1.
Grundtvig seminar
DVOREC RAKIČAN 16.­22.6.2014
Media Literacy for
Active Citizens
From 16th till 22nd of June
2014 participants of all ages
from Luxembourg, Czech
Republic, Slovenia, Turkey,
Poland and France gathered
in the historical castle Dvorec
Rakičan in Slovenia to
experience Grundtvig
partnership seminar „Media
Literacy for Active Citizens“
within the first Media
Laboratory.
We started the week with
introduction to media sphere and
non­formal education with
emphasis on adults learning. The
participants were divided into three
groups, each of them focused on
one specific media. During the
week we produced outputs as
video, articles and Facebook page.
We have also had presentation
from guest Simona, who is the local
Slovenian journalist.
The other day we went for an
excursion to media house in
Murska Sobota. The tour started in
radio station and continued to
newspaper floor where we got
room for our questions regarding
the project we were working on.
In a castle
Stéphanie Cumini, Luxembourg
In a castle, far east of Slovenia, 22
people coming from across
Europe, were given the possibility to
be part of an intercultural project
about Media.
While discussing the subject in the
group, I took the opportunity to
observe how Media influences our
daily life here in Murska Sobota
Located in a quiet place, at first
sight, we might seemed
disconnected from the world.
However, the castle has one crucial
tool we all cannot imagine to live
without on a long period of time:
INTERNET, the global leading
provider of media.
Although we all come from different
cultures and social backgrounds,
we all share this
need to be constantly connected to
the outer world. Whether it is to
entertain ourselves when boredom
comes up or when we need to
research for our projects or even
just look up a word in english, a
receipt or a song, everyone of us
uses media to spice up this melting
pot of nationalities and cultures, we
became during this week, with
informations.
This endless flow of data we can
access nowadays almost
whenever and wherever we want,
doesn't really allow us to be
ignorant about a subject we could
easily look up on the internet.
Nevertheless, the face to face
exchange with people from different
countries is a lifelong experience
and teaches us far more than any
search engine or media platform
ever could.

2. Is music the esperanto of
European countries?
Nella Janowska, Poland
Since it's been discovered, music
has united people from different
places, times and of different origin.
Most of European project aim at
integration between people from
different European countries. In lot
of the cases music is the link
between strangers. That is what
happened at our seminar about
Media Literacy for Active Citizens.
When we arrived everyone was
scared of talking to each other. It
didn't take much time to bring us
together. And how it happened? Of
course thanks to music. We shared
favourite songs and danced the
night away. Also we had salsa night
and I'm not talking about food.
Our friend from Luxembourg with
portuguese roots showed us the
basic moves. Besides the age we
all had fun. Within the Intercultural
Activities we had a party. We were
singing songs that everyone knew.
Music unites nations. Because of it
people from different countries who
speak different languages are able
to feel and think in the same way.
Music gives people joy and boosts
their confidence when it comes to
introducing themselves to new
environment.
International evening
Internet can also be use as an
alternative to the television and
A decade of Poles
Maria Smorszczewska, Poland
After the famous declaration of
Robert Schuman, the founding
father of the EU it was created, and
has developed and taken a complex
shape. It is unlike anything else. It
isn't a government, an association
of states or an international
organisation.
This year passes 10 years since
Poland koniec the union. What did
the Poles change in the EU and
how did it change us, the Poles ?
May the 1st of 2004 was called.
One of the most important day of
our national history". Polish
economic and society really
benefited from partnership with the
EU. Money donated by this
organisation helped to build
hundreds of kilometers of highway,
cycling roads or different type of
infrastructure. Thanks to the
founding historical buildings are
renewed, new ones are built. Next
to every new investment stands a
board informing about the founding
that comes from the union.
The EU also creates learning
opportunities for students. Now
young people have a chance of
taking up studying outside of the
polish borders. Union law demands
that universities treat their foreign
students like their own. Also when a
student you can participate in
programs of exchange like
Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci or
European Voluntary.
You don't have to be a student to
see other perks of the membership
in the EU. The Schengen
Agreement which provided the
removal of the border controls
between participating countries and
now we can freely travel around
europe.
But it is not so colorful and bright.
Being a member of the European
Union means a lot of new
restrictions to deal with.
Restrictions that not always can be
called reasonable. They are to strict
or just not necessary. For example
determining the shape, size and
curve of
a pickle
or a
banana,
or how
much
butter is
in the
butter.
Because of that Polish farmers
have to reduce the production...
Together on the web
Mathias Hubert, France
As it’s well known, Internet changed
our lifes in many ways. The
Together project allows people from
different countries to be associated
in the same place. So, what do
these young people from several
countries think about Internet?
The web has changed the way that
we interact with other people, how
we consume, how we work. For
many people the first thing they do
when they come home is to open
their laptop and surf on the web.
Patrick Lopez is a young
Luxembourgish man of 24 years
old. For him, it would be hard to live
without Internet today in our society
: « people in general and especially
young people use Internet for
everything, of course to have fun
but also to really different things...
like find a doctor, use a GPS in a
car, or find a restaurant ! ».
the issues. We give and take back.
This process opens our mind !

3. mainstream medias. It concerns
the news, but also TV programs.
For Martina Svobodova, from
Czech Republic, Internet allows her
to feel freely, and to chose what
she really wants to see : « it’s also
a way to avoid the advertising,
because television is full of it. And
with TV replay, I can stop my
programs and come back to them
later ».
painting by Miro Pogran
Night­clubs and bars
Since the NSA scandal, some
people take care about what they
do on the Web. Sara Slovenia is 21
and come from Slovenia. She’s
conscious about the danger to
share personal informations on the
internet : « I try to do not send to
much private informations. I don’t
really knows who will steal it, and I’m
quite worry about that ». At the
contrary, Martina don’t really care
about that. « I’m aware of it. But am
I worry ? No. »
Internet is more and more important
for the young people social life.
After asking the Together project
young people, it don’t seems that
Internet is so useful to make new
friends, in general. But at the
contrary, it helps to keep stay in
touch, or for example to easily
convince of an appointment with
friends they already have in real life.
So, it avoids loneliness because we
all know that a good social life
makes happy :) !
Naile Kaş is 23 and comes from
Turkey. She said that « Internet is a
really practical tool to chat with
friends who are far away, cheaper
than phone ». Same for Maja
Manowiecka from Poland, who use
Internet to send pictures and
messages. But, on an other hand,
Patrick confided that he met his ex
girl­friend on the Net... So
everything is possible !
An usual criticism about Internet
and young people is that it
damages the relation­ships
between youngs in real life, who
stay focused on their screens
instead of have fun with their
friends. A large part of people we
asked are quite agree with that.
That’s maybe exaggerate.
Night­clubs, bars and parks are full
of teenagers enjoying their free time
together. Martina’s point of view is
that « people don’t lose their ability
to to have real contacts. But they
are maybe too much wasting their
time on Internet. And receive too
much informations. At the end of
the day, did they really learned
something ? » For Stephanie
Qmini, 26, from Luxembourg, «
Internet is what you do with it.
Everybody have to be conscious
and think about his own use of the
web ». To meditate.
Why opt for lifelong learning?
Dina Freitas, Luxembourg
Lifelong learning, as the name says
it, is the fact to continue educational
experience throughout life.It can
include educational travel,
community service and
volunteering.
Lifelong Learning opens the mind
because we exchange ideas and
points of views with others. It is
interesting to see the other side of
Another point is, it that it makes that
our understanding grows. We know
how to deal with failures and
successes and also get to know
that it is a part of learning, of life in a
whole. So Lifelong Learning
increases our wisdom.
It also helps us to adapt and accept
change. Society changes all the
time and so do we. Thanks to an
important interaction, we learn
about ourself,our strenghts,our
weeknesses, we evolve, We are
not the same tomorrow after having
participated at a lifelong learning
project. Besides, Lifelong Learning
allows us to stay active in society
and to be involved in it.
group working on articles
Today more an more elder people
offer their knowledge in projects
and stay active and healthy in mind
and body. We can say, that it gives
a meaning in our lives. Sometimes,
when we think about our lives,
sometimes it’s hard to find a sense.
It’s interesting to recognize that «
Lifelong Learning » gives a
direction, a perspective which helps
through the ups and downs of life.
Another essential point is that it
helps us to find new friends and
some important relations. We meet
people from all around the world
and get to know each other. We
make connections that we never
would do like this in our country.
that we keep going on and it
increases our motivation. So here
you have many reasons to try, to
do, to have fun, to learn, to fulfill

4.
Those projects bring self­fulfilment.
In participating in such projects we
get a life with many facets, so it
isn’t boring and represents a real
enrichment.
Finally, Lifelong Learning creates a
curious and creative mind. The
world has so much to offer and it is
our turn to discover. In being part of
this, we learn many things about
what is going on in our world, about
culture, history, other countries.
This process of curiosity and
creativeness makes
yourself, to live with others and to
be !
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of
the information contained therein.