European Identity - Individual, Group and Society - HumanitarianNet

18 EUROPEAN IDENTITY. INDIVIDUAL, GROUP AND SOCIETY“policy” is viewed as “the actions sharing a vision and embodying it”.As a work-directed guideline we could ask ourselves how that visionshould be built and which are the educational actions that cangradually create the necessary conditions for European Identity.In the chapter developed by Ms Julia González it is emphasized thatamong the multiple areas and perspectives from which institutions cantackle the construction of European Identity, two should be stressed.Firstly, the field of education, due to its relevance vis-à-vis thetransmission of values and procedures and its impact on the formationof a future-oriented sense of citizenship. Secondly, the area of politicalrelationships with third countries and its dominating principles. It is inthis context, and in contrast with the goals and ways of proceedings ofother cultural areas in a global world, where European Identity actuallybegins to emerge.Ms Encarna Herrero indicates, from the Spanish standpoint, thatEuropean programmes contribute to the enhancement of qualityeducation and to the promotion of ethical values that are necessary inany society, whilst they foster in citizens a feeling of belonging toEurope.In the course of the Seminar, the contribution of political leadersfrom the European Parliament was indeed significant. Mr PedroAparicio, Spanish Euro MP, paraphrased Anne Marie Thiesse when hesaid that “Europe has been made, now let us make Europeans”. Heasserted that “this must allow us to launch a great attempt of identificationamongst EU citizens. If we only work under the hypothesis ofthere being a European “identity” (common culture, common history,etc.) we may encounter difficulties, since nationalistic feelings are stillvery intense. Because of this, I prefer referring to Europeans´ “identification”as an active and future process in which European institutions,but also Universities and social, professional, cultural and economicgroups have a great role to play”.The view of Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines, also a Euro MP, expresses“that European Identity is a complex concept that is hard to definesince it is a combination of feelings, attitudes, and belonging awareness:aspects which are subject to historical memory and individualexperiences. However, if we search the past we can find elements andsigns that society and time have deposited, as an integral legacy that isnot always visible which has generated cultural needs and politicalmodels that constitute our system´s backbone. If we analyze Europeanhistory we can find many routes that take us to the present day,forming a woven plot on which institutions, society and lifestyles havegradually developed and evolved. This foundation explains the gift