Integration of cultures, traditions and religions in the context of a tolerant Europe

• Place: Students’ House and Cultural Center “Vilnelė”, Algirdo 2-36, Vilnius
• Data: April 17 – 23, 2007
• Age: 14–16 years old
• Participants: 24 schoolgirls, 8 of them from Lithuania
• Financing: 2.448 €

The aim project:

• To give a new international experience and promote the knowledge of nation/people heritage and the culture of the countries which can be saved and transmitted through exchanges, religion, traditions and costumes. To promote thinking about the importance of the relations of the religions and nations for the development of the countries.
• To make friends and create strong bonds of unity between young people from different countries, social and cultural atmospheres.
• To give the participants the opportunity to have first-hand knowledge and experience about different religions and lifestyles.
• To encourage participants to feel active citizens of EU through preserving and transmitting the Cultural Heritage of Europe.

We all want to contribute to the creation of a fairer society, to make Europe a space that accepts all citizens of the world, in which there are suitable conditions for self-realization. For comparative analysis we have chosen arts and culture topics, because we feel it is very important to understand the significance of this aspect in our country, looking at it from a European perspective. If the youth of today is the future of Europe, it will not be enough for young people merely to be well-disposed, idealistic and tolerant toward other nations and their religions and cultures; they will also need knowledge, information and objective analysis.

During the preparation for the exchange program, and the participation in it, young women from various countries received an intercultural experience that helped them feel like active citizens of the European Union.