The Danube Foundation is a network of young Europeans that aims to contribute to the exchange of ideas between people in Central, East and Western Europe.
Like the river whose name it takes, the Danube Foundation will help to connect diverse European cultures. We strive to develop a platform for, and a network of, young creatives so as to encourage the development of a cross border dialogue and a European public sphere.The Danube Foundation intends to achieve these goals by creating a sustainable exchange and common spirit among young Europeans. In order to do so, we intend not so much to talk about Europe only, but we assume europes and talk about other interesting subjects.
When we came together in 2006 to set up this foundation, it was because we realised that even though all these European countries from the East has joined the EU, we knew almost nothing about these countries or the people in them. Not a clue. Not a clue what they thought about anything. Yes we have gone out in Prague and maybe in Budapest of Talin, but that is really about it. We never read articles of Central European journalists in our newspapers and neither of Italian ones for that matter. Because of course it is not only about not knowing and having prejudices about the people in the new member states, this also counts for the rest of Europe. We are just not interested it seems.Yet we have to be. We all have to take our responsibility; With its lack of vision and lack of discussion and exchange the EU has become a soulless machine. Without vision it can not convince and overcome the pitfalls of our continent, of for instance the lack of democracy and troublesome cooperation between the member states. We need to build a dynamic share public sphere, as we are all living in this construct that has an effect on every corner of our life, and we are not controlling it and exchanging views about all its aspects on a daily basis.We need to engage, exchange and create shared stories. And it is our generation that will have to take the lead in this. Because our generation is the first true European generation. Europe is the place we grew up in and where we are at ease. We have friends in various European cities, we have travelled the continent, we went to university in another European country. We are unmistakably European.
Unburdened by our past, we can and should take the lead and start formulating these shared stories of Europe. Danube acts both as a forum for exchange and a place to develop ideas. We intends to contribute to creating shares stories through various activities and events. Cooperating with other small initiatives across the continent.
