On May 7, the eleven European countries participating in Project e-UROPa will host the European e-Participation Day 2015 to motivate citizens to use e-participation tools through workshops and labs. In Italy, the events, which will be held at the Rome Città Educativa, include team-building activities and Lego Serious Play Labs. Experts and young men and women will work together to develop a Europe in which everybody’s voice can be heard.
EUROPE IS JUST A CLICK AWAY
The Fondazione Mondo Digitale is organizing the “European e-Partecipation Day 2015” as part of Project e-Europa. Once again, the protagonists are the new generations. The appointment is set for next Thursday - May 7 at 10 am – at the Rome Città Educativa to learn how to participate and be heard, even in Europe.
Only 19% of interviewed Italians believe that their voice counts in Europe, against a European average of 42%. In Italy, 56% of interviewees confess that they do not understand how the EU works, 72% admits that they are not informed on EU issues and 67% does not know its rights. This is the data provided by a recent Eurobarometro survey analysing public opinion in the European Union.
Sixty-four per cent of Italians and sixty-nine per cent of Europeans perceive the Union as “bureaucracy,” while the impression that the EU is “far away” is experienced by 57% of Italian interviewees and 55% in general. And yet, Europe is just a click away! There really is no separation thank to the e-participation tools (petitions, consultations, etc.) that are unknown to most Italians.
The objective of the European e-Participation Day 2015 (Thursday, May 7 at 10 am, Rome Città Educativa) that will be held in eleven European countries is to provide concrete tools for active participation in EU policy, involving the new generations in a workday with experts to experiment innovative methods of planning social initiatives and participation.
On May 7 at 10am, Mirta Michilli, Director General of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale will open the works. Cecilia Stajano, School Innovation Manager, FMD, will hold the team-building labs. Then, Alfonso Molina, Professor of Technology Strategy, University of Edinburgh and FMD Scientific Director, will illustrate the multiplier effect that young men and women can enjoy with e-participation processes
Following a brief presentation of the “My e-Participation Story” Competition by Barbara Quarta, e-Europa Italy Project Coordinator, the floor will be turned over to: Matteo Martone, President of the Model European Parliament Italia Association (MEP Italia); Gianni Dominici, Director General, ForumPA; Fiorella De Cindio, President, Fondazione Rete Civica Milano and associate professor at the Computer Studies Department of the Milan University; Teresa Petrangolini, Regione Lazio Councillor and founder of Cittadinanzattiva onlus.
The day will continue with five work tables that will employ the Lego Serious Play method with experts and youth on how to make one’s voice heard in Europe.
Proejct E-UROPa - Enabling European e-Participation is coordinated by Telecentre Europe with organisations from eleven member states: Fondazione Mondo Digitale (Italy), I.A.N. International Aid Network (Serbia), Telecentre-Danmark (Denmark), Stowarzyszenie Miasta W Internecie (Poland), Fundacja Rozwoju Spoleczenstwa Informacyjnego (Poland), Fundatia Eos Educating For An Open Society (Romania), Asociacija Langas I Ateiti (Lithuania), Albanian Institute Of Science (Albania), Associacio Per A Joves Teb (Spain), LIKTA (Latvia), Stiftung Digitale Chancen (Germany), and Smart Work Association (Estonia).
