{"id":4661,"date":"2015-01-09T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2015-01-09T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fundacionyuste.org\/?p=4661"},"modified":"2015-03-05T08:49:12","modified_gmt":"2015-03-05T08:49:12","slug":"presentation-of-the-book-europe-project-and-process-citizens-democracy-participation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fundacionyuste.org\/en\/presentation-of-the-book-europe-project-and-process-citizens-democracy-participation\/","title":{"rendered":"The European Academy of Yuste Foundation presented the book \u201cEurope: Project and Process. Citizens, Democracy, Participation\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n\"DSC_0015\"<\/strong>The Director-General for External Action of the Extremadura government and Director of the European Academy of Yuste Foundation, Enrique Barrasa S\u00e1nchez, presented Dr. Susana del R\u00edo\u00b4s book \u201cEurope: Project and Process. Citizens, Democracy, Participation\u201d at the European Parliament and European Commission Offices in Madrid. The book has been published by the Foundation as part of its \u201cYuste Notebooks\u201d collection.<\/p>\n

During his speech, Mr. Barrasa highlighted the Foundation\u00b4s role in developing the European Commission\u00b4s \u201cEurope for citizens\u201d program, as one of the institutions which helped define the program\u00b4s aims and priorities, given its experience in the development of activities aimed at promoting greater European historical awareness, bringing Europe and its institutions closer to its citizens and promoting active European citizenship. Mr. Barrasa added that during the 2007-2013 period, the Foundation had been the only Spanish organization to receive funding for the implementation of this program.<\/p>\n

The Foundation\u00b4s contribution to the promotion of European civic participation is also reflected in the numerous training activities carried out within the framework of the Yuste Campus, \u201ca space for debate and reflection on topical European issues from a multidisciplinary perspective which to date has held 90 conferences and roundtables, bringing together 125 speakers and over 300 students\u201d, according to Mr. Barrasa.
\nThe Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union \u00cd\u00f1igo M\u00e9ndez de Vigo y Montojo also spoke at the event, highlighting the importance of the fact that the author had included the voice of civil society during the European integration process in her book, and noting that \u201cmore direct involvement of organized civil society in the European integration process and the initiatives to build the future Europe were long overdue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Likewise, the Director for the Media and European Parliament Spokesman Jaume Duch Guillot noted that the author \u201chad been able to successfully combine academic rigor in the first part of the book with personal insight\u201d, and added that the book is strikingly relevant because it analyzes the European integration process and what is currently taking place in Europe.<\/p>\n

Finally, Susana del R\u00edo pointed out that the publication analyzes the European project and integration process from the constitutional phase to its current phase \u201cbecause it talks about how to communicate Europe and how to revitalize the European project, restoring European citizens\u00b4 confidence in its politicians\u201d. The author wishes to convey the relevance of the two vectors which are part of the European integration process and the EU\u00b4s personality: its value as both a project and a process. Some of the key issues addressed in the book include: European supranational democracy; the participation of civil society in the EU; the interaction between citizens and institutions; education as a key element for active citizenship; European solidarity, participation and communication; and the need to formulate what Dr. Susana del R\u00edo refers to as the new European policy, where shared responsibility is central to the achievement of a quality European democracy. The author emphasizes that representative democracy has to lead the way in restoring the credibility of European politics, because representative democracy is complemented by participatory democracy.<\/p>\n

The former President of the European Parliament Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Gil-Robles y Gil-Delgado, the Dutch Ambassador to Spain C. van Rij, and the Members of the European Parliament Alejandro Cercas and Salvador Garriga attended the event, among other personalities.<\/p>\n

The book is part of the European Academy of Yuste Foundation\u00b4s \u201cYuste Notebooks\u201d collection (www.fundacionyuste.org), which along with the \u201cPliegos de Yuste\u201d magazine, make up the Foundation\u00b4s publishing initiatives launched to address key topical European issues through analysis, research and thought. Edited by the European Academy of Yuste Foundation and by the Peter Lang publishing group, this publication is sponsored by the European University College Association (EUCA), the European Commission through its Europe for Citizens program, and by the European Access to Culture Platform.<\/p>\n

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