Europe & Me" wins European Charlemagne Youth Prize 2011
"Europe & Me", a UK online lifestyle magazine for young Europeans, won first prize at the Charlemagne Youth Prize 2011 on 31 May in Aachen.
UK winner - "Europe and Me"
The magazine was created by young Europeans for young Europeans in 2007. Its motto is to "make Europe personal", because Europe is often identified only with politics and bureaucracy. Today, Europe & Me is a platform that allows people to take the initiative, develop themselves and find like-minded individuals.
Awarding the prize EP President Jerzy Buzek said: "The project we chose is extremely original. If you open its web site you will see this. You are faced with an ideal European "Man" or "Woman" divided into five different parts: the brain, the heart, the diaphragm, the baby and the legs - and each part represents a different idea of what being "European" means".
Greece - "Balkans Beyond Borders"
The second prize went to "Balkans Beyond Borders", a short-film project from Greece.
In his speech on the runner-up, German MEP and leader of the European Parliament's Socialists and Democrats Group Martin Schulz said: "Balkans Beyond Borders seeks to overcome borders by making films and raising awareness that all the Balkan countries will gain through regional co-operation. Balkans Beyond Borders has its finger on the pulse of the times with this year's theme of shooting short films on the crisis."
Spain - "Escena Erasmus Project".
Finally, the third prize went to the "Escena Erasmus Project", a cultural exchange programme for Erasmus students (Spain). Launched in 2009, this is a pioneering European project addressed mainly to Erasmus students, encouraging cultural and linguistic exchanges. It is intended to become a theatrical "net" which promotes exchanges among European university theatre companies. Presenting the third prize, Aachan's Mayor Marcel Philipp, said that "culture is what holds Europe together in its innermost self and culture is inextricably linked with education".
This year's Irish nominee was 'Show Racism the Red Card' - an intercultural camp for 11-16 year old boys and girls. Darja Isajeva, a young Latvian organiser living in Ireland, submitted 'Show Racism the Red Card' as an example of a project which brought together young people from a number of different countries, promoting an understanding among them of the values of integration and cultural diversity.
Prize
The Charlemagne Youth Prize is awarded annually to projects that foster a shared sense of European identity and integration among young people.
The three winning projects will receive funding of €5,000, €3,000, and €2,000 respectively. Their representatives will also be invited to visit the European Parliament in the coming months.
Representatives of the 27 projects were invited to the award ceremony on 31 May in Aachen.
The award ceremony was co-organised by the European Parliament and the International Charlemagne Prize Foundation and hosted by Aachen University.
Audiovisual material from the ceremony is available on request.
Contacts:
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Ayla Sultan ÇIÇEK