“Learning about us – Europe closer to citizens in rural environments” is a project that wishes to open new paths for understanding the European Union and its values to people who live in the country side and have less access to information.

The project is implemented in 3 countries: Romania, Czech Republic and Portugal and has financial support from the European Union within the “Europe for Citizens” Programme.

The project started in August 2008 and will end in July 2009.

Why a project for citizens living in rural areas?

In 2005 approximately 57% of the EU population lived in rural areas and these areas covered 90% of Europe’s territory. Despite this, the access to information is still very difficult for these people. For example in Romania, although there are over 100-150 daily newspapers there are rural areas where these publications never arrive.

It is thus obvious that people in rural environments have less knowledge on the European Union and identify very little, if not at all, with the European values. That is why within this project we will try to bring Europe closer to those citizens who are really in need of information and empowerment.

What will we do in this project?

In our project we will work with groups of children and adults from the 3 partner countries: Romania, Czech Republic and Portugal. These groups will attend regular interactive workshops where they will learn in a first phase about the European Union, its values and achievements and afterwards they will be empowered to express their own opinions in view of debate and reflection on common values.

The overall aim of the project is focused on encouraging the active citizenship among the citizens of Europe that live in rural environments.

As access to information is strictly connected with the Internet, our workshops will include also sessions where the IT technologies will be used.
The rural citizens from the Romania, Czech Republic and Portugal will have the chance to exchange experiences on the project forum open to people all over Europe.

At the end of the workshops the adults from our groups will be engaged in a contest of knowledge on European issues. At their turn, the children will participate to an international contest of drawing on the theme “How do I see Europe”.

Is this a project only for citizens in rural environments?

No, our project is addressed also to practitioners working in Civil Society Organisations who will be able to use our outcomes, such as curriculum for workshops, in their current activities in the citizenship field.

Not in the last place, our project is addressed to any citizen of Europe, living either in the country side or in cities as the information and materials from our website deal with European issues in general terms. European Union is the same for everyone, it’s only that some people have less access to information.
The forum on this website is also open to debate to all citizens.

For more information on the outcomes of the project and the partners that are implementing it, please visit the respective sections of this website.