2005 is the European Year of Citizenship through Education. The aim is to launch throughout Europe a campaign to popularise and put into practice the education for democratic citizenship policies and programmes.
If education is an investment for the future, education for citizenship is an investment for Europe’s democratic future. Democracy is not something that can be taken for granted. Nor is it an abstract concept. It calls for a commitment and responsible action by citizens in their everyday lives.
Low election turnouts among young people and their decreasing participation in public and political life lend urgency to the issue of education for democratic citizenship, which should be seen as a long-term investment to promote the democratic values of human rights, tolerance and cultural pluralism.
(Source: Council of Europe)
News
Interview with Minister Mady Delvaux-Stehres: “For Luxembourg, education for democratic citizenship is not an unnecessary luxury, but a matter of survival” (16.06.2005)
Interview with David Kerr (UK): “Training citizens involves training teachers” (17.05.2005)
HREA partner of Council of Europe in the European Year of Citizenship through Education (17.02.2005)
From the HREA staff: European Year of Citizenship through Education (19.01.2005)