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Working groups

The most important parameter of the ABC Network is the joint supra-national and cross-regional discussion of topics of European relevance.

Two or three schools from various countries cooperate within one field of topics with each school receiving support from experts for at least one dialogue event per term.

The schools cooperate in four different working groups with the following material focuses depending on their working approach:

  • technological-scientific
  • socio-economic/ecological
  • artistic and
  • (cultural) historical/philosophical approach

This has produced the following working groups (due to financial difficulties unfortunately no technological/scientific working group could be established):

Before the concept for these four workshops was developed in January 2002 workshops had been held to define later working groups. The workshops worked on the following aspects:

The ARTS Workshop

The workshop was centred around four basic considerations: All the European problems that today many perceive as already solved a short while ago seemed to be insoluble. Our continent had to experience centuries of dramatic history before a common future became feasible for the first time.

It would be a pity to believe that

  1. the new phase will progress harmoniously independently of global developments,
  2. the traces left by the division of the continent will be overcome more quickly than they were created,
  3. our generation will achieve much more than important, albeit purely symbolic, results and
  4. the political will be able to achieve a lot without a cultural background.

For pessimists this is an exaggeration of the existing problems, for optimists the conviction that certain tasks will still be left for posterity. As is usually the case with this topic again more profound questions will produce greater benefits than superficial answers.

The HISTORY workshop

The aim of this workshop was to point out new transnational possibilities for school partnerships on the topic of history. International cooperation and the exchange of experiences from history lead to better mutual understanding. The participating countries share a long common history, but what is being taught at school? Is there a common view of historic events or do different countries set different focuses?

What are the objectives defined by the syllabuses? In what way is real history reflected in the text books? What are the historical hallmarks where individual nations were born in distinction from others? How can we refer to the present and thus contribute to a constructive future? Concrete projects shall be designed with the idea in mind of young people involved in the identification of a vision of a new Europe with which they can identify.

The SCIENCE workshop

Some questions that were discussed: What can the sciences contribute to a common future in Europe? Which promising developments do already exist? What role have the sciences played so far—especially in my country? What are the general attitudes towards the sciences? What are science classes like? (common features and differences) What does it mean in my country to be a scientist? What questions could be asked? What perspectives may be interesting for adolescents? What can a glimpse across the borders teach us about current research? What events and encounters should be possible for you and your teachers in this process?

The SOCIOECONOMY workshop

Europe is growing into a common economic area. In the information age geographic distances are increasingly losing their importance. At the same time the particularities of regional economic milieus are of increasing relevance. The aim of the workshop is to develop issues that, on the one hand, contribute to a sensitisation for what we «have in common» and, on the other, to «what is particular».