sofia programme

Strasbourg, 3 December 2004 DGIV/EDU/CAHCIT (2004) 16

COUNCIL OF EUROPE LAUNCHING CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN YEAR OF CITIZENSHIP THROUGH EDUCATION

Sofia, Bulgaria 13-14 December 2004

at the invitation of the Bulgarian authorities

DDRRAAFFTT PPRROOGGRRAAMMMMEE

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The Council of Europe has decided to proclaim the year 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education. It wishes to draw attention to how crucial education, both formal and non-formal, in a lifelong learning perspective, is to the development of active citizenship, the quality of participation in a democratic society and in fostering democratic culture.

The Launching Conference of the European Year of Citizenship through Education will bring together the main partners in the organisation of the Year. The participants will share their experiences and achievements and endorse a Declaration and a Plan of Action for the Year. The conference will launch local, regional, national and international activities aimed at the dissemination of best practice, awareness raising and developing initiatives and partnerships.

The conclusions of the Conference will be brought to the attention of the Third Council of Europe Summit of Heads of State and Government, which will take place in Warsaw on 16-17 May 2005 with the goal to ensure the Councils relevance for Europes 800 million citizens. These conclusions will also be presented at the events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the European Cultural Convention (December 2004 May 2005).

Date and place

The Launching Conference will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, at the Princess Hotel, on 13-14 December 2004.

Participants

Participants are expected to be around 150. They should be:

policy makers (senior officials of member states Ministries of Education) ; experts in educational policies (such as curriculum and handbook developers,

education administrators, inspectors, project managers); education professionals, especially multipliers dealing with education for democratic

citizenship and human rights education (such as school and university leaders, teachers, trainers, support staff);

representatives of the adult education sector; representatives of NGOs working for youth participation; representatives of other European and international institutions.

Ministers of Education are particularly welcomed even if the Conference is not, as such, a ministerial conference. Their presence would, definitely, give an added value to the conference.

Objectives/Key issues The objectives of the Launching Conference are to:

endorse the concept for the European Year of Citizenship through Education as well as a Declaration and a Plan of Action which can serve as inspiration for activities in member states during the Year;

present the instruments provided by the Council of Europe on education for democratic citizenship and human rights (EDC/HRE);

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exchange information about plans for implementation of the Year in member states and define co-operation activities;

discuss inter-institutional co-operation in the framework of the Year (between the Council of Europe and other international organisations).

Working Methods

The Conference is expected to adopt a Declaration and a Plan of Action for the Year. The participants will share information on existing policies and practices, providing examples of practical use of existing tools and brainstorming for innovative projects and co-operation activities. The programme will include plenary sessions, and working groups. An information market (publications and documents) will be at the participants disposal.

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Practical Information and Contacts

The Conference will take place at the Princess Hotel in Sofia. The Princess Hotel has adequate facilities for lodging and conference rooms for a maximum of 150 participants. The hotel is within a walking distance from the city centre, quite near the central railway station and the central bus station, and about 12 km from the airport. A shuttle service will be provided by the organisers.

Working languages

Working languages at the conference will be English, French and Bulgarian. There will be simultaneous interpretation during the plenary sessions, and in one of the working groups. Other groups will be in English only.

Documentation

Besides the Concept Paper, the Council of Europe will put at participants disposal the publications that will be subsequently presented at the Conference. These will include adopted texts, working instruments, information materials on education for democratic citizenship and human rights education, such as:

1. The EDC Pack: a set of instruments on the implementation of EDC: Issues for Policy Makers; Democratic Governance in Education Institutions; Action Paper on Teacher Training for EDC; and the Quality Assurance and self-evaluation in EDC.

2. COMPASS Manual on Human Rights Education. 3. T-Kits (No. 4: Intercultural Learning; No. 6: Training Essentials; No. 7: Under

constructionCitizenship, Youth and Europe; No. 8: Social Inclusion).

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Secretariat

Council of Europe Ms Agneta DERRIEN, Division for Citizenship and Human Rights Education DG IV, Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport 67075 Strasbourg Cedex, France Tel: +33 3 88 41 22 92 Fax: +33 3 88 41 27 06 or 2788 E-mail: [email protected]

Bulgarian Authorities Ms Lubov DRAGANOVA Director European Integration and Bilateral Co-operation Department Ministry of Education & Science 2A boulevard Kniaz Dondoukov SOFIA 1000, Bulgaria Tel: +359 2 92 17 445 Fax: +359 2 988 06 00 E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

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Draft Programme

Saturday, 11 December 2004:

19:00 Concert offered by the Bulgarian authorities

Sunday, 12 December 2004:

12:00-20:00 Registration of participants (continued on Monday from 8:30-9:30)

15:00-18:00 Sightseeing tour of Sofia (upon individual request) and visit of the National Historical Museum

19:30 Dinner offered by the Bulgarian authorities

Monday, 13 December 2004

Learning and Living Democracy

Chair of plenary session: Mr Igor Damianov, Minister of Education and Science, Bulgaria

08:30-09:30 Registration of participants 09:30-09:45 Welcome address by Mr Igor Damianov

09:45-10:00 Opening speech by Ms Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe

10:00-10:20 Learning and Living Democracy keynote speech on citizenship and democracy in present Europe by Ms Vedrana Spajic-Vrka

10:20-11:00 Coffee break

11:00-11:15 Results of the Ministerial Conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the European Cultural Convention, Wroclaw, 9-10 December 2004 by Mr Jerzy Wiatr, former Minister of National Education and Sport of Poland, General Rapporteur at Wroclaw

11:15-11:30 Statement by a representative of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, ____________

Statements by Ms Stancheva, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, and Mr Etienne Van Vaerenbergh, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, on their role during the Year

11:30-11:50 Democratic Participation by Mr Alain Mouchoux, Head of the grouping Education and Culture, INGOs enjoying participatory status with the Council of Europe, and Mr Dietrich Baenziger (National Youth Council of Switzerland)

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11:50-12:30 Discussion

12:30-14:00 Lunch

14:00-15:00 Plenary session: From Policy to Practice in Democracy Learning Chair: Ms Reinhild Otte (Germany)

Presentation of instruments prepared by the Council of Europe on education for citizenship and human rights:

a) EDC Pack (30-40 min): Mr David Kerr (United Kingdom); Mr Janez Krek (Slovenia); Ms Maria Helena Salema (Portugal)

b) COMPASS and T-Kits: Mr Rui Gomes (Directorate of Youth and Sport, Council of Europe)

15:00-17:30 Working Groups on three different themes:

WG 1.1: Citizenship and Democracy in Present Europe Moderator: Mr Marino Ostini (Switzerland) WG Rapporteur: Mr Bruno Losito (Italy)

WG 1.2: From Policy to Practice in Democracy Learning Moderator: Ms Sigrid Steininger (Austria) WG Rapporteur: Mr John Christiansen (Norway)

WG 1.3: Democratic Participation Moderator: Mr Riccardo Venturini (San Marino) WG Rapporteur: Ms Svetlana Poznyak (Ukraine)


19:30 Reception offered by the Bulgarian authorities at the archeological Museum

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Tuesday, 14 December 2004

Member states inputs for the European Year of Citizenship through Education

09:30-10:45 Working Groups 09.30-10.15 Short introductory inputs followed by a discussion by participants

WG 2.1 Moderator: Ms Vra astn (Czech Republic) WG Rapporteur: Mr Hans Brosse (The Netherlands) Short introductory inputs followed by a discussion by participants

United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Switzerland NGOs: European Youth Forum; European Association for the Education of Adults

WG 2.2 Moderator: Ms Maria-Helena Salema (Portugal) WG Rapporteur: Mr Laurent Bazin (France) Short introductory inputs followed by a discussion by participants

Austria, Russia, Italy NGOs: European Schoolnet, European Teachers Association

WG 2.3 Moderator: Ms Mary Rose Mifsud (Malta) WG Rapporteur: Mr Mitja Sardoc (Slovenia) Short introductory inputs followed by a discussion by participants

Greece, Serbia and Montenegro, Malta NGOs: ESIB; Helpdesk for Intercultural Learning Materials (British Council)


11:00-12:30 Working groups continued

12:30-14:00 Lunch

14:00 Concluding plenary session Chair of plenary session: Mr Anatoli Ermoline (Russian Federation) 14:00-15:30 Inter-institutional co-operation during the European Year of

Citizenship through Education. Round table discussion with a panel of representatives of international organisations: UNHCHR, UNESCO, European Commission, OSCE/ODHIR Moderators: Mr Virgilio Meira Soares (Portugal) and Mr Oliver Wagner (Germany)


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16:00-16:30 Conclusions of the Conference by the General Rapporteur, Mr David Kerr (United Kingdom)

16:30-17:00 Adoption of the Declaration and the Action Plan for the European Year of Citizenship through Education. Introductory presentation by Mr Krzysztof Ostrowski (Poland), Chair of the Ad hoc committee for the European Year of Citizenship through Education (CAHCIT)

17:00-17:15 Closing address by Mr Gabriele Mazza (Director of Education, Council of Europe)

19:30 Reception offered by the Council of Europe

Wednesday, 15 December 2004 Departure of the participants

sofia programme

Documents