Strasbourg, 3 December 2004

DGIV/EDU/CAHCIT (2004) 16

COUNCIL OF EUROPE LAUNCHING CONFERENCE OF THE

EUROPEAN YEAR OF CITIZENSHIP THROUGH EDUCATION
Sofia, Bulgaria
13-14 December 2004
at the invitation of the Bulgarian authorities

DRAFT PROGRAMME

The Council of Europe has decided to proclaim the year 2005 European Year of Citizenship
through Education. It wishes to draw attention to how crucial education, both formal and
non-formal, in a lifelong learning perspective, is to the development of active citizenship, the
quality of participation in a democratic society and in fostering democratic culture.
The Launching Conference of the European Year of Citizenship through Education will bring
together the main partners in the organisation of the Year. The participants will share their
experiences and achievements and endorse a Declaration and a Plan of Action for the Year.
The conference will launch local, regional, national and international activities aimed at the
dissemination of best practice, awareness raising and developing initiatives and partnerships.
The conclusions of the Conference will be brought to the attention of the Third Council of
Europe Summit of Heads of State and Government, which will take place in Warsaw on
16-17 May 2005 with the goal to ensure the Councils relevance for Europes 800 million
citizens. These conclusions will also be presented at the events commemorating the 50th
anniversary of the European Cultural Convention (December 2004 May 2005).
Date and place
The Launching Conference will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, at the Princess Hotel, on
13-14 December 2004.
Participants
Participants are expected to be around 150. They should be:

policy makers (senior officials of member states Ministries of Education) ;

experts in educational policies (such as curriculum and handbook developers,
education administrators, inspectors, project managers);
education professionals, especially multipliers dealing with education for democratic
citizenship and human rights education (such as school and university leaders,
teachers, trainers, support staff);
representatives of the adult education sector;
representatives of NGOs working for youth participation;
representatives of other European and international institutions.

Ministers of Education are particularly welcomed even if the Conference is not, as such, a
ministerial conference. Their presence would, definitely, give an added value to the
conference.
Objectives/Key issues
The objectives of the Launching Conference are to:

endorse the concept for the European Year of Citizenship through Education as well
as a Declaration and a Plan of Action which can serve as inspiration for activities in
member states during the Year;
present the instruments provided by the Council of Europe on education for
democratic citizenship and human rights (EDC/HRE);
2

exchange information about plans for implementation of the Year in member states
and define co-operation activities;
discuss inter-institutional co-operation in the framework of the Year (between the
Council of Europe and other international organisations).

Working Methods
The Conference is expected to adopt a Declaration and a Plan of Action for the Year. The
participants will share information on existing policies and practices, providing examples of
practical use of existing tools and brainstorming for innovative projects and co-operation
activities. The programme will include plenary sessions, and working groups. An information
market (publications and documents) will be at the participants disposal.
***
Practical Information and Contacts
The Conference will take place at the Princess Hotel in Sofia. The Princess Hotel has
adequate facilities for lodging and conference rooms for a maximum of 150 participants. The
hotel is within a walking distance from the city centre, quite near the central railway station
and the central bus station, and about 12 km from the airport. A shuttle service will be
provided by the organisers.
Working languages
Working languages at the conference will be English, French and Bulgarian. There will be
simultaneous interpretation during the plenary sessions, and in one of the working groups.
Other groups will be in English only.
Documentation
Besides the Concept Paper, the Council of Europe will put at participants disposal the
publications that will be subsequently presented at the Conference. These will include
adopted texts, working instruments, information materials on education for democratic
citizenship and human rights education, such as:
1. The EDC Pack: a set of instruments on the implementation of EDC: Issues for Policy
Makers; Democratic Governance in Education Institutions; Action Paper on Teacher
Training for EDC; and the Quality Assurance and self-evaluation in EDC.
2. COMPASS Manual on Human Rights Education.
3. T-Kits (No. 4: Intercultural Learning; No. 6: Training Essentials; No. 7: Under
constructionCitizenship, Youth and Europe; No. 8: Social Inclusion).

Secretariat
Council of Europe
Ms Agneta DERRIEN, Division for Citizenship and Human Rights Education
DG IV, Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport
67075 Strasbourg Cedex, France
Tel: +33 3 88 41 22 92
Fax: +33 3 88 41 27 06 or 2788
E-mail: agneta.derrien@coe.int
Bulgarian Authorities
Ms Lubov DRAGANOVA
Director European Integration and Bilateral Co-operation Department
Ministry of Education & Science
2A boulevard Kniaz Dondoukov
SOFIA 1000, Bulgaria
Tel: +359 2 92 17 445
Fax: +359 2 988 06 00
E-mail: L.Draganova@minedu.government.bg; directorEIDS@minedu.government.bg

Draft Programme
Saturday, 11 December 2004:
19:00

Concert offered by the Bulgarian authorities

Sunday, 12 December 2004:

12:00-20:00

Registration of participants (continued on Monday from 8:30-9:30)

15:00-18:00

Sightseeing tour of Sofia (upon individual request) and visit of the

National Historical Museum

19:30

Dinner offered by the Bulgarian authorities

Monday, 13 December 2004

Learning and Living Democracy
Chair of plenary session: Mr Igor Damianov,
Minister of Education and Science, Bulgaria
08:30-09:30
09:30-09:45

Registration of participants
Welcome address by Mr Igor Damianov

09:45-10:00

Opening speech by Ms Maud de Boer-Buquicchio,

Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe

10:00-10:20

Learning and Living Democracy keynote speech on citizenship

and democracy in present Europe by Ms Vedrana Spajic-Vrka

10:20-11:00

Coffee break

11:00-11:15

Results of the Ministerial Conference commemorating the 50th

anniversary of the European Cultural Convention, Wroclaw, 9-10
December 2004 by Mr Jerzy Wiatr, former Minister of National
Education and Sport of Poland, General Rapporteur at Wroclaw

11:15-11:30

Statement by a representative of the Committee of Ministers of the

Council of Europe, ____________
Statements by Ms Stancheva, Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assembly, and Mr Etienne Van Vaerenbergh, Congress of Local and
Regional Authorities, on their role during the Year

11:30-11:50

Democratic Participation by Mr Alain Mouchoux, Head of the

grouping Education and Culture, INGOs enjoying participatory
status with the Council of Europe, and Mr Dietrich Baenziger
(National Youth Council of Switzerland)

11:50-12:30

Discussion

12:30-14:00

Lunch

14:00-15:00

Plenary session: From Policy to Practice in Democracy Learning

Chair: Ms Reinhild Otte (Germany)
Presentation of instruments prepared by the Council of Europe on
education for citizenship and human rights:
a) EDC Pack (30-40 min): Mr David Kerr (United Kingdom);
Mr Janez Krek (Slovenia); Ms Maria Helena Salema
(Portugal)
b) COMPASS and T-Kits: Mr Rui Gomes (Directorate of
Youth and Sport, Council of Europe)

15:00-17:30

Working Groups on three different themes:

WG 1.1: Citizenship and Democracy in Present Europe
Moderator: Mr Marino Ostini (Switzerland)
WG Rapporteur: Mr Bruno Losito (Italy)
WG 1.2: From Policy to Practice in Democracy Learning
Moderator: Ms Sigrid Steininger (Austria)
WG Rapporteur: Mr John Christiansen (Norway)
WG 1.3: Democratic Participation
Moderator: Mr Riccardo Venturini (San Marino)
WG Rapporteur: Ms Svetlana Poznyak (Ukraine)

16:15-16:30

Coffee break

19:30

Reception offered by the Bulgarian authorities at the archeological

Museum

Tuesday, 14 December 2004

Member states inputs for the

European Year of Citizenship through Education
09:30-10:45
09.30-10.15

Working Groups
Short introductory inputs followed by a discussion by participants
WG 2.1
Moderator: Ms V ra astn (Czech Republic)
WG Rapporteur: Mr Hans Brosse (The Netherlands)
Short introductory inputs followed by a discussion by participants
United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Switzerland
NGOs: European Youth Forum; European Association for the
Education of Adults
WG 2.2
Moderator: Ms Maria-Helena Salema (Portugal)
WG Rapporteur: Mr Laurent Bazin (France)
Short introductory inputs followed by a discussion by participants
Austria, Russia, Italy
NGOs: European Schoolnet, European Teachers Association
WG 2.3
Moderator: Ms Mary Rose Mifsud (Malta)
WG Rapporteur: Mr Mitja Sardoc (Slovenia)
Short introductory inputs followed by a discussion by participants
Greece, Serbia and Montenegro, Malta
NGOs: ESIB; Helpdesk for Intercultural Learning Materials (British
Council)

10:45-11:00

Coffee break

11:00-12:30

Working groups continued

12:30-14:00

Lunch

14:00

Concluding plenary session

Chair of plenary session: Mr Anatoli Ermoline (Russian Federation)
Inter-institutional co-operation during the European Year of
Citizenship through Education. Round table discussion with a
panel of representatives of international organisations: UNHCHR,
UNESCO, European Commission, OSCE/ODHIR
Moderators: Mr Virgilio Meira Soares (Portugal) and Mr Oliver
Wagner (Germany)

14:00-15:30

15:30-16:00

Coffee break

16:00-16:30

Conclusions of the Conference by the General Rapporteur, Mr

David Kerr (United Kingdom)

16:30-17:00

Adoption of the Declaration and the Action Plan for the European
Year of Citizenship through Education. Introductory presentation by
Mr Krzysztof Ostrowski (Poland), Chair of the Ad hoc committee for
the European Year of Citizenship through Education (CAHCIT)

17:00-17:15

Closing address by Mr Gabriele Mazza (Director of Education,

Council of Europe)

19:30

Reception offered by the Council of Europe

Departure of the participants

Wednesday, 15 December 2004