Citizen Consultation at the Universitat de València

The Office of the Vice-Principal for Art, Culture and Heritage of the Universitat de València via the University Extension Service and the Erasmus Scene of the Universitat de València joins the “Hablamos de Europa” (We Talk About Europe) citizen consultation, fostered by the Foreign Office under the heading “Europe’s General Situations”, which will take place on 29th October from 10 a.m. in La Nau Cultural Centre of the Universitat de València.

This event is thought to be open, with no party affiliation, clear and collaborative. There is a double objective: fostering reflection and discussion on Europe’s future and take the result of the citizen consultations to the European Council on December 2018.

Citizen consultations are public events, with no party affiliation, open and collaborative that every institution (with consent of the Foreign Office) can organise to give a voice to citizens about Europe’s future. They are not to be confused with normal conferences or briefings about the EU. They are about putting citizens at the centre.

Citizen consultations try to ensure representation as balanced and diverse as possible in terms of age, gender, social and professional status and geographic origin. It is about hearing all opinions on Europe, not only those of the most involved or sceptical. Every event, general or specific, will be open to all opinions.

EUROPE’S GENERAL SITUATIONS

The main objective of the citizen consultation project “Europe’s General Situations”, created by the Universitat de València, is to develop a discussion among a hundred European citizens of different ages and status with the following features:

Plurality. In order to achieve diversity, participating people can be local students of the Universitat de València, foreign Erasmus students of the Universitat de València, elders who take part in the continuing education and training of the Universitat de València, from La Nau Gran or from the towns that are involved in the “Las Pequeñas Europas” (The Small Europes) programme of the Erasmus Scene Network. People in general who do not wish to take part in the discussion can participate in the event with no problem whatsoever. These people can take the floor once the discussions have been concluded.

Dynamism. In order to achieve dynamism, the discussion will be focused in two main topics:

1. European citizenship, identity and values: the historical, cultural and social heritage of Europe has created an identity settled on the democratic values, human rights advocacy and rule of law that define EU members. At the same time, disagreements among the Member States about Europe’s future, demographic trends in European societies or discussions about multiculturalism have created new discussions about the values and identity that define the European citizenship.

1. ¿Social policies for the European citizens?: health, education, culture, youth policies, consumer protection or systems of social security were until recently the only means that the States had in order to ensure citizen wellbeing. Nowadays, the European Union’s intervention in all these areas tries to ensure this wellbeing for all European people. But at the same time European Union’s involvement shifts and does not intervene in all areas of welfare.

The discussion will be organised in four stage spaces of the Matilde Salvador Hall in La Nau Cultural Centre of the Universitat de València. From 20 to 25 people will be coordinated by a facilitator in every space. From each of the discussions a record of submissions and conclusions will be written, which will later be summarized in an only document by the main rapporteur.

Incitement. The organisation will designate a facilitator for each of the four discussions. This facilitator will not only manage the time but will act as an instigator introducing the most opposite points of view in order to achieve honest implication from the assistants.

Visibility. The discussion can be followed via social media with the hashtag #ConsultasCiudadanas (Citizen Consultations) and it will be summarized in videos containing the activity of each one of the discussions, as well as the read of the final report. The press office of the Universitat de València will be holding a promotion campaign in the public and private media of València and the Spanish State in general. At the end of the event summaries in video will be made in order to publicize the results of this initiative.

Future. The “Europe’s general situations” initiative is born to stay. It will be carried out annually from 2019 on on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the “Constitucions fundacionals de la Universitat de València” (Foundation Laws of the Universitat de València), 30th April 1499.

PROGRAMME

10.00 h Opening of the event and objectives.

10.30 h Discussion beginning. 4 boards (2 in Catalan and/or Spanish and 2 in English). Topics: European citizenship, identity and values and ¿Social policies for the European citizens?

12:00 h Break.

12:30 h Participation of assistants who do not want to enter the discussion and writing of conclusions of every discussion

13.30 h. Exposing final conclusions by “Europe’s General Situations” rapporteur, D. Antonio Ariño, Vice-rector for Culture and Sports of the Universitat de València.

Self-enrolment

• www.uv.es/portalumne

Via: Enrolment in other studies and activities -- Events of the University Extension Service -- Campus: Others-- Types: Free-elective course -- Semester: 1 -- Click on the Search button (the one with the magnifying glass)

Free activity. Contact phone number 96 386 41 76 or 96 3983967 (Salvador Bahilo or Jose Luis Vila)