Online lecture with Marten Risius: Fake News
is Professor for Digital Society and Online Engagement at the University of Applied Sciences Neu-Ulm, Germany. His work focuses on online Trust & Safety issues such as online extremism, disinformation and hate speech. His position receives generous funding support from the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts through the Distinguished Professorship Program as part of the Bavarian High-Tech Agenda. Photo: LinkedIn Program points: The lecture will be in English, with translations into Romanian, Bulgarian, and German. Access via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88591526817?pwd=USDPgvYSjeeszKYqMCIFf3XoaHU4Zh.1
“Digital tools to strengthen communication between citizens from the Danube countries”
On the third and final day of the workshop, 24 July 2025, the results were presented and the project ended with a closing event. In the morning, all participants visited a class in school. Afterwards everyone met to show their filmed interviews to other students and exchange ideas in discussion rounds. The younger students asked questions about the sustainability goals and to the exchange students, while the teachers referred to their lessons and were interested in the project. After lunch, the last videos were finalized and some shortcomings were revised. In the early evening, the teachers, the ILEU e.V. team and the participants met with their German (host) families at Schubart Gymnasium Ulm. The participating students presented their interviews and shared their cultures with traditional dances and songs. In the end, Carmen Stadelhofer handed out the certificates. Furthermore, thank-you speeches were hold and small tokens of appreciation were exchanged.
Workshop: “Clips become a Story” with David Fichtner on the 23rd of July 2025
On the second day of the workshop, 23 July 2025, the edition of the rough cuts followed. At the beginning, external media expert David Fichtner introduced the apps ‘CapCut’ and ‘HeyGen’. He also explained different interview styles and presented various tools for cutting, editing, adding license-free music and improving sound quality. He also demonstrated the intelligence of AI by creating a realistic-looking avatar based on a real person and showing examples of its use on social networks. He emphasized the importance of always keeping a critical eye and the danger of fake news. While editing their own videos, the participants put theory into practice and got creative. The results are five interviews. Each of them is translated into Bulgarian, Ukrainian and German with matching subtitles. The interviews are three to five minutes long and represents the collaboration of the international interview groups. Presentation in English Presentation in German Video creation process and Link collection in German Video creation process and Link collection in German
„Digital tools to strengthen communication between citizens from the Danube countries” ViMA danube
On the day before the workshop, 21 July 2025, Marina Lebherz, a staff member at ILEU e.V., introduced the eighteen participants to the online platform ‘ViMA danube’. While playing a ViMA bingo, the pupils worked interactively with the exchange platform, wrote their own comments and added some input on the Actionbound-entry. This served as preparation for the workshop, a slow thematic introduction, as well as a basis for further promoting a joint dialogue on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Digital tools to strengthen communication between citizens from the Danube countries”
On the first day of the workshop, 22 July 2025, Sabine Geller introduced the participants to the topic of ‘storytelling techniques’ using the practical example of ‘Danube Confluence’. She explained how important it is to include detailed shots, to have a central theme in the interview as a point of orientation and to loosen up the content, for example with a funny question. The participants worked in five small groups and prepared their own interviews. Each group consisted of three to four people and represented the three nationalities. They researched their interview partners, collected person-specific questions and recorded some practice clips. The interviewees were Martin Ansbacher (Lord Mayor of Ulm), Carmen Stadelhofer (president of ILEU e.V.), Jana Pulli (federal volunteer from the Ulm Family Education Centre), Petra Schmitz (Managing Director of Local Agenda Ulm) and Helena Miller (member of ‘Die Grünen’ and Fridays for future). All of them are professionally or through their commitment connected to one or more SDGs, e.g. ‘4: Quality of education’ or ‘13: Climate action’. In the afternoon, the small groups interviewed their respective partners and shot close-ups of their workplaces. These recordings formed the basis for the next part of the workshop. Presentation in English Presentation in German
Actionbound Preparation Meeting Summary
Date: Thursday, July 10, 2025Time: 18:00 – 19:30Participants: 21 international and local students, teachers, and project coordinators The meeting opened with a round of introductions and confirmation that all students had already connected with their host families and were in contact with their German peers. An overview of the upcoming exchange week in Ulm was provided, including planned activities and cultural experiences. Students were introduced to two key themes: storytelling and video creation. A specialist introduced the concept of digital storytelling, highlighting its importance in creating engaging and informative content through visual and narrative techniques. Practical advice was given on structuring interviews, gathering footage, and using editing tools. Another session focused on video production, with emphasis on planning, collecting sufficient material, and crafting a message. Students were encouraged to explore tools like Canva and CapCut and were provided with example links and tutorials. Logistical points were discussed: Suggestions for activities during Ulm’s Schwörwoche, including sports and festivals, were welcomed. Group organization and a shared online group for communication will follow soon. The session concluded with open questions, a final reminder to submit Germany ticket bookings, and confirmation that address information will be provided in Latin script.
Successful Kick-Off for ELEVATE Project in Sevnica, Slovenia
On May 6–7, 2025, the new EU-funded ELEVATE project officially launched with a two-day kick-off meeting in Sevnica, Slovenia. Supported by the Interreg Danube Programme, the three-year project brings together 17 project partners and 13 strategic associated partners from across the Danube Region — including ILEU e.V. from Ulm, Germany. ELEVATE aims to strengthen collaboration among public, civil, and private sectors to develop inclusive governance models. A key focus is on engaging older people and persons with disabilities in shaping resilient and inclusive local communities. Through a co-design process, pilot regions will test new approaches to improve access to services and foster social cohesion. The meeting included partner presentations, planning workshops, and a study visit to local best-practice initiatives, such as the intergenerational center Posavje+ and the “Sopotniki” transportation program for elderly citizens. These inspiring examples set the tone for collaboration and learning throughout the project’s duration. Press release english Pressemitteilung deutsch More information about the project: https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/elevate
98. Come together Session 22.06.25
Dear colleagues and friends from the Danube region and other European countries We cordially invite you to the 98th international session by Videoconferencing: Come together! Connecting people by culture! Time and date: Sunday, 22.06.2025, 6:30 p.m. (CET), in some of your countries 7:30 p.m., in other ones 5:30 p.m. This session will be moderated by Carmen Stadelhofer (ILEU e.V.) and Emiliya Velikova Language: The event will be held in English, with translation into Bulgarian, Romanian and German if needed. For organizational reasons, we kindly ask you to confirm your participation and let us know if you require translation. Access to the session: Danube Networkers invite: Come Together – Connecting people by culture! https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88667915552?pwd=RGxOMnRkd0lXQWpsTm83bHZoVmJCZz09 Meeting-ID: 886 6791 5552 Kenncode: 569068
Online Lecture with Prof. Dr. Brigitte Geißel, “Democracy as Self-Government – Democratic Innovations by and with Citizens”
The event will be held in English, with translation into Bulgarian, Romanian, Serbian and German if needed. For organizational reasons, we kindly ask you to confirm your participation and let us know if you require translation. Invitation: Lecture on “Democracy as Self-Government” with Prof. Dr. Brigitte Geißel – 15 July, 6:00 p.m. (CET) Dear colleagues and friends from the Danube Region and other European countries, We warmly invite you to our next online event in the frame of the “Fit4Democracy” project: “Democracy as Self-Government – Democratic Innovations by and with Citizens” with Prof. Dr. Brigitte Geißel, Institute for Political Science, Goethe University Frankfurt on Monday, 15 July 2025, at 6:00 p.m. (CET) via Zoom. Starting from the premise that the future of democracy needs to be reimagined, in this lecture, Prof. Dr. Brigitte Geißel will present an innovative approach that places citizens at the center of democratic processes. She argues that people should decide for themselves how they want to be governed (Read more here). The talk will be supported by theoretical foundations, empirical insights, and examples from other countries. Additionally, Prof. Geißel will present and discuss ideas for procedures and practices that empower citizens and communities to shape their own democratic visions. Prof. Dr. Geißel’s ideas on democratic innovations and citizen participation align well with our project, as they support the development of new, citizen-centered democratic approaches beyond traditional structures. We are therefore very happy to welcome her as a speaker. You can join the meeting via this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88591526817?pwd=USDPgvYSjeeszKYqMCIFf3XoaHU4Zh.1 Meeting-ID: 885 9152 6817Kenncode: 752799 The event will be held in English, with translation into Bulgarian, Romanian, Serbian and German if needed. For organizational reasons, we kindly ask you to confirm your participation and let us know if you require translation. For all questions and suggestions, feel free to reach out to us anytime at: democracy@ileu.net We look forward to your participation and to an inspiring discussion! Warm regards, on behalf of the ILEU team
Join our photocampaign “Stand up for Europe and Democracy” – A Sign of Unity
A Call for Participation in frame of the Fit 4 Democracy Project Welcome to our project! With our Photo campaign “I stand up for Europe and democracy”, which started on September 15, we want to bring people together, that are willing to stand up for the values of a united, diverse, and peaceful Europe. It`s easy to take part! Just print out our postcard, take a photo of yourself alone, or with others holding the flyer and send it to democracy@ileu.net ! You can send your photo in portrait or landscape format, both are fine! We will collect a digital mosaic with the photos, as we did in the project “Bread Connects – Give a Sign of Friendship”, which you can see here. By sending your Photo to democracy@ileu.net, you authorise us to put the photo with your name(s) on this Website along with other contributions from people from Germany and many other countries. If other people are visible in your photo, you are responsible to make sure that they also agree to the terms and conditions before sending the photo to us. This flyer is available in different languages, which you can find here. Here are a few examples: Together we will collect as many photos as possible that will become part of a visual mosaic – symbol of democratic spirit, solidarity, and shared European values. The results will be displayed online on our websites and on Social Media as well as presented at events of our ongoing Fit 4 Democracy project. Let’s make visible how many people across Europe stand for peace, participation and community. We are looking forward to your participation!