What we do
The constitution states that the aims of Douzelage – furthering opportunity and friendship across Europe – are to be achieved by economic, tourist, sporting, educational and cultural exchanges – the normal twinning activities.
Tourism works and there has been a growing number of visits between towns. Sporting exchanges, too, have gone very well.
It is, however, the educational and cultural exchanges that do most to sustain the success of Douzelage. School exchanges and projects between schools in different countries via the internet are often made possible by funding from Brussels. Culturally, amateur players, choirs, brass bands, school bands, dancers, artists, nurses, librarians, magistrates and numerous others have taken part in exchanges and devised projects which they could work on together.
An example of towns partnering together brings us back to 2022 where our partner town of Bundoran (IE) organised the Douzelage Festival of Europe whereby musicians and groups from Douzelage towns performed in venues across a weekend in October. Performances came from Paddy’s Bangers (CZ), Smetnaki (SI), Meitheal (IE), Eero Turka (FI), Ingo & William (NL), Cincar (HU) and Ben Reidy (UK). A truly wonderful weekend of diverse European music brought together by Douzelage! Check out the highlights below!
Workshops.
At every meeting, now held once a year, very constructive workshops are organised with extremely competent leaders and lecturers. There have been workshops on the environment, waste treatment, information technology, social and health-care matters, theatre, tourism, a variety of education matters and many have involved schoolchildren, older students and trainees/apprentices.