Alumni Seminar of the European Fall Academy

Participants of the European Fall Academy Alumni Seminar

Dr. Canan Atilgan, Director of the KAS Regional Program South Mediterannean, and Hans Beitz, Head of Department International European Studies of the European Academy Otzenhausen

Martina Eichlinger, trainer with the CIVIC Institute for International Education, Vienna

Florian Aue, trainer with the CIVIC Institute for International Education, Hannover

A lot of paper work: participants preparing their roles for the simulation game

Abdessattar Amamou, a well-known Tunisian historian, lectures the group on the history of the Maghreb

Participants breaking the ice during a round of Bingo

Participants discussing the values of democracy

Participants discussing the role of European institutions

Participants debating what democracy means to them

The president of the European Commission during the simulation game

Participants organized a talk show during the final stages of the simulation

During the simulation game "Shaping Neighbourhood" with trainers from the German CIVIC Institute for international education, participants took on roles of members of the European Parliament as well as representatives in the Council of the European Union and the European Commission to play through a scenario of negotiations with "candidate countries" in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy in four dimensions: peace and security, shared values, level of economic integration, and participation in cohesion and developmental policy.

Participants discussed principles of and challenges to democracy as well as participatory and equitable decision making processes. During the three training days, the group of 25 young civil society activists studied the learning targets and effects of simulation game methodology, explored the role of European institutions in working groups and got an introduction into the structures and history of the European Union.

By simulating European decision making processes in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, participants were able to strengthen their communication and negotiation skills and deepen their practical knowledge of political debates and institutional proceedings.