« Antidemocratic and xenophobic forces of Europe have always been attracted by the European unity dream, the mystic of the imperial Rome»
(FB - 1998)
" Being a citizen is a voluntary act "
(FB - 2009)
"Thinking about the future only makes sense if it is aimed at improving one’s thinking about the present and about the trends at work"
(FB - 1998)
"The European project is not a dream, but a hope. It is rooted in rationality, which is not the case with dreams. We Europeans have seen our dreams end in nightmares too often not to be suspicious."
(FB - 2005)
"The strength of a network is judged at the information level of the weakest link, or more precisely the link furthest from the centre of the network."
(FB - 2004)
"Europe's destiny is escaping the two "Greats" and it will come knocking on the door of the Europeans."
(FB - 1989)
"The history of Europe is a bit like a multifaceted diamond. Everyone sees the same diamond... but no one sees exactly the same facets."
(FB - E-storia project, 2004)
"Let us dare the future as the founding fathers of Europe did"
(FB - "From EU to Euroland", 2001)
"The European citizenship can not be decreed. The European citizen can only be born..."
(FB - 1992)
"Every state is a minority in the EU. In any case, let’s not forget that if all our states went into building the EU it is because they all felt too small to face alone both their future and the rest of the world."
(FB - 2003)
"From a single (EU) Currency to a single (EU) Citizenship. The euro is only an instrument."
(FB - 1997)
"An empire is always providing platforms where conflicts and wars prolife­rate... an empire needs enemies, whilst a Community requires partners."
(FB - 1992)
"Europe’s history has taught us that dreams and nightmares are the two faces of the same coin"
(FB - “Europe is Peace” 2006)
"Everybody wants to have a successful enlargement whereas it is a successful enlarged EU which is important."
(FB - 2002)
"It is clear that the existing national political parties can not serve two masters: national and European."
(FB - IDE, 1989)
"It takes teamwork to make Europe move forward."
(FB - 2005)
"There is nothing like one European. The European is a team of Europeans... the only way we can imagine a European, it is a team of people from different countries, not a single man or woman."
(FB - Enschede (NL) 2012)
"On the horizon with a heaven of freedom and a land of responsibility, this is perhaps the soul of Europe."
(FB - 1992)
"The future challenge for the European project is not about Europe anymore, it is about the Europeans."
(FB - 2005)
"The more Brussels speaks English, the less Brussels understands the Europeans"
(FB - 2004)
"Occupy the Future of Europe!"
("What do YOU want as a future for AEGEE?" Franck Biancheri at the 2012 Agora in Enschede)
"To combine new technologies and democratic principles to succeed in the entry of European integration in the 21st century or e-democracy at the service of Euro-democracy"
(FB - EUSV, 2001)
"In the years 00 of the 21st century, democratization can only take place in the perspective of the democratic election of a European executive that remains to be invented."
(FB - EUSV, 2001)
"We must build the European Community, otherwise Europe will soon be culturally Americanised, politically Finlandised and technologically Japanised"
EGEE I, 1984

“Education for the present, Democracy for the future” – Franck Biancheri Award Conference (Budapest 21/23 April 2017)

Young people reflecting on the past, debating on the present, envisioning a different future.
This year’s Franck Biancheri Award Conference will take place between 21st until 23rd of April in Budapest at the Central European University, as a collaboration between AEGEE-Budapest, l’Association des Amis de Franck Biancheri and AEGEE-Europe, represented by the Civic Education Working Group and Europe on Track Project.

The founder of AEGEE-European Students’ Forum, Europe’s biggest interdisciplinary student associations, Franck Biancheri, foresaw the risks of a rise of non-democratic movements that the EU is experiencing nowadays, by pointing out the deficit of a common currency instead of a direct, democratic and active participation of citizens. Isn’t a multicultural Europe put at risk when being measured by economic criteria? The latest happenings on the political level in Europe and the crises that Europe is experiencing right now may be the first symptoms that Franck Biancheri was talking about decades ago.

The decision to have the conference in Budapest was not a coincidence. Entering the Euroland, the refugee crises, increasing popularity of nationalism and populism, the lack of civic education in Hungarian society are some of the topics
with which Hungary has confronted itself in the last few years. This context will bring more relevance and value to the course of the conference and a perfect environment is achieved.

Another important point from Franck Biancheri’s legacy is for the young Europeans to own the future, to act and to stand for their values. As he said, “we, young students all over Europe, are occupying the future, taking a stand for our values and for the democratisation of Europe”. Supporting his view the conference will bring over 60 young people together, from all around Europe and not only, to debate and tackle the perspectives for a successful democracy in Europe. That can only happen with active, responsible citizenship, for which civic education has a key role and AEGEE as a provider of it.

Observing the outcomes in our society the conference tries to offer the right framework for the participants to understand the influence of the state of education on democracy, find solutions for current ways of participatory democracy and which strategies should be adopted for the future in order to strive and achieve functional democracies.

The Organiser Team
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Download AEGEE_FBA_Conference_Booklet