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42-473: Europa-Union Deutschland is a citizens' initiative based on volunteerism and active citizenship . EUD is operating on local, regional and national level and unites representatives of all social groups. EUD advocates a far-reaching European Integration . As a mediator between citizens and institutions of the European polity it has been fighting for "a citizens' Europe" based on social consensus. EUD's founding idea

84-469: A citizen under the law of a nation discussing and educating themselves in politics and society , as well as a philosophy espoused by organizations and educational institutions which advocates that individuals, charitable organizations , and companies have certain roles and responsibilities to society and the environment . Active citizens may be involved in public advocacy and protest, working to effect change in their communities. An active citizen

126-735: A citizens' Europe. In line with the demand for a United States of Europe EUD fought for a European constitution and supported reform processes such as the failed Constitutional Treaty and the successful Treaty of Lisbon . The federalist attitude was confirmed by the organization in December 2009 with the criticism of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany . Europa-Union Deutschland organizes lectures in schools and associations as well as conferences, weekend seminars and study tours to European institutions in order to make European Integration more known amongst citizens. In September 1946,

168-661: A plea for a united Europe. The Hertenstein conference was followed by two more in Luxembourg and Basel. In December 1946 the Union of European Federalists (UEF) was founded in Paris, with Italians, French and Dutch being particularly well represented. According to a euro-skeptic British source, until the 1960s, the UEF was financed in part by the American Committee for a United Europe (ACUE), which

210-543: A points-based immigration system, and in 2009 was considering a probationary period for newly admitted immigrants which would examine, in part, how well they were being so-called active citizens . In Denmark , active citizenship is part of the curriculum in Danish teacher's education. The course is defined as 36 lessons. In Canada , there is an Active Citizenship Course being run at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario . It

252-644: A serious car accident and hostilities because of his intelligence work during World War II he had to resign in September 1954. In the presidential elections at the congress in Hanover in October 1954, Ernst Friedländer emerged as victor after the opposition candidate Kurt Georg Kiesinger had withdrawn his candidacy. After the failure of the European Defence Community in 1954 and the massive decline in membership,

294-601: Is a compulsory course that is delivered by the Language Studies Department to all students at the college. In the United States, writer Catherine Crier wondered in the Huffington Post about whether Americans had lost sight of Thomas Jefferson 's sense of active citizenship. Crier lamented how Americans have tended to neglect participating in voluntary associations, and tend to live as "strangers apart from

336-482: Is a network of EUD members who deal with European topics in their professional lives. The group was founded in summer 2009. On behalf of EUD's executive board it promotes the Europeanization of German politics. Like EUD's Brussels section (see below), Europe-Professionel comprises lobbyists, civil servants and scientists. Just like parties, the group tries to promote their goals using personal contacts. Spokespersons of

378-564: Is about 2000. The festival includes music students in Eutin as well as students from the University of Kansas in Lawrence , Kansas, US, which is the twin city of Eutin. Eutin hosts an annual Blues Festival ( Bluesfest Eutin ) at the beginning of summer. Local musicians, as well as up and coming blues artists from around the world, come to play at this three-day outdoor blues festival, which takes place in

420-539: Is considered a buzzword by some due to its vague definition. Examples include volunteering, donating, and recycling. Developments in social media and media literacy have changed how scholars begin to look at, and define active citizenship. Active citizenship in politics can lead to an apparent consumption of the engaged person rather than offering people with an informed, active opinion. Social media sites let people spread information, and create events to provide opportunities for engaged citizenship. Social media and

462-464: Is known for its numerous rapeseed fields, which are used for biofuel production. Wind turbines are also a common sight in this rural region. Originally constructed as a fully functioning windmill in 1850 by Carl Friedrich Trahn, Die alte Mühle (the old mill) now serves as a bar and restaurant. Eutin is twinned with: Each summer, Lawrence and Eutin take part in an exchange program, where high-school students from Lawrence and college students from

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504-481: Is now compulsory in UK schools up to 14 and is often available as an option beyond that age. In Scotland , UK, active citizenship has been one of the three major themes of community policy since The Osler Report (section 6.6) in 1998. The Scottish Government's 2009 guidelines for community learning and development , Working and Learning Together , has active citizenship as a target within other policy aims. Britain has

546-414: Is someone who takes a role in the community; the term has been identified with volunteering by writers such as Jonathan Tisch , who wrote in the Huffington Post in 2010 advocating that busy Americans should try to help others, particularly by offering high-level professional expertise in such areas as banking , education , engineering , and technology to help the less fortunate. Active citizenship

588-916: The Council of Europe and the establishment of the European Movement . In 1949, the "German Council of the European Movement", which is now the European Movement Germany , was founded in Wiesbaden . Europa-Union Deutschland is member of the European Movement Germany . Following the EUD Congress in Eutin another congress took place in Hamburg in May 1949. The publicist Eugen Kogon was elected first president during

630-713: The European Parliament , the Information Office of the German states, lobbyists and think tanks. The group organizes events and engages in networking. The group is not very strong in presenting a political position although pro-European networking in the sense of soft lobbying within the German community in Brussels is desired. EUD delegates a representative to the ZDF broadcasting commission, currently president Rainer Wieland. Within

672-773: The Free State of Oldenburg to the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein . After World War II , it became part of the modern Bundesland of Schleswig-Holstein. Eutin is birthplace of composer Carl Maria von Weber . To honor him, an open-air theater ( Freilichtbühne ) was built in the park of Eutin Castle in 1951, and operas are performed there in July and August during the Eutin Opera Summer Festival ( Eutiner Festspiele ). The seating capacity of this open-air venue

714-1370: The German Parliament | Elmar Brok MEP | Egon Klepsch retired President of the European Parliament | Walter Scheel , retired President of Germany Honorary Members Arno Krause | Horst Seefeld , Ulrike Guérot | Hans-Joachim Seeler , retired Interior Minister of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg In 2010, the executive board designated spokespersons for specific subject areas: Institutional questions – Otto Schmuck; Economic and financial policy – Joachim Wuermeling; Social Europe – Eva Högl; Energy and environmental policy – Heinz W. Schaumann; EU foreign and security policy – Reinhard Bütikofer; Interior and justice policy – Ulla Kalbfleisch-Kottsieper; EU enlargement – Ernst Johansson; Cultural and educational policy, gender, youth and sports – Enrico Kreft; European public and citizens' participation – Thomas Mann; European Parliament and European elections – Ralf Bingel; Media policy – Rainer Wieland; Regional, municipal and transport policy – Anton von Cetto; Consumerprotection – Eva Högl; Visions for Europe – Ulla Kalbfleisch-Kottsieper; EUD strategy and organizational development – Lutz Hager Europa-Union Deutschland has regional associations in 15 of

756-742: The Reichstag . Ritzel was Secretary General of the Swiss Europa-Union in 1939. In several places in the Western occupation zones - especially in the British zone - groups were formed during this period, all of which had the unification of Europe as their goal, but initially had little contact with each other. With the help of Dutch and British participants of the Hertenstein meeting, Heinrich Ritzel managed to get in touch with Wilhelm Heile, district administrator of

798-1473: The ZDF broadcasting commission the representative of Europa-Union Deutschland is considered to be part of the "friends", the part of the broadcasting commission that has close connections to the CDU , despite the fact that EUD describes itself as nonpartisan. In a 2010 report the German taxpayers' association criticizes the institutional funding of the organization by the German federal budget. Active citizenship Active citizenship involves citizens having control over their daily lives as users of public services, allowing them to influence decisions, voice concerns, and engage with service provision. This includes both choice and voice, enabling citizens to impact service provision by participating in local policies, interacting with institutions, and expressing preferences. It encompasses activities in politics, workplaces, civil society, and private spheres. This concept emphasizes how citizens' interactions with staff, administrators, and politicians at different levels affect their ability to shape services according to their needs. Three dimensions are considered: choice, empowerment, and participation. Choice involves informed decisions about service use, empowerment allows individuals to control their lives as users, and participation includes engaging in policy processes and influencing services. Active citizenship or engaged citizenship refers to active participation of

840-612: The 16 States of Germany . The regional association of Saxony is under construction. Europa-Union Deutschland also has a Brussels-based section for Germans working in Brussels temporarily. Michael Koehler, who was the Chief of Cabinet of EU Commissioner Joseph Borg , is chairman of the group. Since 2010, Kohler is Chef de Cabinet of the German EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger , who is also a member of EUD. The board consists of European Commission officials, members of

882-679: The European Parliament and 108 members of the German Parliament are EUD-members. The boards of the parliamentary groups comprise members of different German parties. Europa-Union Parliamentary Group German Bundestag : Chairman: MP Manuel Sarrazin , The Greens ; Deputy Chairpersons: MP Michael Link , FDP ; MP Eva Högl , SPD ; MP Günter Krings , CDU Europa-Union Parliamentary Group European Parliament : Chairman: Matthias Groote , SPD / PES ; Deputy chairmen: Alexander Alvaro FDP / ALDE ; Michael Cramer , The Greens / EFA ; Joachim Zeller , CDU / EPP . The groups organize events such as

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924-653: The German Federal Government. President : Rainer Wieland MEP , Vice-president of the European Parliament Vice-presidents : Eva Högl Member of the German Parliament | Ernst Johansson | Thomas Mann MEP Treasurer : Joachim Wuermeling , retired state secretary Secretary-General : Christian Moos Chairman of the Federal Committee : Franz-Josef Klein Further members of

966-450: The Hamburg congress. Carlo Schmid was in absence elected vice-president and henceforth was an important advisor for Europa-Union Deutschland. Under the leadership of Kogon EUD represented the ideological interests and opinions of German left-wing Catholicism and French integral federalism in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The unification of Europe should be achieved bypassing parliaments. In

1008-615: The Swiss "Europa-Union" invited the European Federalists for a conference to Hertenstein close to Lake Lucerne . Twelve theses were formulated constituting the foundation of the European federalists' work in the post-war years. The theses became known as Hertenstein Program and later became the founding document of Europa-Union Deutschland. At the same time in Zurich, Winston Churchill held

1050-612: The accession of further new federal groups, Europa-Union became the German section of the UEF . Chaired by Winston Churchill , a "Europe-Congress" was convoked in The Hague on 7 May 1948. It was attended by more than 700 politicians from the beneficiary countries of the Marshall Plan . The congress had been prepared by the UEF and financed by the ACUE . The most important results were the formation of

1092-500: The cultural, social, and economic fabrics of their adopted countries, are and ought to be considered citizens of those countries, notwithstanding what immigration authorities call them. He calls this a "citizenship of participation". Eutin Eutin ( German pronunciation: [ɔɪ̯ˈtiːn] ) is the district capital of Eastern Holstein county located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein . As of December 2022,

1134-790: The executive board : Ralf Bingel | Reinhard Bütikofer MEP | Anton Freiherr von Cetto | Kristin Funke member of the regional parliament of Schleswig-Holstein | Lutz Hager | Ulla Kalbfleisch-Kottsieper | Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann | Enrico Kreft | Jürgen Lippold | Heinz-Wilhelm Schaumann (Vice-President of the UEF ) | Otto Schmuck | Elisabeth Schnarrenberger-Oesterle | Gabriela Schneider | Thomas Stölting | Michael Theurer MdEP | Wolfgang Zapfe Co-opted members : Werner Hoyer MdB, Dietrich von Kyaw , Gunther Krichbaum MdB, Jo Leinen MdEP, Manuel Sarrazin MdB, Daniela Schwarzer (Public Figures) Honorary Presidents Peter Altmaier Member of

1176-631: The first chairman and Hermes became CEO of the new Europa-Union Deutschland. A secretariat was established in Mönchengladbach . EUD's first rallies were organized in Duisburg , Cologne , Kiel and Lübeck . In the Soviet occupation zone all activities of Europa-Union and other West-oriented pro-European organizations were banned. The first EUD Congress took place in Eutin in 1947. It was attended by 200 delegates from 50 regional groups. In November 1947, after

1218-490: The following years, criticism arose concerning Kogon's leadership style and the political orientation of Europa-Union. In addition, his financial mismanagement, which brought the association to the brink of ruin in the early 1950s, provided the grounds for his dismissal. CDU MP Paul Leverkuehn was elected new president in a crucial vote against Franz Josef Strauss during the EUD Congress in Cologne on 2 May 1954. However, after

1260-590: The goal of becoming a mass organization was dropped. Instead, the association focused on the systematic manipulation of government bureaucracy and political parties. EUD supported and encouraged Germany's integration with the West. Friedländer was assisted by the Cologne-based banker Friedrich Carl von Oppenheim, who could ensure, through his contacts in the financial world, the economic survival of Europa-Union Deutschland. When Friedländer resigned for health reasons, Oppenheim

1302-488: The group are the retired Secretary of State and insurance lobbyist Joachim Wuermeling and the civil servant Silke Kaul . Among the board members are the vice-executive of the North Rhine-Westphalian state representation Dirk Schattschneider and political scientist Ulrike Guérot . Next to organizing events for the target group, Europe-Professionel works on papers on the improvement of the European coordination of

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1344-478: The internet provide a public access point to government affairs, and police, away from town hall meetings , creating communities with similar concerns to recognize the pitfalls of governments and government policies. Due to concerns over such things as a lack of interest in elections (reflected by low voter turnout), the British Government has launched a citizenship education program. Citizenship education

1386-600: The market place in the center of town. As the costs are covered by sponsoring, public funding and volunteer helpers, admission is free. Eutin is surrounded by a number of lakes of the Holsteinische Schweiz , including the Großer Eutiner See , Kleiner Eutiner See , Kellersee and Ukleisee . Many of the lakes are surrounded by forests. Popular activities on these lakes include boating, canoeing, rowing, swimming, and fishing. Schleswig-Holstein, particularly Eutin,

1428-509: The organization during Friedländer's and Oppenheim's presidency were diametrically opposed to Kogon's views. First, a clear choice was made to support an Atlantic- and West-oriented Europe. Second, special emphasis was put on economic issues. Third, Europa-Union clearly committed itself to the free democratic basic order of the Federal Republic. Since 2006, Europa-Union Deutschland has increasingly focused on parliamentary work. 70 members of

1470-459: The parliamentary forum on the future of Europe, and political initiatives, such as placing the European flag on the Reichstag . In addition to the traditional grass-roots work in regional and local associations and the parliamentary work, EUD increasingly focuses on reaching new target groups as well as developing substantive concepts. EUD has two working groups: One on the "future of Europe" and one called "Europe-Professionel". Europe-Professionel

1512-531: The rest", quoting Tocqueville . In contrast, writer Eboo Patel in Newsweek suggested that President Obama had a somewhat different sense of active citizenship, meaning strong families, a vibrant civic center in which persons of different faiths and secular backgrounds work together, with government acting as a "catalyst". Jose Antonio Vargas writes in his memoirs, Dear America: Notes from an Undocumented Citizen , that undocumented immigrants, who contribute to

1554-487: The town Syke close to Bremen . Already during the times of the Weimar Republic Heile had founded an "association for European cooperation". Together with the manufacturer Wilhelm Hermes from Mönchengladbach Heile initiated on 9 December 1946 a merger of Germany's most important European groups. In line with the Swiss Europa-Union, Ritze suggested the name Europa-Union also for the German "Europeans". Heile became

1596-399: The town had some 17,000 inhabitants. The name Eutin (originally Utin) is of Slavic origin. Its meaning is not quite clear; it is probably derived from the personal name "Uta". The Slavic Obotrites tribe settled eastern Holstein in the 7th/8th centuries A.D. and built a castle on Pheasant Island in the lake now called the Großer Eutiner See . The originally Slavonic settlement of Utin

1638-577: Was directed by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the former U.S. Secret Service . Invitations to UEF events were also sent to Germans, but they could not participate because they were not allowed to travel by the authorities of the occupied zones in the period after the Second World War. The only exception were Germans living in exile in Switzerland, such as Heinrich Ritzel , a former SPD deputy in

1680-521: Was elected president in Bremen in mid-January 1958. During this time, the secretariat was moved from Frankfurt to Bonn in order to develop closer ties to federal political actors and to increase influence on German foreign and European policies. Good relations existed with Chancellor Adenauer and in particular with the Foreign Office , which supported Europa-Union Deutschland financially. The positions of

1722-569: Was populated in the twelfth century by Dutch settlers. In 1156 Eutin became a market town. Town rights were granted in the year 1257. It later became the seat of the Prince-Bishopric of Lübeck , as Lübeck itself was an imperial free city . When the bishopric was secularized in 1803, Eutin became part of the Duchy of Oldenburg . As a result of the Greater Hamburg Act of 1937, Eutin passed from

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1764-489: Was the establishment of democratic and federal structures to enable the cooperation of the European peoples. Important stages of European integration were demanded by Europa-Union Deutschland at an early stage: direct election of the European Parliament, democratization of the European Community/Union, enlargement, introduction of the euro. EUD regularly takes a stand on specific policy areas, particularly concerning

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