Youth from both banks of Nistru are encouraged to participate in democracy-strengthening education program

25 students, graduates of the summer school themed “Security, Nationality and Citizenship”, were awarded diplomas at a ceremony held on March 25 at the OSCE Mission to Moldova. The awarding ceremony culminated the first stage of the distance education project “Initiatives for peace, democratic changes and conflict resolution”, Info-Prim Neo reports. The main goal of the project is to determine the educational policy with a view to strengthening democracy in Moldova and form young people's European democratic values. The summer school opened as part of this project was held during 8-17 July 2007. According to deputy prime-ministerial state advisor Dragos Vicol, this initiative cannot be but welcome in the current circumstances that require an active involvement of young people in identifying solutions to make our society live in harmony, security and tolerance. This year, 25 other young persons will get to take part in the second summer school, themed “Security, Stability and Integration”. Invited to apply are all the students attending universities from both sides of the Nistru and interested in the establishment of a transparent and constructive dialogue between various social, political, and ethnic groups for the purpose of strengthening Moldova’s statehood, finding a peaceful solution to the Transnistrian conflict and establishing a pragmatic foreign policy, based on unanimously accepted principles of the international law. Applications will be accepted through 30 April 2008, at cornscu@hwa.or.at. Three summer schools will be held overall. The program is supported by Hilfswerk Austria, in partnership with the Institute of History, State and Law of the Moldovan Academy of Sciences and the Transnistria-based NGO “World Window”.