>Day 4 (Brussels and Bruges…Mary Ellen’s Birthday!)
Posted: July 4, 2009 Filed under: EU, Europe, Teachers, Travel 3 Comments>Another beautiful morning in Brussels! Spending my birthday in such a beautiful country was a present I will not forget. We only had one meeting to prepare for and the rest of the day was ours to spend as we wished. Perfect!
He was an excellent speaker, touching on topics from current missions linked with NATO (such as piracy off of the coast of Somalia, instituting the Rule of Law in Kosovo, and the police mission in Afghanistan). On matters of finances, Germany weilds 25% of production which accounts for 20% of the GDP of the EU, but has been outvoted on financial issues in the seven year budgets frequently. This, according to Herr is one of the problems the EU faces: consensus is needed in the Parliament in order to pass legislation. Consensus means unanimity. It is extremely difficult to get all 27 Member States on board on an issue in order to move forward as a collective group. As one of the largest and most powerful of the EU States, Germany has much power and, along with France and the UK, can use a “qualified majority” to discipline and negotiate with contentious Member States. Despite the special interests of the Member States that can keep consensus from occurring, the EU has been politically and economically successful. The EU is a haven of stability; Europe has experienced sixty years of relative peace and prosperity. To those who know History, that is a fait accompli that the Congress of Vienna boasted in the 19th century. Legitimacy and equilibrium are used to deter war instead of the threat of force. The Germans call this “Soft Power.” (Of interesting note: in 1815, Prussia (Germany) was only given 2/5 of a critical piece of land, Saxony, so as to keep them disjointed as the world was fearful of a unified Germany even then). This is a historic first that Germany gets along with its neighbors.
With all of its shortcomings, Herr and all of the dignitaries we spoke with agree that, while not giving up sovereignty totally, the supranationality that is the European Union is a good thing for Europe and those that are not called to be in this Union can be included in the ‘neighborhood policy’ and have friendly relations with Member States of the EU.
After our meeting concluded, Joanne, Joe and I walked back to our hotel and boarded a train for Bruges, a small town about 65 miles outside of Brussels. A quaint little town surrounded by canals, Bruges had the signature cobblestone streets laden with candy stores full of Belgian Chocolates. In order to see the town, we took a boatride through the canals. The architecture was magnificent; stone and brick buildings painted in brilliant colors lined the canals. Restaurants with balconies and opened windows overlooking the canals, were full of people enjoying the warm sunshine, cool breezes and delicious food. After our boatride, we visited many shops and walked to the outskirts of the town—where the indigenous Dutch and residents lived. How clean and neat their homes and streets were. Every home and shop had baskets and planters of gorgeous flowers, and everyone was so friendly. We must have walked six or seven miles, through commercial streets and parks. By 6:30, we were ready for dinner. Choosing a restaurant was not an easy task; there were way too many to choose just one! We opted for a little Belgian Restaurant on a back street. The large windows were raised to allow the cool breezes in. We ordered the local fare: vegetable soup and salade chevron chaude (salad with warm goat cheese). After our repas, we headed back to the train and back to Brussels. What a memorable birthday!
Thanks World Affairs Council, Sky, Christina, and the European Union; I am forever grateful.
~ Mary Ellen
>Europe Trip, Day 2/Part 2 (Brussels)
Posted: June 30, 2009 Filed under: EU, Europe, Teachers, Travel 2 Comments>In my first blog post from our trip, you may recall that I mentioned a few of us were marveling over the view from our hotel room windows. Here is a picture I just took from my window that might help explain why:
We’re right behind the Grand Place, and the view is spectacular. In addition, we can hear the music from the Ommegang festival that’s taking place here right now. What a beautiful city!
-Christina
>Europe, Day 2 (Brussels)
Posted: June 30, 2009 Filed under: EU, Europe, Teachers, Travel Leave a comment>
Among the multitude of shops in Lower Town, one grabbed our collective attention…Chocopolis. Where else will you find customer service that matches your taste to the perfect chocolate? The friendly clerk invited in for samples and told us that we can come and see them make the chocolate later this week. I think that many of us will be heading back there before the week is over.
By 1:30pm we were on our way to the US mission to the European Union. Our meeting there was a great way to start off the official part of the trip. The meeting cast an illuminating light on the ever-evolving relationship between the US and the European Union. Pay attention to this part, students: We talked about how you can get involved in the US Foreign Service with an internship in college. If you are interested in doing this, come and talk to us and we can tell all about it. It’s certainly a small world. We were introduced to one of the current interns who, as it happens, is a student at Pitt.
After a quick race through the metro (and to the old UK mission which, unbeknownst to us, was closed for construction) we hurried to the interim offices and had an excellent time at the British Embassy. Our hosts were gracious enough to look past our lateness and we ended up having a great time with Helen and Tim as they answered our questions about everything from security and anti-terrorism to currency and EU expansion issues in the session.
On the way back to the hotel after the briefings Christina and I (Rich) made a quick visit to the US Embassy to track down the Marine Security Guard Detachment and get our hands on some Marine Challenge Coins. The Corporal on duty was happy to tell Chris and I about what it is like here in Brussels while on Embassy Detail. He told us that he enjoys seeing the other countries but that he misses his other Marines in the fleet. Its great to know people like him are out there to protect the rest of us. Semper Fi Devil Dog, and thanks for the coins!
This evening we wandered away from the Grand Place to find some more authentic Belgian cuisine…and somehow that turned into a trip to Little Italy for pizza. Once we overrode our American tendency for quick in and out service we enjoyed a leisurely meal where our group spent some time getting to know each other. If there is one early conclusion that we can come to, its that there are some amazing teachers on this trip. We redeemed ourselves and stopped at a stand to enjoy some Belgian Waffles covered in strawberries for dessert. Amazingly enough, the waffle stand had a very large picture of President Obama.
The sense of history that suffuses everyday interactions impressed us at every turn. Every new street brought new exposure to buildings and customs that have been in place for hundreds of years. At times it overwhelmed the senses. By the end of our second day, however, we had begun to acquaint ourselves with the rhythms and flows of the city.
-Rich and Jeff
>Europe, Day 1 (Paris and Brussels)
Posted: June 28, 2009 Filed under: EU, Europe, Teachers, Travel 1 Comment>
After departing Pittsburgh around 6:15 PM last night, the group landed in Paris around 8:00 AM. This new nonstop flight is very convenient and highly recommended. Following adventures with immigration, baggage collection, and customs, we headed to Paris Gare du Nord (the north train station) to stow our luggage. After a few challenges with the storage lockers, we were set to see Paris!
Upon arrival at the Royal Windsor Hotel in Brussels, we checked in, marveled at the view from our hotel windows (well…some of us did, in any case), and traveled down the street to the Grand Place. After having dinner at a lovely outdoor cafe — mussels were big hit with our group this evening — we did a bit more sightseeing in the neighborhood and headed back to our rooms for an “early” bedtime. Though — it’s 10:30 PM, and still light outside! Very strange for bedtime, don’t you think??
Tomorrow starts a busy week. We begin with meetings from the US Mission to the European Union, followed by a visit to the UK Permanent Representation to the EU.
More updates later. Ciao!
-Christina
>Ethan Casey and Fawad Butt on Pakistan
Posted: June 22, 2009 Filed under: EU, Europe, Teachers, Travel 1 Comment>
International journalist Ethan Casey, the author of Alive and Well in Pakistan, and Fawad Butt, the CEO of Zeus Capital Advisers and an expert on the Middle East and Shariah finance, visited Pittsburgh June 17 for Council programs. In the morning, they worked with approximately 75 students from area high schools at our Summer Seminar on World Affairs. Each session of this five-day program at Duquesne University combines a guest speaker, small group discussions using a pre-written policy scenario, and then a presentation of each group’s ideas to each other and to the speakers.
After the Summer Seminar, the pair recorded an interview for KQV Global Press Conference. Then in the evening, they spoke at the Council’s Great Decisions program. The theme of these programs all centered on the future of Afghanistan and Pakistan (especially in counterterrorism initiatives), and how it will affect the United States.
Watch the video to hear Ethan and Fawad’s feedback about the Summer Seminar and their advice for students hoping to learn more about Pakistan today!
>Preparation for Europe (Part 1)
Posted: June 11, 2009 Filed under: EU, Europe, Teachers, Travel 2 Comments>
In our last post (here), we described the two-week study tour program to Europe that the Council is organizing. Given the educational nature of the trip, we aren’t sending the participants without any prior knowledge of the institutions we’ll be visiting. Rather, we’ve been busy preparing them with the resources they need to get full benefit from this trip. And so, we bring you our first trip-related blog post!
The Council hosted a Pre-Departure Orientation on May 27, attended by every traveler-to-be. To give you an idea of how much preparation is involved, here’s what was in the folders we gave them:
- A packet with history and background information about Belgium and Austria and Brussels and Vienna, since the majority of the trip will be spent there
- Maps of Paris, Brussels and Vienna – both streets and public transportation
- Travel information, such as a what-to-pack list and country/culture notes
- Current History journal, with EU-related articles
- Suggested online resources and recommended books
Additionally, we’ll be sending the teachers much more information, including more readings from academic journals, background resources and publications from the EU, and curriculum suggestions. We hope to have some of these materials available on http://www.worldaffairspittsburgh.org and this blog for download soon.
Summer Fellowship to Europe
Posted: June 10, 2009 Filed under: EU, Europe, Resources, Travel Leave a comment>
Thanks to a generous grant from the European Union, the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh is organizing a two-week study tour to Europe from June 27 to July 10, 2009. The tour will provide local educators with an opportunity to experience first-hand the history and culture of France, Belgium, Austria and Slovakia.
While in Europe, the educators will visit such organizations as NATO, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission, in addition to other historically and culturally significant sites. The tour will also include visits with various national delegations to the European Union. Each day, the groups will engage in discussions about current political, economic, and security issues facing Europe as well as the implications these issues may have on transatlantic relations.
Through a generous grant from the European Union, all tour expenses, including domestic and international flights, will be covered. As a result of the new Delta direct flight, the group will be flying directly from Pittsburgh to Paris, though the majority of the trip will be spent in Brussels, Belgium and Vienna, Austria with a short day-trip to Bratislava, Slovakia. The teachers will be led by the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh President, Dr. Schuyler Foerster, with Christina Unger and Janet Foerster joining as further staff support. Thomas Olszewski, a teacher from Canon McMillan, will serve as an educational facilitator and lesson-planning coordinator.
Congratulations to the twelve educators the Council selected, through a highly competitive process, to participate. The twelve fellowship recipients are all dedicated and creative individuals who will make the most of their time in Europe:
- Ashlee Beckett, Jefferson Middle School
- Jeffrey Boggess, Avonworth High School
- Laura Burns, Baldwin High School
- Sylvia Fields, Eden Hall Foundation
- Mary Ellen Jutca, Trinity High School
- Joe Lander, Oil City Senior High School
- Megan Pankiewicz, Ringgold High School
- Thomas Olszewski, Canon McMillan High School
- Richard Schiavoni, Vincentian Academy
- Jaimie Sebastianelli, Hempfield Area High School
- Joann Urbaniak, North Allegheny Intermediate High School
- Amanda Wetzel, Shaler Area High School
As the departure date approaches, we will continue to update the blog with some of the resources the teachers have reviewed in preparation for the trip. While abroad, the educators and staff will be posting frequent updates – journal entries, pictures and even video clips of their experiences – right here on the blog. Check back often to see what they have to say!
As excited as we are for the trip, we are equally excited for the group to return home to Western Pennsylvania. Upon the group’s return, the teachers will work to incorporate what they have seen, done, and learned into their classrooms. Their experiences will be a wonderful resource for their students and fellow educators, and their lesson plans will be available through the Council’s website.
For more information, feel free to contact the Council. And if you’ve been to Paris, Brussels, Vienna or Bratislava before, don’t hesitate to leave a suggestion or recommendation in the comments!
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