Athens Exchange. Information Booklet. Creating Critical Minds and Voices in Europe

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Marian Fowler
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1 Athens Exchange Information Booklet Creating Critical Minds and Voices in Europe

2 Welcome We wish everyone a warm welcome to the Athens Exchange of Creating Critical Minds and Voices in Europe! CCMVE is an international debate program focused on our three ABCs Active Citizenship (advocacy, public speaking, argument construction/refutation, volunteering, community organising, etc.) Being informed (media analysis, critical thinking, combatting fake news, identifying logical fallacies, straw man, assertions, use of evidence etc.) Current events in Europe (Rise of nationalism and extremist parties, refugees, economics, Brexit, violence & how to address it, security & freedom, etc. ) We hope to provide a stimulating intellectual and cultural exchange for all our participants from Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. Having so many representatives of different countries, backgrounds, and cultures together is a truly rewarding and exciting experience. We firmly believe that you will come from this exchange enriched and having made new friends for life. Through workshops and debate events we hope to help make you active and critical citizens of Europe. We hope that you come away from this event having come up with strong messages and stronger views on the world and feel excited to make a change. We also hope that you will want to share your experiences with your immediate surrounding. Please feel free to report on this event through your social media account using the hashtags #ccmve and #idebate and follow our Facebook Page Creating Critical Minds and Voices in Europe to receive the latest updates on this project. We wish you an unforgettable experience! Yvonne Heselmans Daan Welling Vasillis Tsipopolous Executive Director IDEA NL Programme Coordinator IDEA NL Convenor Debating Society of Greece

3 Schedule Day Arrivals Day Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Departure Day Time 08:00 All-Day Arrivals at Hotel 09:00 The registration desk will be open from onwards Breakfast at Hotel. Tour starts at 9.00 AM sharp. 10:00 Tour through 11:00 Athens Breakfast at Hotel. Walking Bus to Venue at 9.00 AM. Breakfast at Hotel. Walking Bus to Venue at 9.00 AM. Workshops 3 Workshops 5 12:00 Workshops 4 Workshops 6 13:00 14:00 Lunch Lunch Lunch 15:00 Workshops 1 Practice Debates Practice Debates 16:00 17:00 Workshops 2 18:00 Dinner Closing Ceremony 19:00 Dinner Cultural Expo Dinner 20:00 Farewell Party 21:00 Breakfast at Hotel and all-day departures Addresses Hotels Best Western My Athens Best Western Museum Hotel Kerameikou 3 &, Zinonos, Athens Mpoumpoulinas 16, Athens Best Western Pythagorion Hotel Agiou Konstantinou 28, Athens Venue The Cube Athens 8 Kleisovis Str, Athens Greece Contacts Daan Welling Programme Coordinator Vera Kranenburg General Queries Emergencies 112

4 Activities Overview Tour This tour gives you an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city. We will be guided to see the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympic Games of modern times were held in 1896 (short stop). We ll pass by the Prime Minister's residence (ex Royal Palace) guarded by the Euzones in their colorful uniform, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Hadrian's Arch, the Parliament and the memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy, the University, the National Library, the Constitution Square (Syntagma). Workshops Practice Debates Cultural Expo Meet Athens Opening Ceremony/Closing Ceremony On the Acropolis we ll visit the Architectural Masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: The Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and the Parthenon itself. We will offer 6 workshops during the event, which follow the events ABCs. You have registered for your workshops of choice during registration. Practice Debates in the WSDC style. For students not familiar with the WSDC style, a primer will be offered on Day 2. If you wish to not participate, you are allowed to watch other students debate. During the cultural expo delegations will share elements of their own country; foods, snacks, folklore dress, etc. This will be in one room with a stand per country. During this event you get a chance to explore the historical sights of Athens in a unique setting. During these events we want to bring the group together and reflect on the themes of "creating critical minds and voices in Europe"

Workshops and Debates These workshops aim to shape your minds according to the ABCs to the event. They invite you to build your critical thinking and public speaking tools.

5 Workshops and Debates These workshops aim to shape your minds according to the ABCs to the event. They invite you to build your critical thinking and public speaking tools. They make you a more knowledgeable person on current affairs in Europe. And they make you, as one of the titles of the workshops conveniently suggests, a "wholesome debater". Of special note is one workshop, which is an introduction session to the Worlds Schools Debate format. If you wish to participate in the afternoon debates but have had little experience in formal debate, you or your teammates can attend this workshop. We'll offer it on the morning of day 2 and once more during lunch if demand is sufficient. We have also attached a format briefing you can read to make you familiar with the format. Sign-Up How do you sign up for these workshops? During registration in Athens you will be provided with a link to an online form where you can give three preferences for each "Session". There are six sessions in total. In each session you can pick any workshop you like. We will try to place you with as many of your first preferences as possible, taking into account classroom size and a diverse classroom. Each morning we post the overview of classes both in the Facebook Group ( and at the Venue. If you haven't filled in the online form, you will be randomly allocated a group. Debates Sign-ups for debates happen in the break between Session 1 and Session 2 on Day 2. Either you or your chaperones can sign you up. You can sign up in teams of 3-5 of your own making. Please provide your names and a teamname. You can change your team between day 2 and day 3 by indicating this in between Session 1 and Session 2 on Day 3. You will get an hour to prepare your debate. Speeches will be 8 minutes in length, with 4 minute replies.

6 Athens Athens is the historical capital of Europe, with a long history, dating from the first settlement in the Neolithic age. In the 5th Century BC (the Golden Age of Pericles ) the culmination of Athens long, fascinating history the city s values and civilization acquired a universal significance. Over the years, a multitude of conquerors occupied Athens, and erected unique, splendid monuments - a rare historical palimpsest. In 1834, it became the capital of the modern Greek state and in two centuries since it has become an attractive modern metropolis with unrivalled charm. A large part of the town s historic centre has been converted into a 3-kilometre pedestrian zone (the largest in Europe), leading to the major archaeological sites ( archaeological park ), reconstructing to a large degree the ancient landscape. Your accommodation is in the middle of this historic centre, giving you an unique opportunity to explore Athen s past and present. Acropolis The sacred rock of the Acropolis is the site of some of the most important masterpieces of worldwide architecture and art, the most renowned of which is the Parthenon temple. Apart from this, also impressive are the Propylaea, the temple of the Athene Nike and the Erechtheion, while you must not skip a visit to the Museum, located close to the Parthenon. Moreover, from the rock you have an impressive view of the city. The Historical Centre The core of the historic centre is the Plaka neighborhood (at the eastern side of the Acropolis), which has been inhabited without interruption since antiquity. When you walk through the narrow labyrinthine streets lined with houses and mansions from the time of the Turkish occupation and the Neoclassical period (19th c.), you will have the impression of travelling with a time machine. You will encounter ancient monuments, such as the Lysikrates Monument, erected by a wealthy donor of theatrical performances, the Roman Agora with the famed Tower of the Winds (1st c. B.C.) and Hadrian s Library (132 A.D). There are also some interesting museums (Folk Art, Greek Children s Art, Popular

Musical Instruments, Frysira Art Gallery, etc.), lots of picturesque tavernas, cafés, bars, as well as shops selling souvenirs and traditional Greek products.

7 Musical Instruments, Frysira Art Gallery, etc.), lots of picturesque tavernas, cafés, bars, as well as shops selling souvenirs and traditional Greek products. Continuing from Plaka you arrive at Monastiraki, a characteristic area of old Athens, with narrow streets and small buildings where the city s traditional bazaar (Yousouroum) is held. Close to it is the Psyrri area, a traditional neighborhood which during the past few years has evolved into one of the most important centres of the town s nightlife. However, the heart of the historical centre is the traditional commercial neighborhood, with more than 2,500 shops of all kinds, which spreads out over the streets surrounding Ermou Street (the city s bestknown commercial street). The western border of the area is Athinas Street, where the foodstuff commerce is concentrated, reminding one strongly of the Middle East. Here are situated, among others, the neoclassical mansions of the Town Hall, the Municipal Market and spacious Kotzias Square. Downtown Syntagma and Omonia are the main central squares of the town; they are linked by Stadiou Street and Panepistimiou Avenue, along which some of the town s most beautiful Neoclassical buildings have been erected. Dominating Syntagma Squareis the Greek Parliament building and in front of it the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, guarded by the Evzones in traditional costume. From this square starts the beautiful National Garden (40 acres), south of which stands the impressive Zappeion Mansion ( ). From there you can continue towards the Presidential Mansion (1897) and thence to the Panathenaikon (Kallimarmaro) Stadium, where the first Olympic Games in modern history were held (1896). From there, crossing the Mets neighborhood, the road leads you to the First Cemetery, the oldest one in Athens, basically an outdoor sculpture display with a wealth of wonderful monumental tombstones by some of the most important sculptors of the 19th and 20th centuries. Adapted from Visit Greece.

About the Organisers IDEA (the International Debate Education Association) is the worlds leading debate education provider. IDEA events take place across the world.

8 About the Organisers IDEA (the International Debate Education Association) is the worlds leading debate education provider. IDEA events take place across the world. IDEA NL is the European branch and is together with its network partners responsible for creating national and international debate programs aimed at young people from all walks of life. Its programmes build engaged, critical, and internationally-minded citizens. IDEA NL is governed by a network of constitutional members. The members are debate (network) organisations who are very active in organising debate events for young people. At the moment we have 15 members in 17 countries. The members are the General Assembly, the highest governing body of IDEA NL. General Assembly of IDEA NL delegates its duty to an international Board of Directors. The Executive Director is managing the IDEA NL on a daily basis. Besides the members, IDEA has also many affiliated partners such as universities, youth centres, NGO s, knowledge centres or semi- governmental institutes. The Debating Society of Greece was founded by a group of experienced Greek debate trainers and organisers in order to provide debate training to young people in universities, schools and community centres, to run programmes that achieve social and cultural aims through communication and public speaking and to organise local and international debating tournaments. The organisation aims to help create a culture of dialogue in Greece at a time when the economic crisis, the subsequent austerity measures and the increasing polarisation of political discourse have led to the breakdown of the Greek social fabric and the rise of violent attacks on marginalised and vulnerable social groups. About the Donor This project is made possible due to generous support from the Europe for Citizens Programme. The aim of this programme is threefold: To contribute to citizens' understanding of the EU, its history and diversity To foster European citizenship and to improve conditions for civic and democratic participation at EU level To raise awareness of remembrance, common history and values To encourage democratic participation of citizens at EU level, by developing citizens' understanding of the EU policy making-process and, by promoting opportunities for societal and intercultural engagement and volunteering at EU level

9 Our Partners Participants come from the following partners and countries

Discover Athens City s Greatest Treasures. on this Athens Morning Sightseeing Tour

www.lifestyletravel.gr E-mail: info@lifestyletravel.gr Tel.: +30 2109938642 /+30 2109934980 Tour Duration: 5 hrs Live Guide in English Discover Athens City s Greatest Treasures on this Athens Morning Sightseeing