The international meeting in Ireland of teams involved in the „Socrates 2” learning partnership “Radio for a New Generation” was very productive in relation to work at the community radio station in Freudenstadt, Germany, and especially with regard to the forthcoming work within the project.
Due to the open borders in Europe it is possible to establish an exchange of information in a very straightforward fashion.

Such a meeting attended by persons from various age groups who have a common goal can, as became immediately apparent, achieve very positive results. The free exchange of information allowed partners to adopt many good ideas, thus profiting from their colleagues’ previous and reflection. And so these days in Ireland were full of interesting and new impressions for us that will influence our work in a positive way.

Participating in this project is an opportunity for us to perceive Europe as a working entity, not as a virtual product of some politicians thoughts and efforts. Especially in Ireland, we recognized many benefits of the policies of the EU. This recognition was deepened in an encounter with John Hume, an ex-EU parliamentarian and Nobel peace laureate who gave us insight into the peace-keeping and conciliatory activities of the EU. Even if there are many differences between Ireland and Germany, historically and economically, it was impressive to see that the people of Ireland are faced with similar problems as their counterparts in Germany. For us, this is a major advantage of international cooperation: understanding problems, sharing experience, and adapting solutions in our country so as to multiply the benefits of admirable work done in other European countries.



Alongside initiating project cooperation, a main goal of our meeting was to become acquainted with the local broadcasting station “Inishowen Community Radio”. This happened at a time when a large local plant was closing, causing a loss of 620 jobs which are crucial for the region. Through these events we became more aware of the basic democratic function of community radio, since this was the main theme being discussed “on air”. Speakers not only analyzed the political and economic reasons, they also interviewed some of those who have lost their jobs. Our visit in the broadcast station “Inishowen Community Radio” was very inspiring. Most impressive was the support for the radio station among the local population. In this respect, we can learn from our Irish colleague how to “do better”.

Freudenstadt is a city with a large number of older people wishing to enjoy a quite retired life. One drawback involved is that they may withdraw from cultural and social life. Our discussion with three people from Ireland who are actively engaged in radio broadcasting helped us to developed some approaches and solutions that can be applied to our own local situation.
David