“What does it even mean to feel European? We at MOSAIK believe that it’s not about being the same all the time–we believe it’s about differences. It’s the ability to deal with these differences and to actually see these differences as an opportunity rather than a threat.”

Katharina Moser is the Founder of MOSAIK Agency, a creative agency whose mission is to create a positive feeling among Europeans. They believe that celebrating diversity and creating personal experiences between people from different backgrounds are the foundations for empathy, cooperation, and peace in Europe.  

MOSAIK Agency is the creator of Route28, a free annual one-day journey where participants can enjoy the wonderful variety of European culture in their own city. It was created under the belief that a personal experience increases a person’s interest in another country, that personal contact strengthens empathy, and that showing Europe in its natural diversity is a strength, not a weakness.

This year, over 800 participants in Vienna leapt at the chance to journey through 15 different countries. For example, they were able to go to Poland and cook pierogies, or go to Belgium to draw Belgian comics and eat Belgian waffles, or go to the Netherlands to compete in a slow-bike competition. The event was a rousing success and was awarded the Europe State Award of the Federal Republic of Austria, and the European Citizen’s Prize, both of which honor the extraordinary commitment by citizens and organizations that promote a greater European awareness and a mutual understanding of Europe.

MOSAIK’s grand vision is to take the format of Route28 to other European cities. In order to achieve this, they will need long-term sustainable corporate and institutional partners who believe in the values and ideals of the event, and the impact their participation can have.

The problems facing Europe will not be solved if Europeans don’t feel like they belong together. Previous attempts to create a European spirit over the decades have failed. Symbols such as the European flag and the European anthem don’t represent the feelings and the lives of Europeans. MOSAIK is out to change that by creating an experience, the purpose of which is to build greater unity among Europeans, and paving the way towards the ultimate goal of building a better and more united Europe.

MOSAIK’s work contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):