The European Union and the Promise of Democracy: What can Citizenship Education and Civil Society contribute?

NECE

NECE – Networking European Citizenship Education – Conference
14-16 November 2013, The Hague (the Netherlands)

This year´s NECE Conference will ask how effective citizens’ participation can help to reshape the European Union called the ‘sick man of Europe’ by a renowned research institute.

We believe, that European citizenship educators are facing at least two major challenges resulting from the developments in recent years. Firstly, Europe’s ongoing economic crisis has engendered a crisis of confidence in the European project and the costs and benefits of further European integration. And secondly, the economic crisis is dividing Europe and may ultimately lead to the break up of the EU. This is where the central questions begin and what will be the focus of this year´s NECE Conference.

With an eye to the elections to the European Parliament in May 2014, NECE 2013 will explore the topics of participation and democratisation of the European Union. Based on these issues, the NECE Conference in The Hague will discuss future scenarios for the EU and possible consequences for citizenship education. And we propose to critically test and reflect European policy campaigns, discourses and projects in the face of crisis.

The conference in The Hague will offer opportunities for a critical debate at four levels:

  1. Scenarios and outlines for the future of the EU
  2. European civil society and the ‘democratic deficit’ of the European Union
  3. The role of citizenship education during the European crisis
  4. Practical approaches and projects of citizenship education

Also, the possibility to actively take part will be provided in numerous workshops and forums.

At the end of the conference, the participants will draw up a public ‘Declaration’ comprising recommendations on the topics of democratisation and participation in the EU.

We would be pleased to welcome you in The Hague – hometown of our NECE partner ProDemos – House for Democracy and the Rule of Law and centre of governance in the Netherlands, as well as home to many institutions aimed at improving international justice and peace.

For pre-registration please use: nece-thehague2013@lab-concepts.de

For the conference participants we have reserved accommodation that can be booked individually (on the basis of self-payment) at Novotel World Forum Hotel: Novotel Den Haag World Forum. More organisational advice, as well as information about the current programme you may find at www.nece.eu

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the conference management at:

lab concepts GmbH
Friedrichstrasse 206 | 10969 Berlin
on behalf of the Federal Agency for Civic Education, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)30 252 932 56
Fax: +49 (0)30 252 932 61
E-Mail: nece-thehague2013@lab-concepts.de