CULT

Crossroads of Europe: Utrecht has long stood as a meeting point for different European cultures, embodying the dynamic spirit of the continent. With Utrecht hosting a diverse population of residents, how can its traditional values and historical significance influence its role as a cultural hub nowadays, helping it shape its contemporary identity, foster the exchange…

Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT)

Crossroads of Europe: Utrecht has long stood as a meeting point for different European cultures, embodying the dynamic spirit of the continent. With Utrecht hosting a diverse population of residents, how can its traditional values and historical significance influence its role as a cultural hub nowadays, helping it shape its contemporary identity, foster the exchange between its locals and preserve its cultural heritage? 

Submitted by: Aadhya Agarwal (NL), Carice Bakker (NL), Dave Klinkenberg (NL), Trisha Madan (NL), Dimitrios Mattas (GR),  Araks van Drooge (NL), Domenico Spatolisano (IT) and Tamara Nazaryan (Chairperson, AM)

The European Youth Parliament aims to preserve and strengthen Utrecht’s cultural heritage, by simultaneously re-emphasizing traditional Dutch values and history and embracing cultures of foreign diasporas living in Utrecht. Moreover, we wish to motivate Dutch citizens to stay engaged with all cultures surrounding them through means of cultural and social education. 

The above is decided upon because

  • Due to various societal challenges, it is often challenging for young people to learn dialects of their native languages,
  • Regrettably, local cultural events are often inaccessible to the citizens because of their high prices, 
  • There’s a lack of restaurants serving Dutch cuisine in Utrecht, leading to a general decrease in interest in Dutch culinary tradition,
  • The test for acquiring the Dutch citizenship does not cover Dutch culture sufficiently, leading to prospective applicants having little interest learning about it, 
  • The Royal Family is losing its appeal with the general public in the Netherlands, leading to some citizens recording feeling less patriotic towards their home country,
  • The Dutch school system does not cover  some core historical events in the Netherlands, making it harder for  students to develop a clear understanding of their culture and identity.

To that end, the European Youth Parliament

  1. Calls upon Utrecht Municipality’s Board of Leisure to officialise dialects by:
    • encouraging local employers to support their workers in communicating in them,
    • organising local and open-to-the-public cultural events in which the dialect and its history would be the main theme;
  2. Asks the European Cultural Foundation (ECF) to support the Regional Government in lowering the entry costs of traditional Dutch activities and events by subsidising cultural institutions such as but not limited to: museums, art galleries and theatres;
  3. Further recommends the ECF to organise free and accessible activities for youth such as school trips and traditional holiday celebrations (like Sint-Maarten) at all levels of education; 
  4. Invites Local and Regional governments to promote traditional Dutch cuisine amongst the public by:
    • dedicating part of the budget to subsidise opening traditional restaurants in city centre,
    • ensuring that traditional Dutch snacks are present at all nationally or regionally organised festivals or other events;
  5. Urges Local and Regional governments to support the naturalised citizens in the process of cultural integration by:
    • expanding the Dutch Integration Test to require a primary school level of knowledge about local culture, customs, history and geography,
    • organising open to the public experimental seminars about Dutch history and geography, focusing on the  information that is required for aforementioned integration test;
  6. Suggests the Royal Family members of the Netherlands to increase their public visibility by:
    • partaking in more local volunteer work and attending more social functions,
    • clearly stating the information about their role in thematic events such as the King’s Day;
  7. Calls upon the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to redesign the current history curriculum offered in Dutch schools at all levels by:
    • implementing interactive history projects for students, starting in the third grade instead of the fifth, 
    • introducing interactive local history projects in high school,
    • organising official events, such as writing competitions, related to the regional culture;
  8. Proposes the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to assist culinary schools in the Netherlands to modify their curriculum by introducing traditional dishes refined by their students;

Lastly, the European Youth Parliament recommends participants to

  • Εngage with local or Dutch culture by learning about and visiting key cultural events with help of websites like Kunst & Cultuur Utrecht;
  • To attend local cultural activities and educate themselves on the topic of Dutch art by using their CJP pass;
  • Partake in  cultural exchanges and other relevant programmes offered in their schools;
  • Do their part in promoting Dutch culture by using #DutchCULTure hashtag on social media platforms.