Neighbours of Europe:
2007 innovation: establishing direct visual contact between European neighbours

"In order to encourage exchanges among European
countries, the Association Immeubles en Fête this year
proposes to bring participants in the different countries
closer together by enabling them to communicate live
via webcams! The aim of this interactive experience,
which stemmed from a request from French citizens, is to
encourage exchanges among Europeans in a fun way, thanks to the democratic equality of the
Internet. The principle is within the reach of everybody - by means of a simple computer
connexion, participants can discuss, get to know each other, exchange ideas, recipes, etc..."

Thank s to the webcam technology, 3 different European neighbourhoods get in
contact simultaneously
"A few words on this encounter between 3 neighbourhoods...
Between Herouville St Clair, Brussels, and St Gilles, Belgium:
3 keyboards, 3 images, 3 players. The Three European
Neighbours' Day Musketeers' motto: "All for the Internet...
the Internet for all!" It was a real challenge using new
technologies to wipe away our differences to speak with a single voice (through the Internet...)
Using a simple keyboard, a Webcam or digital camera, plus a messaging programme, the three
communities sent each other "e-correspondence"
The experiment was a complete success. Next year, we are sure to keep it going with other
neighbourhoods, since the idea has spread all across Europe."

Christian Leroux-Dennebouy
e-correspondance@voila.fr