Eurizons - What is this all about?
EURIZONS stands for “European Tour for Global Responsibility”. The main activity of EURIZONS is to educate about global interdependencies & development issues as well as to raise awareness for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Through a colorful and unconventional approach – Hitchhiking across Europe in a unique campaign - we want to involve European citizens in an active reflection of their own responsibility towards global problems. EURIZONS took place for the first time in 2006 (please find further info at Eurizons 2006 Documentation).

What are the goals of EURIZONS?
The most important goals of the campaign are raising awareness, educating about global interdependencies, development issues and the MDGs. We want European citizens to be involved in an active reflection of their own responsibility. Further, we want to encourage political decision makers to stand up and lobby for the achievement of the MDGs. EURIZONS qualifies young Europeans as global education multipliers, because: the more we are the stronger we are when we stand up for the MDG’s and global responsibility.

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – How can I learn more about?
Not familiar with the MDG’s yet? Then, it’s time to keep up with them. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted in a The Millennium Declaration by leaders of 189 states at the Millenium Summit of the United Nations in 2000. The eight MDGs (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals) make a measurable commitment of the international community to reduce poverty and hunger, to promote gender equality, to improve health and the universal level of education, to ensure environmental sustainability, and to develop a global partnership between nations for development. Unfortunately, around 88% of all Europeans haven’t heard yet about the global framework of the MDGs from the United Nations, which should be met until the year 2015 and the success made in the realization of the MDGs remains marginal: One more reason to take action now!

Nice idea, your campaign. But how do you imagine a simple citizen influencing world affairs?
A first step might be to find like-minded people. Some suggestions: Each of us can ...
... Follow political debates on issues of global development, be an informed, responsible citizen by supporting petitions and by the simple use of his right to vote.
... Mind irresponsible (children work, extra low salaries, corruption, pollution)enterprises which do not respects the human rights and the MDG’s.
... Join organizations, movements, campaigns!
... Tell others about EURIZONS!

Who are the participants?
The team of hitchhikers counts 50 people between 18 and 30 years of age from all over Europe interested and/or engaged in global issues, sustainability, and development work.

What will the hitchhikers do on the tour?
Hitchhikers will take part in the events organized by the national teams, do street action and campaigning activities in the cities, informally talk to people in the street and drivers in the cars and explain the contents of the campaign. Besides this, there are sub-groups being responsible for example media work, collecting messages from the people, giving interviews or preparing contents of the summit of the campaign: the political event and meetings in Brussels (like writing an open letter etc.).

What is going to happen in Brussels?
The 12th of September, “3000km of European experiences” will reach Brussels. The final event of EURIZONS turns the streets upside down, sampling our politicians: "How did you contribute to the fulfillment of the MDGs?" The collected messages from the people will be handed over. We will encourage European politicians on all levels to get involved in a public discussion about development policies. With the final event the promulgation of our campaign will scale up significantly!

Can I still apply for becoming a hitchhiker?
Unfortunately, for this year’s EURIZONS Tour it is too late: all participants have already been selected in spring time.

Where the Tour will go along?
There the events take place in eight European cities where we are organizing panel discussions, work shops, concerts, street theater, movie presentations and more… The Tour stop cities and dates are: Latvia, RIGA (24. and 25.08.), Poland, KRAKOW (28. and 29.08.), Slovakia, BRATISLAVA (31.08. and 01.09.), Czech Republic, PRAGUE (04.09.), Switzerland, BASEL (06.09.), Germany, FREIBURG (07.09.), France, NANCY (09.09.) and the final event in Belgium, BRUSSELS (12.09.) (please find further info in the rubrics: Tour Stops, national coordinator).

I live close to one of your Tour stops. Do you need some help on location?
Volunteers familiar with a place where the Tour stops could potentially still assist the local team!!! Don’t hesitate communicating your ideas! Please come in touch with the national coordinator of your country (please find further info and contact your national coordinatornational coordinator).

The campaign sounds quite dangerous to me ...
Well, last year’s hitchhikers all survived. All participants have at least 18 years of age and aware of their personal responsibility. Concerning the hitchhiking – the participants will be traveling in mostly gender-mixed tandems and a security system of emergency calls is in place. Also, there will be a tour-bus accompanying the team the whole way picking up the tandems that get stuck or “lost” on the way.

I wonder why you’re using cars as a mean of transport. Wouldn’t it be politically and ecologically correct to go rather by bike or by train?
You mention an important issue. The major argument for hitchhiking is getting through to people which are not aware of the MDG’s yet and which do not necessarily care about ecological and global justice issues so far. Eurizons actually has an eco-policy and pays compensation fees for CO2- discharge. Further, it is an integrated part of the Tour to adhere to and campaign for “How you can help the environment in your daily life” such as saving water, energy and electricity, producing less garbage, saving the nature by buying local and organic products and joining organizations, movements, campaigns!

How would you calculate the Tour’s effects?
Calculation is an appropriate term. Our calculation for EURIZONS 2006 adds up in…
…8 national teams + 50 hitchhikers + 2500km + 8MDGs = 75 media reports, 2000 people reached in events and street action, 3 million people reached through media reports and 50 young Europeans qualified as multipliers. For a complete overview and a bunch of great pictures please visit Eurizons 2006 Documentation.

Who is behind the scenes?
Eurizons is a project of GLEN - Global Education Network of Young Europeans (http://www.glen-europe.org/), a network of European NGOs involving more than 20 European organizations committed to fair and sustainable development and to development education in Europe. We thank further supporters making it possible to carry out EURIZONS campaign, such as: http://www.trialog.or.at/, http://www.asa-programm.de/, http://www.bmz.de/ and the University of Applied Sciences in Eberswalde Germany. (Please find further info in the rubric Partners)

Will there be any further EURIZONS campaigns in future?
Sure, until all Millennium Development Goals are achieved! No, seriously: just check our homepage (http://www.eurizons.net) regularly and you will be up to date about future Tours and events.