A Virtual Learning Environment for Political Education of Youth and Young Adults in Europe

Today young Europeans are offered ever-greater opportunities for personal development; at the same time they are confronted with diverse conflicts, challenges and burdens. Regional conflicts have varying origins, motive forces and manifestations. However, a comparative examination of other realms of experience can often lead to new ways of looking at one's own problems; new possibilities for their solution emerge and one-sided attitudes are modified.

Using examples from Northern Ireland, the Basque region, the former East Germany, or urban centres across Europe a virtual learning environment will illustrate roots of conflict and the difficulties and negotiating strategies involved in its resolution. We are going to make a contribution to promoting the development of personal, social and professional competence and encouraging tolerance. We will describe the causes and problems of conflict situations but also show how committed citizens can begin to resolve such conflicts. This will provide a picture of European societies and illustrate the methods, which can be used in coming to terms with our own identity and that of others.

The learning environment will be accompanied by an electronic guidebook for teachers which supports the implementation of the online application into the curricula of political education. The use of the application will be tested through a series of model seminars carried out by the project partners, and by virtual meetings between tutors, learners and political experts and activists.