Background: The pilot project Open Doors for Danube Countries for All (ODDA) builds on experiences from the previous work and projects of the network Danube Networkers. Mutual knowledge and understanding amongst people in the Danube countries and positive climate between European neighbours is one of the prerequisites to the successful implementation of the Danube Strategy and its European ideas. The project should help to reduce prejudices and fears, to introduce and establish new role behaviours and forms of civic engagement. Experiences from previous cross-national projects have shown that many people are reserved when it comes to programs that include international meetings or travel to the West or the East. This applies especially to people with low education, but also to people, who have large knowledge about their own culture. This reserve comes from the lack of knowledge of languages – the other national languages or English, the lack of experience with the cultures of the Danube neighbours and the resulting fear of getting into difficult situations.
The reason for this is the long division of the West and the East Europe and the different social systems. The consequences of this division are especially marked in the transdanubian sphere. Cross-national meetings foster motivation to find out more about the ‘world’ of the other, lead to questions and experience of alternatives for dealing with new situations and foster the feeling for common European democratic values.
The reason for this is the long East-West divide in Europe and the different social systems.
More Information will follow.