After a sometimes turbulent and lengthy journey, the first day took place in Eupen, at the Parliament of the German-speaking Community. Following an important introduction, there were workshops on the topic of democracy. Additionally, the students discussed Belgium’s unique and sometimes complex political situation. Belgium has three official languages: French, mainly spoken in Wallonia; Dutch (Flemish), spoken in Flanders; and a small German-speaking community within the larger Wallonia region near the German border.

In the evening, the group traveled by train to Belgium’s capital, Brussels. After the initial cultural shock, the students experienced the city as loud and busy, but also exciting and diverse. Brussels is a multilingual city with two official languages—Dutch and French—and is home to the European Parliament and other EU institutions. Its residents come from almost every country in the world, making it a truly diverse city. Therefore, the project in Brussels was titled "Europe – Experiencing Diversity."

After visiting the Parlamentarium, the visitor center of the European Parliament, where they learned about the history and functioning of the European Union, the students went to the House of European History. There, groups divided by country worked on different floors and shared their insights with others. The museum showcases key historical events that have united and divided Europe and illustrates how European societies have developed similarly over time. 

The following day focused on migration as a key theme. Before exploring personal stories of migrants at the Migration Museum, the students reflected on migration within their own family histories, leading to engaging discussions. For example, some students who attend school in the Netherlands but are originally German found it difficult to imagine that they or their parents are also migrants. The assignments also dealt with the personal stories of various individuals who migrated to Belgium.

In the afternoon, the group visited the Belgian Senate, where a European Commission staff member spoke about his work, making the European Union’s activities feel more tangible.
 

The next day continued with the theme of migration, this time intertwined with religion. After a city game focused on diversity and religion, where students independently visited various religious sites in Brussels and completed related tasks, a workshop on migration and religion was held at the House of Compassion, a converted Beguine church. Conducted in English, the workshop powerfully illustrated different reasons for migration.

The last day started again with a city game—this time about Belgium’s colonial history—and concluded with a video recording by the students summarizing the project meeting.
 During the city game, project teachers discussed statues related to colonial history with the students. For example, they debated whether it was appropriate that the statue of Congolese artist Freddy Tsimba (see photo below) stands only in Brussels’ so-called African Quarter, while there are also impressive monuments to King Leopold II—who personally owned the Congo colony—in busy parts of Brussels. It was also noted that colonial history has so far been rarely addressed in the students’ classes.

The students learned a lot about the diversity in Brussels and the work of the European Union. But most importantly, they experienced international exchange among young people and gained a better understanding of different cultures.

(Photos: Tabea Sethmann)