European Civil Society and European Commission Cooperate on Values Education

In March 2015 the EU Ministers of Education issued their Paris Declaration on Education for fundamental values of tolerance, non-discrimination and inclusion. EuroClio responded during the Annual Conference in Denmark in April, and issued its own Helsingor Declaration. Throughout September-December, EuroClio members and ambassadors had been active in discussions with members of the European Parliament and other EU officials to promote the role of history education, as identified in the Helsingor Declaration. The European Commission Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) seeks to effectively implement the recommendations of the Paris Declaration and on 15^th December, EuroClio Founder and Special Advisor Joke van der Leeuw-Roord was invited to participate in a dedicated session to map the next steps as well as long-term planning on these themes. The meeting collected a range civil society organisations, many of whom members of the Lifelong Learning Platform, who shared their views and plans. In early 2016, DG EAC will publish its action plans in this field.