International Danube Bridge Breakfast
DBB
| Keywords | Participation Emotion Communication Cultural Heritage Intergenerational Intercultural Bread |
| Target Group | Civil Society All Ages Associations |
| Type of Action | One Day Action Cultural Event |
| Research | Traditions, Welcome Tradition Cultural And Religious Festivities |
| Location | Bridge |
| Pedagogical Aims | Communication Cooperation |
| Use of Media | Website |
| Dissemination | Press Television Radio Internet |
| Geographical Scope | Local |
| Type of Method | Food Sharing |
| Knowledge Transfer | Emotional |
| Area of work | Food Preparation |
| Location or Venue | Danube Bridge Between The Towns Ulm And Neu-Ulm In Germany |
| Number of Participants | 2000 |
| Website | http://conference.tastes-of-danube.eu/en/danube-breakfast-10th-july/ |
Duration
| From | Until |
| 10/07/2016 | 31/07/2020 |
Short Description
The Danube Bridge Breakfast was a two-hour public event that took place on a bridge crossing the Danube in Ulm/Neu-Ulm. ILEU as coordinator of the project Tastes of Danube. Bread. Wine .Herbs and of the educational network Danube-Networkers hosted this event with the intention of creating an opportunity for the Danube neighbours to get to know each other while tasting bread and regional delicacies from their countries. In a relaxed environment, the participants were given the possibility to get to know people from different cultures and backgrounds, to see the diversity within unity in Europe, and to get the feeling of what peaceful European unity means in real life. The event was open to everyone and was free of charge. The event was a part of the Danube-Networkers’ meeting in the frame of the International Danube Festival in Ulm.
Full Description
Joint organization of an intercultural event by various civic society organizations in a city. The aim of this action was to bring together local organizations, local citizens and guests from the Danube countries. Amongst the civil society organizations (CSOs) were: educational, cultural, social, environmental and food associations, various international cultural clubs, human rights organisations, etc. The event itself was organized by ILEU e.V., the 30 participating organizations functioned as table hosts. They had the opportunity to present themselves and to come into direct contact with a wider local and international public. The organization of the tables and other materials was made by ILEU. As table host, each of the CSOs was responsible for the preparation of the food and for the decoration of the own table and took over the costs of it. The host tables offered the visitors small bread delicacies. The event was open to everyone and was for free, and therefore was low-threshold. Before the DBB event, ILEU invited to two preparatory-meetings, where the table hosts gathered ideas and were briefed about the event.
Step-by-step explanation
Step 1
ILEU
Contact with the authorities of the municipalities to get the permission to make the DBB event
Invitation of CSO’s to an information meeting, feedback of the CSOs
Looking for volunteer helpers
Step 2
ILEU
Organizing of the tables and sun protection, clarifying security questions, buying table cloths on which the Danube will be painted.
Invitation of the guests from other Danube countries, who will be coming to the Danube-Networkers meeting, to take part in the DBB event
Step 3
ILEU and CSO
Two preparatory-meetings to explain the participating CSOs the idea behind the event, how to realize the event, practical questions, instructions how to break the ice with the visitors, organization of the table arrangements, distribution of tasks.
Minutes of the meetings to all participating CSOs
Painting the river Danube and some of the big cities on table cloths by volunteers
Announcement of the event in the press and other media,
Poster and flyer of the event
Step 4
The event itself, ALL
08:00
ILEU: organizing the placement of the tables and the sun protection for the local CSOs and the guests tables
08:45 Water, which will be free of charge, is delivered to all host tables. Distribution of the tablecloths to the tables
Preparation of the food, decoration of the tables
10:00 Official opening of the DBB by the chief Majors of Ulm and Neu-Ulm, a peace song sang by all ,
visitors visit the various host tables, hosts enter into communication with the guests (one person as animator is helpful), people to be invited to mark their hometown or places they visited in the Danube Region on the map.
Photos and videos for the project website.
12.30 end of the event, dismantling the tables and sun protection, cleaning the bridge
Press release
Step 5
Follow-up
ILEU: Analysis of the organisation, of what has been written on the cloths and of the press releases,
Questionnaire to CSOs – evaluation of the event, documentation
ALLl: Follow-up meeting: results (strong and weak points), pre-view of the next DBB
Results
Institutional:
- low expenditure of time, low costs, great public impact
- meeting new people/organizations/Danube neighbours
- the feeling of being part of something bigger
- fostering European awareness
- reducing prejudices
- public visibility
- cooperation with other NGOs (many organizations have dealt with this topic for the first time)
- Personal:
- exchange of ideas
- event with a European objective: focusing on the river Danube as topic
Problems
- Changes of spokespersons of some CSOs created difficulties for ILEU and caused communicative problems (but the minutes of the meetings helped to solve these problems)
- Since it is an outdoor event, one should be prepared for all kinds of weather situations. Make sure to comply with all the regulations of the municipalities concerning safety etc. (.g.: escape routes)
- Some visitors are just attending this event because of the food and do not talk to the table hosts. Make sure that the table hosts are not shy and speak with them carefully.
- There is not a lot of space on a bridge. Make sure that the set-up runs
Variation of the approach
- breakfast event on a square, in a park
- breakfast not outside but inside
- less civil societies with a clearer focus
- only local groups
- integration of a greater number of various groups/disadvantaged groups
- international event with migrants
- could be applied to a European-wide or even World-wide event
Responsbile Organistion
| Name | Homepage | Logo |
| ILEU e.V. | ileu.net |  |
Products and Materials
| Web Presence |
http://conference.tastes-of-danube.eu/en/danube-breakfast-10th-july/ http://conference.tastes-of-danube.eu/de/donau-brucken-fruhstuck-10-juli/ |
| Documentation of the Project/Event | |
| Post Cards | |
| Poster | |
| Press Release | |
| Photo Gallery | |
| Video | |
| Blog | |
| Decoration: Flags/Bookmarks | |
| Information about the Danube Countries |