Bringing closer two parts of Europe:

For a more nuanced image of V4 countries in the European Union

Since its founding in 2011, Duel Amical has promoted a new, democratic journalism by publishing debating articles on a wide range of topics. Although all countries enter in our specter and we have had contributors from all over Europe and beyond, our team has always put a special emphasis on Central European countries.

We consider that for the construction of a democratic European community, people from the different member states have to be more aware of each other’s national debates. Separated from Western Europe until the end of the communist era, Central European countries still have difficulties to gain access to Western European public opinion. Today still, the image of Central Europe in the EU is more based on myths and prejudices (whether positive or negative) than on reality. That is why Duel Amical decided to apply to the International Visegrad Fund (IVF), to realize a project entitled “For a nuanced image of V4 countries in the European Union”.

Duel Amical won the support of IVF in May 2017, in the Framework of Visegrad Small Grants, and will implement its project between July 2017 and October 2018. Thanks to the Fund’s support and with the help of four Central European partner organizations, we will recruit students and young professionals, in order to set up local editorial groups in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, and a common editorial group for topics directly related to the Visegrad Group. Continuous publishing about these countries will begin in autumn 2017 and several new features will be added to the Duel Amical online debating magazine, to facilitate a better understanding of Central Europe in all parts of the EU.

Supporting organization:

The International Visegrad Fund

The International Visegrad Fund is an international organization based in Bratislava founded by the governments of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries—the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Republic of Poland, and the Slovak Republic—in Štiřín, Czech Republic, on June 9, 2000. Visegrad Grants offer funding for people and organizations from the Visegrad countries (V4), Western Balkans countries (WB), countries of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) and worldwide who believe their projects can make a significant contribution to regional cooperation and the advancement of innovativeness and sustainability in Central and Eastern Europe. Each year the Visegrad Fund also supports projects addressing annual strategic goals of the Visegrad Group. In 2017 they include regional competitiveness and connectivity, security, stability and promotion of the V4.

Project organizer:

Duel Amical Association - France

Duel Amical is a French association officially recognized by Sciences Po Paris (Paris Institute of Political Studies) with members coming from all over Europe. It has 6 years of expertise in developing projects, promoting pluralism and respectful debate culture. In 2013 it also obtained a grant from the European Commission.

Project partners:

Econlab z.s. – Czech Republic

Econlab was founded in 2011 and it is affiliated with Institute of Economic Studies at Charles University. It leads long-term projects dealing with public procurement rating zIndex.cz and created a database of political party financing PolitickeFinance.cz.

Francophone University Center (CUF) of the University of Szeged - Hungary

The University of Szeged has 25 000 students in a variety of disciplines including social sciences. The Francophone University Centre will be the direct partner of the project. The Center offers a French language master in European studies with a special focus on Central Europe: most students come from V4 countries as well as from the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions and several courses deal with Central European topics.

Fundacja Instytut Wolności (The Freedom Institute) - Poland

The Freedom Institute is a politically independent think-tank. Its mission is to draw attention to the most important political topics in Poland and the EU by creating ideas and developing knowledge together with prominent politicians, businessmen and analysts. It aims to popularize these ideas using traditional and new media and to appeal to all the actors of the public sphere.

Association for Development, Education and Labour (ADEL) - Slovakia

ADEL is an organization which creates opportunities for young people who would like to be active citizens, try and learn something new and gain new experience and knowledge for personal and professional development. ADEL has already organized 250 successful projects, also in the framework of Erasmus+.

We thank the International Visegrad Fund for making this project and international cooperation possible!