EU Exercises

The aim of the Asociaţia pro democraţia (APD) project is to stimulate the interest of the young people in Romania in the way of electing the Romanian representatives in the European Parliament and their interest in European issues.

This project will be implemented in: Bucuresti, Cluj, Focsani, Iasi, Oradea, Sibiu and Tulcea.
Specific Objectives:

• Increasing youngsters’ level of information regarding the decisional process in the EU. APD pursues to augment the level of information among the young people concerning the mechanisms of decision-making in EU and to stimulate their interest in the activities of the European institutions, using interactive methods of learning and participation in concrete activities. The Component EU Model, of the project Exercises in EU, will help the participating students understand the role of the European authorities, the mission of the national representatives and how the institutional system functions in practice.

• Stimulating youngsters to participate in the elections for the European Parliament of 2009. Through this component, APD and its partners will increase the participation in elections among the young people from the targeted groups and their acquaintances. The youngsters’ low presence to vote is caused by the weak level of information regarding the electoral programs of the parties and candidates.APD will focus its efforts on informing the young people about the electoral programs and the attributions of the European Members of Parliament and will organize dialogues between the electors and candidates.

• Increasing the level of information of young people about the European context in which they live and the development of their sense of belonging in the EU, through the component Tour Debates. APD will submit to discussion a subject of European concern, which affects the young people. APD will increase the degree of information among the youngsters regarding current European subjects and will determine them to move beyond their superficial level of understanding, to inform themselves properly, and to be able to support with arguments their pro and against positions.

Target Groups:

For the first objective: students all across the country interested in getting actively involved in the public life and in the European concerns.

For the second objective: young people from towns where the rate of youth participation in elections is reduced and professors from educational institutions in areas where the youth participation in elections is reduced.

For the third objective: pupils interested in an active involvement in the public life and in European concerns and instructor-teachers within the associations of debates.

Direct Beneficiares:

For the first objective: 100 participants in EU Model.

For the second objective: over 7.500 youngsters among those seven towns, who will receive informative materials and will be urged to participate in the simulation of elections.

For the third objective: 42 students, members of a Debate Association that will participate in the tournament as debaters, and seven instructing-professors that will participate in the tournament as arbiters.

Indirect Beneficiaries:

For the first objective: at least 300 students that will compete for a place of participant in EU Model and at least 100 youngsters who will visit the website dedicated to the Model EU.

For the second objective: over 10.000 youngsters from the communities in which the project will be implemented.

For the third objective: over 100 students who will assist at the final of the Debates tournament and other students who will assist at the other debates.

Partners:

Asociatia Romana de Dezbatere, Oratorie si Retorica (ARDOR)

Financial support:

The European Union through PHARE Program 2006.

Project period: December 2008 - October 2009