Impressive Coburg cooperation for Europe with pics4peace in the Spiegelsaal of the Landestheater

Host and host was the director of the Landestheaters, Dr. Bernhard Loges, cooperation partner was the University of Applied Sciences with Prof. Dr. Michael Heinrich, Fakultät für Design, and we as pics4peace. Theater professionals from different European countries and students of the University of Applied Sciences in Coburg discussed with us about Europe. The afternoon was moderated by high school graduate Anna Schärmann (Würzburg) and student Jan Philipp Häger (Hösbach/Würzburg), both from pics4peace. The Bavarian Television (Bayerische Fernsehen), Tobias Burkert and team, were also involved. There will be a film report about the event before the European elections.

Jamming against indifference

After the welcome, there was a kind of premiere. The pics4peace musicians jammed the song 'Leuchtsignal" in the hall wonderfully decorated with chandeliers, ornaments, mirrors and architectural perfection. Certainly one of them unusual. But that's what it should be. Indifference and passivity are over when extremism and populism are on the rise again, parties that limit human rights and don't want to see global problems. To bury the head in the sand doesn't help, is the opinion of the pics4peace musicians Frank, Jasmina, Marcel and Joshi on the guitar. That's why they say musically what they think and call on everyone to join in, to be #leuchtsignal themselves, to take a stand and to put their own voice on the scales not only at the microphone but also in elections. So that Europe remains legally secure and free for all, thinks beyond its borders when it comes to solving problems and peace is also secured in the future.

This concern was taken up by Jan Philipp and Anna in their moderation as they entered into conversation with the interested participants:

How young people experience Europe in concrete terms

"How do you experience Europe in your environment?" In a lively discussion, one of them talked about, for example, the abolition of roaming charges and uniform cell phone tariffs, the recognition of education abroad or even the possibility of being able to study and travel in neighboring European countries without barriers.

"What don't you like? What scares you?" was how the second complex was introduced. Here, for example, the high unemployment in the southern countries was addressed, the lack of trust in politicians, the powerlessness that one can not make a difference anyway. The main point was that people do not learn at school what political participation could look like using current examples. One student noted that many young people do not get the news. She felt that the media had a responsibility here. There was a heated discussion about what is the responsibility to get and what is the responsibility to bring.

Demands on politicians and on us

In the final part, the young adults were invited to describe their vision, their wish for Europe or to answer the question "What do we have to do?". Here is the colorful and interesting list of the engaged discussants:

Demands on politics

• Create transparency; better involve the public
• Reduce fears; less aggression, more will to compromise
• Defend our basic democratic values
• Less egoism, more community
• Courage for projects in which Europeans form one team
• Change structures in education (more human education)
• Possibility of free language lessons in other European countries
• European employment office to place young Europeans within Europe
• Help to reduce parallel societies (integration / inclusion), protect minorities

Demands on all of us

• More courage for Utopia; make maximum demands, so that politics understands,
• Live solidarity with others, poorer people and minorities
• Stand up for our rights, our democracy and peace

Thanks to all who participated! Thank you for this great event!