to see what ideas emerge on principles, methods and aims of a non-formal European citizenship education. Yours sincerely, Helle Villekold Jørgensen, Project-coordinator John Petersen, Chairman Enclosures: (1) basic paper 01 (2) basic paper 02 The ambition has come up time and time again since the ACC was founded in 1999 that it should aim at creating a model-example on how schools for Europe could be realized. A real European Community College! The ACC General Assembly 2002 encouraged the board to give it a try and to work for establishing the First European Community College. Since it was most likely realizable in Denmark, where the tradition of Folk High Schools is well established, we were considering Denmark as the place for the establishment of the First European Community College. The project Youth2002 together with the Community College events we have carried out from 1999 up until now has created a large group of enthusiasts, a huge number of people all over Europe supporting the idea. We believe they are the best ambassadors for our project to found a First European Community College. Following up Youth2002 the ACC International Programme Office consulted many of the 1000 Youth2002 participants in particular. They were asked if they could imagine themselves in the role of facilitators or teachers in such a school. They were then asked to give ideas and proposals on topics that could be included in a future school-plan or syllabus. The many replies, ideas and support made it possible to construct a description and a model of how the First European Community College could function, with the help of our many ambassadors, members and well-tested projects and programmes (description). In December 2002 the ACC board together with an enlarged working group had a very fruitful seminar in which the aim of founding a First European Community College was included in the working plan for the years 2003-2005. In February 2003 a group of 30 young Europeans met at the "Schools for Europe Community College II" in order to edit the spring issue 2003 of the Journal of World Education. The “Journal” can be seen as a compilation of preparatory and PR-material in order to set the stage for the founding of the First European Community College. This step in the process was especially important since a group within the group of 30 were working on a proposal for a set of bylaws for the First European Community College. The “Journal” including the first proposal for bylaws was released in April 2003. The FECC as an idea, a school-plan, ideology, statutes, personnel, timetable, courses, and so on, would be more than ready, were it not for lack of financial support. Even our position concerning validating FECC-learning courses (and on the background of educational policy of the EU) has been debated, and a summary is available on the ftp-server. To gain financial support, you need moral support. That is why we are working on creating a network of organisations and individuals to support the FECC. We have got many positive replies from all parts of Danish society - business life, arts, educational sector, politics and many more. A recent letter from the Minister of Integration, Mr Bertel Haarder, proves that we have support even within the current Danish government. Mr Haarder expressed his warm support for the project. Mr Niels Helveg Petersen (foreign affairs) and Mrs Margrethe Vestager (education) are among former ministers supporting the project, as are several Danish MEP's. The next step in the development of the FECC is to make public the work that has been done so far. Everything is now available to the public on an ftp-server. In addition to simply sharing this material, making public our work has the aim of allowing many more to take part in the discussion on the future contents of a European Citizenship Education programme, just as it has the goal of committing many more to this discussion and to the idea of opening a FECC. | ||
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