Shaffy/Felix Meritis Foundation 50 year anniversary.!
Strengthening European Identity through Culture and Education, and how to manage it
International congress in RadialSystem, Berlin 12/13 April 2019 and in Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam FridayJune 19 2020. A Soul for Europe
Europe is in need of a new story, the budgetary period 2021-2027 could be characterised as Europe 2.0. Besides the call for inspired leaders able to formulate and communicate a new Schuman Declaration, there is a great need to scrutinise the European values anew. This aspect seems to be increasingly taking shape. The foundations of Europe 2.0 are culture, identity and education. It must be recognised that, according to the principle of subsidiarity (Treaty of Maastricht), these are issues for each nation to tackle, but if you read the latest bulletins from the European Commission, it is evident that the panels are shifting: according to the European Commission, culture, identity and education are the cement of Europe and thus the basis for the redefinition of this continent.
With respect for the principle of subsidiarity, the European Commission has started a process in which culture, education and identity will form the foundations for Europe 2.0. In other words, European identity can only be strengthened (and feelings of nationalism and unrest can only be combatted) by placing education and culture within a European context. It is a question of European norms and values that we can communicate and develop further through education and culture.