From 19 to 21 September, the conference ‘100 years after Versailles – What political order do we need today?’ took place in the monastery of Heidberg. Around 50 young people from Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Germany took part in the event organised by the Centre for East Belgian History and the Federal Agency for Civic Education.
During the three days, the participants were able to talk freely about the reorganisation of Europe after 1920, their political fears and challenges today, as well as their political visions and utopias, across all language and national borders. While Thursday was devoted to the historical background of the Treaty of Versailles and the traces it left in their families, Friday was dedicated to the radio, newspaper, video, theatre, drawing, rhetoric, and memorial workshops. Under the guidance of experienced animators, the participants were able to express their feelings and visions for their world through various forms of expression. On Friday evening, the play about the ‘bought children’ from Neutral Moresnet was performed for the first time and received a broad and positive response. On Saturday morning, the participants presented the results of their group work in a varied presentation. Whether in the form of a speech, a cartoon, a radio report, a video, a newspaper article or a play, the contributions were as varied as they were round. At the same time, they reflected the experiences and perspectives of young people from four countries, which are very rarely discussed, and presented even more rarely.
