Project "Central-Eastern Europe - a region of chances and crises"

Quo vadis Central-Eastern Europe?

An intercultural workshop will take place on March 4-7 in Berlin. Participants can be students at the age of 20-28 from Germany, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. The project is made by students, international experts and organization "MitOst e.V." from Berlin, Germany. You can apply by writing an essay about an interesting present-day topic in concerning Central-Eastern-Europe, as a correspondent from your country. Deadline for applications is closing - January 24


By ANETT SOTI (anett.soti@wavemagazine.net)
from Szeged, HUNGARY


Financial crisis, corruption, ethnical problems, intolerance, radical nationalism, minority problems, anti-Semitism - just a few words which nowadays dominate German mass media if they inform public about Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. What is happening to you over there? - is mostly asked in Germany.

In the region of Central-Eastern-Europe, lots of countries are connected by the common history and three of them were selected for the project - "Central-Eastern Europe - a region of chances and crises". This project is made by students, international experts and organization "MitOst e.V." from Berlin (Germany), and countries are Slovakia, Romania and Hungary, which were on the same social and political level in the last few years. Partner of the program is Collegium Hungaricum Berlin - the Hungarian Cultural Institute.

An intercultural workshop will take place on March 4-7 in Berlin and it will be composed of two sessions - a conference and a simulation game. A regional discussion forum - similar to the one in reality - will be simulated in the role-playing game and in this way participants can learn how decision mechanisms bear a part in a real political meeting.

- During the selection we were focusing on what image these countries show about themselves in German print and online media. These three countries are also connected by the colorful ethnical and religious background. But through this cultural diversity there are also problems between ethnical, national and religious minorities. We would like to offer an opportunity to discuss questions and we hope to get options for solution to these problems between the minorities in these countries - explains Aniko Boros, project manager, in her interview for WAVE magazine.

Students at the age of 20-28 can take part on the role-play day. It doesn't matter what you are studying, you should have a good command of German, be interested in European politics and have enough curiosity. The participants of the project will spend four days in an intercultural environment in Berlin and will receive a certificate for the successful participation. The conference is an open program for everyone but only participants from these four countries - including Germany - can join in the role-playing game.

- The participation in the role-playing game can conduce to the students' self-development. Not only political views but also conflict treatment models can be acquired and broadened - says Ms. Boros.

Participants can discover the aspects and problems of the surrounding countries by playing a role as a minister for foreign affairs, member of the European Parliament or a representative for a minority. They can discuss relevant social-political topics. According to the project manager, by this role-playing game participants can become more tolerant and sensible for the standpoints of surrounding countries. On the conference day they will also have the opportunity to come to know better the problems of the Middle East region and get a solution to their questions by the help of special experts from the political, economical, cultural, media and scientific sectors.

The main aims of the project are the conversion of the issues of discussion into practice, the enhancement of the intercultural dialogue about problems in this region and the exchange of political developments of last years. Because of the variety of participants the problems can be analysed in different perspectives. This opportunity for the intercultural problem analysis can be very useful for the participant countries in order to handle conflicts and co-operate together successfully in the future.

To participate in the simulation game, you simply need to write an essay about an interesting present-day topic in concerning Middle-Eastern-Europe as a correspondent from your country. The best twenty essay writers will be invited to the workshop in Berlin. Additionally, the best essays will appear in a Berliner daily newspaper. You should send this essay and your curriculum vitae until 24th January to the following e-mail address: planspiel@hungaricum.de. Also you can find further information here: www.hungaricum.de/planspiel.


(Published: 15.01.2010.)