EYCA Conference "EU Citizenship: Crossing Perspectives" ~ Igor Stiks, Senior Research Fellow
Channel: The European Year of Citizens Alliance
Date: 2013-08-01

For more information please visit our website: http://ey2013-alliance.eu/
"We believe in the European project and we cannot accept to be deprived from it" It was a week ago, on July 8th in Zagreb, more than 150 European citizens from 30 countries met in Zagreb's National and University Library to exchange views and experiences in a European conference entitled: "EU citizenship: Crossing perspectives".
The conference invited key speakers from all over Europe to give their own different perspective and to engage with the core question of citizens' participation in Europe. Speakers expressed their scepticism, faith and hopes for the European project. Ylva Tiveus, Director -- Citizens, DG Communication, said with firm conviction "we often hear from our big neighbor in the West that this is a lost continent, that EU is a sick man of Europe and I think it's time to hit back on that".
The role of civil society in building and strengthening democracy; social inclusion and freedom of movement were at the centre of the discussion during the conference.
The discussions and debates were active and participate in order to have a broader and better view on the citizens' perspectives of a future Europe. At night, the participants met at the historical and opulent Kino Europa cinema that hosts many film festivals and art related promotions as well.