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"A Soul for Europe": Common Call for Citizenship through Culture signed by MEPs

28 October 2011

On 11 October 2011, at the European Parliament in Brussels, the Advisory Board and the Advisory Board Parliamentarian Working Group of the civil society initiative “A Soul for Europe” endorsed a Common Call to name the year 2013 the “European Year of Citizens Through Culture”. Reacting to the proposal of the European Commission presented in August 2011, the group of 15 Parliamentarians and further Advisory Board members claim to include a strong cultural dimension into the European Year. Chaired by Doris Pack and Hans-Gert Pöttering, this trans-party, all-European group underlines the importance of creating a strong European Citizenship. This active citizenship can only be achieved by integrating an important cultural component in its creational process. Preceding the elections for the European Parliament in 2014, the European Parliament agrees with the Commission’s proposal that ‘Union citizenship is closely related to the democratic principles of the European Union which set the framework for the participation of citizens in the democratic life in the Union.’ The decision on the European Year will be taken in the middle of 2012. With this Common Call, “A Soul for Europe” follows its initial credo implemented since the first Berlin Conference in strong partnership with decision makers from the local to the European level. In 2004, Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso underlined in Berlin, in one of his first statements as Commission’s President, that ‘cultural values lie above the economic ones’. Indeed, as stated in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Citizenship includes the fundamental right of all citizens to access to culture. "There can be no genuine sense of shared European identity if we forget our culture,“ Doris Pack states, Chairwoman of the Culture Committee at the European Parliament. “A Soul for Europe” invites members of the European Parliament and national assemblies, representatives of national ministries and governments to join the call. A trans-sectorial coalition of civil society actors will shape a programme of actions for the years 2012 and 2013. “A Soul for Europe” unites over 50 young affiliates from diverse areas such as culture, politics, business, research and media from 21 countries. Since 2009 the initiative is supported by a high-ranking Advisory Board that is chaired by the President of European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek. The Advisory Board comprises personalities from different fields in society such as economy, civil society, culture and politics and has a counseling function to the initiative. The Advisory Board Parliamentarian Working Group, headed by the chair of the Culture Committee of the European Parliament Doris Pack, feeds into the Advisory Board and is entirely composed of Members of the European Parliament from different European parties. These two bodies perform a bridge function between civil society and political decision makers. Their members see themselves as partners and supporters of the process. press release" title=" Everybody wishing to support the initiative, please feel invited to: • take it up in your own communication, your websites, your newsletters etc. • address ‘your’ MEPs with this call who are included in the list • address additional MEPs and ask them to sign and promote this call • endorse the call of MEPs in your organisation/network etc. • send it to your national parliaments and governments and ask their support [http://www.efa-aef.eu/newpublic/upload/efadoc/8/Joint%20Call%20for%202013%20ASfE.pdf]Download the document here" target="_blank"> Everybody wishing to support the initiative, please feel invited to: • take it up in your own communication, your websites, your newsletters etc. • address ‘your’ MEPs with this call who are included in the list • address additional MEPs and ask them to sign and promote this call • endorse the call of MEPs in your organisation/network etc. • send it to your national parliaments and governments and ask their support [http://www.efa-aef.eu/newpublic/upload/efadoc/8/Joint%20Call%20for%202013%20ASfE.pdf]Download the document here. Contact for more information: “A Soul for Europe” Brussels office c/o European House for Culture Place Flagey18 1050 Brussels ASfE@houseforculture.eu