EYP Annual Report 2016 by EYP Armenia

Annual Report Schwarzkopf Foundation 2016

CONTENTS

1 Changing Europe Integration & Migration in our programmes

2 Discovering Europe The Seminar Programme

3 Shaping Europe The European Youth Parliament

4 Discussing Europe Discussion events

5 Celebrating Europe Prizes and Awards

Annual Report 2016

THE SCHWARZKOPF FOUNDATION Facts and Figures

61 discussion events

6 speeches on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the Schwarzkopf Foundation

10 ideas on how to get involved in shaping Europe on one poster

270 travel grants for young adults

600 EYP events each year

6 ambassadors

40 European countries

10,500 125 pupils contributing their questions and views on Europe

courses on the Common European Asylum System at schools

Annual Report 2016

55,000 1 youngsters between 16 and 28 years every year

4 new colleagues

1 team relay run

Berlin-wide poster campaign

1 Transparency Initiative

125 courses on the Common European Asylum System at schools

3 Initiatives awarded Schwarzkopf Europe Award

14 countries offering Understanding Europe seminars

1 Schwarzkopf Foundation Strategy for the next five years

Annual Report 2016

Ladies and gentlemen, Dear friends of Europe, 2016 was a difficult year for Europe. First and foremost, we saw a majority of British voters voice their wish to leave the European Union. In Poland, a new media law prompted Martin Schulz to warn against a “dangerous putinisation of European politics”. The success of German and European populists in playing to deep resentments and widespread desires for more national autonomy showed us more clearly than ever that many people do not feel included in Europe. Nothing less is at stake than our common European values: solidarity, tolerance, democracy and the rule of law. What kind of Europe do we want to share in the future? We, the Schwarzkopf Foundation, dedicate our work to empowering young people in order to consider this question from as diverse a range of perspectives as possible. In doing so, we are committed to the ideal of an open, tolerant and democratic Europe. A lively debate is more necessary than ever, because for all our commitments to unity, Europe is a continent of difference and diversity. Our value community, too, is far from static, and relies on the courageous development of the European idea. Through the activities of the Schwarzkopf Foundation and the European Youth Parliament in 2016 – seminars, youth parliaments, informal talks and discussion events – we have reached 55,000 young people and held events in 40 countries. 2016 also marked the 45th anniversary of the Schwarzkopf Foundation – and we had much to celebrate; sustainable growth and continued success in our programme lines. An increasing emphasis is placed on ensuring that we reach young people from diverse backgrounds. In light of their unwavering enthusiasm for Europe, standing up for a strong and enduring Europe is more valuable now than ever before. In its efforts to become truly European, the Schwarzkopf Foundation is changing all its major publications, including our annual report, into English. We look forward to 2017 and offer our warmest thanks to all the supporters and partners who have made our work possible. Vive l‘ Europe! Yours,

Andrè Schmitz-Schwarzkopf Chairman of the Board Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe

Annual Report 2016

“The engagement of young people with and for Europe is now more important than ever. Youth is the present and future of the European Union: every action and every policy of the Union should be carried out thinking about the potential impact and prospects for our youth. There is no better way to design youth-proof policies than by ensuring the engagement and inclusion of young European citizens in the policy proposals.”

Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament

Annual Report 2016

Dear fellow Europeans, Against the backdrop of the many blows dealt to European politics in 2016, we have seen that many young Europeans have developed a new kind of political awareness, that they have a clear vision for the society in which they want to live, that they defend that vision with courage, initiate change through their commitment and are guided by a clear set of values. The Schwarzkopf Foundation offers these young Europeans a platform for exchange, learning and personal development. We are convinced that with this approach to European political education, we can provide a crucial impetus to initiate social change. We have identified three challenges for the next few years which we would like to concentrate on in particular: 1. Too many young Europeans lack a sense of familiarity and belonging in Europe. We therefore want to offer all young Europeans access to out European political education programmes – regardless of gender, nationality, cultural identity, religion or social background. 2. The barriers to political participation and volunteer work are high; it takes time, money and knowledge. We want to shift the focus of our European political education even more towards encouraging young Europeans to become active in society and empowering them to actively shape it.

We look forward to putting our ideas into action together with many friends and partners of the Foundation. Many thanks for your crucial continued support of our work.

3. We continue to view Europe through a deeply national perspective. We want to make the work of the Foundation more constitently European and always consider and include the European perspective. In this way, we hope to critically and constructively discuss a shared Europe with many young people throughout 2017 and use dialogue, exchange and good project ideas to contribute to a Europe of openness, solidarity and inclusion. In the seminar programme, we want to further expand our peer seminars and their European reach. Our discussion events will concentrate on significant social and political challenges, and in the EYP we would like to deepen dialogue with the countries of the Eastern Partnership.

Anne Rolvering Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe

Annual Report 2016

1 CHANGING EUROPE INTEGRATION & MIGRATION IN OUR PROGRAMMES In what Europe do we want to live in? How do we uphold the fundamental rights of people seeking safety in Europe? How can we bring different perspectives to a debate that draws from fears of a loss of sovereignty and political control in the context of borders, migration and asylum? We started with a film screening and an activist approach from Italy. The journalist Gabriele Del Grande started his blog “Fort ress Europe” in 2006 to make the dying of migrants and asylum seekers in the Mediterranean more visible and known. “On the bride’s side” (2014) was Del Grande’s answer to the humanitarian catastrophe at the borders of Europe. This movie screening was part of a series of events, seminars and capacity building in learning and teaching about fundamental rights in Europe. Next to the EU Crash Courses, seminars on EU Asylum politics have become a regular element within the Schwarzkopf Foundation’s seminar programme for schools. In addition, three initiatives where granted the Schwarzkopf Europe Award for their outstanding support for refugees. As a follow up they met with pupils and discussed and reviewed their ideas, on how to shape Europe better.

Annual Report 2016

125

courses on the Common European Asylum System

partners from civil sÂ ociety to join the alliance for Âsolidarity with Sinti and Roma in Europe

discussion events on fundamental rights, Asylum politics, migration and integration Hanan Kayed, a member of the initiative Refugees Welcome, discussing with pupils their ideas of active citizenship.

Annual Report 2016 Changing Europe

SEMINAR ON ASYLUM IN EUROPE

The EU Asylum Course provides multiple perspectives on forced displacement and Euro pean and international refugee law. After an introduction to reasons to leave one’s country and a small quiz to bust myths on migration and refugees, the trainers focus on the Geneva Refugee Convention as the guiding principle in international protection. The peer trainers

contribute to the debates in the classroom by challenging the image of refugees as a homo genous group and promoting an understanding of the transnational human rights regime that has shaped European Refugee Law. In 2016, 125 courses on the Common European Asylum System took place in schools.

Changing Europe Annual Report 2016

HIGHLIGHTING PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES In three parallel workshops, the pupils work with material that leads them though the steps of an asylum application. To produce the workshop, we worked together with asylum seekers in Berlin who gave their personal perspective from being forced to flee their home to the journey to Europe, their arrival and the insecurities and hopes that accompany the process of waiting for the asylum process to progress. Thanks to Nazera Yassin, Abd Elhadi and the Berliner Stadtmission for their support.

DEVELOPING NEW MATERIALS: ROLE PLAY One of the three workshops of the asylum course looks into the history of the Common European Asylum system. Another group of pupils takes on different roles and perspectives from civil society actors, and representatives of European institutions and members of national government to debate solutions and responsibilities.

BECOMING ACTIVE IN A NEW REGION: ÂSAXONY Since the initial course was launched 2014 on the initiative of our trainers in Berlin, the coursework has constantly been adapted to the interests and needs of the participants and has seen regional expansion to NorthRhine-Westphalia and Hamburg. In 2016, a new traiÂner team was also set up and trained in Saxony. They work mainly in the areas of Dresden and Leipzig but also travel to more remote areas to bring European dialogue into diverse class rooms.

Annual Report 2016 Changing Europe

DISCUSSION EVENTS ON MIGRATION AND ASYLUM POLICY The thousands of refugees who are making their way to Europe present an enormous challenge for European politics and society on a European, national and regional level. During discussion events with secondary school students, the causes for flight were analysed and a common European approach discussed heatedly. What form should overarching European asylum policy take? What needs to be done to integrate refugees in Europe? Millions of people flee from war in conflict regions like Syria, most of them not to Europe but to other regions or neighbouring countries, where they are forced to live in refugee camps under harsh conditions. Welthungerhilfe is one of the NGOs which offer help in these camps, which are often located in remote areas and ärbel offer only little access to food and water. B Dieckmann, President of Welthungerhilfe, explained her organisation’s work in those regions to school and university students. “Awareness of the situation in countries of origin and solidarity with refugees must be the highest priority when dealing with people who fled to Europe”, said Anton Hofreiter, Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of Alli-

Bärbel Dieckmann, President of Welthungerhilfe

ance ’90 / The Greens in a discussion with 150 young people. Language courses, affordable housing and easy access to the job market are essential for integration in Germany, he said. It is the responsibility of rich countries like Germany to help as many refugees as possible. But the fight against the causes for flight is as important as the help and integration of those who need the help of Europe. This view was shared by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of The Left (Die Linke), Dietmar Bartsch. He demanded sustainable trade and economic policy with countries in Northern Africa and more financial help for refugees in Syria and its neighbouring countries. The president of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) Reiner Hoffmann

Dr. Dietmar Bartsch, Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of Die Linke.

Stanislaw Tillich, Minister-President of the free State of Saxony

Changing Europe Annual Report 2016

Miltiadis Oulios, journalist and author

praised the role of civil society in integration in the last few years. The Syrian author Assaf Alassaf read from his book “Abu Jürgen. My life with the German Ambassador” to an audience of almost 80 pupils at the Schwarzkopf Foundation. His book is a fictional story about a friendship between a writer and the German Ambassador in Beirut, Abu Jürgen. The story uses comedy and satire to show the complexities and difficulties faced by asylum seekers in obtaining visas, which allowed the pupils to approach the topic from a different angle. Welcoming newcomers who have successfully applied for a visa is, however, only one side of the coin, argued the journalist and author of the book “Black Box

Dr. Anton Hofreiter, Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen

Deportation” Miltiadis Oulios. Its counterpart is the deportation of people back to their home countries, a process that according to Oulious is happening in the dark – both literally and in terms of transparency.

Selmin Çalışkan, General Secretary of Amnesty International Deutschland

Assaf Alassaf, Author

Annual Report 2016 Changing Europe

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND ÂEMPOWERING NEWCOMERS A third of all refugees who reached Germany last year were children or youths. Among them were 40,000 unaccompanied minors who arrived without a parent or family. How can European civic education accommodate the needs of those young newcomers in the classroom? How can Schwarzkopf Foundations event formats be inclusive enough for all our participants while taking into account the strain placed on newly-Âarrived refugees by their unsure future in Europe, their pending status of protection, the displacement they have undergone and differing language backgrounds?

Changing Europe Annual Report 2016

CONNECTING REFUGEE- RUN O RGANISATIONS, INITIATIVES AND PUPILS On the first day of the summer holidays in Berlin, the events programme invited young adults and pupils with and without a refugee background to a guided tour at the German Historical Museum together with the initiative “Start with a friend”. The plain language visit of the exhibition “Anti-Semitic and racist stickers from 1880 to today” was made possible by the German Historical Museum. The exchange between refugee-run organisations, other initiatives and school pupils was continued through two youth events on how to get involved with refugee rights, integration projects and community engagement in Berlin and Brandenburg end of Autumn 2016.

INCLUSIVE MATERIALS In the beginning of 2016, within the seminar programme, parts of the Understanding Europe material were translated into plain language and tested with different learner groups together with the provider Capito e. V. Plain language is equivalent to a B1-level in German within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and is therefore appropriate not only for newcomers but all different learner types and participants. In Autumn, the seminar programme team, together with the trainers, began testing and developing develop new formats and methods that aim to specifically bring together pupils from welcome or international classes with other pupils to overcome segregation; prejudices are best dis mantled while working together on projects and European understanding.

MARGOT FRIEDLÄNDER PRIZE 2016 At the award ceremony of the Margot Friedländer Prize 2016 on February 9, 2016, two projects were awarded a total of € 5,000: The hip hop project “Human Family”, created by students of the Georg-Büchner Gymnasium with and without a refugee background, and the project “Archive AG” at the Hermann-Ehlers-Gymnasium, where students researched the stories of Jewish students during the rise of National Socialism in Germany. The Löcknitz primary school project “Denk-mal an jüdische Bürger” in Schöneberg, Berlin, was also awarded € 1,000.

Annual Report 2016 Changing Europe

TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIPS

In 2016 the Schwarzkopf Foundation has awarded 25 scholarships, six of them being Interrail Global Passes in cooperation with the German Railways (Deutsche Bahn). Our travel scholarships are designed to give young people the opportunity to travel in other European countries. Their intention is to allow journeys committed to studying a specific cultural or political aspect of European societies on the ground. With the help of these scholarships the youngsters were travelling to Azerbaijan and Georgia, Albania and Denmark, France and Ukraine, as well as to several other European countries. A lot of their attention was directed to topics related to migration in Europe, the integration of refugees in Europe and fundamental rights.

Tara Burk spent three weeks in Great Britain, focussing on the topic “Refugees Welcome? Great Britain’s refugee policy”. She travelled to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, York and Dover visiting a wide range of aid agencies and talking to people. “The scholarship sent me on a trip that I otherwise wouldn’t have done”, Tara concluded her report.

“The scholarship gave me the opportunity to take a trip that was influential, gave me new feelings and in spired me through the people I met! It opened doors for me, that otherwise would have remained closed.” Gayane Gabrielyan, Armenia, 24

Changing Europe Annual Report 2016

Daniel Mora Gomez from Spain was traveling through Germany in order to get an idea of how Germany is coping with the arrival of refugees also in the light of the increasing right-wing populism in Germany. After first doing some research at home, he found himself traveling through Germany for 24 days. Despite calling the journey – 1800 kilometers with stops in Heidelberg, Munich and Leipzig – an enriching experience, he was also deeply moved by getting in touch with people fled their home countries.

Gayane Gabrielyan, who finished her Master in Finances in Yerevan, Armenia, this year also travelled through Germany and visited refugee camps in Munich, Hamburg and Berlin. To get deeper into the political dimension of the topic she got in touch with major German political parties. The recent influx of refugees it is also affec ting other the public debate of other current European issues as Simon Happersberger experienced while he was researching about the Brexit. He found himself confronted with arguments of Brexit supporters, which were fuelled by misinformation about migrants in the UK.

Simon Happersberger Germany, 24

Annual Report 2016 Changing Europe

SCHWARZKOPF EUROPE AWARD 2016 Raising awareness on the plight of refugees

“More and more people in Europe are getting involved in volunteering, they don’t want to stand on the sidelines anymore. We are trying to contribute to a European society that really lives its values, and not just on paper.” Jonas Schröter, InterEuropean Human Aid Association Germany e. V.

Klaus Vogel and Jana Ciernioch from the initiative SOS Mediteranée Germany.

Which civil society initiatives particularly moved you in 2016? Many people in Europe would name the work done to rescue and integrate refugees, as their journeys become one of the most pressing humanitarian issues the continent faces. This year, the Young Euro peans (those who have been named “Young European of the Year”) decided to award the Schwarzkopf Europe Award 2016 to three civil society organisations, SOS Mediteranée Germany, Inter European Human Aid Association and Flüchtlinge Willkommen, who all work to combat some of the key challenges faced by refugees coming to Europe.

Working in fields where Germany and other states are struggling, from humanitarian aid to integration opportunities, these initiatives have provided outstanding support for refugees as they make their way to Europe, arrive at European borders or begin new lives in Germany. In choosing these organisations, the Young Europeans want to raise awareness for these non-governmental organisations’ activities. The initiatives were chosen as representatives of the individuals in civil society who dedicate their time to helping refugees and whose sense of solidarity leads them to put tremendous effort into their work.

Changing Europe Annual Report 2016

Representatives of all three initiatives were introduced and interviewed during the price giving ceremony.

SOS Mediteranée Germany deploys rescue ships to rescue refugees who are shipwrecked in the Mediterranean sea, as well as supporting migrants by offering medical and psychological care directly on board and support after their arrival in Europe. The network has already established a presence in several European countries. The project’s success can be measured in the more than 7,000 refugees it has already rescued in the Mediterranean. The Inter European Human Aid Association in Germany focuses on the protection and assistance of refugees at the EU’s borders. On trips to European border regions, the initiative’s founders were struck by the lack of basic supplies. The initiative now provides quick and demand-driven assistance to refugees and migrants thanks to a team of volunteers active in different countries along the routes to Central Europe. The initiative Flüchtlinge Willkommen (Refugees Welcome) brings flat shares and refugees together, actively working against the placement of asylum seekers in mass accommodation. Flüchtlinge Willkommen’s primary aim is to help refugees begin to have a normal life by living in flats together with locals. In living together, cultural encounters and understanding can be created. The initiative also provides assistance on questions of co-habitation and financial solutions for private rooms for refugees. Together with journalist Constantin Schreiber, the initiatives’ representatives discussed their work during the award ceremony in Berlin on the 14th of November. An essential part of their work revolves not just around providing help, but on contrinued financing of their programmes, too. All three initiatives rely heavily on external funding and are therefore grateful for any donations.

Jonas Schröter and Dominik Kodlin from the Initiative Flüchtlinge Willkommen.

Annual Report 2016 Changing Europe

FILM SCREENINGS ON M IGRATION AND ASYLUM POLICY When talking about European asylum policy, the handling of refugees and immigration, individual stories of people coming to Europe in search of a safe place and their thoughts and experiences as people without a home is often barely an afterthought. In order to help change the perspective from which these topics are considered, the Schwarzkopf Foundation organised film screenings illustrating personal experiences of displacement and migration in cooperation with the Berlin State Agency for Civic Education. “Mediterranea” tells the story of two friends, Ayiva and Abas, who want to migrate from Burkina Faso to Europe. After their tug boat capsizes, they are rescued by the Italian coast guard and are brought to Rosarno. While Ayiva slowly finds her place in their new home, Abas becomes increasingly desperate. As violent conflicts erupt in the city, the two friends are put to the test. “We wanted to focus on the arrival and the new lives of refugees rather than the escape itself”, said Marc Schmidheiny, the producer, in the discussion with 160 young vi sitors after the screening. Most of the film’s lead actors had their own experiences as migrants and brought these perspectives into the film. Koudous Seihun, who played Ayiva, passes her experiences on to other people in Burkina Faso and helps them to start new lives in Europe. The Italian documentary “On the bride’s side” (“Io sto con la sposa”) tells the story of a group of Syrian refugees who – with the help of Italians – try to get to Sweden, disguised as a wedding party. Under the Dublin Regulation, refugees must apply for asylum in the first Euro pean country they arrive in, but many try to get to Scandinavian countries illegally, as these are believed to provide better opportunities for refugees. The disguise is chosen in the belief that no one would stop or investigate a wedding party. In the film, the viewer experiences deep insight into the stories of the refugees and their motivations, fears and dreams. One of them is “MC Manar”, a 13-year old rapper, who sings

about his dreams of a free life in Europe. After the screening, the visitors learned more about the background and the making of the film from Tareq Aljabr from Syria, who was part of the film crew. The pupils discussed with him the political background of the film and the impact it has had in the last few years. The German production “The Albanian” (“Der Albaner”) from 2010 tells the story of an illegal immigrant who starts to work with human traffickers as a way of earning money. Young Arben lives in the Albanian mountains. Together with his father, he earns a little money as a guest worker in Greece, but it is not much. When Arben’s secret lover Etleva becomes pregnant, her father demands € 10,000 for a wedding. Arben promises to raise the money and goes to Germany, where he works without a visa. But he struggles to get together enough money for the wedding and eventually begins working for human traffickers, bringing in illegal immigrants on the German-Polish border. The traffickers’ cruel business is risky but well-paid. Arben is a good person, but he is on the wrong side, as he soon realises. The film’s writer and producer, Johannes Naber, discussed his intentions with our visitors after the movie. He frequently vi sited Albania and saw the poverty and the lack of prospects for many of the people there. He heard the stories of illegal work in the EU and what people risked to get there. “We must not ignore what happens next to our borders, and even within”, Naber urged.

Changing Europe Annual Report 2016

From the film On the brideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side

Marc Schmidheiny, producer of of the film Mediterranea

From the film Mediterranea

Discussion after Mediterranea

Annual Report 2016

2 DISCOVERING EUROPE THE SEMINAR PROGRAMME In 2016, the Schwarzkopf Foundation’s seminar programme reached more than 10,500 young Europeans with its peer trainers. The pupils’ questions on Europe are the starting point of each course in schools all across Europe in the EU Crash Courses; part of the pan-European project Understanding Europe, run by the Schwarzkopf Foundation in cooperation with the European Youth Parliament, the Mercator Foundation and TUI Foundation. The aim of the EU Crash Courses is to p rovide a basic understanding of European politics and strengthen the political participation of young people in Europe. The participants learn to understand diverse perspectives on European challenges and politics and how to form an opinion on their own. The EU Crash Courses take place in fourteen countries: Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Ukraine. The EU Asylum Course is an in-depth course that was deve loped by peer trainers from Berlin in 2014. Since then it has developed and spread. The courses are currently offered in Berlin, Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hamburg and since 2016 also by a new team in Saxony. The global dimension of displacement, which does not stop at borders, provides a starting point for discussions that goes beyond the nation state and facilitates understanding for transnational and European perspectives of governance, international protection and its current challenges. The project is funded by the German Fede ral Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth as part of the federal programme “Demokratie leben!”.

Annual Report 2016

10,500

engaged pupils contributed their questions and views on Europe

peer trainers and coordinators at the international summer training in Berlin

Understanding Europe training events

ideas on how to get involved in shaping Europe on one poster

new Understanding Europe regions in Europe + 1 new team in Saxony

Understanding Europe opening event in Hamburg “Why is it that some countries don't have to take in refugees?” – question raised by a pupil during an EU Crash Course.

Annual Report 2016 Discovering Europe

PEER TRAINERS

Our young seminar trainers are the people who make Understanding Europe happen. In 2016, our team of 65 seminar trainers was active in 14 European countries; conducting EU Crash Courses as well as EU Asylum Courses for pupils aged 16 and upwards. They travelled to schools in large cities as well as in remote areas and tried to make current European issues accessible and understandable for all pupils. Using a variety of methods, they aim to facilitate open discussions within the classroom as well as to make pupils aware of their own opportunities to participation in European politics. In 2016, Carsten conducted more than 20 courses in Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Sara has been involved in Understanding Europe in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2015 and Laura and Thomas began as peer trainers this year in Spain and France.

Which European issue has been discussed the most in 2016? The surprising outcome of the Brexit referendum in June, which poses an unprecedented problem for the European Union.

What has been your best learning experience as a trainer? The practical application of a variety of innovative and interactive teaching methods that my university’s teacher education hasn’t offered.

What was the most inspirational moment of Understanding Europe in 2016? The exchange of views on the European Union with students from Kosovo in an EU Crash Course in Bonn in March this year.

Carsten Gerards 25, Cologne, Germany

Discovering Europe Annual Report 2016

What is your greatest source of motivation as a trainer? Two things are constantly driving me for this project. My first motivation is my personal development since I feel that each new experience and challenge brings new development in some way and brings you closer to becoming the best version of yourself. My second motivation is my faith in this project because by being a part of it, I actually saw how it can have mind-blowing results – because sharing different ways of thinking, completely different lifestyles and past experiences among each other, finding compromises and

common solutions is the best way possible towards the improvement of critical thinking and widening everyones’ views and open-mindedness.

What was the most inspirational moment of Understanding Europe in 2016? I think it was when the pupils asked how old we are, whether this is our job and why we give the courses. Most of them didn’t understand why we came especially for them. Most of them think that they are stuck in their everyday life, thinking that they won’t succeed, thinking that they are here because there is no other option. I was really happy to stand in front of them and say “No, you’re not forgotten, we are here for you! There is always an open door, you are young and many possibilities are offered to you”.

Which European issue has been discussed the most in your courses in 2016? I think that the most discussed issue was subjects linked to our identity. ‘Do you feel French?’ ‘Do you feel European?’ We were present in high schools that have a lot of ethnic minorities who are proud of their origins, they were very interested in this tension. The subjects about migrants or about Turkish accession were mostly discussed, too.

Which European issue has been discussed the most in 2016? In my experience as a trainer in Barcelona, one of the most commonly discussed topics was what impact the EU had had in the discussion about Catalonia’s possible independence.

because you actually listened to them, as if not everyone took them always into account.

What was the most inspirational moment of Understanding Europe in 2016? To see how students finish the Crash Courses with a complete different view about what the EU is, and to see how eager they are to give you their opinion. And the gratitude they show you

Which European issue has been discussed the most in 2016 in your courses? In my courses the most common topic discussed was Bosnia and Herzegovina’s eventual integration with the European Union. Sara Ibrović 19, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Thomas Poitevin 19, Paris, France

One thing everyone should know about the EU… is that cultural diversity is our biggest strength and it is worth treasuring, despite some of the problems it carries with it. Laura Díaz 20, Barcelona, Spain

Annual Report 2016 Discovering Europe

OUR TRAINING PROGRAMME Strengthening Young Peer-Multipliers

Young seminar trainersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; facilitation seminars, for example on the EU Crash Course. They bring a variety of motivations, European Âexperiences, expectations and thematic interests into the project Understanding Europe.

The aim of our training programme is to enable our trainers to reflect on their own experiences and concerns in relation to European integration, the backgrounds of their fellow European trainers and their role as peer multipliers in the classroom. Throughout our training modules, the trainers are encouraged to expand their European commitments, to challenge national perspectives with a transnational outlook, to deepen their knowledge on European topics and to acquire new methods of European civic

education. After an introductory phase gaining first hand practical experience in the courses, our trainers are encouraged to take on even more ownership: developing course materials and methods further, training new trainers or moderating discussion events with pupils and high-level politicians. Our training programme comprises four formats:

Discovering Europe Annual Report 2016

SHARING AND PASSING ON COMPETENCES

GETTING STARTED WITH A TRANSNATIONAL OUTLOOK

In the beginning of the year, project coordinators from all of the countries involved came together in Berlin to plan the upcoming year and to discuss current challenges in the project implementation. The participants, who coordinate trainer teams in 14 countries, share best practices from different country backgrounds and receive trainings on team management, feedback, budgeting and external communication. They further exchange and discuss differences in pupils’ questions voiced in EU Crash Courses in fourteen countries.

In July 2016, 63 trainers from 14 countries met in Berlin Wannsee for training to conduct EU Crash Courses and EU Asylum Courses. The international setting created opportunities and room for transnational perspectives on current European issues, which the trainers were eager to explore. Experienced trainers joined the foundation team to train new peer trainers and updated seminar material was presented to all participants.

DEVELOPING AND TESTING NEW METHODS AND MATERIALS

All our EU Crash Courses and EU Asylum Courses are conducted by a trainer tandem. The tandem partners are trained to provide each other with constructive and encouraging feedback.

During various regional meetings, our trainers discussed ideas on how to develop materials and methods of the EU Crash Course and the EU Asylum Course further. Small working groups put new materials into practice, collected feedback from the young target audience and shared practical advice with fellow trainers on how to work with the new materials.

COACHING FOR PERSONAL GROWTH

NEW IN 2016 PARTICIPATION POSTER The poster can also be downloaded here: http://schwarzkopf-stiftung.de/ seminar/material

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Annual Report 2016 Discovering Europe

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When are the next elections in , your area (e. g. European, national regional, local, school)? Which topics will be discussed?

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What is your opinion on voting? Do you know people that always vote? And do you know people that never or do not always go to the polls?

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Are there any issues that make you really angry? How could you show this to others?

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OR CE F ! S PA IO N S O P IN ARE THE RE OPI NIO NS THA SHO ULD NOT ALLOW SPA CE T YOU HER E?

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When is the next demonstration near you?

What topic do you want to put on the Which European Citizens’ Initiatives a (www.ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative

rO pe DirEctlY inFlueNce

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Discovering Europe Annual Report 2016

Read the poster to learn how you can inﬂuence and shape Europe. There are enough empty spaces where you can include your insights and opinions, if you feel like sharing these. And your ideas for collective action. This poster may work without you, but Europe will not.

LeaRn aBout

How to join the European Youth Parliament (EYP) / Upcoming EYP even

ts:

decIsioN-maKing thrOugh the Eyp

couNtry devElopS

Discuss solutions for European issues: What would you like to discuss with other young Europeans?

have voted?

TimE to get to

When are debates or discussions with your politicians organised in your area?

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL

knoW eaCh oTher

THE EUROPEAN STUDENTS’ UNION

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

YOUNG EUROPEAN FEDERALISTS

WWF THE YOUTH OF EUROPEAN NATIONALITIES

THE EUROPEAN LAW STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

YOUTH EXPRESS NETWORK

THE ALLIANCE OF EUROPEAN VOLUNTARY SERVICE ORGANISATIONS

EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT

Which events take place when? Where and why?

SCHWARZKOPF FOUNDATION EUROPEAN YOUTH PRESS

No events in your region? www.europarl.europa.eu/meps

GREENPEACE

Send us an e-mail for event suggestions or feedback on the Crash Course:

europa-verstehen@schwarzkopf-stiftung.de

TakE a Look at

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Annual Report 2016

3 SHAPING EUROPE International Session in Dublin and Belfast 04 March to 13 March 2016

THE EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT(EYP) Not just volunteering, but growing as a person. Not just debating a topic, but shaping society around it. Year after year, new youngsters join the European Youth Parliament and are inspired by its international community. The challenge remains to think about the sustainability of the network, reward those active volunteers who form the core of our activities, and keep thinking big about what the network does, also in terms of quality. The main strength of the European Youth Parliament (EYP) are the new ideas and initiatives of the youth organisations and volunteers involved. This year, their focus shifted to the implementation of the EYP International Strategy for more structure, clearer priorities, and growth in the capacities that the 35,000 participants of the EYP’s events rely on. The European Youth Parliament is driven by innovation and does not limit itself to existing structures or formats. Throughout 2016, it continued to explore new regions, topics and ways of delivering events in the field of non-formal education.

International Session in Rennes 14 July to 23 July 2016

Annual Report 2016

Understanding Europe: Train the Trainers in MalmĂś 04 February to 05 February 2016

Power Shifts International Forum in Warsaw

Board of National Committees Meeting in Berlin

22 October to 30 October 2016

04 November to 06 November 2016

International Session in Laax

International Forum in Batumi

07 October to 16 October 2016

03 November to 08 November 2016

Dialogue, Trust and Security â&#x20AC;&#x201C; International Forum in Vienna

Training for EYP Trainers in Aghveran 30 September to 05 October 2016

17 May to 24 May 2016

This map illustrates the events which are featured at length in this annual report. The activities of the EYP stretch through the whole continent and reach 35,000 participants every year.

Sessions

Training Events

Governance Events

Annual Report 2016 Shaping Europe

VOLUNTEERS ALL OVER EUROPE Who are the people behind hundreds of events all over Europe? It is volunteers in 40 member organisations who are running these NGO’s, doing fundraising, organising events and deve loping EYP to an even bigger and better programme. They started as participants of an EYP event, attended more and more events and at some point got active in an organising capacity in the National Committee. Around 150 of these experienced volunteers also become active on the international level of the EYP network and join one of the international bodies – the Board of National Committees, the Governing Body or the Member Councils. Four of them are Isabel, Armine, Onur and Magnus.

What has been the most discussed European issue at EYP events this year? I think the most discussed topic has been the refugee crisis, and other political issues surrounding it, such as the diplomatic relations between the EU and Turkey, and the rise of xenophobia and right-wing populism in Member States. What motivates you to be a volunteer in EYP? Personally, I think many young people feel disenfranchised, alienated from the political system by politicians, and they feel their voices are not being heard and their interests are not a priority for many current parties, which has led to a climate of political apathy from our youth, where many feel that engaging in political activities is meaningless. However,

What has been your most inspirational moment in EYP in 2016? The most inspiring moment must have been when we were given our status as a National Initiative, allowing us to officially be part of the EYP network. The support we received from the International Office during this year has shown us the dedication of other members of the network, and helped me personally be more motivated to continue our development in Denmark. What has been your best learning experience this year? The EYP Euro-Ibero-American Forum in Braga gave me the chance to get to know and work with people from the Americas

I believe this apathy is not due to a lack of inte rest or understanding, and I keep seeing young people increasingly getting involved in political activism and standing for economic, social, and political progress. I think EYP is a wonderful platform to fuel this willingness to change and improve our society, and being a volunteer allows me to connect with this community of youngsters who are working towards educa ting themselves and others around them, and learning to keep an open mind and creating meaningful constructive dialogue between people from different walks of life. Isabel Cantalapiedra, 21, Spain

too, and showed me how inspiring people can truly have an effect on their futures. What motivates you to be a volunteer in EYP? The hope that one day, the people that we work with will look up and think “this organisation changed my life for the better,” and that they, as more aware people, will contribute to making the world a better place. Because that’s what EYP did to me, and I’d like to pass that on. Magnus Berg Sletfjerding, 19, Denmark

Shaping Europe Annual Report 2016

What has been your most inspirational moment in EYP in 2016? My most inspirational moment this year was right after the closing ceremony of the 83rd International Session in Laax. Having accomplished facilitating the work of 16 delegates from all around the continent in a 10-day packed session on top of the Swiss Alps, and writing a resolution which tries to tackle the problems of refugees, I found myself believing that our work as a youth organisation matters a lot to inform the youth about our most prominent problems and also to inspire them to start acting to solve these issues.

Turkey, considering the political turbulances and safety issues we went through throughout the whole year. Yet, seeing the solidarity of my friends from abroad at EYP, I have learnt that if we stand together, the future can be a better place!

What has been your best learning experience this year? 2016 was a hard year for

Onur Can Uçarer, 20, Turkey

What has been the most discussed European issue at EYP events this year? After the United Kingdom’s European Union membership referendum results, Brexit has definitely become the hot topic at all EYP events.

What motivates you to be a volunteer in EYP? The people. This might not be a very original answer and it keeps being r epeated that EYP is firstly the people in it, but it’s repeated for a good reason – because it’s true. Once you meet people who truly change you and once you have had the humbling experience of perhaps putting a small grain of change into someone else’s life, you see exactly how important it is to continue to dedicate your time, energy and your absolute best to the EYP and its people.

What has been your best learning experience this year? Getting involved in the Board of my National Committee in Armenia, definitely. Discovering through my own experience how EYP runs and how much effort and hard work is put into the organisation by the people responsible for it gives a very different perspective and lets you appreciate the organisation and everyone who works and volunteers for it even more.

What motivates you to be a volunteer in EYP? EYP gives me the perfect grounds to develop myself further in various different grounds such as group management and leading skills in an international level. I am motivated to volunteer in EYP in order to help others experience this in their lives as well.

Armine Khamoyan, 26, Armenia

Annual Report 2016 Shaping Europe

INSPIRE AND EMPOWER YOUNG EUROPEANS The EYP’s International Strategy 2016 – 2020

In a volunteer-run organisation like the European Youth Parliament, long-term thinking is often forced to make way for short-term challenges. In recent years, however, the EYP n etwork has also come to understand the value of critically examining its organisation and developing it in a more conscious way, to better act as a unified network. In 2015, the EYP network reviewed and renewed its mission and, for the first time, established its values. Based on these, a new development strategy was developed, reaching out to 2020. The EYP recognised three areas with particular room for development: inclusion, empowerment and contribution.

One further crucial area was also agreed upon: the stability and continuity of the EYP as an organisation. These four areas of development form the four pillars of the International Strategy. By focusing on becoming better in these fields, the network believes it can transform the EYP in the years to come.

AIMS

MISSION

o raise awareness of European issues T and encourage active European citizenship, and to motivate students to get engaged in European politics. • To promote international understanding, intercultural dialogue and diversity of ideas and practices. • To contribute to the personal skills development of European youth. • To provide a forum in which young people of Europe can express and debate their own opinions, without reverting to role play.

The mission of the European Youth Parliament is to inspire and empower young Europeans to become open- minded, tolerant and active citizens.

VALUES • • • • • • • • •

Independence Non-partisanship Democracy Inclusion Empowerment Contribution Cooperation Pluralism Intercultural understanding

“Our members are constantly developing, expanding, reinventing the EYP: when that change is steered in a shared direction, it’s extraordinary to think what we might achieve.” Sophie Hall, UK, 24, Member of the Governing Body

Shaping Europe Annual Report 2016

AREAS INCLUSION

EMPOWERMENT

As an educational organisation, the EYP aims to inspire and empower young Europeans, no matter their gender, ethnicity, nationality, socio-economic status and ability. Within the pillar of ‘inclusion’, the network therefore focuses on the areas of inclusion, outreach, mobility and regional representation, designed to on the one hand critically revise the existing structures of the EYP and on the other hand identify target groups that so far have not been represented in our activities.

Through their participation in the EYP, young Europeans gain valuable skills, knowledge and confidence and become empowered to have an impact in society. As an organisation which works towards civic education, the EYP seeks to equip its members with the transversal skills that formal education often does not provide. In order to guarantee a high level of educational value, the EYP seeks to examine its work and its educational methodology on a regular basis. Finally, the opportunities for personal development offered for active volunteers should be considered just as important as those provided to first or second-time participants; after all, the organisational strength of the EYP depends on the network being able to make continued commitment to it interesting and rewarding.

CONTRIBUTION

STABILITY AND CONTINUITY

The EYP is organised by young people, for young people; it is built on the work of young volunteers all over Europe. Furthermore, the EYP not only simulates democratic processes during its events, but also applies them in the running of the organisation. It is more than 3,000 volunteers who plan, prepare and carry out activities, so it should also be those young Europeans who make the decisions on how it is run. The EYP offers many opportunities to volunteers – there is no shortage of work to be done – but there is progress to be made in rewarding volunteers. Running a non-governmental voluntary organisation is not a simple task, and therefore rewarding volunteers and showing the added value of volunteering is both an ideological goal and a strategic necessity for the long-term development of the EYP.

Over its history, the EYP has grown immensely, and it continues to do so at an extraordinary rate. However, most board members or active volunteers only work for their National Committee for around two years at most, and much knowledge and experience, as well as contacts outside the organisation, are lost in transition. Thus, the areas focused on within this pillar – organisational stability and continuity, professionalism, as well as administrative capacity and management skills – are designed to retain knowledge and to build structures which will form a solid foundation for the EYP to con tinue to build on, year by year.

Annual Report 2016 Shaping Europe

METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH OF THE EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT

The mission statement of the European Youth Parliament is underpinned by one key purpose: education. At 600 events each year, through countless activities and thanks to the involvement of over 3,000 volunteers, the EYP seeks to inspire and empower through peer-to-peer education. First and foremost, the EYP’s educational aim is empowerment. The EYP does not only seek to inspire its participants to become open-minded, tolerant and active citizens but also support them in gaining the skills, know ledge and confidence to do so. The EYP seeks to make our participants understand what they are capable of by giving them the chance to do extraordinary things. The EYP experience is

about the action and reflection of young people themselves, and the EYP as an organisation merely facilitates this transformative process. All events of the European Youth Parliament are conceived as non-formal learning experiences, offering educational experiences different to those in formal education, whilst all participants gain a wide range of competences via informal learning throughout their participation. The aim is to develop abilities which will help the participants to become active citizens. Beyond shared educational aims, the EYP also has a clear methodological focus which is integral to gaining the competences it aims for through participation.

Shaping Europe Annual Report 2016

The following are the main methodological building blocks of our work: Experience-based learning: In the EYP, learning occurs mainly through experiences. We aim to minimise frontal, lecture-style teaching at all times. Interactivity: EYP events are interactive, and involve active participation from both those giving and receiving knowledge / training / skills. Internationality: We aim for our participants both to meet people from different places, and encou rage them to travel abroad. Peer-to-peer learning: EYP events are organised and run by young people. This is integral to the EYP’s educational work, because the act of organising EYP experiences for others is in itself an educational experience and empowering to young people. Consensus-based: Debating and discussion in the EYP is consensus-based. We avoid confrontation and seek consensus within a committee work structure, at least. This does not preclude ideological conflicts and debates, but the aim is to develop ideas and solutions together. No role-play: The vast majority of our events are conducted in a parliamentary format, but participants always represent and debate their own views. Despite our name, we do not seek to exactly simulate the European Parliament.

The main events of the European Youth Parliament are so called sessions, which follow a specific event format: Teambuilding: Experienced-based pedagogy is used by performing outdoor and indoor acti vities in order to form international teams and establish principles of cooperation. Committee work: Participants work in international working groups and discuss current European topics, with the aim of proposing a joint solution based on their views in a resolution. Input can also be given by experts and decision-makers. General assembly: All committees come to gether to debate all motions for resolutions during the general assembly, following a stan dard parliamentary procedure. Cultural programme: Throughout the session, the cultural programme gives the participants the possibility to get acquainted with each other’s cultures and traditions.

Annual Report 2016 Shaping Europe

INTERNATIONAL SESSIONS OF THE EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT International Sessions are the flagship events of the EYP and are entirely youth driven projects, organised by active volunteers aged between 18 and 26. Three times a year, they gather almost 300 young people from more than 30 countries. In 2016, International Sessions took place in Dublin and Belfast (Ireland/UK), Rennes (France) and Laax (Switzerland). The events create a unique parliamentary framework within which the young delegates can work together, learn from each other, and experience parliamentary democracy first hand. They also offer them the rare opportunity to directly engage with decision-makers and experts. The participants are divided into fifteen international working groups, each of which is concerned with a different current European topic, and discuss and develop their ideas into a resolution. They also receive input through dialogue with experts and politicians during this process. The resolutions are then debated in a two-day general assembly, offering the participants the opportunity to express

their own opinions. Additionally, the International Sessions include a series of cultural events promoting intercultural exchange and dialogue and celebrating the richness of Europe’s cultural diversity. In 2016, the International Sessions of the EYP were hosted by the National Committees in Ireland and the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland. Participation in these sessions offered young participants a non-formal lear ning experience fostering European citizenship, a ctive participation, democratic decision- making and intercultural dialogue.

Shaping Europe Annual Report 2016

CROSSING BORDERS, TRANSCENDING CONFLICT INTERNATIONAL SESSION IN DUBLIN AND BELFAST 04 MARCH – 13 MARCH 2016

The International Session in Belfast and Dublin was the first International Session organised by two National Committees together, under the theme “Crossing Borders, Transcending Conflict”. This was a unique experience that spanned two cities bound toge ther through significant cultural and historical ties. The project promoted mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue between young people from all over Europe. The significance of these locations and the session theme aimed to confront a central issue that is so often overlooked within today’s Europe. With most of Europe at peace for generations, we often neglect discussion of local peace and conflict, viewing them as historical phenomena, rather than crucial issues which still trouble parts of the continent today. Participants had the opportunity to explore this theme in all aspects and elements of the session.

DIVERSITY TO REINVENT OURSELVES INTERNATIONAL SESSION IN RENNES 14 JULY – 23 JULY 2016

The theme of this summer’s International Session was “Diversity to reinvent ourselves”. Throughout the event, participants were invited to pay special attention to the diversity of the people around – their languages, cultures, backgrounds, perspectives on Europe – and make use of it to enrich their learning experience. Rennes IS was the place to innovate, build and move forward. For the first time, a session was trilingual, the working languages being English, French and German. This multilingual experience was at the heart of the event. Eleven committees worked in English; two in French and two in German. Participants had a chance to grasp the opportunity to be an actor of linguistic diversity at the session and beyond.

YOUNG AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE INTERNATIONAL SESSION IN LAAX 07 OCTOBER – 16 OCTOBER 2016

The topic “Young and Innovative Ideas for a Sustainable Future” was at the core of the concept of Laax. The participants not only discussed sustainable solutions, but the session itself was organised with environmental impact and sustainability in mind. Laax, a small mountain village in the middle of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offered a place for experimentation and discovery. The event demonstrated how a sustainable approach can act as a trigger for innovation and lead the way towards positive change. The event also initiated collaborations with other NGOs. “Ideas, Opportunity and Impact Fair”, an innovative event, constituted a platform of exchange between 20 Swiss youth and sustainability-related organisations which allowed all delegates to personally interact with session’s partners as well as jointly discuss their visions and ideas for a brighter future.

Annual Report 2016 Shaping Europe

POWER SHIFTS Approaching energy from various perspectives

The future of the energy market revolves around three key dimensions: decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitalisation. The Power Shifts event series in cooperation with the innogy Stiftung für Energie und Gesellschaft presented an opportunity to discuss many crucial questions emerging from these dimensions: How can the current EU Emissions Trading System be improved? How can the EU transition to a fully interconnected electricity market? What steps must be taken to achieve low-emission mobility and how should security and privacy concerns be addressed in the era of smart grids and digitalisation? In the project’s second year, 120 youngsters from 30 European countries came together in October to understand how interconnected these energy trends are and to discuss them at the second Power Shifts Academic Forum in Warsaw. One of the greatest challenges is to break down the complexity of energy politics to the young audience and allow them to debate a rapidly evolving sector. Power Shifts – Reflecting Europe’s Energy is a project of the Schwarzkopf Foundation and the European Youth Parliament in cooperation with the innogy Stiftung für Energie und Gesellschaft (innogy Foundation for Energy and Society). It will continue for a third year in to further analyse developments in the energy sector from a young person’s perspective.

YOUNG EXPERTS FOR POWER SHIFTS The Power Shifts project is supported by a small think tank composed of eight young interested Europeans – the Steering Group. They analyse the participants’ discussions, develop formats for preparing and supporting the participants’ work before and during events and ensure a link between the discussions of the young participants at the main events in Lyon (2015), Warsaw (2016) and Heidelberg (2017) and the three-year project timeframe overall. In doing this, their main goal is to enable young people in Europe to discuss current trends and developments from different perspectives and to understand the complexity of issues around energy. The Steering Group initiated their own Wikipedia page solely focusing on energy topics, prepared an online discussion tool for the event participants to use and also publishes a quarterly newsletter to inform young people in the EYP network about current developments in the energy sector.

DYNAMIC DISCUSSIONS BOTH ON- AND OFFLINE Already in the preparation stage the participants were able join broader discussions on energy trends with an online tool, developed

“I think that Polish people talk far too little about issues related to the future of energy. Projects like Power Shifts are extraordinary opportunities to open young people for the debates we need.” Andrzej Daniluk, Poland, 22

Shaping Europe Annual Report 2016

Power Shifts Academic Forum in Warsaw, Poland.

as part of the project. Based on the three trends of decarbonisation, digitalisation and decentralisation, the media team of the Warsaw Forum began five discussions before the event and revisited the topics at the forum. These focused partly on the role of individual consumers and their views on different modes of transportation, for instance driverless cars, the effect of renewable energy sources like windmills on their immediate surroundings, or people’s readiness to personally contribute to the reduction of human energy consumption. International energy cooperation and current issues like carbon leakage were also brought to the participants’ attention.

WARSAW 2016 – POWER SHIFTS ACADEMIC FORUM The international forum welcomed young Europeans from 30 countries who experienced a wide range of input and discussion on current topics in the energy sector. In the year of their tenth anniversary, the European Youth Parliament in Poland offered a perfect setting for the session participants with venues including the castle Dom Polonii in Pułtusk for teambuilding and the the Ministry of Energy for the opening ceremony, where they welcomed Andrzej Piotrowski, Deputy Minister of Energy and Filip Thon, CEO of Innogy Polska. The general assembly was held at Warsaw’s landmark Palace of

Culture. The forum’s working groups benefited from expert input throughout committee work as well as comments from all o ther participants during an engaging exchange at lobby night. The discussion results were analysed by members of the Steering Group and will be used for preparations of the third and final International Forum in Heidelberg in August 2017.

SUPPORT PROJECT PATRONS Maroš Šefčovič, Vice President of the European Commission in charge of Energy Union Krzysztof Tchórzewski, Minister for E nergy, Poland Sigmar Gabriel, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany

Annual Report 2016 Shaping Europe

BUILDING A STRONG EUROPEAN SOCIETY (BASES) Strengthening civil society in the countries of the Eastern Partnership 2016 already marked the third year of the BASES project which is aiming to strengthen civil society in the countries of the Eastern Partnership. The project, including parliamentary events, capacity building trainings and travel scholarships, is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office. The ongoing struggles in Ukraine, the simme ring conflicts in the Caucasus and the difficulties people in the countries of the Eastern Partnership are currently facing call for a strong, active civil society in the region. Young people in particular have to decide what kind of society and what kind of world they want to live in. With the project Building a Strong European Society (BASES), the European Youth Parliament supports its National Committees in Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus and Azerbaijan to provide a platform for young people to discuss current political issues and become open, politically aware and active members within their societies and thereby actively shape the future of their home countries. The focus lies on the exchange of ideas between youngsters, thus emphasising the importance of dialogue in a pluralistic society as well as learning about democratic decision-making processes in an open and tolerant environment. With this project, the EYP brought together youngsters from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia and other European countries to share and discuss their thoughts on current European issues.

REGIONAL OUTREACH In 2016, the focus of the project activities shifted away from the capitals of the countries of the Eastern Partnership to the countries’ respective regions. International Forums were organised in the European Youth Capital 2016 Ganja (Azerbaijan), in Yerevan (Armenia) and in

Batumi (Georgia). The 130 participants of the International Forum in Batumi focused on the social, geopolitical and technological dimensions of integration by discussing for example the implication of the Brexit, peace projects for local conflict regions and the integration of refugees in Europe. A national event in Ukraine was organised in Dnipro, as well as smaller regional conferences in Cherkassy, Sumy, Volyn and Zatoka. Due to the difficult political situation in Belarus the Belarussian volunteers were not able to organise a conference in Belarus but instead co-operated with partners in Ukraine to have an event in Lviv, Ukraine.

Shaping Europe Annual Report 2016

CAPACITY BUILDING

MOBILITY

Around 400 volunteers contributing their free time form the backbone of the network of the European Youth Parliament in the countries of the Eastern Partnership. In Âaddition, the young EYP National Committees in the countries of the Eastern Partnership grow quickly, with many new volunteers joining the organisation. Capacity building, knowledge sharing and training events for new volunteers are thus crucial and a key success factor for the European Youth Parliament. Several training events were part of the BASESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;16 project, amongst others a training for voluntary board members in Belarus, an international training event in Ukraine and a Training for Trainers in Armenia. The contents of these training events range from every day project management tools and best practices to training methods and the planning of strategy processes.

In an organisation present in 40 countries and spanning from Portugal to Azerbaijan, enÂ abling mobility is crucial to allow young people from different socio-economic backgrounds to experience the full range of diversity and pluralism Europe and the EYP have to offer. The BASES project offered travel grants and thus allowed around 150 youngsters from the countries of the Eastern Partnership to travel to events all over Europe and gain new skills by supporting the organisation of events abroad or contributing to their content as a facilitator of committee work. The travel grants also allow the volunteers who act as board members of the National Committees in the countries of the Eastern Partnership to travel to the biannual meeting of all National Committees and contribute to the strategic development of the organisation on the international level.

Annual Report 2016 Shaping Europe

DIALOGUE, TRUST AND SECURITY OSCE topics in the focus of the Vienna and Belgrade International Forums In 2016, Germany chaired the Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE). On this occasion, the European Youth Parliament brought two special editions of International Forums to Vienna and Belgrade, organised by its National Committees in Austria and Serbia. The project is carried out with the support of the German OSCE Chairmanship in 2016. The topics of the Forums were linked directly to the priorities set by Germany for its chairmanship year. They ranged from migration and

rights connected to freedom of movement to current conflicts in the OSCE region. In addition, surveillance and counter-terrorism practices were discussed with reference to recent terrorist attacks in Europe and the Middle East. Lastly, reconciliation in the Balkan region, combatting radicalisation, and European military integration were on the agenda of the Forums. The relationship between Russia and the West was also debated at the Forums, given its many implications for the continent’s foreign policy agenda.

Shaping Europe Annual Report 2016

What made the Forums special was also the inclusion of Central Asian, US American and Canadian delegates in both sessions. Around 20 participants from outside Europe joined the events debating the issues at hand, widening the discussions to a full range of OSCE countries. The first International Forum took place in Vienna from May 18 – 24, where the summer weather set the tone for teambuilding in the park, intensive committee work, and a splendid final debate in a general assembly format. Roughly three months later, from August 10 – 16, the second International Forum in Belgrade followed, introducing the participants not just to a lively city and its complex history, but also to a packed programme featuring focused discussions during daytime and sightseeing and informal networking in the evenings. Special attention was paid to the academic quality of the twin forums. For instance, the preparation day of the Belgrade committee chairs was joined by two of the OSCE Special Representatives on Youth and Security to deliver a training on the security organisation’s structures and working procedures. In both Vienna and Belgrade, the majority of the committees were joined by experts working in

the field of foreign policy, security, and conflict to share their experiences from the field and to comment on the resolutions drafted by the session committees. The two Forums created more awareness for the work of the OSCE and critical reviews and recommendations were drafted for it by the young participants. Different notions of security continue to dominate our daily news and perceptions of our continent, which is why knowledge about their history and causes is so crucial.

“I'm the editor of the newspaper in my high school. Here I’m discussing attacks on journalists and media pluralism, so I really think about what I can do in my city and my country for this issue.” Francesco Filigheddu, Italy, 17

Annual Report 2016 Shaping Europe

CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING IN THE EYP In 2016, more than 100 training events of the European Youth Parliament took place. Three examples of this wide range of activities are the EYP Summer Academy, the Training for EYP Trainers and the Head Organiser's Summit, funded by the Mercator Foundation, the German Federal Foreign Office and Erasmus+ Youth in Action. By taking part in the activities of the European Youth Parliament, participants learn ways to participate and engage in their communities, from a local up to a European level. To support the personal development of these young vo足lunteers, and further their skills development through various roles within the organisation, the EYP organises capacity building

Teambuilding during the EYP Summer Academy 2016.

training courses on a diverse set of skills such as 足faci足litation, leadership, communication, fundrai足sing, inclusion and intercultural dialogue. The EYP thereby prepares these young European citizens to not only take an active role in our network, but to also use these skills to the benefit of society as a whole.

Shaping Europe Annual Report 2016

EYP SUMMER ACADEMY The EYP Summer Academy is an international training event which gathered 79 representatives from 37 EYP member countries to support the work in their National Committees – nothing less than planning, implementation and evaluation of 600 events each year. Young volunteers from two new member organisations, EYP Denmark and EYP Iceland, also took part in the Summer Academy and received a pre-training course. The core of the EYP Summer Academy in 2016 was a modular programme following different “tracks”. These tracks are Fundraising, Outreach and Inclusion, National Committee Management and Development, and PR and Communication. Each track included different modules, and participants were able to follow a track through the whole training event or switch between the training modules of different tracks. The trainers facilitating the modules, both experienced volunteers of the network and experts from other organisations and NGOs, focused on providing opportunities for knowledge sharing between the volunteers who contribute valuable experience from their everyday work.

TRAINING FOR EYP TRAINERS

HEAD ORGANISERS SUMMIT

The EYP is organised by young people, for young people and it is built on the work of young volunteers all over Europe. During every event, more experienced volunteers provide training courses in order to support newcomers. The “Training for EYP Trainers” is a capacity building event designed for these experienced volunteers, focused on training techniques and methods. In 2016, a Training for EYP Trainers took place in Armenia, supported by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the National Committee in Armenia. The six-day training event follows a standardised concept focusing on group dynamics, the understanding of different training types & techniques, feedback, and the development of practical tools for upcoming training events the participants would facilitate.

Head organisers are the project managers for individual EYP events. Like every young European in the EYP, they started as participants and at some point became involved in the organisation of the activities of their National Committee, helping to plan and execute EYP events. A head organiser is responsible for every aspect of an event, including participants management, accommodation, venues and communication. The work of a head organiser of an International Session begins two years before the event (see page 38 / 39). In order to support these volunteers, an annual training event brings together the head organisers of the upcoming six International Sessions. They present their event concept to each other, share successes and learn from one another. Head organisers of past International Sessions usually also join the training and share best practices.

EXAMPLE PROGRAMME FOR ONE DAY AT THE EYP SUMMER ACADEMY 2016 Track 1 NATIONAL COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT 08:00

Track 2 FUNDRAISING

Track 3 PR AND COMMUNICATION

Track 4 OUTREACH AND INCLUSION

Track 5 KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND ADDITIONAL TOPICS

Optional Breakfast Brains: thematic and/or regional knowledge sharing space

09:00

Voluntary Member Management

11:00

Strategy Making

Fundraising Introduction

Target groups and internal communication

Diversity – Reaching the people that you want to reach

Team and Project Management

Introduction into utreach & Inclusion O

Technical Skills: Excel and InDesign

Regional Represen tation at EYP Events

International Governance of the EYP network

How to write a PR Strategy

13:00 14:00

Board Management

Online Fundraising

16:00

Knowledge Management in an NGO

EU Funding

18:00

Press Work – Why, How, What?

Thematic and/or regional knowledge sharing space

Annual Report 2016

4 DISCUSSING EUROPE DISCUSSION EVENTS 2016 was marked by discussions about migration and integration, Brexit and questions of international security, topics which were reflected in the Schwarzkopf Foundation’s discussion events. Six prominent guests congratulated the foundation on its 45th anniversary with speeches on their dreams and hopes for Europe. The series was opened by Federal Finance Minister Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble in May with over 500 young visitors, followed by Olaf Scholz, Bilkay Öney, Prof. Dr. Riem Spielhaus and Prof. Dr. Gesine Schwan, with a final speech given by Berlin Mayor Michael Müller. Our young visitors also had opportunities to hear different views on European politics outside of Germany with ambassadors and diplomats including Monique van Daalen, Ambassador of the Netherlands, Ashot Smbatyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia or the Russian Ambassador Vladimir Grinin. The topic of international security was addressed in cooperation with the German chairmanship of the OSCE and focused on current conflict regions both within European borders and beyond them.

Annual Report 2016

discussion events

ambassadors over

9,000

young people reached

keynote speeches on the 45th anniversary

Annual Report 2016 Discussing Europe

45 YEARS SCHWARZKOPF FOUNDATION Keynote speeches on Europe

André Schmitz-Schwarzkopf and Wolfgang Schäuble at the Allianz Stiftungsforum

In order to celebrate the Schwarzkopf Foundation’s 45th anniversary, people who shaped Europe and European ideas in the last decades were invited to hold a keynote speech to share their ideas, wishes and expectations for Europe. The speakers included Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, Federal Finance Minister of Germany, the Islamic scholar Prof. Riem Spielhaus and the First Mayor of Hamburg, Olaf Scholz. “If we want to live in the highly complex and interconnected world of the 21st century in the way we want, we need to continue down the path of European unification”, argued Wolfgang Schäuble in his speech “On the Unity of Europe”, held in front of more than 500 young people in May. Europe faces large challenges

Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, Finance Minister of Germany

“I liked learning about Gesine Schwan’s view on balancing a competitive economic system with the idea of a collaborative society. To me, it’s important to have some scientific input when developing my own personal values.” Frieda Metzkow, Berlin, 18

at the moment, not least the recent influx of refugees. These challenges can only be overcome together, if European countries and societies work as one. In the discussion that followed his speech, Schäuble was asked about his view on TTIP, amongst other things. He replied that the benefits outweigh the

Bilkay Öney, former Minister of Integration

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Comission

Discussing Europe Annual Report 2016

Olaf Scholz, First Mayor of Hamburg, at the Permanent Representation of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in Berlin.

drawbacks and that in his understanding, the criticism in Germany is unjustified as it is important for Europe to allow for change in international trade. Schäuble directly addressed the young audience and pointed out their role for the future, underlining the importance of a Europe-wide network of young, engaged Europeans to shape their s ociety and to work on a European future together.

mies and the peace the EU promises to the continent. He also however addressed current challenges like the integration of refugees. “Freedom of movement and responsibility are two sides of the same coin”, he argued, pleading for more engagement of certain nations in the allocation of refugees and the support of those countries on the outer borders. Solutions can only be found in in a pan-European agreement, said Scholz.

“It is unbelievable what the European Union has achieved in its – historically speaking – brief existence”, said Olaf Scholz, First Mayor of Hamburg, in his keynote speech to more than 150 young people in the representation of Hamburg in Berlin. He pointed out the advantages of freedom of movement, the united power of European econo-

The question of how Germany and Europe can cope with the large number of refugees seeking help was addressed by Bilkay Öney, former Minister of Integration in Baden- Württemberg, the first ministry of this kind in Germany. “I believe that migration is a permanent condition

Prof. Dr. Riem Spielhaus, scholar of Islamic studies

Michael Müller, Governing Mayor of Berlin

in the globalised world. Integration can only work with pan-European, long term strategies”, said Öney in her keynote speech. But most integration work is based on a regional level and local government lacks the necessary support and credit both from national governments and from the European Union. When asked about how to deal with racism and discrimination, especially against Muslims, Öney demanded more education on other cultures and religions to improve mutual understanding and reduce prejudice. With a final speech given by the Major of Berlin Michael Müller, reflecting on Berlin as a European capital, the Schwarzkopf Foundation closed its anniversary year.

Prof. Dr. Gesine Schwan, founder of Humboldt-Viadrina Governance Platform

Annual Report 2016 Discussing Europe

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Zhanna Nemtsova, journalist at Deutsche Welle and Arina Borodina, television critic

“Russia and the West: Where did it all go wrong?”, asked a BBC headline in October. The relationship between the two has been considerably affecting world politics throughout 2016. Despite all political efforts, conflicts continue to trouble the European continent. This year, the conflict in Ukraine was once again by far the most prominent one, causing not just major headlines but the further displacement of people, violence, and death.

On the occasion of the German chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) this year, the Schwarzkopf Foundation presented a series of nine events to debate European security topics. Based on the political priorities of the OSCE Chairmanship, the discussion events focused on conflict resolution, combatting racism and xenophobia, as well as press freedom and freedom of expression.

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The first two events were a discussion on the role and mandate of the OSCE in Europe under the guidance of German foreign policy vete rans: Michael Georg Link, the current director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and Michael Roth, Minister of State for Europe at the Federal Foreign Office. In order to understand how peace treaties come about and what peace negotiations look like, the Foundation invited Almut Wieland- Karimi, the director of the Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF) to the third event of the series. Her popular discussion was followed by a highly topical debate with Professor Ulrich Wagner from Marburg University on ways to encounter xenophobia and racism in everyday life. All together four of the nine events took place outside of Berlin, engaging decision-makers in a dialogue with youngsters within a larger geographical area. In Essen, Freiburg and Munich the discussion events focused on the Ukraine conflict, introducing aspects such as the role of civil society in conflict resolution, challenges related to the media coverage of the conflict as well as possibilities for implementing the different parts of the so-called Minsk II Treaty. Again, high-level foreign policy specialists, such as the Special Representative of Germany's OSCE Chairmanship Gernot Erler and Secretary of State Markus Ederer, as well as MEP Rebecca Harms and the KAS Kyiv office director Gabriele Baumann entered into debate with our young audiences. In Hamburg, the event focused on the sensitive aspects of reporting on Russia in Germany and vice versa through its guests Zhanna Nemtsova and Arina Borodina, two Russian journalists, as well as the current state of press freedom in the Russian Federation.

Rebecca Harms, President of the Greens–European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament.

The events aimed to introduce the OSCE to a larger audience and create a critical discussion of its mandate. Making complex security-rela ted topics more understandable to school and higher degree students was also an important goal of the event series.

Dr. Markus Ederer, State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office, and Gabriele Baumann, Head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation office in Ukraine.

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DISCUSSION EVENTS ON THE CONSTITUTION OF EUROPE Through discussion events with policy makers and young Europeans, the Schwarzkopf Foundation offers the opportunity to talk about topics beyond daily politics and address the fundamental values that shape the future of European society.

Prof. Dr. Rita Süssmuth, former President of the Lower House of German Parliament, read from her book “Das Gift des Politischen” (The Poison of Politics), in which she described her career in politics and the problems she faced as a career changer and woman in the day-today business of politics, but also addressed the general loss of interest in political issues among the public. When asked by an audience member which of the “poisons” she had encountered as the worst, she answered “not even being listened to as a woman; my ideas were generally ignored.” A lack of empathy and repression by colleagues were also a major problem. Süssmuth demanded a new culture of debating, more optimism and more engagement from young people: “We are not powerless – we can shape the future!” she encouraged the young visitors.

Students discussed the role of Islam in the current debates on integration and right wing populism with Ayman Mazyek, Chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany. “Islam has become a critical issue in the last few years: Muslims are being styled as an enemy by groups like Pegida”, Mazyek argued. He added that Germany has always been a country of immigration that welcomed other religions and ethnicities, something which is not only set out in the German constitution but also is true in the minds of most people. In the debate which followed, he stated that the best way to prevent the rise of racism and discrimination in Europe is through face-toface encounters with Muslims and a respectful dialogue at eye level with Muslim society in Germany to work on these issues together.

Jens Spahn, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finances

Rita Süssmuth, former President of the Lower House of German Parliament

Discussing Europe Annual Report 2016

Günter Verheugen, former Vice President of European Commission, at the discussion event “EU and Israel – a difficult partnership”

“Who has the power in Europe?” was the question Peter Tauber, General Secretary of the CDU, discussed with 150 young people at the Schwarzkopf Foundation. Tauber underlined the role of the European Union as an entity that brought lasting peace to the continent, allows free travel and an unprecedented exchange of ideas and people between European countries. But he also showed his understanding for a certain dissatisfaction on how decisions in the EU are made and that some countries and groups feel excluded from decision-making processes. He argued for a power shift from the Commission towards the European Parliament and to the regions. This could balance the centralisation of power and the principle of subsidiarity and would also make decisions on a European level more

Dr. Peter Tauber, General Secretary of the CDU

understandable for people as well. Some issues, said Tauber, do not need to be decided in Brussels but within the regions, whereas other topics, like the protection of the outer borders of Europe, concern all countries and need common European decisions. Most important for power in Europe is the engagement of young people with Europe, which starts with voting in the European elections and con tinues with the work for an open, respectful and united Europe in society.

Aiman Mazyek, chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany

Bodo Ramelow, Minister-President of the free state of Thuringia

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MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY

Stefan Aust, publisher of Die Welt

Traditional media in Germany have been subject to criticism, in particular for their reporting of the Ukraine crisis, but also from populist and right wing movements such as Pegida. Trust in traditional media channels like newspapers and public television and radio broadcasters is decreasing and more and more young people use other channels to inform themselves about current events. How can

(public) media contribute to political education and opinion making in the digital age? What is the right balance between education and information vs. entertainment? How relevant are public media channels for the younger generation? These questions were addressed in discussion events the Schwarzkopf Foundation organized in cooperation with the Hertie Foundation.

Discussing Europe Annual Report 2016

Cerstin Gammelin, Europe Correspondent S üddeutsche Zeitung

Thomas Bellut, director of ZDF

“Broadcasters must constantly fight for credibility in the eyes of their viewers and work hard for it”, said Lutz Marmor, director of Nord deutscher Rundfunk (NDR). The trust of the public is the most important tool in their work as “guardians of democracy”. Independent media is a cornerstone of democratic societies, so public television and radio in particular need to prove their editorial freedom to the audience, said Marmor. When asked if the accusation of “Lügenpresse” (“lying press”) levelled by Pegida is a sign that people are overwhelmed by the complexity of today’s politics, Marmor answered that it is certainly an indicator for the continued segregation of the media landscape. For him, one of the most important duties of publicly funded media is investigative journalism and media education. NDR is starting a project with schools where they show pupils how public media works and why such an institution is necessary in democracies.

Lutz Marmor, Co-chairman of ARD und director of NDR

“We are better than our reputation!” exclaimed Thomas Bellut, director of the Second German Television ZDF. Public television stations are trying to offer a wide range of programs, from educational and informative to entertainment. Digitalisation is of course one of the biggest challenges faced by conventional t elevision but not necessarily a threat, he said. The credibility of digital news is much lower than that of thoroughly researched news and longer features. Publicly funded stations in particular have a responsibility to practice good journalism, although Bellut admitted that lately, this hasn’t always been the case: “Sometimes we exaggerate when it comes to scandals”, which is also a reason for the loss of trust in established media. When asked by one of the young visitors on his view on Jan Böhmermann’s “poem” on Erdoĝan, he replied that he wouldn’t have broadcast it, had he seen it beforehand. But Bellut was clear that he still wants to retain the format: “Reliable, serious news is the foundation, satire is the cherry on top”.

André Schmitz-Schwarzkopf opening the discussion event with Thomas Bellut.

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INTERNATIONAL D IPLOMACY Talking to ambassadors

When discussing European issues it is essential to have a multi national view that incudes other European as well as non-European countries. In 2016 the Schwarzkopf Foundation and its visitors were invited into different embassies in Berlin, bringing young people together with ambassadors and their views on certain topics. On the occasion of the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2016, Monique van Daalen, ambassador of the Netherlands, discussed the focus areas of their presidency with students. One of them was the question of migration and refugees, where she demanded more reliability and solidarity from all European countries. She strongly condemned the rise of right wing populism and anti-European movements, but also argued that the EU needed more transparency to increase its trust in society. There is no way back to singular national states, van Daalen said, “No European country can face the world alone!” A few weeks before the referendum, Peter Ammon, German ambassador in London, commented on the situation in Great Britain and the possible outcome of the referendum and discussed potential scenarios for the future with students. Ammon explained British discontent

H. E. Dr. Peter Ammon, ambassador of Germany in the United Kingdom

with the European Union and the political background of the referendum to an interested young audience. Citing arguments from both sides and the latest polls, he wasn’t sure about the outcome in any way but hoped for a vote to remain. In the 25th year of the friendship contract between Poland and Germany, the political climate has taken a turn for the worse. Anti- European and pro-national sentiments in the Polish government and their rigid position in the discussion on refugees were the topics pupils discussed with Rolf Nikel, German ambassador in Poland. He explained that Poles are more pro-European than depicted in the media, and that reporting on the German- Polish relationship is similarly distorted: “There is more that unites us than divides us”, Nikel said. But he also considered it a duty of the Polish government to decide on their role in

H. E. Monique van Daalen, ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

H. E. Rolf Nikel, ambassador of Germany in Poland

Discussing Europe Annual Report 2016

Dinner with students at the Spanish Embassy.

Europe – will Poland work with the EU in a constructive way or withdraw from responsibility? The Russian Ambassador Vladimir Grinin and over 250 pupils and young students discussed the very salient topic of Russian-European relations in the Russian Embassy. As possible ways to improve the relations he asked for more consideration of cultural differences, the search for compromise and encounters at eye level. Grinin denied any wrongdoing on Russia’s part either in the Crimean conflict or in Eastern Ukraine, instead blaming NATO enlargement for the deterioration of Russian-European relations. Russia feels surrounded, he claimed, and has to ensure its safety. But, Grinin added, the actual situation should under no circumstances mean a return to the past: “We must not build new walls.”

H. E. Wladimir Grinin, ambassador of the Russian Federation

Another external view on the European Union was provided by Ashot Smbatyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia. Together with our young visitors, he discussed the difficult geographical situation of his small country and its role between Russia, the EU and Turkey. A lot of Armenians are pro-European, but Russia remains one of the most important trade partners, which is why Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union and stopped accession talks with the EU. Still, many Armenians are going to Europe to study and he is sure that the EU will play a bigger role in Armenia in the future.

H. E. Ashot Smbatyan, ambassador of the Republic of Armenia

H. E. Juan Pablo García-Berdoy y Cerezo, ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain

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HISTORICAL EDUCATION

Through its engagement in historical education with a focus on National Socialism and the Holocaust, the Schwarzkopf Foundation offered a wide range of events for school and university students. With film and documentary screenings, theatre visits and exhibitions as well as discussion events and talks with contemporary witnesses, the foundation offered many the opportunity not to only learn about National Socialism, but also to be able to ask questions and have shared experiences. The play “From now on your name is Sara” (“Ab heute heißt Du Sara”), based on Inge Deutschkron’s biography and her experiences in the 1930s as a Jewish girl in Germany, shows the many dimensions of discrimination under the Nazi regime. In the subsequent talk with Inge Deutschkron, the schoolchildren had many questions on her personal life in those years and how it was to live in a country where she was suddenly treated as an outcast. Following the visit of the play “Strange, stranger, strangest”, pupils from a secondary school in Berlin wrote and performed a play

Performance of “Ab heute heißt du Sara” in the GRIPS Theater with Inge Deutschkron

of their own, reflecting on everyday racism and discrimination and how everyone can do something against it. The documentary “Don’t call it Heimweh” portrays Margot Friedländer’s first visit to Germany, 57 years after her migration to the US after the Holocaust. It addresses the issues of her relationship to Germany and her life after living underground in Berlin and her deportation to Theresienstadt. After the screening, the visitors were able to discuss the topics further with her and the producer of the documentary, Thomas Halaczinsky.

Performance of “Fremd, Fremde, Fremder” in the GRIPS Theater

Thomas Gill, director of the “Landeszentrale für politische Bildung” (Berlin State Agency for political Education) at the screening of “Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer” (The people vs. Fritz Bauer)

Discussing Europe Annual Report 2016

Screening of “Don’t call it Heimweh”, talk with the producer Thomas Halaczinsky and Margot Friedländer

Another moving and inspiring talk the Schwarzkopf Foundation arranged was with Anita Lasker-Wallfisch who survived in Auschwitz as a cellist in the girls’ orchestra. She answered many questions on everyday life in the concentration camp, her life during the NS-Regime and how she feels when she visits Germany now. A very interesting insight in the academic work of historians brought Dr. Roman Töppel, one of the editors of the annotated version of “Mein Kampf” that was published in early 2016. He explained the background of the work on this edition and the impact the project had and answered many keen questions, for example

on the parallels between today’s right wing extremism and the historical context of Hitler’s writings. The documentary “Refuge: Stories of the Selfhelp Home” tells the story of the final generation of Holocaust survivors and refugees through the lens of the Selfhelp Home in Chicago, a little-known community which has provided a home to more than 1,000 Jewish Holocaust survivors and refugees since World War II. After the screening, secondary school students had the opportunity to discuss the background of the film with the producer Ethan Bensinger.

Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, author and contemporary witness

Dr. Roman Töppel, historian and editor

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5 CELEBRATING EUROPE PRIZES AND AWARDS Celebrating Europe – through its prizes and festivities, the Schwarzkopf Foundation marked its 45th anniversary in 2016. The Schwarzkopf Foundation has much to celebrate; sustainable growth and continued success in its programme lines and goals. Over the last 45 years, countless young Europeans have participated in, learned from and helped to shape the Schwarzkopf Foundation’s many events. For the second year in a row, the Schwarzkopf Foundation organised the ID Festival in cooperation with its founder Ohad Ben-Ari. The festival took place under the theme “Migration told through German-Israeli art” and explored current issues around of migration and refugees. With the “Young European of the Year” award, the Schwarzkopf Foundation honors a young European who has distinguished themselves through extraordinary voluntary commitment and dedication to international understanding and / or integration in Europe. Every year, a jury awards the prize to a person between 16 and 26. With the Schwarzkopf Europe Award, the foundation honors a European person or institution of significance for a contribution to a current and future Europe which young Europeans hope for.

Annual Report 2016

Annual Report 2016 Celebrating Europe

ID FESTIVAL BERLIN 2016 Migration told Through German-Israeli art

Europe and Germany have always been shaped by migration. Today, the topic dominates political debates. Local communities all over Europe encounter its practical implications in their daily lives. The same is true of the community of Israeli artists in Germany, which is why the ID Festival’s second edition focused on migration and refugees. The history of Jewish people is deeply connected to tales of migration. These tales, told by actors, performers, musicians and artists, attracted more than 3,000 guests to the festival,funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media. “Migration told through German-Israeli art” had the festival take a closer look at the exchanges, relationships, struggles and transformations that emerge through migration. In addition, neutral German ground means a real chance for dialogue, says festival director Ohad Ben-Ari of the inclusion of Palestinian and Turkish artists in the festival programme. “Germany can offer neutral ground to sustain different types of dialogue and collaborative work with people, stuff that would have been impossible, or at least very difficult, where we come from.”

The clear focus of this year’s festival was showcasing original productions. Lights & Vessels, NO-MAD, Makembo!, and Palestinian hip hop artists Tamer Nafar & Friend’s were among the performers who brought their premieres to the festival’s stages. It was the first time the ID Festival took the role of a producer and a platform on which artists could perform their pieces, thus actively shaping the artistic responses to the topic of migration into a dialogue.

Alona Harpaz, My darling we have reached Europe, neon, glass, ID Festival 2016 in cooperation with Circle1

Celebrating Europe Annual Report 2016

Oren Lazovski and Tomer Maschkowski – NO-Mad, performance with an integrated instrument concept.

In general, this year’s festival progamme was carefully crafted to cater to the many tastes of art lovers with different forms of performance art and installation. Through exhibition “Mother, I have reached the land of my dreams”, curator Alona Harpaz and guest curator Sharon Horodi sought to show that immigration no longer means a disconnection. “That’s the way I feel. Some Germans may find the title of our exhibition ironic, but for me, Berlin really is the land of my dreams”, Harpaz admitted at the festival press conference. Through a rich mixture of

installations, video choreography, sculptures and paintings, they made a stand for the refuge which those on their way to Europe hope to find.

Omer Klein Trio – Jazz performance at the ID-Festival 2016.

Katharina Maschenka Horn – Dancing to the End, performance by Nir de Volff.

Next to the artistic programme, the festival offered its visitors food for thought through the talk series “Beyond Borders”. Introducing the audience of the panel to “Thoughts, Language and God beyond Borders”, the festival offered a mixture of philosophical and theological discussions on both the origins of borders and the history and nature of the power to shape them.

Annual Report 2016 Celebrating Europe

NEIL MACGREGOR Schwarzkopf Europe Award

In recognition of his exemplary dedication to European unity, the Schwarzkopf Foundation chose to honor Neil MacGregor, from the United Kingdom. An exceptional historian, he brings together past, present and future to illuminate European culture. As an academic, he ventures far beyond the proverbial ivory tower, sharing his historical understanding in an innovative way. What is the European dimension of your work in Berlin? The exhibit selection of the Humboldt Forum is underpinned by the idea of using non-European exhibits to show the history of a long exchange between Europe and other cultures as equals. It expands the Museum Island, which until now displays mostly European and Mediterranean collections in a crucial way. But the Humboldt-Forum will not just exhibit objects. The aim is to foster debate about how we can enter into a dialogue with other cultural spheres. This debate must be open to all citizens and must in particular attract a younger audience. How can an understanding of history help us to understand European society and to shape the Europe of tomorrow? It depends entirely on what you mean by an understanding of history. National histories are highly selective. This means that the basic under standing upon which we’ve built our relationships with Africa, Asia and other regions is deeply distorted. We must reflect on history in this context, think in new ways and recognise the differences in historical narratives between countries. I would describe this is one of the most important tasks for Europe. What should young people reflect on more? In this context I would encourage young people in particular to engage with more than just their national history, but to seek to compare different historical perspectives. Whereas to understand Europe’s role in the world, it’s important to grapple with the history of India, China and other regions before the 16th / 17th century.

You’ve been a committed European from an early age, why? My parents, shaped by the Second World War, were great champions of the European idea. They believed that peace in Europe can best be secured by thinking as Europeans and living that conviction. From early on it was important to me to invest in learning other languages in order to better understand other cultures. One of the great European questions is whether it’s possible to form a democratic political entity in which the elected representatives can’t speak the language of the electorate. But I see that less as a criticism of young people, it rather is one of the bigger challenges for the young generation.

Celebrating Europe Annual Report 2016

ADRIAN BALUTEL Young European of the Year

The young Moldavan Adrian Balutel, born in 1992, was named Young European of the Year for his efforts to foster dialogue between youngsters in the EU’s Eastern neighbours and their peers in the European Union. Adrian is currently studying International Economic Relations. Amongst other voluntary commitments, he was active as a Vice-President of the National Youth Council and Youth Coordinator of Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum. Adrian currently works for the Youth European Business Association. Adrian, what does “Living in a European Society” mean for you? Living in a European society for me means living in a society that fuels its prosperity through tolerance, innovation, responsibility and social equality. The dialogue between EU member states and their Eastern neighbours is an integral part of your motivation for your voluntary work. What would foster this among young Europeans? A great start to foster the communication between young Europeans about Eastern Partnership and the neighbourhood would be a study visit to enhance knowledge and understanding about the political circumstances and daily life in the EU’s neighbourhood. One example of this is the economic situation, which is influenced by the high competitiveness of the EU market, the economic leverage of the Russian market and the slow implementation of necessary reforms, which has led to economic stagnation in most of the region. Young Europeans could also mentor or support a student from an Eastern partnership country in their city. This would be a great intercultural experience for young Europeans. The prize money will fund an internship at a European institution. What do you think this opportunity offers for you, for your future and your work in building a generation of Moldovans united and educated in the spirit European values? I hope that an internship at the European Parliament will first increase

Adrian Balutel together with H.E. Oleg Serebrian and Anne Rolvering.

my knowledge and expertise on how the EU functions and on the EU’s internal matters. In addition, I hope to gather a broader network of people with whom I will be able to cooperate in the future to continue my efforts towards closer relations between the EU and its Eastern neighbours. I want to build a circle of people that is ready to engage in real projects and activities for Moldovan youth and the Moldovan integration process. Lastly, during my internship I hope that I will be able to be an advocate of the Eastern Partnership region and espe cially of the region’s civil society at the EU level, promoting it among my contacts and in my area of work.

Annual Report 2016

THE SCHWARZKOPF FOUNDATION Board

LL.D André SchmitzSchwarzkopf Chairman of the Board

Tobias Bütow Member of the Board (Director of the Master in Advanced European and International Studies, trilingual branch – DAAD Lecturer in Political Sciences and Con temporary History)

Theo Koll Member of the Board (Director of the editorial office in Paris at ZDF)

Dieter Kosslick Member of the Board (Creative Director and Manager of the Berlin International Film Festival).

Dr. Michael Maßbaum Member of the Board (Deloitte)

Dr. Ekkehard Nümann Member of the Board (Notary)

Sophie Hall Member of the Board (European Youth Parliament)

Hans-Christian Schwarzkopf Member of the Board (Entrepreneur)

Dr. Eric Schweitzer Member of the Board (President of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry)

Georg Fahrenschon Member of the board, President of German Savings Banks A ssociation (Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverband)

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Team

Anne Rolvering Executive Director

Mandy Buschina Head of Communications

Heiko Seiser Head of Administration

Brian Buhrke, Project Assistant, Communications / Administration

Ilka Keuper (Executive Director 1992 – 2008), Programme Manager Awards and Scholarships

Sven Prietzel, Personal assistant to the chairman of the board

Lena Prötzel Programme Manager seminars

Viviane Otto Project Manager Understanding Europe

Bernard Dröge Project Manager Seminars

Alexandre Narayanin Project Assistant, Seminars team

Krista Lagus, Programme Manager European Youth Parliament

Anya Suprunenko, Project Manager European Youth Parliament

Monika Seidel, Project Manager European Youth Parliament

Anna Saraste, Project Manager European Youth Parliament

Kerstin Eckart, Project Manager European Youth Parliament / Understanding Europe

Tuna Dökmeci, Human Resources Assistant European Youth Parliament

Jakob Magnus Pfeifer Volunteer

Tobias Frietzsche Programme Manager Events

Frieda Metzkow Volunteer

Nina Tippmann Volunteer

PARTNERS AND SPONSORS NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS

PRIVATE SECTOR

ACADEMIA AND MEDIA

IMPRINT Published by Schwarzkopf-Stiftung Junges Europa Sophienstraße 28/29 10178 Berlin, Germany info@schwarzkopf-stiftung.de www.schwarzkopf-stiftung.de Responsible according to the press law Anne Rolvering Editorial Office Brian Buhrke, Mandy Buschina, Tobias Frietzsche, Sophie Hall, Krista Lagus, Lena Prötzel, Anna Saraste Layout racken GmbH, Berlin

Pictures / illustrations Lukas Barth (p. 53 bottom), David von Becker (p. 66), Dirk Bleicker (p. 3 2nd row from top left), Brian Buhrke (p.16, bottom), DCM (p. 21 bottom), Iuliia Drobysh (p. 39 center), European Union / European Parliament (p. 6), Freepic / Flaticon (icons p. 37), Christiane Heim (illustration p. 28 / 29), Maja Hitji (p.53 center), Adrian Jankowski (p. 49 ff.), KAS / Marco Urban (p. 50 bottom right), Steffi Loos (cover, p. 2 bottom right, p. 3 top left, 3rd row from top center, bottom right, p. 11 center and bottom, p. 24, p. 27 top left and top right), Natural Earth (p. 30 / 31), Riccardo Pasarella (p.45, center), , Florian Schinnerl (p. 44, p. 45 top), Senatskanzlei Berlin (p. 51 bottom center), Janne Vanhemmens (p.37) Jonas Walzberg (p. 52), Ruthe Zuntz (p. 65)