In the 2016 exhibition "Next Generation, Please", Belgian students were asked a simple question: what is European identity? We invite you to think about your answer to this question too. They answered that there is a net of connections among different countries, within and outside the EU.  What could be done to foster a stronger sense of European connectedness in the identity of European people? How do you feel the local, national and European levels work together in your identity? What do “unity” and “diversity” mean to you?

Ideas

18 October, 2016 - 20:06

I feel that i do not belong to the European Union because of the set stereotypes twoards my country.Do i belong to the EU?Yes i believe in this concept of a union but the nationalist views of every country bring down the common goal.Even the offers from the erasmus projects are not equal. Why? Because people with low income cant afford to participate ( pay for the accomodation) in this opportunity.

13 October, 2016 - 19:26

Most of the time I feel like I belong just on the map. My country still lacks in what they call a modern, equal, and progressing society.

19 September, 2016 - 23:18

When I received on my hand the first Euro coin ever (I was 15 yo in 2002) I thought: "Wow, they did it!". A tangible sign of European action on my hand! Sometimes we need tangible signs of EU in our lifes to enforce our European citizen feeling!

28 July, 2016 - 14:19

I would say that I feel European yes ...because I'm French, I have some Spanish and Italian ancestry, I studied in Ireland for my ERASMUS, my actual boyfriend is Greek....Despite some differences in our cultures and languages we have common roots and history. It's true that some "blocks" exist within the EU (Scandinavian countries, Mediterranean countries, Eastern countries,..) when it comes to lifestyles, we are proud to be different but together !

13 July, 2016 - 17:54

I definitely feel that I belong to a greater political and cultural community called Europe, or at least European Union. I have met so many different people, from different nationalities and faiths, which have always enriched my life and with whom I have always been able to connect. We have a common destiny. Unlike traditional nation-states that are rather built on homogeneity, I think that we are achieving something great by building a Union based on diversity and mutual respect. All the diverse cultures in Europe are rather strength and wealth and not weakness. I feel that I can embrace many things from all these cultures and enjoy them.