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European Citizenship and Multiculturalism (ECAM) is an Erasmus+ project involving strategic partnerships henceforth known as school exchanges.This project gathers four partners : St-Joseph Pirae Tahiti vocational school (coordinator), St-Charles La Reunion High School, Classic Diekirch Luxembourg High School and IPSSEOA Karol Wojtila Sicily-Italy vocational school.Duration : 22 months, from September 2017 to June 2019.ECAM has a dual purpose: promoting the European peace space by studying European Union moral values and defending its citizens’ cultural identities.This dual challenge aims to show that all these notions are far from being competing against each other but are complement one another.In other words, the goal would consist in clarifying and defending the EU motto: « United in diversity ».In order to achieve this double purpose, the teaching staffs assign the students activities which allow the discovering and learning about European citizenship and which also ask students to consider the characteristic elements that shape cultural identities.Among activities relating to generally speaking citizenship and particularly European citizenship, one can find examples as follows: studying legal texts and European values - dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity, justice and democracy; guided tours of European and regional institutions; meeting in Schengen; round tables and debates with Members of the European Parliament and of a National Parliament; participation in demonstrations or official events.Cultural identity affirmation activities include: language classes, visits to historical sites, cultural tours, cultural events.The main achievement of this project is an epistolary novel that recounts all its stages and, at the same time, encourages students to verbalise their impressions and learnings.The writing of this novel attests the development and the construction of the students’ thoughts about citizenship, identity and culture issues.This epistolary novel is also available in a video format as it is staged and filmed by the students.Besides, a play, “The extraordinarily peaceful life of Europe”, is imagined and written, performed and played by the project’s participants.The play, which appears to be more synthetic than the novel, also calls to mind and defends the high values of the EU, respectful of differences, opposed to nationalism and all forms of cultural identity isolationism.A set of pedagogical and didactic tools are thought through and conceived for the requirements of this project.Works, activities and tools are available on digital platforms designed for the project: websites, eTwinning. These platforms are used as communication tools as well as workspaces.All media channels were used to promote and broadcast the project: press, radio, TV, websites, social networks, posters.Several public and private partners provided support to the ECAM project such as financial sponsorship, material assistance and moral support.Thus, the Erasmus+ programme could get a broader promotion.Evaluations are conducted with stakeholders so that the impact and efficiency of the actions carried out in this project can be assessed.These assessments reveal a strong awareness of EU values in particular.During Transnational meetings and Learning Activities, 60 student and teacher mobilities make learning easier and allow all great productions to achieve. Mobilities give meaning to the project. Thanks to them, participants get the opportunity to understand current realities, issues and challenges of the EU: democracy principles, the question of migrants, national identities, tolerance…Students, as young people, are the main beneficiaries of the project.Nevertheless, teachers and schools get great benefits from ECAM as well.By going on training courses, teachers adopt new practices, use new tools, gain motivation. Thus, they boost their teaching technics.And consequently, even their school systems take advantage of these improvements.By combining and promoting EU values and cultural identities, by considering them as complementary and not competing, ECAM project helps to keep the Erasmus+ momentum and hence that of Europe, in its peripheral areas and the French overseas.In these peripheral and overseas countries, the European feeling stands ready to develop in the same shared understanding and mutual tolerance mindset.
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