Palermo COMENIUS Project COMENIUS SCHOOL PROJECT March 2004 PALERMO MARCH 2004
LIONS CLUB „Palermo dei Vespri“ Presidente Sig.ra Zina Corso D’Arca
The International Association of Lions Clubs
DISTRETTO 108 YB – SICILIA Anno Sociale 2003-2004 Governatore Dott. Domenico Messina
Photo: U. Schmack
editorial CIAO RAGAZZI! HEY GUYS! Hopes and fears is an important topic in our times, which especially concerns us, the youth.This year students from Belgium, Germany, Holland, Italy and Portugal spent the week from 27th March to 4th April 2004 in Palermo to take part in a Comenius Project with that title. The most important part of this project was to work to- School Partners gether and to grow toget- Liceo Classico Statale Vittorio Emanuele II Palermo (ITA) her as a European group. Richard-Wagner-Gymnasium AMELIE RAISCH (GER) (GER) Responsible Student Editor Besides working on our Bayreuth Realschule Regenstauf (GER) projects, we went on trips, laughed or just sat together Ulenhof Coll. Doetinchem (NEL) Private Tagesheim- und and talked. We really worked a lot and always with fun. Internatsschule Dieburg (GER) Secundaria de Vila Real Are you curious know? On the pages of this magazine Escola de Santo Antonio (POR) you can get an insight into different aspects of our De Bron Tielt (BEL) Student Editor multicultural and multinational Europe and into the feeling Resp. Amelie Raisch, Bayreuth of being a member of a big European group. You can Cover also read what we did during this week in Palermo and U. Schmack, Bayreuth Desktop Publishing what we worked out together. I hope you will enjoy this H. Feldmeier & U. Schmack magazine also as a virtual trip to Palermo and to our Edition 700 copies experiences and feelings. Print Last but not least I just wish everyone of you that they Leonhard Tripß Nachf. e.K. Königsbergstraße 30 will also get this chance to take part in such a project 95448 Bayreuth with the result of making a lot of new friends and great experiences.
impressum
Yours Amelie Raisch
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Palermo Cathedral
Table of
Contents Editorial..........................................1 Table of Contents...........................2 Preface U. Schmack.......................3 1st Teachers’ Meeting....................4 2nd Teachers’Meeting....................6 Programme Project Week.............8 Ice Breaking Dances....................10 Three-Year-Review .......................12 The German School .................... 14 E-mail to Ulenhof.........................16 Report of De Bron........................18 Report of Vila Real ......................20 Report of Bayreuth ......................22 Students’ Interviews ....................24 Report Palermo............................26 European Conference..................28 Segesta & Selinunte ....................32 Impressions of Field Trip............34 Agrigento .....................................36 My Italian Host Family .................38 Cefalù...........................................40 Palermo Sights: A Ralley..............42 Final Results................................44 The International Classes............46
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A
preface
this week is always a wonderful experience, though it means a lot of organisational and preparatory work beforehand. I always enjoy watching the youngsters from different nationalities becoming real friends within one week and I am touched seeing my students cry when they have to part at the end of their stay. COMENIUS During this week the young PROMOTOR people really grow together as a European group. They become open-minded, they are curious to get to know each other and nobody laughs at anyone because their English is not ‘flawless’. The young people feel that this meeting really enriches their daily lives, within and outside school, and nobody complains about the extra work they must do. This is the Europe we must create, a united peaceful Europe, where young people More than 70 European students respect each other, despite their coming from Belgium, Germany, different national backgrounds. Holland and Portugal have travelled In these difficult times, in which we through Europe to take part in a are confronted with terrorism and European meeting of young people. violence in the heart of Europe, I For a week the Italian school is a strongly believe that international ‘market place’ where youngsters with projects help ensure a peaceful living different cultural and social back- together. Effective prevention of grounds meet each other and talk to violent conflicts can be achieved by each other in English, French, Italian bringing young people together. I or just with their hands. place my hopes in Europe’s youth. For me, who am the ‘oldest’ partner Me and my European colleagues feel, in the COMENIUS project (it is the that Vittorio Emanuele II has done a tenth time I have come to Palermo) great job organizing this event. gain this year the secondary school Liceo ClassiVittorio Emmanuele II in Palermo, has organized a COMENIUS Project Week under the heading ‘Unity in Diversity: Hopes and Fears’.
USCHI SCHMACK
Photo: private
THIS IS THE EUROPE WE MUST CREATE
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the
Preparing
Project
Meeting of all partners in Regenstauf
T
he first preparatory meeting on the project ‘Fears and Hopes’ took place from October 10th to 12th, 2003 at Realschule Regenstauf, whose headmaster Josef Brunner and COMENIUS co-ordinator Hans Feldmeier offered hospitality to the COMENIUS teachers. Apart from headmaster Ing. Luigi Affronti and Eleonora Firoe from the Italian co-ordinating school in Palermo had come Nicole Deblauwe and Rita Vandenbroucke from Tielt (BE), Uschi Schmack from Bayreuth (GE), Gerlinde Huber and Ernst Guggolz from Dieburg (GE), Sandra Smeets and Herman Mooij from Doetinchem (NL) as well as Alice Pereira Tristany and Lourdes Fernandes from Vila Real (PT).
The morning session was dedicated to an evaluation of the project week in March 2003, whose topic had been ‘Frontiers’ and which had taken place in Palermo. The Italians commented on the outcome of a questionnaire they had given to the students, teachers and parents involved in the project. Also the other partner schools had collected feedback from their students. As expected there were only few points of criticism such as the ‘Italian way of dealing with time’ and the participating pupils had been more than satisfied with the past project week. After a quick lunch at a nice Italian restaurant we started the afternoon session, which was about the organisation of the coming
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project week in March 2004 and the students’ exchanges. (Note: All Italian students who host a foreign student will visit their twin during a bilateral exchange in autumn.) The following day was dedicated to tourism. Teachers of the host school showed us round the wonderful medieval town of Regensburg and took us to Weltenburg, an ancient monastery, where we could admire a precious chapel and drink Bavarian beer. We went back by boat on River Danube, which would have been even more exciting if the weather had been favourable. The conference culminated in a farewell dinner at a typical restaurant in Regensburg. Uschi Schmack, RWG Bayreuth
Collage: Hans Feldmeier
Preparatory meeting October 2003
COMENIUS project
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n January 2004, the project teachers had a second preparatory meeting at the Belgian partner school de Bron in Tielt. They had come from all partner schools except from Portugal. But as this conference was a preparatory meeting for a new school project, too, the headmaster of de Bron could also welcome Edit Veresnè Daròczy from Budenz Jòzsef Alapìtvànyi Gimnázium in Budapest and Ilse and Erika of Bundesgymnasium Erlgasse in Vienna, partners in a planned future COMENIUS project. First the final practical arrangements for the international students’ meeting in Palermo in March 2004 were made. The partner schools gave presentation sheets of their students to the Italian coordinator, so that they could match suitable twins. Moreover we talked about the the ‘final results’ the students were supposed to create during the COMENIUS week in Palermo and agreed on giving all the students involved in the project a T-shirt with the emblem of the project on it to create a feeling of togetherness
among them. Each school also reported about the planned students’ work in the different workshops, whose themes had been agreed on in the first preparatory meeting. But we had another important task, which was to fill in the application form for a future COMENIUS project. At a previous teachers’ conference we had already decided to call it ‘Making Europe your Community’. As the new project is to be a three-year-project, we plan to deal with a different topic each year: 1. National identity & common roots 2. European citizenship incorporating national identity 3. Challenges for the new Europe. Let’s hope we can realize this project. After a long working day we finally could relax during a dinner in the restaurant of our hotel. The next day there was a sightseeing programme in Brugge, one of the most beautiful towns in Belgium. We enjoyed this day very much. Tine Moeyaert, de Bron Tielt & Uschi Schmack, RWG Bayreuth
Another
MEETING OF TEACHERS HOPES & & FEARS FEARS 2004 2004 HOPES
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Photos: Uschi Schmack
EUROP 8 HOPES & FEARS 2004
PALERMO Photos: U. Schmack
PE
goes to
„Will things go as planned?“ Worried looks of two responsible persons: Headmaster L.Affronti and E.Fiore
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On the first day of the project the students and teachers from Belgium, Germany, Holland, Italy and Portugal were curiously waiting for the project to start. The welcome meeting was in a large aula, where the different national groups introduced themselves by presenting typical national dances and folk songs. We saw an Italian ‘Tarantella’, ‘a Portuguese ‘Corridinho Algarvio’, a German ‘Sternpolka’, the Belgian ‘I’m into rock’ square dance and the Dutch ‘Cowboy Dance’. Everybody enjoyed the representations and the happy faces of the young dancers and their spectators created a relaxed atmosphere of joy and easiness.
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Photos: Hans Feldmeier
ce breaking
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Review
by Eleonora Fiore, project co-ordinator
This year’s project was the last one of a three-year-cycle under the heading: Towards a European Standard of Life
Unity in Di ver sity Div ersity sity.
Six schools from Middle and South Europe were involved with more than two hundred pupils between 16 and 18 years. Our aim was to reconcile different national and cultural identities with the great project of a European Union.
Living the
European
Dimension
W
hen we planned „Unity in Diversity“ we were aware it would be a very interesting subject, but never thought it could become so topical because of the political events which accompanied it.
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During the three project years we had to experience the attack of the Twin Towers in New York in 2001, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the fall and capture of Saddam last year and finally the massacre of Madrid shortly before this year’s project week. All these events were tragically related to the themes developed each year: • Human Rights (2001/02) • Tensions, Hegemonies and Balances (2002/03) • Fears and Hopes (2003/04)
With this event, we are certain we have contributed to the European dimension of the project and have given young people an idea of Sicily within Europe. Sicilians are aware of the political and social problems to be faced in today’s Europe, they are ready to fight the fears of today and believe in a better future.
Hard-working teachers and students
Meeting the needs of many
The work done by teachers and students was definetely demanding and the young people faced it with enthusiasm. They willingly communicated in the language that unites them, i.e. English and also got in touch with informatics and media science.
The image that I now have of the three-yearproject is the one of an extraordinary experience, not only for the students and teachers who participated. Also headmasters and headmistresses were involved and had a conference last year in Palermo parallel to the project week, in which they spoke about the need to promote the culture of school partnerships inside the schools. It has been an experience which met the expectations of young people of today, because it involved new technologies and was dynamic and flexible. It offered opportunities the traditional school system cannot provide, such as new personal experiences through bilateral exchanges, communication in many languages and good technological support of their work.I have realized that the young of today enjoy learning when they also have room to socialize.This experience may suggest to governments in what way the educative system, which is in crisis at the moment, should be modified.
During the project week the students worked and discussed in international workshops, where they had to show that it is possible to come to an agreement and reconcile one’s own cultural identity with the one of other young Europeans with different personal and cultural backgrounds without losing the pride of one’s own roots.They shared ideas and found themselves united in a community, where communication and mutual understanding were easy in spite of diversity.
Europe at its best 2004 was the final year and its climax was a conference on „Fears and Hopes in the Europe of the Third Millennium“ held at our school. Prominent people from the political and cultural scene of Palermo had agreed to come, among them Leoluca Orlando, former deputy of the European Parliament and Mrs. Spagna, the vice-prefect of Palermo. The students and teachers, who had been working on the same theme and thus were well aquainted with the issue, were seen to enjoy the speeches of such significant and competent people.
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Photo: U.Schmack
Working in teams
THIS PROJECT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE FOR OUR SCHOOL
German by K. Hammon, A. Philipp, V. Witke
THE
SCHOOL
GERMAN STUDENTS DESCRIBE THEIR SCHOOL LIFE
Different to other European countries we do not wear any school uniform in Germany. We can wear whatever we want, but lately there has been a discussion if girls should be allowed to wear short shirts so that their belly can be seen. At other schools the headmasters force girls with a naked belly to wear a large pink T-shirt, but fortunately our headmaster is tolerant. We attend school from eight to one o’clock more or less according to the different regions. Only pupils in the upper grades (11 to 13) have afternoon lessons. In the afternoon we must do our homework, of course. If you choose an optinal course such as choir computering, singing in the choir, a further foreign language or climbing, you must do this course in the afternoon. There is a wide choice of optional courses. All students also have the opportunity to take part in an exchange programme. We can go to France, Italy, the United States or make a tour of Europe in one week. At the age of 12 the students can spend one week in the mountains, where they can go downhill or cross-country skiing. So there are also activities outside the classroom.
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Our school year begins and ends with a church service. Note that religious education is a compulsory subject at German schools. After half a year all students get a report with marks in the various subjects. The best mark is one, the worst mark is six. But only the report at the end of the year is decisive. If you get two times ‘five’ or one time ‘six’ ,then you might get into trouble with your parents, because it means that you have to double one year. Fortunately it does not happen too often. If your marks do not improve the following year, you have to go to another type of school. We attend the so-called ‘Gymnasium’, which ends after 13 years, but you can also finish school after 10 years already, when you attend ‘Realschule’ or ‘Hauptschule’. There the requirements are lower. Do you want to know what we learn at school? Well it differs from year to year. We start Gymnasium at the age of 10 and learn English as our first language. Then after one more year we take either French or Latin, according to our likes and dislikes. In the ninth grade you can choose again. You either opt for the socialeconomic branch where the focus is more on social studies and chemistry or you decide to learn another foreign language: French, Italian or Spanish. Of course we must take subjects as mathematics, physics, geography and history. And the German culture and literature play an important role,too. We also have ‘modern’ subjects, such as ‘nature and technique’ or ‘computer science’. And we learn how to paint and even how to cook. But our teachers are quite demanding, so school can be quite stressy, especially when there are exams. There is a number of pupils who would like school to be less theoretical. Projects weeks like the COMENIUS week in Palermo are rather rare events. Only at the end of the schoolyear we have so-called project days, where pupils can decide what they want to do. Even horseback riding or playing cards can be chosen and some teachers also offer excursions . This is when school can be real fun!
You might get the impression that we like our school. That’s right, but there are of course some things we criticize. For example if you asked us about our relationship to our teachers, we could tell you that some are quite okay, but that there are also some who should try to be more open-minded and tolerant. We wish to have teachers who are helpful and ready to listen to our problems. Moreover they should not prefer anybody and always give fair marks. And there is one thing we hate: when a teacher shouts.
Photos: RWG Bayreuth
WE LIKE OUR SCHOOL THOUGH IT OFTEN MEANS A LOT OF STRESS!
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@ mail from Sicily to Holland THE DUTCH SCHOOL presents itself on a website
www.ulenhofcollege.nl which contains news, photos and a lot of other information about the school. But you can also find something about the school’s international projects there. Every day the students from Holland sent an e-mail from Palermo to Doetinchem to inform their fellow students about what they were doing during the COMENIUS project week. Their letters can be read on the school’s homepage then.
@mail Palermo
from
to
DOETINCHEM 16 HOPES & FEARS 2004
@ mail from Sicily to Holland
Photos: U. Schmack & H. Feldmeier
SUNDAY, 28th March Here is the first message from Palermo. It is fantastic!! Yesterday all the host families gave us a very enthousiastic welcome at the airport and took us to their houses. After a shower and a short dinner we prepared ourselves for a first walk through the city. After that we went to a place called Zsa Zsa, where a band was playing. At about bout midnight everyone went back to their homes. I woked up this morning from the noise of all the traffic here. Even in the eight floor, there is very much noise. At ten o’clock in the morning we left for Cefalù with the whole Dutch group. In Cefalù there is a nice beach and the Italian people looked surprised when they saw our Dutch boys go into the icecold water. An Italian would never go into the sea at this season. Outside the water the temperature was nice (about 15 degrees) and we even got sunburnt. We enjoyed ourselves very much. At the end of the day we were completely exhausted. That’s why we stay home tonight, relax and prepare us for the following days. I want to say to you all: Greetings from sunny Palermo. Mark Veldboom
MONDAY, 29th March Today we went to school for the first time. We had to be there at around 8 o’clock in the morning, but we had already noticed that the Italian people don’t pay attention to time very much. At school we went to the big hall. Each country showed a typical folk-dance. We were very nervous when we saw that everyone had prepared a traditional folk-dance in costumes! Luckily everyone liked our not-yet-ever-practised-before-dance. The overjoyed Italian people even danced with us. We had never expected that. After the welcome meeting everyone went to their international class. In the afternoon we had a citytour guided by 3 Italian students. It was a pity that the weather was so bad. It was raining all the time! And Palermo by rain is a little bit less fun. All the holes in the street, puddles and the traffic in Palermo didn’t make it easy for us. Tired and totally soaked we came back to school at 5 o’clock. In the evening some people went to a surprise-party organized by an Italian boy. So this day again was a busy, but wonderful day! Greetings from rainy Palermo. Jessica Nijman
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A Happy Family 18 HOPES & FEARS 2004
B
TIELT REPORT
Confessions of
ELGIAN students
Here you can read about the dreams and nightmares of young Belgians. These are the results of a questionnaire students of de Bron gave to their mates. The greatest wish of all youngsters is to have a happy family with children. They fear worst the loss of a child, especially of a baby. But also the death of one of any beloved would be a nightmare. They fear drug or alcohol addiction as a great danger to happiness. Concerning school, they all wish to succeed and get good marks. They are afraid of failing, because they think that a good eduction is important for your career. Most of them think that if you want to be successful in life and have a good job, you need good qualifications.
Photo: private
Belgian teenagers dream of a nice house of their own and a lot of money to spend on things they don’t really need. To some of them luxury is important, but quite a lot also dream of becoming popular and be loved by other people.
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by J.Carmo, A.Ximenes, I.Comprido and Í.Bonança
T
Photos: Escola Vila Real
he Portuguese students have chosen this issue, because nowadays travelling has become increasingly secure and insecure at the same time. On the one hand technology is more efficient and gives us more comfort and security while travelling. On the other hand we cannot feel safe anymore because we see terrorism affecting travelling all over the world.
There were some differences concerning the fears. Young people are more afraid of travelling by air, whereas middle-aged persons see risks when travelling by car. The oldest group are afraid of planes and trains because of the latest terrorist attacks. Surprisingly the older ones also think that travelling in the past was more secure than today.
We asked three generations of Portuguese about their fears and hopes of travelling. The first group to be asked were teenagers between 16 and 18, the second group our parents’ generation and the last group third-age people over 65 (our grand-parents).
As to the question if there will be better and more secure means of transport in the future, all groups were of the opinion that security of travelling will be improved. Young people believe that there will be something like a ‘time-machine’ (the authors think this is due to their watching many science ficiton films), whereas middle-aged people believe in future teletransportation. The authors suppose that this is why because today’s working generation just has a very stressy life without rest and thus dream of something that takes them to a calm place. Grandmas and grandpas, however, admit that they believe in the invention of a new rocket which can take people around the world.
VILA REAL REPORT
FEARS AND HOPES OF TRAVELLING Photos: Internet
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Photos: Internet
NIGHTMARE & DREAM HOPES & FEARS 2004
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PISA WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR THE GERMAN
W
POOR
RESULTS?
hen the outcome of the PISA study was published, it was a SHOCK for German teachers and politicians. Nobody had expected that German students’ results would range below the average OECD standard. The study revealed that German education neglects children with a difficult social background. Now educators are looking for REMEDY. 22 HOPES & FEARS 2004
Report BAYREUTH
Photos: Internet
in GERMANY The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an effort among the OECD member countries to measure how well young people aged 15, and therefore approaching the end of compulsory schooling, are prepared to meet the challenges of today’s knowledge societies. The first PISA assessment was conducted in the year 2000. Tests were given to between 4.500 and 10.000 students in 32 different countries. The results of the first PISA study documented the performance of students, schools and countries in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy. PISA is the most comprehensive and rigorous international effort to find out about education and so experts think that the results of PISA have a high degree of validity and reliability and can significantly improve our understanding of the outcomes of education. PISA focuses on things that 15-year-olds will need in their future lives and seeks to assess what they can do with what they have learned. PISA assesses students’ knowledge, but it also examines their ability to reflect on the knowledge and to apply that knowledge and experience to real world issues.
Political reforms are planned to improve the German school system. One thing that politicians in Bavaria (the region we live in) want to do is to reduce the number of schoolyears at secondary schools, so that students will leave school at the age of 18 instead of 19. But this will also mean an increase of the number of lessons for students per day. Though a lot of students, parents and teachers are against this reform, it seems as if there is no way to stop it. Experts think that the reasons for the bad results of German students could be the following: • Short compulsory kindergarden time • Early division of children into skill groups • No special tutoring of students with a foreign background who don’t speak German well enough • Half-day schools (lessons end at one o’clock normally) • Lack of discipline and weak punishment of ‘disturbers’
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STUDENTS’ INTERVIEWS
2
1
4
3 6
5
E
uropean citizen I feel like a
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Anna Rita Madeira SIMENES,16 Vila Real, PORTUGAL I’m in the class Dreams and Nightmares and there I talked about the dreams and hopes of people as travelers. I personally think that nowadays travelling is very secure, but at the same time as well insecure (see our report.) I like the class I’m in and I think “Unity in Diversity” is a very interesting theme to talk about with other teenagers. In our class we spoke also about our personal hopes and fears in general. I’m really afraid of wars and I hope in the new Europe all the nations will be united in peace.
Manta BELLINGRERI,18 Palermo, ITALY I think that ‘Unity in Diversity’ is a topical theme above all for us, the young generation. Unfortunately some guys in our class The New Europe are too shy to discuss openly, but it doesn’t matter. I have chosen this class, because I’m interested in my future as a European citizen. We have already talked about unemployment and solidarity between people. It has turned out that the Belgian and Dutch youngsters aren’t so much worried about unemployment as us.That’s surprising.
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4
René SCHNEIDER,16 Bayreuth, GERMANY I’ve chosen the class Who put out the light?, because it’s important to improve your knowledge of the environment and how to protect it. My class is very well informed and the presentations and discussions on how we can protect ourselves from the dangers were very informative. Although we come from different countries, in general we are all of the same opinion and understand each other very well. We have more or less equal thoughts on this topic.
Daniel SCHANTL,16 Dieburg, GERMANY In the New Europe my hopes are the amendment of our fears. We have to stop discrimination and have to learn to accept and respect other people also when they have different religions or education, are of poor origin or look ugly. For me the biggest fears are the worldwide terrorism and pollution. In my opinion the title ‘Unity in Diversity’ suits well, as I feel there is a certain unity also in my workshop Magazine, where there are people from all the participant countries which take part in the Comenius Project. We all work together well, though we have different cultures and speak different languages.
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3
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Photos: Uschi Schmack
Sarah VROMMAN,17 Tielt, BELGIUM I’ve chosen the class Visions, because I could take photographs and work with poetry. It was nice to talk about utopia and distopia. We all come from different countries, but you see that our ideas are a bit the same. We fear the distopia things and we hope that the utopia things will come true. I personally hope that everybody can be happy in his life and I’m afraid of the big bosses and power above our heads.
Marleen LOVINK,18 Doetinchem, HOLLAND I think it’s nice to be in the international class Europe goes to school. I’ve seen unity in diversity here and I want to try my hopes and dreams come true. My personal hope is that Europe can become a unity. Am Amelie and Daniel prepare the questions for the interviews
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EUROPEAN CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Human RIGHTS I
M. Bellingreri, M. Maione, S. Pillitteri LICEO CLASSICO VITTORIO EMANUELE II, PALERMO
n our philosophy lessons we studied some of the articles of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and had a special look at • ARTICLE 6: Right to liberty and security • ARTICLE 7: Respect for private and family life • ARTICLE 8: Protection of personal data • ARTICLE 9: Right to marry and right to found a family • ARTICLE 10: Freedom of thought, conscience and religion In these articles we read about notions like Solidarity, Dignity, Equality and Justice and became curious to find out what their meanings were. We realized that these notions appeared first in ancient fundamental philosophical theories, which are considered still valid today.
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Photos: Internet
Justice is based on the Latin word „ius“ (right, law). The term has changed its meaning during the ages. The two most important concepts can be attributed to the philosopher Plato and to Aristotle. According to Plato, a law (right) must correspond to a definite aim (an order of the community) and the individual has to follow it. Aristotle however defines justice as general conformity to law. From this point of view justice assumes a formal aspect. Aristotle makes a difference between commutative justice (being reciprocal) and distributive justice (valid for everybody according to his merits). In contemporary democratic societies justice is considered as political equality (i.e. formal justice) and as social and economic equality (i.e. real justice) of its citizens. Dignity comes from the Latin word “dignus” (worthy). Dignity is man’s worthiness or importance as a thinking being. Man is worth being considered as a man as such and not as an instrument or means that can be used to achieve something. His dignity demands unconditioned respect and must not be trampled.
Solidarity comes from the Latin word “in solidum” (compact) and it means mutual dependence of the parts which form a whole, so that any change made to a part influences the other parts. In democratic societies “solidarity” stands for the mutual dependence between people within a social framework and it is carried out by either initiatives of an individual or a group.
HUMAN RIGHTS ARE AS OLD AS HUMANITY Equality derives from the Latin word „aequus“ (alike, having no differences). The philosopher Leibniz defined equality as a ‘situation in which two or more beings have the same features, and therefore can be exchanged.’ According to Aristotle beings are equal when they „share a common qualiity“. So citizens are politically equal, if they all have the right to participate in the government of a state without any difference. Citizens are legally equal, when they have the same rights in front of the law. Law guarantees both social and individual equal rights. 2004 HOPES & FEARS HOPES & FEARS 2004
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Report Palermo
Meeting
European
politicians
O
n March 30th the Comenius group had the unique opportunity to meet Prof. Leoluca Orlando. The former mayor of the city of Palermo and member of the European Parliament spoke about the importance of being a European citizen. Unity in Diversity was the central point of his speech. He stressed how important it is for each country of the Union to maintain its own identity. At the same time we must join together in the name of the same values and interests, such as democracy, justice, and human rights.
Photos: Antonio Cinnici, Palermo
He spoke about the difficult problem of immigration and how over the years the various generations have faced this serious problem.
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He stressed the importance of language as a symbol of identity and pride, which is conveyed by the feeling of belonging to the same community. Being a fighter against the atrocities of the Italian Mafia he also spoke about lawfulness and the importance to educate all citizens to respect the law and act lawfully.
Leoluca Orlando greeted the German teachers in fluent German and showed them his new book published in German language: ‘Der sizilianische Karren’ .
Photos: Antonio Cinnici
As there was not enough time to ask Mr Orlando the questions prepared by the students beforehand, here are the questions we wanted to ask him: HUMAN RIGHTS POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 1. Is it right to include Europe’s Christian roots in the new Bill of Rights, as the 1. What do you think about the gap between Pope suggests? the legal equality of the single countries and their different economic power? 2. Do you think that water will be the primary strategic material in only 50 2. Will there be a transfer of power from the years´ time and what are, if any, national governments to the central Europe’s plans to face the European government? desertification problem? 3. Do the European countries have an equal 3. What is Europe’s attitude towards stand within the European Union? immigration? Isn’t there a contradiction Wouldn’t a reform be necessary? between the Schengen Treaty and the THE ECONOMIC ISSUE Nizza Charter of Rights? 1. Has the Euro really been favourable for those countries that have adopted it? 2. Will extension towards the east do any good to the ‘old’ countries or will these countries have to suffer an export of the capital to the east? Will the euro trigger an inflation process? 3. Several shares of capitals coming from different countries flow to the European bank. Are there countries that have a stronger influence than others?
4. Can the differences among the various school education systems create unequal opportunities for young people from different countries? 5. What is the European Parliament doing to fight the old and the new mafia? 6. What is European politicians’ attitude towards growing racism? What kind of relationship does Europe have with those countries that don’t respect Human Rights? HOPES & FEARS 2004
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Prof. Scaglione, Dr. Spagna, Prof. Casella , Prof. Picone, Prof. Orlando & interpreter Mrs. Coppola
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eside Mr Orlando our school had invited some more prominent lecturers to the conference FEARS AND HOPES IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM. They were Dr. M.Danila Spagna, vice prefect of the City of Palermo and responsible of the Palermo I.P.E. (Information Point Europe), Prof. A. Siragusa and Prof. E. Picone. Vittorio Emanuele vice principal Prof. Casella and Prof. R. Picone welcomed the guests. Mrs Dr. Spagna opened the speeches by talking about the I.P.E, which is recognized to be an official European information point. At the moment there are more than 160 I.P.E all over Europe. She explained that I.P.E. gives infos about E.U. institutions and job opportunities, school education opportunities and sponsorships offered by the E.U. She also underlined how important it is to make the young generation feel European citizens.
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She reminded the students of the aims of the Union, which are: • to establish a European citizenship • to guarantee freedom, security and justice within Europe • to promote economic and social progress in the countries of the E.U. • to make Europe’s voice heard in the world All I.P.E. can provide people with the official E.U. documents such as various European bulletins and gazettes, offer brochures as well as free entrance to the web sites of the community and give free counselling on European matters. Prof. E. Scaglione went on talking about the fears and hopes that all European citizens have. He said that while fears are unfortunately true, hopes are uncertain. Over the years the economic union has become a political union. The project Europe however is not yet very well established,
SUMMARY OF THE
Conference
Because of resistance that some governments Boppose to a common authority for the management of certain affairs. He talked about the euro as a common currency and how important it would be for all the countries adhering to the Union to adopt a European Constitution. This would allow the continent to play a strong role on a world-wide ground, in virtue of its growing economic power and assure a peaceful relationship to the rest of the world. Then he pointed out that he hopes that Europe will be aware of its role. We can overcome obstacles by developping a strong commitment to our responsibility as a strong political power. He also expressed his ideas on how to increase job opportunities for young people and especially women, by creating a better connection between European schools and European enterprises.
Again themes such as democracy, justice, freedom and solidarity were mentioned and she claimed that these should be the basis of a common European culture. Schools in Europe must teach children to develop freely and to create a better personal and collective awareness. To her efficient education is education in this sense. In this context she spoke about the Italian school system and how it has changed since the post war period. She said that it has changed sometimes very slowly compared to other E.U. countries, concerning compulsory schools, integrating the disabled or drop out students into normal schools. The latest Italian school reform took Italy on a path that leads Italy away from a common European school system.
About the European citizenship, the European working world, about the European working world and the importance of self-determination, criticism and freethinking as necessary to make someone a good citizen was what the last speaker Mrs. Prof. Siragusa talked. Photos: Feldmeier
Photo: Clemens Pilz
HOPES & FEARS 2004 Bodyguards secured doors of Aula Magna
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Photos: H. Feldmeier & A. Raisch
O
ne day teachers and students get off by coach to a place outside Palermo for a break of the strenuous project week. As the group was very large it was spit up into two groups. The Germans and the Portuguese went with their Italian partners to Segesta and Selinunte, two ancient sites. Arriving in Segesta we could admire a Doric temple, one of the best preserved examples of Greek architecture in Sicily. It dates from the 5th century BC and is really fascinating in its size. Those who are good at hiking walked up the hill to an amphitheatre dating from the 3rd century BC. From there you have a splendid view on a great landscape ending in the Gulf of Castellammare. We had a rest there and imagined Greek actors representing a play for us.
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T
hen we continued to Selinunte, which is located on the southwest coast of Sicily, in the province of Trapani. First we had lunch at one of the many restaurants and then we visited the archeological site. We were told that the people of Segesta and Selinunte did not get along well with each other and that there were quite a lot of armed conflicts between these two people. But we found that the people of Selinunte built as fantastic temples as those of Segesta and like it Selinunte is an
abandoned ancient Greek city with ruins of an Acropolis and numerous temples.
success soon engendered the envy of the neighboring Carthaginians, who perceived the city as a threat to their hold on Sicily. This would eventually lead to the city’s decline. The site of the city remained a ruin for centuries, through the Roman period and into the early medieval era. Around 700 AD, a small Byzantine Greek village grew up around the ancient ruins. However, a serious earthquake destroyed that village and further damaged what was left of Selinunte in the early 9th century. In 1823 the English undertook the first archaeological diggings.The walls surrounding the Acropolis were mostly reconstructed by archaeologists in 1927, though some parts of the walls standing are actually from antiquity. But the entire Acropolis has never been completely excavated up to present day. However we saw some smaller diggings sites, which hints at ongoing works. Ancient sources gave the city a population of circa 25,000, and the size of the Acropolis and the extension of the site support that figure. U. Schmack
The city was founded in the seventh century BC and destroyed in 409 BC. Selinunte’s glorious period lasted for a period of about two centuries, when it was one of the most progressive Greek cities in Sicily, famous throughout Magna Graecia. The temples are all situated on high land overlooking the Mediterranean Sea about twenty meters below. As Selinunte is situated on the sea it also had a famous harbour and commerce allowed the residents to upgrade Selinunte and build the splendid temples. Selinunte’s trade, riches and elegant buildings soon made it famous as one of the most important cities of Greek Sicily. However, Selinunte’s HOPES & FEARS 2004
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IMRESSIONS
Photos: A. Raisch
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FIELD TRIP
2004 HOPES & FEARS
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Agrige 36 HOPES & FEARS 2004
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by Daniel Schantl, PTI Dieburg (GE)
second group of international students went to Agrigento, which is siutated in the south of the island. What is fascinating is the contrast between the old and the new. When you approach the city you see an old temple in front of the skyline of modern Agrigento, that’s really fascinating. Coming nearer we could recognize the wonderful and harmonical “Valley of Temples”. The well reserved temples that are older than 2400 years old make you believe to be in Greece and in Italy at the same moment.This is something for everybody. The temples have the names of Greek gods and godesses, like Zeus, Herkules and Hera. The city was built on a cliff on the south coast of Sicily surrounded by two rivers, which were important for the water supply. This position meant that the city was easy to defend in times of war. After every victory the citizen of Agrigento constructed a new temple to thank their gods.
ento 2004 HOPES & FEARS HOPES & FEARS 2004
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Italian FAMILY MY
A DUTCH GIRL IN PALERMO
All the foreign students who come to Palermo get accomodation in an Italian family.
Margreet van Marle in the middle of her Italian host family in Palermo
Some weeks before the project week the foreign and Italian partners are matched by the teachers with the help of a presentation sheet each student has to fill in. Apart from the personal dates the students give information about special likes and dislikes concerning food and what they love doing in their free time or what they can’t stand. Here you can read about Margret van Marle’s experiences and the impressions she got of her Italian host family in Palermo. by Margreet van Marle, Doetinchem (NL)
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hen I arrived at Palermo Airport my host family, which consists of four persons, was already waiting for me. They are all very kind and treat me like a member of the family. My twin is called Simonetta and she is 17 years old, one year older than me. We get along very well. She learns English, Latin and Greek at school, we mostly communicate in English. She has got an older sister of 21 called Irana, who is a student. But Irana speaks English only a little and Simonetta’s parents not at all, so my twin has to trans-
late a lot for me, for example when I am at table with the family. But I know already how to say „I’m hungry“ or „the food tastes very good“ in Italian. And the last sentence I say every day, because the food here is always delicious. My host family is very hospitable and I like them. I can also sometimes understand my host parents when they speak Italian slowly. When I recognize an Italian word, I ask my twin in English if I got it right. The dictionary is also very useful, because neither my pronunciation of Italian nor my twin’s pronun-ciation of English is always clear and when we show each
other the word in the dictionary we both understand what we mean. It is always a lot of fun then. I’m already looking forward to Simonetta coming to my home in September and getting to know my brother (22), my sister (20) and my parents. In my family they all speak English, so it will be a lot easier for Simonetta to talk to them than it was for me in Sicily.
Photos: A.Raisch & R. Schneider
Saying good-bye to each other is difficult and tearful!
We will come back!!!
Don’t forget me!!!
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Photos: A.Raisch & S. Smeets
Photo:Internet
Teachers´ VISIT
Cefa
40 Project HOPESFRONTIERS & FEARS 2004 2003
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fter a good night’s rest, but a short one (because of the start of summertime) the international group of COMENIUS teachers met at Teatro Massimo to attend a free concert. The theatre is supposedly the largest one in Italy and has recently been beautifully restored after years of closure. Its construction started in 1876 and lasted for 22 years. For us this was a unique opportunity to visit it during a concert, because it is very difficult to get tickets for a representation. The show was a sort of musical in Sicilian dialect with lots of dances. Above all the two solo dancers were very good. We enjoyed this show in such exciting surroundings very much. After the show we were taken to Cefalù by a huge bus, though we were just 15 teachers. So we had lots of space. It was a very nice trip through the Sicilian landscape with beautiful things to see. Luckily the weather was also very nice, not too hot and no rain.
Then under the supreme guidance of Ina LoCoco we went first to the cathedral to have a look at the beautiful mosaics, which date back to the 12th century. After that we were to went to climb the rock called La Rocca. Ina ‘promised’ to us that it was only a twentyminute walk to the top, but she didn’t tell us when we were to start counting the twenty minutes! It was a very nice, but steep walk up to the second ring of walls and to the temple of Diana, godess of the hunt. The temple is a megalithic structure built in very early days and transformed in the 5th century BC with classical doorways, whose lintels are still in place. The view from there was even more beautiful than from Mariella’s terrace and we all agreed that our efforts had been worth while. Sandra Smeets, Doetinchem
I
Cefalù is a very charming town. We visited the town square, the piazza Duomo and had our first drink on a terrace in the sunshine there.
After the visit we had lunch in a seaside restaurant, where we could see our students on the opposite beach lying in the sun and playing beach volleyball. After that we had coffee at Mariella Olivieri’s (she belongs to the Palermo staff), where we enjoyed the view from her lovely apartment on the sea. (On the photo on the left you can see her apartment).
alU A PL ACE
TO DREAM HOPES & FEARS 2004 2004 HOPES & FEARS
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PALERMO RALLEY
42 HOPES & FEARS 2004 Piazza Pretoria
RALLEY
Quattro Canti
P
Quatro Canti
alermitans don ‘t walk much. They tend to use their cars or scooters for even the shortest of distances. And yet despite of heavy rain on the first day, Italian pupils lead the foreign students through the historic centre, because the best way to get to know the city is on foot. Each student got a sheet with questions on it that had to be answered during the visit. It was called: Treasure Hunting in Palermo. The starting point was the school, which is situated next to the cathedral which, with its Arab-Norman,Renaissance and Baroque architecture, represents the city’s history. But the first monument to be visited was Porta Felice. It is the gateway to the sea and at the end of the street Vittorio Emanuele, which has been named after an Italian king, who also gave his name to the liceo. Following Corso Vittorio Emanuele we arrived at Quattro Canti. This square represents the intersection of the four districts of the city. With the ebd concave façades of the surrounding palaces and their graceful statues symbolizing the four seasons, the square is known as a place where people were hanged in former times. Not far away is Piazza Pretoria, nearly entirely occupied by a monumental fountain. Formed by 644 sculpted pieces, the foun-
tain was created in the mid-sixteenth century by the Florentine artist, Francesco Camilliani. It looks very nice because it has been renovated recently. The surroundings, however, are under reconstruction at the moment, that is why the people of Palermo call it the ‘Square of Shame’. Next to it is the Palazzo del Municipio (City Hall). Tucked away behind Piazza Pretoria is the little Piazza Bellini dominated by the church The Martorana. lts vaulting ceilings covered by a mixture of Norman mosaics, frescoes and baroque marbles make it one of the city’s most striking masterpieces. Then we walked back towards the school and visited the Cathedral, which is just next to it. We learnt that the important ‘European’ King Frederic II is buried here. The next stop was Porta Nuova, the symbol of Palermo, which lies at the other end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Next to it we saw the splendid Royal Palace, which we did not enter, though. We heard that it was built on the ruins of an Arab castle in the 17th century. Its imposing façade makes it look like a fortress. This was the last sight to be look at. Along Piazza Marina we walked back to the school. Though we were soaked, because of the heavy rain, we appreciated the ralley very much. A. Raisch
Piazza Bellini HOPES & FEARS 2004
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Piazza Bellini
Photos: H. Feldmeier
FINAL RESULTS
THESE ARE OUR
OPES by Escola Secundaria de Vila Real de Santo Antonio (PT)
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e only had four days to present a final result, so we started working as soon as possible. With everybody’s cooperation, we chose the tasks and then we got started with the final product.This was not quite so easy and it took us some time to come to a common decision. On Thursday we had to have the final product ready and plan how the presentation would be done. Friday was the final day at school,so every workshop presented its final work done during the week in Palermo to all the students and teachers of the other workshops. From 11,10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. all the students went to Aula Magna for the presentation of the final products of every workshop. Unfortunately it is not possible to give all the details of those products though they were, no doubt, very interesting.
“Visions – Utopia and Distopia” class were the first. There was an exhibition focussing on visions of different countries about architecture, clothes, traditions, feelings and fears and about situations that might happen in Europe in the future. There was also a role-play with traditional Sicilian puppets. It was in Italian but the English version was handed out to the students. Finally they sang a song about the social and cultural differences. “Dreams and Nightmares” class came next. There was a labyrinth. First, the students wearing black T-shirts showed posters about nightmares and a man was haunted by these nightmares. Tragic music accompanied this scene. Then the music changed into a sweet and calm sound and the students undressed their black T-shirts and showed the blue ones of this year’s project, holding up posters about their dreams. A dreamer went through the labyrinth and when he finally reached the end all the students embraced him and sang the song “Imagine” by John Lenon in an adapted version.
The final product of “Who Put Out the Lights?” class was also a role-play about the bad things that have happened in the world as the atomic bomb thrown on Hiroshima by the Americans. “The New Europe” class presented their final product reading some news about today’s problems, such as immigration, terrorism. They also acted a scene interviewing people about the problem of unemployment and its possible solutions. In the end, all participants of this workshop demonstrated their hopes for the future showing posters with their ideas to solve the problems of the world. Finally it was time for “Europe Goes to School” class to present their work: The director of an ideal school showed it to a group of students on a visit. The students asked questions about the school, how it worked and how it is organized. At the same time this presentation was shown in Power Point and a leaflet about that ideal school was handed out. The final product of one last group could not be presented, because it will take many hours of work to be completed–it is the Magazine and we are all waiting for it curiously. HOPES & FEARS 2004
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CLASS
PARTICIPANTS
Magazine
Belgium: Sarah Dierckens, Ben Vandermeulen Germany: Amelie Raisch, Daniel Schantl Holland: Margreet Van Marle Italy: Gabriele Gravagna, Claudio Gnoffo Portugal: João Ricardo Salgueiro do Carmo Tutors: Hans Feldmeier, Uschi Schmack
CLASS
PARTICIPANTS Belgium: Annelore Tack, Sarah Vromman, Stephanie Cuypers, Hanne Van Eenooghe Holland: Rachel van der Meulen, Rianne van Niekerk, Aukelien Kleinpenning Germany: Janina Trumm, Isabel Kittelmann, Elisa Fischer, Simone Rieß, Marina Schwarz Italy: Lucia Chiancone, Francesco Lo Piccolo, Valeria Mangano, Pietro Genova, Francesco Sparacino, Giovanni Licari, Franscesco Guarneri, Irene Vinci, Noemi Villanova, Chiara Cavallo, Antonella Peri, Santino Puleio Portugal: Paulo Ribeiro, Raquel Morgado, Sebastião Veloso, Luísa Domingos Tutors: Cristina Rebelo, Daniela Musumeci, Isabelle Sergeant
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Visions
Dreams & Nightmares
CLASS
PARTICIPANTS Belgium: Jef De Clerk, Ward Dhaese, Janne Vanoverberghe, Soetkin Verkest Holland: Allissa Hiddink, Ellen Norde, Anne Marie Geurink Germany: Esther Gabriel, Mona Lange, Simon Nahrings, Philipp Klein Italy: Arianna Gullo, Laura Piricò, Claudio Ruvolo, Alice Rizzuti, Francesca Ferrara, Marco Brancato Portugal: Ana Rita Ximenes, Iris Bonança, Inês Comprido Tutors: Gerlinde Huber, Renata Barbagallo
Photos: Amelie Raisch
CLASS PARTICIPANTS Belgium: Bart De Rammelaere, Tom Maaeseele, Brecht Van Compernolle, Arne Lambrecht Holland: David van der Vegte, Simon Tiemersma, Sander Buesink Germany: Carolin Hagen, René Schneider, Erik Neusser, Johannes Böhlau Italy: Gabriele Alessi, Flavia Biccica, Marco Pantuso, Giovanni Amodeo, Giovanna Zarcone, Francesca Tibaudo Tutors: Luciana Lo Piano, Sandra Smeets
Who put out the Light? 2004 HOPES & FEARS HOPES & FEARS 2004
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The New Europe
CLASS
PARTICIPANTS
Belgium: Fem De Rock, Vande Maele Lien, Ilse Vermaete Germany: Alexandra Pflaum, Sascha Wolfenstäedter, Sebastian Rauch, Martin Junge Holland: Mark Veldboom, Rogier Dasselaar, Marcia Peters Italy: Simonetta Pillitteri, Milena Maione, Marta Bellingreri, Diana Marano, Anna Maria Sciumè, Antonina Calascibetta, Francesca Calandrelli Portugal: Patricia Salvador, Monica Peralta, Filipa Madeira, Guilherme Salas Totors: Andre Swÿtink, Ina Lo Coco, Ernst Guggolz, Alice Tristany
CLASS
PARTICIPANTS
Photos: A. Raisch
Belgium: Kris De Marrez, Isabelle Desplenter, Liselotte Michels, Franke Vandekerckhove Holland: Marleen Lovink, Jessica Nijman Germany: Katrin Hammon, Veronique Witke, Anja Philipp Italy: Emanuele Cipolla, Claudia Marino, Chiara Geraci, Valerio Gristina, Adriano Palazzolo, D’Arcamo Claudia Tutors: Tine Moeyaert, Anna Grasso, Patrizia Vella
Europe goes to School
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European Friends Palermo Bayreuth Regenstauf Dieburg Doetinchem Tielt Vila Real in Diversity: The COMENIUS 11 Project Project‘Unity ‘Variety in Diversity: Hopes & Fears’ is part of the educational Frontiers?’ is part of the educational programme Socrates Sokrates of the the European European Commission. Commission