The Road of the Citizen in the Mirror of History

The aim of the project is to foster dialogue between different generations in order to reveal the importance of rights and freedoms guaranteed by the EU; to compare life in the EU and in former repressive systems; to encourage citizens to be aware of these rights, to spread them and to be ready to defend them. 

Countries which have experienced repressive regimes (Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, other) will participate in the project. People tend to forget that just few decades ago basic Human Rights were widely ignored, different thinking and behaviour was punished, moral standards were presented as law. It seems that now these rights are taken for granted and that is why sometimes we tend to forget how valuable they in fact are. In this project young people will make interviews with elder ones, will hear their stories about how their rights were violated in former repressive systems. They will also interview experts who will explain how these rights now are granted by the EU and will ask young people how they would imagine their lives if these rights were lost. All the filmed stories will be assembled into coherent material, which will be presented in public events in all the participating countries. The performance of Forum theatre will also be presented (the participants of the project will learn the method during the training). This kind of theatre will help to initiate active discussions and stimulate emotional involvement. So in this project we will talk about the past (stories of elder people), presence (comments of the experts about rights and freedoms guaranteed by the EU) and future (projections of young people into the future, what would it mean to loose these rights). We will also actively discuss common goals and future of European countries with the help of Forum theatre. 

Documentary

Publications

Event 1: PREPARATORY MEETING
Participation: The event involved 12 citizens, including 6 participants from the city of Vilnius (Lithuania), 1 participant from the city of Kaunas (Lithuania), 2 participants from the city of Kriukai (Lithuania), 1 participant from the city of Ourém (Portugal), 1 participant from the city of Herceg-Novi (Montenegro), 1 participant from the city of Tata (Hungary).
Location / dates: The event took place in Vilnius (Lithuania) from 2017/01/18 to 2017/01/20
Short description: The aim of the event was familiarisation with partners, allocation of activities, discussion of further cooperation, acquisition of necessary work skills. 

Event 2: MEETING OF PARTNERS IN VILNIUS - TRAINING
Participation: The event involved 30 citizens, including 4 participants from the city of Tata (Hungary), 3 participants from the city of Ourém (Portugal), 3 participants from the city of Herzeg – Novi (Montenegro), 3 participants from the city of Kriukai (Lithuania), 3 participants from the city of Kaunas (Lithuania), 13 participants from the city of Vilnius (Lithuania), 1 participant from the city of Šiauliai (Lithuania).
Location / dates: The event took place in Vilnius (Lithuania) from 2017/04/25 to 2017/04/27 and 2017/04/29.
Short description: The aim of the event was the meeting of partners, discussion, training on the Forum Theatre method, presentation of a documentary produced by four countries, familiarisation with the repressive past of Lithuania. 

Event 3: PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL EVENT IN LITHUANIA
Participation: The event involved 250 citizens, including 4 participants from the city of Tata (Hungary), 3 participants from the city of Ourém (Portugal), 3 participants from the city of Herzeg – Novi (Montenegro), 3 participants from the city of Kriukai (Lithuania), 13 participants from the city of Vilnius (Lithuania), 1 participant from the city of Šiauliai (Lithuania), 223 participants from the city of Kaunas (Lithuania).
Location / dates: The event took place in Kaunas (Lithuania) 2017/04/28. The event took place in a public library of Kaunas.
Short description: The aim of the event was to introduce an international documentary to the Lithuanian audience. Invited lecturers told about the principles of functioning and legal acts of the European Union, former expatriates shared memories on their life in the Soviet Union and Human rights violations experienced at that time. The international Forum Theatre Group presented etudes on violations of Human rights, the remedies and preventive measures for which were sought by the assembled audience. 

Event 4: PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL EVENT IN HUNGARY
Participation: The event involved 130 citizens, including 5 participants from the city of Vilnius (Lithuania), 2 participants from the city of Kaunas (Lithuania), 2 participants from the city of Kriukai (Lithuania), 2 participants from the city of Ourém (Portugal), 2 participants from the city of Herzeg – Novi (Montenegro), 115 participants from the city of Tata (Hungary), 2 EVS volunteer who currently live in the city of Tata (Hungary), coming from Italy and Armenia.
Location / dates: The event took place in Tata (Hungary), 2017/05/10 - 2017/05/13.
Short description: The aim of the event was to introduce an international documentary for the Hungarian audience; persons who had lived through hardships during the Soviet Union occupation period shared their memories. The International Forum Theatre Group presented etudes. The international Forum Theatre Group enacted etudes on violations of Human rights, the remedies and preventive measures for which were sought by the assembled audience. Before and after the public event: discussions of project participants, rehearsal of Forum theatre performances, familiarization with the history of Hungary and its perspectives on the future. 

Event 5: PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL EVENT IN MONTENEGRO
Participation: The event involved 130 citizens, including 5 participants from the city of Vilnius (Lithuania), 2 participants from the city of Kaunas (Lithuania), 2 participants from the city of Kriukai (Lithuania), 2 participants from the city of Ourém (Portugal), 3 participants from the city of Tata (Hungary), 116 participants from the city of Herzeg – Novi (Montenegro).
Location / dates: The event took place in Herzeg – Novi (Montenegro), 2017/09/20 - 2017/09/23. 
Short description: The aim of the event was to introduce an international documentary to the Montenegro audience; specialists delivered reports on Human rights violations and laws securing these rights; the international Forum Theatre Group presented etudes on Human rights violations, the remedies and preventive measures for which were sought by the assembled audience. Before and after the event project participants had discussions on issues relevant to the theme of the project, rehearsed and worked on new Forum theatre performances, got acquainted with the past of Montenegro, history of its independence and efforts to join the European Union. 

Event 6: PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL EVENT IN PORTUGAL
Participation: The event involved 110 citizens, including 5 participants from the city of Vilnius (Lithuania), 2 participants from the city of Kaunas (Lithuania), 2 participants from the city of Kriukai (Lithuania), 4 participants from the city of Tata (Hungary), 2 participants from the city of Herzeg – Novi (Montenegro), 95 participants from the city of Ourém (Portugal).
Location / date: The event took place in Ourém (Portugal), 2017/10/18 - 2017/10/21.
Short description: The aim of the event was to introduce an international documentary to the Portugal audience; a former political exile, victim to the repressive regime in Portugal shared his experience; the international Forum Theatre Group presented etudes on Human rights violations, the remedies and preventive measures for which were sought by the assembled audience. Before and after the event participants discussed relevant issues, rehearsed and created performances of Forum theatre, got acquainted with the history of Portugal. Other countries had an opportunity to find out what it means to live in democratic society and to belong to the European Union for many years already. As this was the last event of the project, the discussion and reflection of all the project took place. 

Project partners worked also independently and gathered material for the documentary. They interviewed elder people who shared their stories about life in repressive systems, they also talked with specialists who helped to understand how the EU, its documents and practices protect Human Rights, and with young people who talked about the meaning and importance of freedom they have and what it would mean to loose it. All interviews were based on the selected statements/articles from Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Later this material was assembled into coherent film. In the end of the project the publication of Best practice was prepared. It summarizes the project, its activities, achievements, insights and possibilities provided by the programme. 

January 18 - 20, 2017. Preparatory meeting. Vilnius, Lithuania
January 20 - March 20, 2017. Independent work of partners. Interviews of young people in each country with older people, professionals and peers. 
March 20 - April 20, 2017. Editing of the collected footage, formation of a single work. 
April 25 - 27, 2017. Forum theater training. Vilnius, Lithuania
April 28, 2017. International public event. Presentation of footage, announcements, Forum Theater Etude. Kaunas, Lithuania
May 10 - 12, 2017. International public event. Presentation of footage, announcements, Forum Theater Etudes. Tata, Hungary
September 20 - 22, 2017. International public event. Presentation of footage, announcements, Forum Theater Etude. Herceg-Novi, Montenegro
October 18 - 20, 2017. International public event. Presentation of footage, announcements, Forum Theater Etude. Ourém, Portugal

Partners

  • MIRE Magyar Identitasert Regionalis Egyesulet, Hungary

Supported by

With the support of the Europe for Citizens Programme of the European Union.

Šis projektas finansuojamas remiant Europos Komisijai. Šis leidinys atspindi tik autoriaus požiūrį, todėl Komisija negali būti laikoma atsakinga už bet kokį jame pateikiamos informacijos naudojimą.

Galerija