CERV – ‘Shaping the future of Europe – My image of peace’ – WORKSHOP

Workshop with: High School of Fine Arts, Timișoara

Together with the school principal, we organized a workshop on April 2, 2025, with students from the 10th and 12th grades. The director of FRG Timișoara presented the project.

The students were particularly active. They emphasized that war is not a solution and that participatory democracy must always be used in potential conflicts. All available means of communication, including social networks, should be employed.

The importance of education was also highlighted. In the students’ view, education is crucial for understanding the global situation. Political education in schools is important—not politicization, but genuine civic and political education.

European values were also discussed, especially the motto of the European Union: “United in Diversity.” By implementing and respecting this motto in practice, peace can be achieved.

It was agreed that the students would design and create an exhibition expressing their vision of peace through various artistic works. The opening of the exhibition is scheduled for September 8, 2025.

Workshop with: Traian Vuia High School, Făget

The project was presented on various occasions from its start in Lüneburg until its conclusion. Different forms of project promotion were implemented: from courses for adults organized by the FRG to workshops with pupils.

On June 6, 2024, the first workshop was held with students of the Traian Vuia High School in the town of Făget. Students from the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades participated. On this occasion, the project was presented, and the topic “Peace in the Context of the War in Ukraine” was discussed.

A total of 76 students and one teacher took part. Under the moderation of FRG representative Alina Neciov, the young people shared their visions of peace.

All participants agreed that war is not a solution—especially in today’s world with modern technology, where even small conflicts can cause great human losses. Moreover, there is the risk that malicious forces could trigger a worldwide war, leading to a global humanitarian catastrophe.

The only solution to prevent conflicts is peace negotiations, which must precede and prevent any outbreak of armed conflict. Peace is essential for the development of humanity, and to achieve it we must act together with all peoples.

Vernissage exhibition ‘My image of PEACE’

On 8 September 2025, the exhibition of works by pupils in grades 10–12 was opened by the project manager of FRG Timișoara in the rooms of the Timișoara Art School.

Various works were presented that depict peace through the eyes of the young artists. The idea behind some of the works is the connection between nature as freedom of movement and development and the idea of PEACE.

Larisa, a Year 12 student, presented her picture of a path leading upwards to the sky, a difficult path but one with lots of light and hope, which is worth taking.

Daria, another 12th grade student, presented her painting: with bright pastel colours, she depicts how she feels the path to peace.

The exhibition will remain open for three weeks (from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Network of Towns ‘Shaping the future of Europe – My image of peace’ International panel discussion

The final conference of the project was organised and hosted by FRG Timisoara with the support of the President of Timis County Council in the County Council meeting room.

The conference began at 10 a.m. with the European and Romanian national anthems and was moderated by the director of the FRG. After a brief presentation of the project partners and participants in the panel discussion, the project coordinator from Miteinander in Europa presented the results achieved so far.

This was followed by a panel discussion involving the project coordinator, the deputy general inspector of the Timis County School Inspectorate, the president of the Union of Ukrainians in Timis County, the deputy director of the Timis County Employment Agency and a teacher from the Timișoara Art School.

The moderator invited all participants to engage in an open discussion on the highly topical issue of peacemaking in the world. This was followed by two hours of open debate with many questions and answers from the participants. To ensure good communication between the participants, FRG Timisoara provided simultaneous translation from Romanian into German and vice versa.

It was an interactive debate that captured the attention of the 83 conference participants. Most of them were students from the Timisoara University of Arts and the West Timisoara Technical University, together with teachers, but also representatives of civil society such as the Bethany Timisoara Social Services Foundation, the Association of Deportees in Baragan, representatives of the FRG, Timisoara City Hall and private individuals. The students’ questions were also directed at the project partners, who in turn wanted to hear the students’ thoughts and concerns in general and on the subject of peace in particular.

At the end, the students also expressed their thoughts on peace. Peace is a common good. Peace means not only the absence of war, but also respect and living in harmony, and an impulse from the deputy director of the Timis Employment Agency. ‘Peace is not a state, but a decision we should make every day.’

The conference ended with the song “We Are The World” sung by children at Junior Eurovision 2023. The discussion and conversations continued for another two hours over organized catering until 2 p.m.

The project coordinator, together with the representative of the FRG and two students from the Lyceum of Fine Arts in Timisoara, gave an interview for Radio Timisoara. The project was also forwarded to the Consulate of the Republic of Germany in Timisoara, the EVBB – European Association of Vocational Training Providers, the Banater Zeitung newspaper and 13 media providers.