The 2nd meeting of all the Erasmus+ Pupils in Kerpen was a great success. The pupils worked hard on the programme for 10 days:

Planning and implementation of a podium discussion “Successful Integration?”

with local and regional politicians, members of the Roma society, several social studies classes and the project pupils

During our visit to the European Parliament Axel Voss, Representative to the European Parliament, calls the pupils to “intervene, engage yourselves in parties, initiatives or other groups. Don’t let things just happen; it is your world, you must shape it!”

Implementation and evaluation of the first ideas for integration projects

(“My favourite recipe”, “sports games”, “Your city, my city”) as well as the mutual development and planning of further proposals

Meeting with Mohamed from Syria

Monday was a moving day for the Erasmus+ pupils. Mohamed from Syria reported about his travel through Turkey to Germany.

There is also war in Katania, where his family is. He explained to the pupils, that he is a Muslim, but not an Islamist and that he, like most Syrians, find the Islamists terrible. Ex explained he was currently attending German class and afterwards cooked his favourite dish from his homeland with the other pupils.

The cultures of the Roma and their living conditions in Hungary as well as the experiences of young refugees in Germany after their flight from their homelands are the topics of the exhibition. This exhibition means to take a stand against social exclusion and racism. It is our goal to conquer the barriers between cultures and social strata and to promote understanding and minimize radicalizing tendencies.

Project work and participation in regular lessons as well as the implementation of a German lesson plan as preparation for a language diploma.

Composition of a project hymn against racism and in cooperation with the music teachers was an important part of this project meeting. All three languages occur in the song.

Wir in Europa – Zukunft gestalten Projekthymne: ¡Basta ya! (Es reicht!) Erasmus+ Schüler - Oktober 2017 Basta ya de fronteras (Schluss mit den Grenzen) Basta ya de maneras (Schluss mit verkehrten Einstellungen) Basta ya de prejuicios (Schluss mit Vorurteilen) Basta ya de sin-juicios (Schluss mit Unvernunft) In Europa gibt es viele Länder Leider auch zu viele Ränder Die ganzen Grenzen sind zu streng Lass und die Blockaden spreng´n Der Herkunft ist doch uns egal Ob Frankreich oder Senegal Hautfarbe sagt nichts über uns aus Schmeiß die Vorurteile raus! Somos iguales, somos diferentes (wir sind alle gleich, alle verschieden) Somos distintos, pero buena gente (wir sind alle verschieden, aber alle Menschen) Refrain Por un mundo para que todos tengamos pan en la mesa (Für eine Welt, in der wir alle zu essen haben) ¿Para qué separarse si avanzar somos más fuertes? (wozu uns trennen wenn wir zusammen stärker sind) Para avanzar tenemos que abrir nuestras mentes (um uns zu entwickeln, müssen wir offen sein für das, was kommt) Derribando muros y fronteras incoherentes (Indem wir Mauern und sinnlose Grenzen niederreißen) (Auf Ungarisch) Európában sok ország van, Sokfajta nép él egy hazában. Figyelnek minket a határon, Hagyj élni minket hát szabadon. A származás totál mindegy, Lehetsz te ukrán, lengyel, német. A szín nem számít semmit, ne különböztess meg senkit! Refrain Ten valor (Sei mutig) Háblales con amor (Spreche sie mit Liebe an!) Por un mundo mejor (für eine bessere Welt)

Performance of the 2nd flash mob for tolerance

on the schoolyard to the rousing title by Casandra Steen and Adel Tawil (2009) „Ich baue eine Stadt für Dich“. Eine Stadt, in der es keine Angst gibt, nur Vertrauen. Wo wir die Mauern aus Gier und Verächtlichkeit abbauen. Wo das Licht nicht erlischt“.

Red hearts flew suddenly through the air as a sign of love, understanding and humanity when „eine Stadt, in der es keine Angst gibt, nur Vertrauen, wo wir die Mauern aus Gier und Verächtlichkeit abbauen“ (a city in which there is no fear, only trust, where we destroy walls of greed and hate) was sounded. Together the pupils promoted world understanding to create a new world with this rousing and lively action.

Even though the different languages of the dancers created problems for the communication during the visit in Germany, no one noted any of this on this day, because music and sport know no borders.

Realisation of a Street Art action against racism:

“We open the door for integration” in the school yard in cooperation with the art teachers.

On the day before the departure of the guest pupils Erasmus+ pupils initiated a Street Art Action with the motto “We open the door for integration” with the cooperation of Class 9.3 as well as the Art faculty. While key concepts like acceptance, perspectives, education, morals and solidarity were distributed around the room and gradually found their right places, in the end the central concept INTEGRATION stood in the middle.

During this symbolic action the gray concrete wall near the gymnasiums got a new paint job. Full of hope, it now radiates turquoise (the colour of communication) and orange (the colour of energy and light): Two hearts in the middle represent and perpetuate the pursuit of a peaceful togetherness at our school.

Reception by the mayor of Kerpen

The Erasmus+ pupils were accorded a special honour when the Kerpen Mayor, Dieter Spürck, together with the Integration representative, Annette Seiche, received the 40 pupils from Germany, Hungary and Spain in city hall. Mayor Spürck praised the Erasmus+-Project as an important contribution towards European understanding.

In answer to the question from the pupils as to what must change in Europe, so that the peoples grow together, a pupil answered in moving words: “People should make themselves aware which advantages the European Union offers for everyone, one should overcome national egotism and understand that we are only strong together and solidarity moves us forward.”

Visit to the ELDE-House in Cologne

The graffiti on the walls of the ELDE House in Cologne showing stories and traces of victims moved the pupils visibly. “Something like this must never happen again”, the pupils said.