Europe Day 2008 The “Children’s European Parliament” in Trento

09/05/2008

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Europe Day 2008 with Children

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To celebrate the Europe Day 2008 the European Journalists Association-The Communication Network was co-organizer of a special initiative that took place in Trento, Italy, with the involvement of  children of  elementary schools.

A couple of weeks before Mai 9, our EJ President Paolo Magagnotti gave  a very simple power point presentation on the history of the European Union.

After the “lectures” the children, assisted by their teachers, wrote thoughts and made drawings about Europe on paperboards.

On the morning of May 9, 200 children gathered in the main square of Trento and, holding their paperboards fixed on a pole and  blue balloons with the European emblem, paraded through the city center reaching the building of the Regional Government and Parliament.

During the parade they delivered flyers explaining the origin of the Europe day related to the historical Declaration of Robert Schuman on Mai 9, 1950 and with the following message in four languages “Europe is our Home. Let’s work together in its building yard to complete this House. In this Home, with its windows open to the world, we grow into our Future”.

After releasing the balloons towards the sky, they entered the meeting room of the Regional Parliament and after electing President, Vice-President and Quaestors, a “question time” session took place.

We realized/witnessed in amazement how many intelligent questions were put to Regional politicians that for that occasion were present as “European Commissioners”.

 The overall celebration was a great success both because of involving children and because of raising interest for the European Union on the side of the public.

Co-organizer of the event jointly with EJ were the Regional Government of Trentino-South Tyrol and the Deutsch-italienische Gesellschaft fuer Europa von Trento.