Over 70 participants from 11 European countries gathered for the final international meeting  of the Empowering European Citizens programme in Skopje, Macedonia last week. To celebrate the Europe Day we had the chance to present the programme outcomes to high-level policy-makers and wider audiences via TV news in Macedonia. Read what Peter Seenan, member of the Finnish team, said about his experiences:

Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.

My name is Peter Seenan and I am an Empowering European Citizens project participant from Finland. As some of you may know or be able to tell from my accent, I am Scottish.  … We can’t all be perfect.

In my allotted 4 minutes I wish to reflect upon the impact of Empowering European Citizens through the frame of my personal, lived experiences on this shared European journey.

For participants, to consider the outcomes of the EEC project, and evaluate its successes, is to focus upon three primary areas; the organisational impacts, community achievements and critically, also upon its personal dimension.

My colleagues have highlighted for you the profound impact upon organisations and local communities and now I wish to give you a personal flavour of the programme’s impacts upon me.

Sharing stories and learning together is at the heart of the Active Citizens programme, and so too Empowering European Citizens, and by providing a brief personal narrative I hope you can appreciate the vision and delivery of this powerful initiative for European values.

I began by mentioning my nationality, but on this EEC journey nationality has played a peripheral role when common values and diversity have been celebrated in an environment in which assumptions are challenged and unity across borders is strengthened. 

People have not discovered a kilt-wearing, whisky –soaked Scotsman, nor a sauna-crazy Finn from a country where 10c is considered tanning weather …

At least it’s not all true.

Stereotypes have been challenged and opinions re-written in a space for reflection, dialogue and cooperation. 

This project has forged my own European integration and identity.

It has created new bridges and new opportunities in a connected Europe, benefitting my integration in Finland. 

I entered this programme committed to empowering those with whom I work and the young people I represent at the policy level, but I stand here today as an individual who has himself been vastly empowered.

The 300 European citizens and participants of the EEC programme are not only a bridge to future change. We represent change today.

My conviction for civic responsibility has always been steadfast but EEC has aided me on my journey to fulfilling this conviction. It has provided me with the knowledge, skills and tools, but most important of all, it has provided me and every other EEC participant in this room with added conviction to do what we believe is right for society.

We work in a misunderstood and frequently overlooked sector and forging bonds with others from all over Europe has provided much needed impetus and belief in our work. This is a sector that doesn’t reap great financial rewards for its social change navigators – we must be led by values and belief in sustainable development.

The British Council’s leadership is essential for our work and I am grateful for this opportunity to learn from and with the best.

Looking to the future I am certain that the international cooperation and dialogue planted here will continue long beyond the life of this project.

I plan to return to the classroom in Helsinki with the invaluable support of the British Council Finland and continue facilitating a secondary school project that has fostered European and global citizenship via non-formal education methods. This has and will continue to be a platform for cascading the competencies and tools, motivation and participatory learning developed in Empowering European Citizens.

A recent encounter in Helsinki encapsulates the profound importance of the Empowering European Citizens programme for me. Chancing upon a former student of my global education programme, I asked 18-year old Hanna how she was occupying herself after graduation from school.

“I’ve just started volunteering for Finnish Red Cross when I’m not working to make money for university” she said, before explaining, “hearing on the Global.me programme about the many injustices in the world inspired me to take action and volunteering is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had”.

I would like to finish today by quoting a fellow participant who yesterday exclaimed boldly: “the future is now”.

I speak for all my fellow participants when I say that the Empowering European Citizens programme has borne that reality.

Thank you.

- Peter Seenan -

“They are messages from another world, which, though not wholly imaginary, was in its way as much of an artful illusion as any prog-rock dream …”

The background is that we recently completed digitisation of the British Council 1940′s commissioned films. Big hand here goes to our partner Google for supporting the work on the material. Descriptions from my colleagues and friends range from ‘Hilarious’ to ‘Surreal’.

The collection is here.

What motivates to support one cause but not another? What about someone’s charity run or other activity? Peter Maple explores these questions in a recent article at the Guardian.

Please note that this is a part-time post of around 20h/week. Interviews will be held on 15.05.2012.

Application form

Role Profile – details

For details and job content queries please email Antti Karjalainen (Antti.Karjalainen@britishcouncil.fi).

Application form can be returned, and other queries can be directed, to Mervi Watkins (Mervi.Watkins@britishcouncil.fi), +358- 50-3234611

Deadline for applications is May 4th 2012 klo 16:00

Interviews will be held on May 15th.

Yesterday afternoon we had a launch of a report on opening public data to developers, researchers and enthusiasts . We heard from Taru Rastas the Ministry of Transport and Communications that Finland is moving fast with many initiatives taking place and some great collaboration between various ministries.  The current government’s plan also includes opening of some public data sets and the development of policy initiatives.

The report highlighted very well a somewhat underdeveloped angle of open data, especially in the Finnish context, which is to do with democratisation of local governance through accessibility of public data. Also, Antti Halonen, the author of the report, placed the open data initiatives into the Freedom of Information (FOI) context in the UK.  A great example where good policies gain traction from each other.

The Report can be found here.