EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO CAMPUS FOR INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE AND THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA June 4-11, 2008

ORGANIZERS EP Former Members Association University of Oradea Association of the Carpathian Region Universities University of Debrecen University of Rzeszow West University of Timisoara “Forum” Foundation Oradea

PROGRAMME Wednesday, June 4 th, 2008 – Timisoara Airport -Arrival of 6 members of the European Parliament Former Members Association -Reception at the Continental Hotel in Timisoara

Thursday, June 5 th, Dialogue European Parliament – students from Timisoara The European Parliament and the Promotion of Intercultural Dialogue and the European Neighbourhood Policy - Each former Member of the Parliament will participate to a debate with a group of students, at least 50 per group/at least 150 from each university – Press conference at each university – Lunch – Sightseeing tour of the Timisoara – Departure to Oradea – Accommodation at the Continental Hotel

Friday, June 6 th, – Opening of the Seminar at the University of Oradea EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO CAMPUS FOR INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE AND THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA - 3 former Members of the Parliament will deliver a minute conference on the role of the European Parliament in promoting intercultural dialogue and the EU neighbourhood policy – Press conference of the former Members of the Parliament – Student Restaurant: Lunch – 1 st Workshop of the Seminar in 2 Sessions presided by the former Members of the Parliament – Sightseeing tour of Oradea – Terasa Parc: Welcome Reception offered in honour of the participants; the participants to the Seminar will be present (50 persons) and 150 guests (officials, businesspersons, academic staff from Oradea, and so on)

Saturday, June 7 th, – Trip Oradea–Debrecen 9.00 – Opening of the Seminar at the University of Debrecen EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO CAMPUS FOR INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE AND THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA - 3 former Members of the Parliament will deliver a minute conference on the role of the European Parliament in promoting intercultural dialogue and the EU neighbourhood policy – Press conference of the former Members of the Parliament – Lunch – 2 nd Workshop of the Seminar in 2 Sessions presided by the former Members of the Parliament – Sightseeing tour of Debrecen – Dinner

Sunday, June 8 th, – Trip Debrecen/HU–Uzhgorod/UA - Kosice/SK – Accommodation in Kosice/SK

Monday, June 9 th, – Opening of the Seminar at P. J. Šafárik University in Košice – Faculty of Law, Kováčska 26 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO CAMPUS FOR INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE AND THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA former Members of the Parliament will deliver a minute conference on the role of the European Parliament in promoting intercultural dialogue and the EU neighbourhood policy – Press conference of the former Members of the Parliament – Lunch – Departure to Rzeszow – Dinner in Rzeszow

Tuesday, June 10 th, – Opening of the Seminar at the University of Rzeszow EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO CAMPUS FOR INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE AND THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY IN THE CARPATHIAN AREA - 3 former Members of the Parliament will deliver a minute conference on the role of the European Parliament in promoting intercultural dialogue and the EU neighbourhood policy – Press conference of the former Members of the Parliament – Lunch – 3 rd Workshop of the Seminar in 2 Sessions presided by the former Members of the Parliament – Sightseeing tour of Rzeszow – Dinner

Wednesday, June 11, – Trip to the Holocaust Memorial at Auschwitz 13,00-14,00 – Lunch – Transfer of the participants to the Krakow or Budapest Airports

Participants a)Lecturers: - 6 members of the European Parliament Former Members Association - 5 professors from the 5 institutions involved in the project b) Direct participants to the project (under 35 years old): 30 (PhD, researchers, Master students) - 10 full grants are awarded to participants from the ACRU member universities (Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, Ukraine) - 10 full grants are awarded to participants from the Baltic countries, Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey; - 10 ½ grants are awarded to participants from the EU Member States c) Local participants: 1000 (Timisoara- 250; Oradea – 250, Debrecen – 150, Kosice – 150; Rzeszow – 200)

Requirements for the participants The applicants will send the following documents: 1. Pre-selection: - CV - Abstract (2 pages, font Times New Roman, size 11, character spacing 1, references) before February 29 th, Selection: The applicants selected at stage 1 will send the final version of the paper (12-15 pp, font Times New Roman, size 11, character spacing 1, footnotes, references) before April 15 th, 2008 The list of successful applicants will be published on May 1 st, 2008 on the website:

Contextualisation of the project Cultural diversity has been and still is one of the core values of Europe. The progressive enlargements of the European Union, on the one hand, and the effects of globalisation, on the other, have created a more interconnected and interdependent Europe, in which cultural diversity and the multicultural character of many countries have become more evident. Consequently, intercultural dialogue –understood as an opening interaction based on the recognition of difference and multiplicity- has been intensified in all communication levels and is becoming a central issue in fostering European identity. With the establishment of the “European Year of Intercultural Dialogue” (EYID)1 in 2008, the European Union has recognised the importance of cultural diversity and cultural dialogue as a unique advantage in Europe. The main idea of the EYID is to strengthen a dialog within civil society, especially among young people, in the European Union and beyond.1 “Dialog” – perhaps in a broader sense (in terms of a stronger relationship with the EU’s immediate neighbours)- is also the principal objective of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), developed in Announcing the ENP’s conference on September , Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said: (…) “it is essential that we listen carefully to the interests of our neighbours (…)”2. It is obvious that this statement clearly emphasises the EU’s willingness to establish/open a “dialog” with their neighbours in order to achieve common interests

Focus of the papers Like the opening event of the EYID (Ljubljana on 7-8 January 2008) with an international conference entitled “Intercultural Dialogue as Fundamental value of the EU”, this International Seminar aims to discuss on intercultural dialogue as a core value of Europe and also to analyse ENP focusing in different aspects: Role of the European Parliament in intercultural dialogue and European neighbourhood policy (ENP) European governance in the field of intercultural dialogue with people from EU eastern border Relation between the closed and the open in intercultural dialogue Relation between memory and identity in intercultural dialogue and the ENP Relation between confessional and ethno-national borders in the Carpathian region Promoting intercultural dialogue in the Carpathian region Civic dimension of the ENP Intercultural dialogue within the EU Intercultural dialogue along the EU’s borders (paying special consideration to the Eastern European Countries) ENP’s concrete policies (national, regional and sub-regional cooperation)