Open Democracy lits a candle for Europe on its troubled birthday, but also argues that EU leaders must still earn their birthday champagne. They also look back to 1957 and dare to look forward to 2057.
The EU is celebrating its birthday, but it’s not quite sure of its identity. Might be true, but is this bad?
Anyhow: Dive into the EU. One way or the other!
Young people at the youth summit say: This is the Europe we want! And soon gather again at the European Youth Week to request “Nothing about us without us: give us more democracy!”
300 young journalists take hold of the European Parliament: Release youth media!
Philosopher and social scientist Jürgen Habermas proposes for citizens to vote on a democratisation referendum in 2009. “The governments have to recognise their own powerlessness and dare to use democracy.”
The Guardian finds it’s harder to look forward.
The Pope thinks the EU is on the path to oblivion. There are others who think the Pope is really Oblivion.
Europe and Islam: What are we talking about? Discover the Muslim World! In depth.
Unfortunately, not completely unrelated: Alana Lentin questions and explores racism and human rights and their relation: “Towards a new humanism?” and “Multiculturalism or anti-racism?”
No offence, but why are all white men so aggressive?
Europe needs to re-engage with imagination: But who and how?
At 50, the European Union – America’s pampered godchild – is overweight and badly dressed.
“Like it or not, if we have a united Europe we survive. If not, we are dead.”, argues Romani Prodi. His successor, Jose Manuel Barroso, contends that “Europe needs a vision to inspire its citizens in the next 50 years”.
Europe has a much longer history, of course. And an older institution.
A sequence of 21 cartographic snapshots showing the history of Europe as a whole. More early maps. And an excellent overview of different maps. Plus a cool interactive European map.
50 reasons to love the European Union. Number 50: “Lists like this drive the Eurosceptics mad.” Good!
Quotes on, about and related to Europe. “Morality in Europe today is herd-morality”, said Friedrich Nietzsche. More here or here.
Very different things can happen in two different places within the same 10 minutes.
The European Parliament has a better website than you would think. Admittedly they are Muggles though, so it is fair enough that this website is much more magical.
For that, the European Parliament looks great.
Have an idea or two about the future of Europe? Make them heard at the first pan-European citizens’ consultations. Debate Europe!
Inside Europe: The European Radio Weekly. One of the best podcast about, on and in Europe.
Eurotopics. Excellent daily press review following the most important political, cultural and social debates.
Europhobia is the blog of Nosemonkey. I’m not joking. It’s good!
There is so much to see in Europe…
Interesting? Exciting – enjoy!