CREATING A EUROPEAN CULTURAL TRIANGLE: WHO SHARES THE EUROPEAN IDENTITY?

- programme will take place in The Hague, The Netherlands, between 24 and 31 May 2013; - groups will be accommodated in modern villas fully equipped, which also have a sauna, 7 persons in one villa - 6 youngsters and a group leader (each villa has three rooms); - address of the park (on the sea coast): CENTRUM KIJKDUINPARK Machiel Vrijenhoeklaan 450 2555 NW Den Haag - all the costs connected to participation are included (accommodation, food, local transportation within The Hague, entrance to museum); - participants should arrange and pay for transportation to and from The Hague, and for the medical insurance during their stay; - the participating fee to the programme will be between 30 and 50 euro/per person, depending on the price of the plane ticket (if the ticket is above 275 euro, the fee is 30 euro); - there is the possibility of going to Amsterdam for one day, if the group wants that (the train ticket to and from Amsterdam has to be covered by participants, the project only covers the local transportation; the price of a one-day return ticket is 21.20 Euro;

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME Youngsters of various European backgrounds will come together and discuss European topics, while joining in intercultural and recreational activities that are dealing with contemporary issues in todays Europe. They will do that with the goal in mind to create a Euro-cultural Triangle, based on the experiences and exchanges of information acquired during the daily activities as well as during the preparatory phase of the programme. By (creatively) representing their own ways of perceiving the European identity, youngsters will better understand each other's cultures. They will become aware of the differences between their countries, at the same time developing a sense of European citizenship since they are all citizens of Europe.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Stichting Nederland-Roemenie, J.J. Heggestraat, 96, 2552 GZ The Hague, tel/fax: +31 70 380 54 50 Email:foundation@netherlandsromania.eu

Focusing on the cultural differences and similarities between the three countries involved, participants will become more aware of the cultural diversity in Europe. They will be exchanging opinions and cultural habits and getting to know each other's cultures better. The exchange also aims at giving insight on the various traditions and cultures within Europe, on the practical aspects of youth participation and youth understanding in a wide and diverse European context. The programme will try to explore - through practical and non-formal activities - what connects the youngsters to Europe, as well as making more clear the limits of their national identities and their disillusions and frustrations with the common European space . The programme takes place in The Hague during a period of eight days, under the title: "Creating a Euro-cultural Triangle: who shares the European identity?. The exchange will be attended by 28 people from Romania, Bulgaria and The Netherlands. Among the methods used during the programme are: thematic workshops, team and individual work, exercise, presentations, experience exchange, simulation, role-play, outdoor activities all with the aim of learning by experience in a non-formal educational framework and keeping a good balance between theory and practice.

Regarding the programme activities: - next to the daily sessions of informal discussions and games, the programme also includes: - visits to the Bulgarian and Romanian Embassies in The Hague; - visit to the Municipality of The Hague; - visit to the European Parliament Information Office in The Hague; - visit to Panorama Mesdag Museum and possibly a tour of the Peace Palace (in case that will not be closed for visitors during the programme week); - visit to a Dutch Lyceum; - traditional cooking evenings.

I am still working on the programme, you will get the final version as soon as this is ready.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Stichting Nederland-Roemenie, J.J. Heggestraat, 96, 2552 GZ The Hague, tel/fax: +31 70 380 54 50 Email:foundation@netherlandsromania.eu

Regarding the cooking evenings: - each group is kindly requested to prepare in advance for this event, to try to make something special out of it, and representative for your culture (put together a powerpoint presentation with information about the country, the city, national traditions and habits etc, bring a CD with traditional music, think of what traditional food to cook etc.); - we get all the ingredients needed here (please make a list in advance, so we know what to provide). In case there are traditional products which cannot be bought in The Netherlands, please get them in your country and we will reimbourse the costs);

THE MAIN AIMS OF FOUNDATION NETHERLANDS-ROMANIA

- promoting inter-cultural, academic, socio-political and economic exchanges between the Netherlands and Romania as well as between other European countries; - contributing to creating an active and involved attitude among the general public at large and among target groups - young people in particular, by providing training, independent expertise and advising, and by organising regular exchanges, seminars, conferences, workshops, media events etc; - contributing to a closer co-operation between various European societies by facilitating intercultural youth exchanges, by disseminating proper information and by working together with other independent organisations; - promoting the harmonisation of law and transparency at all levels and stimulating exchanges between the decision-making elite as well as advocacy, monitoring and research at international level.

STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANISATION The Foundation is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce and legally founded since 1994, being managed by a board of five people. The work is done by the board members, volunteers and temporary-hired assistants when needed. The funds of the foundation are gathered by subsidizing, sponsorship and donations.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Stichting Nederland-Roemenie, J.J. Heggestraat, 96, 2552 GZ The Hague, tel/fax: +31 70 380 54 50 Email:foundation@netherlandsromania.eu

Since 2001 FNR has been organizing projects for young people on a regular basis. In 2003, the Foundation launched a structural youth exchange project, under the title: "YOUNGSTERS OF TODAY, EUROPEANS OF TOMORROW, LET'S TALK". Under this umbrella, various intercultural programmes took place, many also with support from the Youth in Action, bringing together more than 500 young Europeans from The Netherlands, Romania, Bulgaria, France, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Germany, Spain. Next to that, the Foundation has been organizing different training programmes, seminars and workshops for young Europeans, on themes such as discrimination, European integration or media and communication. Another series of projects was the International School on European Integration,which reached 5 editions. The Foundation assumes full responsibility for a smooth implementation of the project, and gives special attention to the safety of the participants during their stay in The Hague.

THE BOARD OF THE FOUNDATION: Dr. Wim van Eekelen, Chairman of the European Movement, former member of the Dutch Parliament (Senator), former secretary general of the Western European Union (WEU), former minister of Defence, former secretary of state of the ministry of Foreign Affairs; Prof. Dr. Jaap de Zwaan, General Director of Clingendael Institute, former Dean of Law School, professor of International Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam; Eppo Jansen, former head of the European Parliament Information Office in The Hague; Jaapjan Rijlaarsdam, Head Corporate Communication Dutch Ministry of Transport, former senior adviser Dutch Government Information Service (RVD); Cristina Elena Cristescu, course leader for the European Journalism Centre in Maastricht and former press correspondent in the Netherlands for BBC World Romanian Section

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Stichting Nederland-Roemenie, J.J. Heggestraat, 96, 2552 GZ The Hague, tel/fax: +31 70 380 54 50 Email:foundation@netherlandsromania.eu