The European MiniParliaments of Young Diplomats 2022

From September to the end of 2022, our team organised and delivered a total of 13 one-day projects entitled European MiniParliament of Young Diplomats at high schools across the Czech Republic. The aim of these projects was to introduce students to the European Union and European values in an engaging and interactive way, to jointly simulate a session of the European Parliament, and to give them the opportunity to engage in discussions with decision-makers.

Each project day began with an introduction to the Young Diplomats Association and the project’s partners. This was followed by interactive activities where participants expressed their opinions on EU-related questions by positioning themselves along an opinion scale and explaining their reasons. Topics included the potential adoption of the euro, ways to influence developments in the European Union, and issues in their own region.

Next came a pantomime game in which participants performed short scenes showing how they imagined Europe without the EU. The most common depictions included war, lack of communication between states, exploitation of economically weaker countries, or customs borders and problems with the distribution of goods.

After a short break, participants attended a lecture on the European Union and its institutions. This was an opportunity to learn, or refresh, factual information about the EU and the principles by which its various bodies operate – including several interesting facts.

Following the lecture, students were introduced to the Rules of Procedure for the simulated European Parliament session, after which a two-hour simulation took place. Before each project day, participants had selected, via an online questionnaire, the agenda they wished to discuss. They were then sent a briefing containing key information on their chosen topic to ensure everyone was well-informed and the debate was as realistic as possible. The most frequently chosen topics were environmental protection and gender issues.

After the parliamentary session, a discussion with a decision-maker followed. Participants were free to ask any questions of interest to them. The day concluded with the awarding of the best delegates, who received small prizes for their active participation, and an evaluation of the entire event.

Did the MiniParliament programme catch your interest? Would you like us to visit your school as well? Don’t hesitate to get in touch!

We extend our sincere thanks to the Erasmus+ program and all our distinguished guests for their generous support of the project.