Working together in with successful projects in the community.
John Storer House, Loughborough 3rd August 2002.
The contribution of organizations to the European Integration: The case of Students International Circle of Gembloux (Belgium)

Zekri O. & Eyenga P.

Cercie International des Etudiants, Avenue Marechal Juin 20, 5030 Gembloux, Belgique

Introduction

The more dynamic, global and opaque processes of change and developments are for individuals, the greater the onus on towns and municipalities to offer citizens guidance, roots and a sense of belonging.

The first part of the presentation will introduce to the main causes for students migration from South to North. In the second part, we will examine the integration of foreign students based on efforts made by the Students International Circle of Gembloux to integrate their members to the cultural, scientific and citizen life of the town Gembloux in Belgium.

A considerable proportion of the population of many European towns is made up of different nationalities, and the percentage of those in schools, universities and research institutions is usually higher. The migratory flow of students of the South to the North's universities is due in one hand to the fact that Europe has become a centre of scientific progress and innovation as well as the increasing attraction of European universities.

For the towns of Europe, the task of social cohesion through the active integration of people of different culture, religions, values and social circumstances will increasingly take centre stage. Towns and cities act as a catalyst for cohesion in Europe. This process ensures that towns remain communities, thereby creating a sense of inclusion at grass roots level. Their universities must also assume a similar and complementary role with respect to their foreign students. The two should be linked, but it would be dangerous to ignore people's real fears.

The European Union must ensure the security and peaceful coexistence of all those who live in Europe, in full observance of the principle of freedom. European union citizenship can be a powerful factor in the social integration of immigrant residents throughout the European Union.

Organizations are playing an important role in almost every field of social activity. They contribute in particular to active citizenship, democracy, provide a wide range of services, play a major role in sport activities, represent citizen's interests to various public authorities and play a major part in promoting and safeguarding human rights - as well as having a crucial role in development policies. Over the years they have made an increasing contribution to the development of Europe, which is something that should be encouraged and developed.

The positive experience of the Students International Circle (SIC) in the European integration of their members is a very interesting example. The Students International Circle is a student organisation whose members include both Belgian and foreign students of Gembloux’s Faculty of Agronomic Sciences. The SIC has a multiple cultural identity. The main task of the SIC is run activities which support the fulfillment and the cultural background of its members. It aims to facilitate the integration of foreign students to the life of the town of Gembloux. To acheive this, the SIC organises each year a range of events such as conferences, exhibitions, festivals which are accessible to both students and citizens of Gembloux. These events are held in collaboration with different organisations, like the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, Local non-governmental organizations (Aide au developpement Gembloux, Oxfam etc), the Cultural centre of Gembloux, the municipal authority of Gembloux (via its Echevinat in charge of the North-South relations), and so on.

The European Union is starting to develop a new rapport with the world. Its inherent cultural diversity and its more recent diversity of culture - if assumed and lived to the full - prepares it well for this. This report would like to assert the opening and sharing of affirmation on behalf of universality which comprises the Europe ideal, the intransigent respect of the human dignity who implies freedom, justice, and equality between the women and the men, and solidarity between the people.

It would like to highlight the need for the (inter)active participation of all those concerned, in North and in South, in particular via the representative organisations and structures, in this multidimensional and multifactorial process of European Integration. However it is necessary to point out the major role of Europe in this dynamics. Europe must take up a challenge which is to assume its responsibility with the service for peace and the development in the whole world. Europe can do this by a strategy of reducing of the gap between North and South on one hand, and by effective efforts to integrate the foreign populations, including students. These populations once integrated can be the effective tools in a strategy of North-South co-operation and thus in stability and peace of the world. This can constitute an instrument, among others, necessary to deepen in the european space and to export beyond this space

peace, democracy and freedom.

The authors would like to thank the municipal authority especially Echevine Claire Parmentier for providing us the opportunity to communicate the positive experience of the Students International Circle to outside the town of Gembloux.

Nombres d'étudiants inscrits (au 30.11.01)

Premier cycle 382 (36%)
Deuxième cycle 352 (33%)
Troisièrne cycle 326 (31 %)
Total 1.060