Inspired by "Humans of New York", the EU should launch a Humans of the EU campaign: a platform for EU citizens to share their personal stories. This can help build connections and increase empathy between people from different corners of the union.

As many artists are struggling for a basic means of survival, the EU should establish a minimum wage for those who work in art-related professions.

Art is one of the core values and heritages of Europe, and it makes us inherently European. In fact, many of the beloved symbols of Europe are works of art. Therefore, the minimum wage for all art-related jobs would pave the way for a new era of artistic productions and recognise art as a valuable contribution to society.

Volunteer programs could be created which bring health professionals such as nutritionists and those who want to become volunteers together in order for them to contribute to a better society. Within such volunteer programs, young people could go to retirement homes to support those residents who are lonely and suffer from social isolation, seniors could become teachers or tutors for children who need support for example when doing their homework, and people could share cooking techniques with one another, so that more learn what a healthy, affordable and sustainable diet is. After all, it is important to feel that one is part of a community.

The Erasmus+ program has been proved to be the best way to create strong relationships beyond national borders, and that's why we must enlarge the program - or create other programs following the same idea - for the entire population.

High school students, workers and people with disabilities all constitute groups for which it is more difficult to access such programs. They should also be able to develop their skills in another European country though by exchanging with other fellow Europeans. By financing this academic and cultural programs, we will return to the best idea of Europe: a continent with a strong cultural life able to create a common sense of belonging to a community outside the borders of the old nations. 

At a time when nationalism is on the rise, it is important to reach out to each other rather than to become increasingly isolated. This does not mean that it is wrong to express your national identity and the associated traditions. Rather, it means that we need to communicate better with one another, get to know other cultures and learn about others' traditions and history.

We often live in a multicultural environment, yet relatively few people talk about their fellow citizens' cultures of origin. One possible way of gaining access to other cultures is through language courses. Languages are of course a very good way to gain a better understanding of other cultures: These currently tend to focus more on pure language learning though. If they focused more on teaching cultural aspects as well, a better multicultural environment could be created.

Some EU citizens don't live within the borders of the Union – but their place of residence shouldn't prevent them from participating in activities such as the Solidarity Corps, cultural or similar events. With the use of new technologies or the set-up of programs specifically targeted at those living abroad, accessibility to activities shall be increased beyond the Union's borders. This way, young EU citizens outside of the EU have a fair opportunity to engage, participate and express their views on the future of the Union, too.

Wind turbines have negative consequences for both wild and farm animals. Therefore, farmers are forced to move away and invade other spaces, contributing to changes in landscape. In addition, given that these engines need little maintenance, workers are not encouraged to live in rural areas, so less people move to these areas.

It is easier for farmers to earn money from energy industries than from cultivating products, as they used to do traditionally. This causes soil in some areas to lose its mineral properties and provokes further changes within vulnerable landscapes. The presence of wind farms in some EU countries, such as Spain, must be limited in order to preserve the traditional way of life within these populations and protect both the environment and the economy.

For the areas in which renewables continue to work effectively, local, national and EU-wide institutions should provide incentives to innovative projects and invest in the accessibility of these areas so as to promote new jobs.

Knowledge of and sympathy for the EU is low among European citizens. In order to build a stronger Europe, the EU needs to foster a stronger sense of European identity, as well as motivate Europeans to embrace our common values and principle of 'unity in diversity'.

One way to do this is to declare Europe Day (9th May) a European-wide public holiday and facilitate the organisation of festivals across all EU Member States on this day. These 'Europa festivals' should be led by young people - our best agents of change. Europe's youth can enjoy the music and dance freely, while capitalising on the opportunity to raise their concerns about youth rights, climate change and other societal issues.

More info can be found on europafestival.eu

The European culture and identity is still distant and unknown for many European citizens. In the meantime, US audiovisual content such as different series and movies are much more appreciated all over the EU. It dominates the European entertainment media landscape.

Creating quality cultural content that affirms precisely the European identity in the EU from EU producers will bring life to a much wider range of European policies and projects which have already started or will start soon. One way is to create a European cultural and entertainment TV channel or radio station that is available in different languages - similar to the French-German channel Arte or based on another innovative concept.

The EU should fund and promote pan-European cultural projects to help unite the continent, especially to promote healing between the East and West.

In order to fight the opinion that national identity was lost when the Euro was introduced, banknotes should display famous buildings, bridges or landscapes from different countries. An example that could be taken into account is the Danish krone: In Denmark, you can see famous bridges and the landscapes they are surrounded by on banknotes.

Using common funds, the EU should produce a TV series for public broadcast, focusing on profiling each Member State. Each episode would get to know a specific Member State; its history, culture, traditions, as well as its importance within the EU and within the world. In conducting such a pilot experiment, the EU can achieve two things: it can support a European arts production and promote solidary between Member States, helping to foster greater respect between nations.

Migrants arriving in a new place may struggle to become acclimatised and to fit into the receiving community's culture. This can lead to a sense of disassociation and uncertain identity, which may lead to friction between migrant communities and host communities: migrants may not feel that they belong in their new country, and those receiving them may not accept them.

This problem would be lessened with a focus on helping young migrants, especially, to become culturally integrated. One idea could be the creation of a pan-European platform in which migrant youth can share stories and experiences, and build friendships. Exchanges could culminate in joint projects and cultural visits run by volunteers who themselves have immigrant backgrounds and can therefore give empathetic support. Similar projects are already being done locally in some places, but a greater emphasis at the regional level may help to ease assimilation.

In many cities and villages, there are buildings which are abandoned or are in danger of collapse. They should be restored and then given or rented to organisations such as local entities, businesses, foundations or youth associations. Thereby, European heritage would be secured while at the same time important organisations would be given new resources.

Young people can educate the older generation on how to better nourish their communities, and share great insights and powerful ways of seeing the world in a new light. Young people have a lot to offer their communities and have new skills in technology that can be passed back to older citizens. At the same time, they can also learn a lot from older citizens: Therefore, activities such as cultural events should be created to bring all of them together!

We need to encourage the use of bikes as a primary form of transport. One way European cities can do this is by increasing the amount of separated bike lanes in their territory. EU institutions must raise awareness about the advantages of cycling by developing a true bicycle culture in Europe.

Not only human development but also the survival of the Earth and of humankind depend on the decisions we make now. Therefore, the EU should create a Future Research Center with interdisciplinary teams of experts including scientists, economists, ethicists and futurologists. Different cultures, countries and genders should be represented here in order to research what the best decisions to make now would be.

Key topics to research could include:

• protection of species and biodiversity
• combatting global warming
• protection of waiter, air, land and forests
• counteracting hunger, poverty and diseases
• conflict prevention
• spreading tolerance

Cheese is part of the cultural heritage of Europe. Therefore, the EU should allocate funds to farmers producing Harzer Käse, Halloumi, Gorgonzola, Saint-Nectaire and other cheeses. At the same time, goverments should launch public information campaigns about the health benefits and properties of the different cheeses.