Town and regional twinning enriches the citizenry at many levels
One reason town twinning is so important for the FGYO is that it reaches all people. Regardless of where a person lives, their transport connections, educational history or talents, these exchange projects are open to everyone. Particularly if a young person has never been able to have an experience abroad, town-twinning arrangements often offer a first opportunity for mobility. They promote the integration of new citizens in the region and foster the formation of long-standing friendly relations.
Town and regional twinning takes on special importance during times of crisis. It is often through town twinning that aid can be organised particularly quickly, easily and unbureaucratically in emergency situations.
Exchange has an increasingly important role to play in regional and town twinning. This has long involved more than simply getting to know each other or appraising their shared history. Instead, participants discuss current challenges and learn from each other about logistics, transport or sustainability. This is how these partnerships make concrete contributions to the transfer of knowledge and to augmenting the quality of life in both countries.
Funding regional and town twinning
The FGYO promotes twinning arrangements between regions and towns not just financially, but also through training courses, resources and networking. Language courses and language encouragement, as well as group interpreters, can also contribute to a successful exchange. That is why they are supported through financing and training provided through the FGYO.
A practical guide to twinning schemes and partnerships
Find out how to successfully organise youth exchanges as part of a twinning scheme and access all the interactive resources.
Franco-German friendship between twin towns: the result of a long-standing tradition
The Treaty of Aachen, signed in 2019, aims to strengthen cultural and social exchanges between France and Germany. At the same time, it was decided to establish the Franco-German Citizens’ Fund, which will be set up and managed by the OFAJ. One of the priorities of the Citizens’ Fund is town and regional twinning, so that cross-border and intergenerational exchanges can take place even more easily, without age barriers.
A key pillar of the DFJW
The project concept, with its thematic focus on areas such as political education, Europe and democracy, is playing an increasingly important role in this regard. The DFJW aims to motivate young people even more to play an active part in shaping their own town twinning schemes and their own regions. The establishment of youth parliaments in the twin towns and exchanges between them can contribute to this.
