Event report

On 28.07.2021 fellows of the meet!-Mercator Europa Tour 2020/21 were guests at the Europe Direct in the City Hall of Düsseldorf. The meet! — Mercator Europa Tour allows young adults, especially those who were the first to complete their graduation exams in their families, to have a full-funded stay in Europe. The aim of the trip is to help the participants gain their first experiences abroad, improve foreign language skills and get a look beyond their own box. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, this year’s programme had to be changed and took place in Germany. The 19 young participants of this year’s meet!-Mercator Europa Tour came from the quiet area to discover the world of international and European cooperation in the state capital. As part of the event, participants were able to gain insights into the work of the Europe Direct Düsseldorf and the Office for International and European Affairs as well as to exchange views on their wishes and ideas regarding Europe of the future. The most important topics for the participants were the issues of strengthening European cohesion and building a European sense of community, as well as a common identity and reduction of discrimination. After a two-hour exchange in an informative and entertaining round in the town hall, the group went on a guided tour of the city where she followed the further traces of Europe in Düsseldorf.