Brussels, 04/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Commissioner for Education and Culture, Jan Figel, awarded the 'Gold Stars of Town Twinning' in Brussels on 3 and 4 February at a Consultation Forum on the future action programme to promote active European citizenship (see Europe of 2 February, p.16) to ten outstanding town twinning initiatives involving 27 towns in Europe.
In the category of “conferences and seminars”, the 3 winners of the Golden Stars of Town Twinning are: 1) Dordrecht (NL) for organising a conference, where the town presented its revised policy on disabilities. Hastings (UK), Recklinghausen (DE), and Varna (BG) to exchange experiences and best practices. 2) Orimattila (FI) for organising a conference to discuss the issues that affect today's young people. Comparisons were made with Orimattila's twin towns from Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Poland and Sweden, all actively involved in the project. 3) Specchia (IT) for organising a conference on three key topics: alternative energy, environmental protection and bio-agriculture. Other participants came from Specchia's twin towns Busko Zdrój (PL), Haukipudas (FI), Stenheim (DE) and Szigetszentmiklós (HU).
In the category of “citizens' meetings”, the 24 winners of the Golden Stars of Town Twinning are: the city of Basingstoke (UK) with its twin city Alençon (FR) for an exchange between French and British high-school students. Alhama de Granada (ES) for inviting young people from Bagnères-de-Bigorre (FR) for a series of meetings and visits to address such issues as immigration, the needs of the elderly, dangers of drug taking, environment and civil protection. Moldovita (RO) and Kruibeke (BE) for a meeting of young people and youth workers. The purpose was to facilitate the exchange of best practice and experiences with regard to youth movements. Wuppertal (DE) for a joint artistic project (theatre and dance) under the general theme “Strange” with young people from Košice (SK). Braunfels (DE) for a meeting with a network of the following twinned towns: Bagnols sur Cèze (FR), Carcaixent (ES), Eeklo (BE), Feltre (IT), Kiskunfélegyháza (HU), Newbury (UK), and Korond (RO on the role of the young citizens in creating the future of Europe. Šiauliai (LT) for a forum where “Sport as a tool for social integration of young people” was discussed with representatives from Czestochowa (PL), Etten Leur (NL), Fredericia (DK), and Jelgava (LV). the town of Montgeron (FR) for a meeting with its twinned towns of Povoa de Varzim (PT) and Eschborn (DE) to discuss the integration of people with disabilities into the heart of local communities.