grundtvig g2 learning partnership european puzzle european active citizenship

European Active Citizenship Introductory Guidelines for Practitioners

Grundtvig G2 Learning Partnership

EUROPEAN PUZZLE

European Active Citizenship: Introductory Guidelines for Adult Educators

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CONTENTS Section A: Introduction Project Team 3 Background to the Project/ Context for the Guidelines 4 Project Participants 6 Section B: Theory The European Union 8 Debates on Citizenship 10 The Evolution of European Citizenship 12 Challenges for European Citizenship 14 Active Citizenship 16 European Citizenship Initiatives 17 Citizenship Related Terms 18 Section C: Practice Sample Workshops: 19 Workshop One: Active Citizenship Timeline 20 Workshop Two: What does Europe mean to you? Theory and Practice 22 Workshop Three: When was the first time you felt European? 23 Workshop Four: Out yourself! You feel like being a European citizen? 24 Workshop Five: Pleased to meet you and Giant Steps 26 Activity props 29

Four Themes: 37 Identity 37 Participation 39 Integration 41 Remembrance 43 Section D: Case Studies: Active Citizenship in Action 45 Association of Leaders of Local Civic Groups 45 Legnickie Association of Civic Initiatives 47 Community Club Surma 49 Člověk V Tísni, O.P.S. (People in Need) Czech Republic 51 Second Chance Education Project for Women (SCEPW) 53 Useful Websites 55 Reading List 56

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SECTION A: INTRODUCTION Project Team

Rhonda Wynne: University College Dublin, Adult Education (Project Co‐ordinator) [email protected]

Cróna Gallagher: Donegal Vocational Education Committee Adult Education Service [email protected]

Stefanie Hajak: Adult Education Centre, Munich [email protected]

Katarzyna Batko‐Tołuć and Maja Gruszczynska: Centre for Citizenship Education, Warsaw [email protected] [email protected]

Michaela Tureckiová: Department of Adult Education and Personnel Management, Charles University, Prague [email protected]

The University College Dublin (UCD) Adult Education Centre provides a range of accredited, interest and access programmes for adult learners who wish to return to education. The centre also works in partnership with a number of community organisations and outreach centres to attract those who have been excluded from formal education in designated disadvantaged areas. The student populations in Irish universities generally enter directly from school so that adult learners tend to be a minority presence on campus. As a result mature students (those 23+) have been designated a specific target group for access initiatives. Co Donegal VEC’s Adult Education Service, (Co Donegal, Ireland,) delivers a wide range of educational programmes and support services to approximately 15,000 adults annually in a highly rural, economically and socially disadvantaged county in the west of Ireland. The VEC works at local level to provide literacy services, back to education support and accredited programmes for adults wishing to secure qualifications; it also has considerable expertise in working closely with marginalized rural and island community‐based organisations to support the provision of low‐cost community education programmes. Its support services include educational guidance for adults and childcare support.

The Munich Academy of Adult Education is the biggest local adult education center in Germany with about 300 employees and about 3000 freelance teachers. The programme consists of about 14.000 lectures, seminars and courses per year (about 7000 per term) covering the following branches: history and politics, philosophy, psychology and personality development, soft skills and key qualifications, cultural education, languages, health education, IT and trainings for the job. The partners have expertise in working with diverse learners and promoting lifelong learning.

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mailto:[email protected]

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The Center for Citizenship Education (Warsaw, Poland) is a non‐governmental educational foundation, involved in promoting civic knowledge, and the practical skills and attitudes necessary for building a democratic state of laws and civil society. The CCE is also authorized to conduct the same range of teacher training activities as the public establishments. The centre has particular expertise in promoting active citizenship and works to promote informed participation in elections. The CCE works with volunteers and runs a major Internet service for the benefit of teachers and students interested in social and political issues. The Department of Adult Education and Personnel Management, Charles University,( Prague, Czech Republic) is part of the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy and offers programmes at Bachelor and Master and PhD degree level for lifelong learning and education specialists. It also offers a specialized accredited two‐year extramural course in Andragogy and Personnel Management. Background to the Project/ Context for the Guidelines Project Aims: To review best practice in promoting active citizenship To exchange / share best practice to determine what elements are important in successful citizenship projects

To consider integrating a European dimension in Citizenship Education and examine where and how this is currently done

To provide an opportunity for adult educators to meet their peers in other spheres of adult education to get an insight into how challenges are addressed in other settings

To develop guidelines for adult educators working in the field of citizenship education Project Methodology: The core of the work took place over three Project Team (representatives from each of the Learning Partnership organisations) meetings in Dublin, Krakow and Warsaw; and two Workshops, in Munich and Prague. The purpose of the Project Team meetings was workshop planning, sharing of information related to additional activities carried out by partners and allocation of tasks. Outside of these meetings, preparatory work for workshops and additional activities related to active citizenship were carried out. Workshop participants included the Project Team and an additional three adult learners from each organisation or sister organisation. These were activists involved in adult and community education, community development, civic participation and social inclusion work. Learning methodologies used during the project included presentations of best practice in member organisations; case studies; an audit of active citizenship activities in member organisations/ countries; local seminars; group discussion; expert inputs on citizenship related topics and theory; a European Fair; relevant guided walking tours in Munich and Prague. All sessions were participatory in nature, involving group work, discussion and plenary and individual feedback. Each partner organisation has been involved at local and regional level in dissemination of information on this project through their own networks. Seminars have been held for adult educators in Ireland and in Germany and informal discussions have taken place with NGOs in the Czech Republic. A summary of the Dublin meeting appeared in an article in the Charles University Press (Aula).

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Project Activities: This was a two‐year project with two distinct phases: a research and development phase, followed by the production of guidelines for adult educators working in the field of citizenship education. The Project took place between December 2006 and July 2008. Phase 1: Audit of Active Citizenship activities in Learning Partnership member countries’ organisations and regions: Poland, Germany, Ireland, Czech Republic. The Audit led to a discussion on what active citizenship means in the partner countries. This proved challenging as the concept means different things to different people. The level and nature of debate around active citizenship varies from organisation to organisation and from country to country; however there was agreement that business language is becoming more dominant in adult education and that liberal adult education is overshadowed by a focus on training for employment and accreditation. Examples of projects from each country were presented and methodologies discussed. From discussion, it was concluded that the topic of active citizenship is vast and related projects may need a long time to progress.

Partnership Workshop in Munich (March 2007) The purpose of the workshop was twofold: to examine the role of adult education in promoting active citizenship and to share good practice in citizenship education in member organisations/ sister organisations, exploring successful factors and obstacles to success; and to begin to discuss perspectives on European active citizenship and citizenship education. Phase 2: An Outline of proposed Guidelines for Adult Educators on the Promotion of European Citizenship Education was developed during a Project Team meeting in Krakow in January 2008. Partnership Workshop in Prague (May 2008) This workshop developed the concepts introduced in Munich and explored in a participatory way the notion of European active citizenship through exploration of four themes: Identity, Participation, Integration and Remembrance. The group also explored ways in which European active citizenship could be promoted through adult education activities. All of the material used and developed during the workshops and meetings was compiled into these Guidelines. The Project Team wishes to emphasise that these guidelines are introductory. The project worked using the professional expertise of participants in a participatory way as such was mainly concerned with process, not product. The Guidelines are not a comprehensive manual to promoting active citizenship in adult education groups; rather they are intended to be an aid to educators who wish to stimulate discussion on European citizenship using practical activities.

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Participants in “European Puzzle” Active Citizenship Project

Name of Participant

Country Job Title Name of Organisation

Email address

Martin Kopecký

Czech Republic

Associate professor/tutor

Department of Adult Education& Personnel Management, Faculty of Arts, Charles University

[email protected]

Lucie Pivonková

Czech Republic

Project Manager

People in Need, Varianty Project

[email protected]

Vladislav Vik Czech Republic

Executive Director

Nova Skola, o.p.s [email protected]

Thomond Coogan

Ireland Access Manager

Adult Education, University College, Dublin

[email protected]

Mary Crossan

Ireland Project Coordinator

St Johnston and Carrigans Resource Centre

[email protected]

Mella Cusack Ireland Citizenship Studies Project Manager

CDVEC Curriculum Development Unit and University College, Dublin

[email protected]

Mary English Ireland Joint Co‐ordinator

Second Chance Education Project for Women

[email protected]

Colum McCaffery

Ireland Tutor/Lecturer Adult Education, University College, Dublin

[email protected]

Maeve McGarvey

Ireland Community Education Facilitator

Co. Donegal VEC [email protected]

Rosemarie McGill

Ireland County Co‐ordinator of Literacy Services

Co Dublin VEC [email protected]

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Name of Participant

Country Job Title Name of Organisation

Email address

Tina Dürr

Germany Project Manager

Europeans for Peace [email protected]

Ute Hartenberger

Germany Senior Researcher

TU Muenchen; Chair of Political Science

[email protected]‐muenchen.de

Udo M. Metzinger

Germany Political Scientist/ Lecturer

Munich Academy of Adult Education

mail@udo‐metzinger.de

Sabine Schalm

Germany

Historian/ Lecturer

Munich Academy of Adult Education

[email protected]

Katarzyna Strzelecka

Poland Social Cultural Worker

Community Club SURMA

[email protected]

Anna Kuliberda

Poland Project Coordinator

Legnickie Association of Civic Initiatives

[email protected]

Katarzyna Batko‐Toluc

Poland President Association of Leaders of Local Civic Groups

[email protected]

Krzysztof Izdebski

Poland Legal Expert Association of Leaders of Local Civic Groups

[email protected]

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SECTION B: THEORY This section provides information about the European Union and outlines the key debates around citizenship and European citizenship The European Union

Europe’s mission in the 21st century is to:

provide peace, prosperity and stability for its peoples; overcome the divisions on the continent; ensure that its people can live in safety; promote balanced economic and social development; meet the challenges of globalisation and preserve the diversity of the peoples of Europe; uphold the values that Europeans share, such as sustainable development and a sound environment, respect for human rights and the social market economy.

The Treaties (known as ‘primary’ legislation), are the basis for a large body of ‘secondary’ legislation which has a direct impact on the daily lives of EU citizens. The secondary legislation consists mainly of regulations, directives and recommendations adopted by the EU institutions. These laws, along with EU policies in general, are the result of decisions taken by the institutional triangle:

The Council of the European Union The European Parliament The European Commission

The Council of the European Union, which represents the member states, is the EU’s main decision‐taking body. When it meets at Heads of State or Government level, it becomes the European Council whose role is to provide the EU with political impetus on key issues. The European Council meets, in principle, four times a year. It is chaired by the president or prime minister of the country holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union at the time. The President of the European Commission attends as a full member. The EU member states take it in turns to hold the Council Presidency for a six‐month period. Every Council meeting is attended by one minister from each EU country. Which ministers attend a meeting depends on which topic is on the agenda: foreign affairs, agriculture, industry, transport, the environment, etc.

The European Parliament is the elected body that represents the EU’s citizens. It shares legislative and budgetary power with the Council of the European Union, and exercises political supervision over the EU’s activities. Since 1979, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have been directly elected, by European citizens, every five years.

The European Commission is the main executive body. It has the right to propose legislation and ensures that EU policies are properly implemented.. Since 2004, the Commission has been made up of one Commissioner from each member state. The Commission a body independent of

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EU governments and its job is to uphold the common interest, which means that it must not take instructions from any national EU government. As ‘Guardian of the Treaties’, it has to ensure that the regulations and directives adopted by the Council and Parliament are being implemented in the member states. The Commission is answerable to the Parliament, and the entire Commission has to resign if the Parliament passes a motion of censure against it. There are a number of other European institutions and bodies:

(a) The Court of Justice: The Court of Justice of the European Communities, located in Luxembourg, is made up of one judge from each EU country, assisted by eight advocates‐general. They are appointed by joint agreement of the governments of the member states for a renewable term of six years. Their independence is guaranteed. The Court’s role is to ensure that EU law is complied with, and that the Treaties are correctly interpreted and applied.

(b) The Court of Auditors: The Court of Auditors in Luxembourg was established in 1975. It has one member from each EU country, appointed for a term of six years by agreement between the member states following consultation of the European Parliament. It checks that all the European Union’s revenue has been received and all its expenditure incurred in a lawful and regular manner and that the EU budget has been managed soundly.

(c) The European Economic and Social Committee: When taking decisions in a number of policy areas, the Council and Commission consult the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Its members represent the various economic and social interest groups that collectively make up ‘organised civil society’, and are appointed by the Council for a four‐year term.

(d) The Committee of the Regions: The Committee of the Regions (CoR) was established under the Treaty on European Union and consists of representatives of regional and local government proposed by the member states and appointed by the Council for a four‐year term. Under the Treaty, the Council and Commission must consult the CoR on matters of relevance to the regions, and it may also issue opinions on its own initiative.

(e) The European Investment Bank: The European Investment Bank (EIB), based in Luxembourg, provides loans and guarantees to help the EU’s less developed regions and to help make businesses more competitive.

(f) The European Central Bank:The European Central Bank (ECB), based in Frankfurt, is responsible for managing the euro and the EU’s monetary policy.

Extracted/summarised from http://europa.eu/abc/index_en.htm

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Debates on Citizenship Major debates about citizenship have coincided with debates about appropriate welfare systems. Contemporary citizenship debates are concerned with how to balance individual rights and freedoms with group needs in multicultural pluralist societies. Debates on citizenship have evolved over time: 18th Century – concern with civil rights, e.g., right to property, privacy and freedom of expression

19th Century – concern with political rights, e.g., the right to vote 20th Century – concern with social rights, e.g., education, healthcare, social security T.H. Marshall’s landmark work on citizenship, written in 1950, identified three aspects of citizenship: civil, political and social. Although, these aspects are still relevant, his work assumed a society structured along class division, in which neither gender nor cultural/ethnic background played a significant role. Most extensions of citizenship have ensued as a result of struggles or negotiations, whether by the working class, women, slaves or marginal and oppressed groups. Discourse around citizenship is polarised, particularly at the extremes of the political spectrum. There are three major traditions or strands of citizenship: Liberal tradition emphasises rights and freedoms and citizenship as possibility Civic republican tradition emphasises the political community as an institutional framework and advocates a high level of popular participation in public affairs, both as a practical necessity and as a moral and civic duty

Communitarian approach emphasises group solidarity rather than individualism A fourth strand gaining much attention is: Cosmopolitan citizenship : Cosmopolitans seek to understand the scope for human rights, participation and belonging beyond the nation‐state

Over recent years there has been a signification shift in the citizenship debate from notions of formal citizenship, which is the status position and legal basis of citizenship, to realised citizenship which involves active participation. A number of factors have put matters of citizenship on the agenda, including: Accessing legal status of citizenship: There are three principal ways of acquiring citizenship: birth, descent and naturalisation. Jus Sanguinis means a child’s nationality is determined by parent’s nationality, irrespective of place of birth. Jus Soli means a child’s nationality is determined by place of birth.

The Role of the Nation state: citizenship and national identity has tended to be tied to the nation state, which is problematic when there is increased mobility and complex patterns of migration, leading to multicultural populations with multiple identities and loyalties.

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Globalisation is considered to threaten the viability of nation states as political and social units due to the movement of capital and the creation of global financial institutions, labour mobility leading to more culturally plural states, and the growth of global transnational institutions. Hence the long established link between citizenship and nation state is seen as increasingly challenging or problematised.

Political landscape: Emerging democracies are questioning how education can contribute to the development of a democratic culture while in established democracies questions are been asked about how to maintain and nurture democracy and democratic culture.

The ‘detraditionalisation’ of society has resulted in changing family structures, and moves towards secularisation in countries which traditionally had a very strong church influence

The individualisation of societies has resulted in a move away from communal values towards individual priorities in consumer societies. Citizenship involves issues of individuality but also matters of collectivity.

Social capital, which is concerned with how networks of reciprocity work in society, has become an influential research area and a matter of concern for policy makers. Positive social capital involves mutual support, cooperation, trust, and institutional effectiveness while negative social capital involves sectarianism, ethnocentrism, and corruption.

Neo‐liberal policies: the privatisation of former state services and welfare reforms is switching responsibility from state to the individual e.g., pensions, health care, education

Environment: There are calls for greater environmental risk management and shared strategies for managing finite resources. Such actions need a cooperative approach beyond nation state level so that there is agreement on the broader ramifications of our and others’ actions. This suggests an ecological/environmental dimension to debates about citizenship responsibilities.

Moral questions around the level of responsibilities of rich countries towards poorer countries, with inequality of wealth distribution on the rise, indicate a need for global forms of citizenship with individuals considering how their choices impact beyond their own immediate environment. Such considerations are evident in consumer and ethical citizenship discourses.

Multi‐level governance in Europe is usually understood in terms of three or four tiers or levels: Europe‐wide(EU), national (member states), regional (regions and provinces) and perhaps also local (municipalities).

Subsidiarity is the idea that decision making should be as close to the citizens as possible and that policy decisions should be taken at the lowest tier of government that is compatible with effectiveness.

Cosmopolitanism: Cosmopolitans seek to understand the scope for human rights, participation and belonging beyond the nation‐state.

Deficiency discourse: This deficit model of citizenship is bound up with ideas of character education, shared values and founding social order on moral commitment to the particular belief system of a community. This assumes a homogenous cultural identity as the norm and debates centre on how ‘they need to change to fit in with us’.

Participation: Declining voting patterns are giving rise to a concern about a civic malaise, leading to cynicism and fatalism. Fears are that this will lead to the loss of the middle ground in political participation while those at the extremes dominate.

Civil Society: Democratic life and civil society requires strong associational life, while a decline in associational life harms democracy.

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The Evolution of European Citizenship Within the EU there are four fundamental freedoms: free movement of goods, persons, services, and capital. Policymakers and academics have framed the development of European citizenship as a supranational project. Citizenship of the union shall complement and not replace national citizenship. Each citizen of an EU Member State is automatically an EU citizen. The importance of Union citizenship lies in the fact that the Union citizens have genuine rights under Community law. The rights conferred on citizens of the Union may be grouped in the following four categories:

a personal right to free movement and residence subject to limitations and conditions laid down in the Treaty and in the secondary legislation

electoral rights of Union citizens in European parliamentary and municipal elections in the Member State of residence even if they are not nationals of that State

protection by diplomatic and consular authorities of any Member State in a third country where the citizen’s own Member State is not represented

access to non‐judicial means of redress, through access to the Ombudsman and a right to petition the European Parliament

Evolution of concept of European Citizenship

1992‐3 1997 2000

Treaty on

European Union

Amsterdam

Treaty

European Charter of

Fundamental

Rights

European C

ourt of Justice case

law –

consolidated and codified

rights

1992‐1993 Treaty of Maastricht The idea of pan‐European citizenship was formalised in the Treaty of Maastricht, which was signed in 1991 and took effect in 1993, and contains a chapter on citizenship. As set out in the Maastricht Treaty, any national of a Member State is a citizen of the Union. The aim of European citizenship is to strengthen and consolidate European identity by greater involvement of the citizens in the Community integration process. 1997 Amsterdam Treaty signed, implemented 1999 Citizenship of the Union is enshrined in Article 17 of the Treaty of Amsterdam:

Every person holding the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union. Citizenship of the Union shall complement and not replace national citizenship.

The Treaty of Amsterdam goes further in underpinning fundamental rights. It introduces a procedure for suspending the EU membership rights of any country that violates EU citizens’ fundamental rights. The Treaty of Amsterdam also extends the principle of non‐discrimination so that it covers not only nationality but also gender, race, religion, age and sexual orientation.

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The Treaty further strengthens the principle of equality between men and women. Finally, the Amsterdam Treaty improves the EU policy of transparency, allowing citizens greater access to the European institutions’ official documents. 2000 European Charter of Fundamental Rights The European Union’s commitment to citizens’ rights was confirmed in Nice in December 2000 when the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union was proclaimed. This Charter was drawn up by a Convention composed of members of the national and European parliaments, representatives of the national governments and a member of the Commission. The European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights sets out in a single text the range of civil, political, economic and social rights of European citizens and all persons resident in the EU. These rights are divided into six sections: Dignity, Freedoms, Equality, Solidarity, Citizensʹ rights, and Justice. 2007 Lisbon Treaty On 13 December 2007, EU leaders signed the Treaty of Lisbon. Citizenship is a major strand running through the Lisbon Treaty and preserves existing rights while introducing new ones. In particular, it guarantees the freedoms and principles set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and gives its provisions a binding legal force. It also introduces the Citizensʹ Initiative, where one million citizens from a number of Member States will have the possibility to call on the Commission to bring forward new policy proposals Further developments In addition to the rights specifically attached to the citizenship of the European Union that are explicitly mentioned in the Treaties, there is a whole series of fundamental rights and obligations which stem from the EU Treaties, the case‐law of the Court of Justice of the European Communities, the Council of Europe’s Convention on Human Rights and the constitutional traditions of the Member States. Secondary law and case law has further developed citizenship rights through a series of directives as some rights/interests can no longer be protected by just national citizenship. For example, European Court of Justice (ECJ) case‐law has codified the rights of movement and residence of EU citizens and their families. Other rights which now exist include:

the right to contact and receive a response from any EU institution in one of the EU official languages

the right to access European Parliament, European Commission, and Council documents under certain conditions

the right of equal access to the Community civil service equal treatment; EU citizens must not be discriminated against on grounds of nationality

The Council of Europe differentiates between citizenship as status, i.e., the legal contract between state and individual in terms of rights, responsibilities, duties and liberties, and citizenship as social role, which includes matters of identity, inclusion, community and is context related dependent on the community it refers to (local, regional, European, global). Citizenship includes political, legal, cultural, social and economic dimensions, and increasingly European and global dimensions are being added to debates on how citizenship is conceptualised.

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Challenges for European Citizenship

The notion of European Citizenship raises many awkward questions for nation states, particularly regarding the impact of EU citizenship on national citizenship and the extent of obligations and scope of citizenship rights which are extended to those other than national citizens. This leads to dilemmas around the openness of the states versus protection of public resources. EU citizenship has been criticised since its inception for being passive and rights‐oriented as opposed to active and duties‐oriented. Some of the main challenges and debates about the European Citizenship project include:

Nation state/residency: European citizenship is tied to citizenship of a nation state, rather than with residency thus leaving many third‐state nationals (people who are not nationals of a member state of the European Union) outside the political process. A number of writers on this subject suggest that European citizenship should be linked to residency rather than to a nation state.

Dualisation of the civic body ‘All the studies have shown that the perception of the Union as a place of identification that completes the nation is more widely shared by active and educated citizens’ (Magnette, 2007, p. 677)

This gives rise to fears of a dualisation of the civic body, where there is identification with European citizenship by most educated citizens, while others have little allegiance or affinity with a notion of shared European values or ideals.

Regionalisation: Access to participate in social citizenship is more readily available in some regions, and access to social citizenship also varies significantly between states thereby creating conditions of differentiated citizenship. Multiple layers of rights has implications for consistency with the possibility of a plurality of legal norms in the same territory

Market orientation: There are concerns about the market‐oriented dimension of EU citizenship. For example, most of the case law through the ECJ has concerned rights attached to economic migrants as they move between states. Early conceptions of relationships between the EU and individuals tended to see the individual as worker rather than the individual as democratic citizen.

Democratic deficit: There is an ongoing concern that decision making in Europe is remote and removed from the individual, and that EU politics is unconnected with everyday life. Eurobarometer surveys indicate that significant numbers are not informed about European institutions and decision making processes, and voter turnout for the last European election was low. The rejection of the European Constitution by the French and Dutch electorate highlighted the disjoint between European citizens and European parliament.

Political communication: There is no common European political communication arena with each country having its own media and communication network. As a result, European

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(political) news, when it is covered, is filtered through the lens of each particular nation and is subject to considerable national bias. Studies indicate that the coverage of Europolitics is minimal and negative, giving rise to Euro‐scepticism. Currently, there is a lack of a truly pan‐European media which could create a European public space dealing with matters relevant to European citizens. The pan‐European channels which do exist, are largely owned by UK conglomerates, or target very specific audiences on particular themes. Euronews, which is the closest network to a pan‐European media, centres output on business news for high income earners and as yet is not a vehicle for European political communication. (Summarised from Kaitatzi‐Whitlock, 2007).

European common interest: At present there is no fora for broader public involvement in discussions or debates about matters which might be considered in the common European interest

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Active Citizenship Although a common term in citizenship discourse, there is no agreed definition with different conceptualisations and interpretations. European Definition of Active Citizenship Political participation in associational life characterised by tolerance and non‐violence and the acknowledgement of the rule of law and human rights. How active is active? Notions of active citizenship range from minimalist conceptions of citizenship, e.g., pay taxes, to expansionist conceptions which involve active participation at all levels of political life. Active citizenship is adopted by all ends of the political spectrum as it can be seen at one level as having a social justice component, or it can be viewed as a ploy to shift responsibility from the state to the individual. Therefore, the language and discourse of citizenship needs to be analysed to interpret agendas and political biases. Some of the debates about active citizenship are loaded with nostalgia for more civic times where the focus is on traditional forms of participation, with little consideration given to new forms of participation, e.g., online social networks and new social movements. Concepts of active citizenship may be context specific with different norms of civic behaviour, and or civic pride. A 2005 report Indicators for monitoring active citizenship and citizenship education, available at http://ec.europa.eu/education/doc/reports/doc/citizenship.pdf, outlined some indicators of Active Citizenship Voting in elections Voluntary work in organisations and networks Organising activities for the communities Participation in political parties Participation in interest groups Participation in forms of peaceful protest Participation in public debate Learning for citizenship includes multiple dimensions: cognitive ‐ basis of information and knowledge upon which they can take action pragmatic ‐ taking action of some kind affective ‐ attachment to society and community, matters of identity and values

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European Citizenship Initiatives Active Citizenship, along with personal fulfilment, social inclusion and employability/adaptability, are the broad objectives of Lifelong Learning as conceptualised in EU documents. Hence, active citizenship is a prominent component of lifelong learning and knowledge society discussions. This follows through in funding, e.g., through Grundtvig funding strand of the Lifelong Learning Programme 2007‐2013 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education marked the culmination of eight yearsʹ work by the Council of Europe to define concepts, policies and strategies for applying good practices in the area of education for democratic citizenship (EDC). Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights (EDC/HRE) is a set of practices and activities designed to help young people and adults to play an active part in democratic life and exercise their rights and responsibilities in society. EDC encompasses other related concepts, such as peace and intercultural education. Human Rights Education (HRE) is the core and an indivisible part of EDC. Learning and Living Democracy for All ‐ Programme 2006‐2009 The Council of Europe Programme of Activities 2006‐2009 on EDC/HRE aims to promote sustainable policies, to support good practice and to encourage co‐operation between and within the member States. The priority areas 2006‐2009 are as follows: Policy development and implementation, teacher training and Democratic governance.

ʺEurope for Citizensʺ Programme 2007 – 2013 The Europe for Citizensʹ programme provides the Union with instruments to promote active European citizenship. The aim of this programme is to bring Europe closer to its citizens and to enable them to participate fully in the European construction. Through this programme, citizens have the opportunity to be involved in transnational exchanges and cooperation activities, contributing to developing a sense of belonging to common European ideals and encouraging the process of European integration. There are four actions in this programme

1. Active Citizens for Europe involving citizens either through activities linked to town‐twinning or through other kinds of citizensʹ projects.

2. Active civil society in Europe targeted to civil society organisations either through structural support on the basis of their European level work programme or through support to projects.

3. Together for Europe: including high visibility events, studies and information tools. 4. Active European Remembrance: support to projects aiming at preserving the sites and

archives associated with de deportations as well as the commemorating of victims of Nazism and Stalinism.

Further information is available at the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) website at http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/guide/index_en.htm

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http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/guide/index_en.htm


Citizenship Related Terms

Formal citizenship – status position – legal basis Realised citizenship – active participation Minimalist conceptions of citizenship, e.g., pay taxes, to expansionist conceptions, active participation in political life. The model of citizenship determines forms of engagement on a continuum from deferential to active: conceptions of citizen education for a democratic society: “traditional,” “progressive,” and “advanced.” The model of citizenship underlines a distinction between ‘good citizen’ as conforming, obedient and patriotic and ‘active citizen’

Nationalism: defence of national model of citizenship EEA Nationals: refers to citizens of European Economic Area countries Third‐state nationals are defined as people who are not nationals of a member state of the European Union.

Ethnic model of citizenship: citizenship is defined as a community of descent, based on Jus Sanguinis where a child’s nationality is determined by parent’s nationality, irrespective of place of birth.

Jus Soli: child’s nationality determined by place of birth Alien/non‐national: Terms sometimes used to describe someone who is a citizen in a different country to where they reside

Dual citizenship ‐ there has been a trend toward tolerating dual citizenship in Europe Denizen : a person admitted to residence in a foreign country Naturalisation: application following a period of residency to become a citizen Citizenship rights ‐ push for self‐reliance , shift from redistributive social rights to procedural civil rights, particularly minority rights

Citizenship responsibilities/ duties – participatory democracy Postnational citizenship: models of citizenship not linked to the nation state Portfolio citizenship: combination or rights, duties and practices drawn from a mix of jurisdictions

Civic self‐restraint ‐ implies an orientation to challenge infringements not only of one’s own rights, but also those of others.

Asylum seekers/Refugees/Family reunification/ Ancestral homeland Economic migrants: labour migration Illegal immigrant – irregular immigrant Gastarbeiter: guest workers ‘Adjectival citizenships’: active citizenship, European citizenship, global citizenship, cosmopolitan citizenship, pragmatic citizenship, ethical citizenship, environmental citizenship, democratic citizenship, residential citizenship, ecological citizenship, consumer citizenship

Symbols and icons of citizenship – flags, national currencies, stamps, national airlines

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SECTION C: PRACTICE This section proposes some ideas for introducing the concept of Active European Citizenship with a group of adult learners. Sample Workshops This section commences with outlines of five different approaches for discussing citizenship topics. These outlines involve active methodologies and all aim to encourage participants to think about their understandings of European and/ or active citizenship. The first workshop involves a timeline activity and is used to generate discussions on active citizenship. The following four workshops focus on matters of European citizenship. Four Themes: Identity, Participation, Integration and Remembrance

Four themes central to work in citizenship education are matters of Identity, Participation, Integration and Remembrance. These are vast themes to cover and can sometimes be emotional and emotive. Included here are lists of topics that might be discussed under each of these themes.

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Sample Workshops Workshop One: Active Citizenship Introduction This is an introductory session using a timeline methodology. The multi‐national group you are working with needs an introduction to the topic of active citizenship. You presume people’s perspectives may be differentiated as they have diverse background in terms of work experience, nationality, age and gender. You want to make the group aware of this diversity and point out that regardless of those differences the topic of active citizenship is relevant to you all as a group and that in fact there are many similarities in your understandings and perceptions. You also want to broaden the horizons of the group on the topic of active citizenship. Aim: To see the historical and personal process that led to modern understanding of

active citizenship and to find out the commonalities between countries Target group: Adult Learners Number: 15‐20 of different nationalities, gender and age Duration: 1. 5 hour Available infrastructure: 1 room, post‐its in different colours for different groups, two flipcharts

to write a timeline

Time Activity 1 20’ Question: “What were the historical events, situations, moments that could contribute or

lead us to the present moment of being together in this group and discussing the concept of active citizenship. Think also about your own life, what led you here, to this moment”.

Participants are divided into groups of 4 or 5 and have to discuss a question. Each idea should be written down on the post‐it. Groups are formed according to the nationality and given post‐its in different colours to allow easier differentiation between nations.

Time Activity 2 40’ The representatives of the groups are asked to place the post‐its on the timeline

written on two pieces of flipcharts. The first date could be 1900 but some place should be left before, in case the groups recall the earlier events. The second pole should be understood as a current year.

The facilitator reads aloud the content of a given post‐it and asks a group to justify why they found it was important and contributed to their understanding of the active citizenship concept.

Time Activity 3

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30’ The facilitator asks for some generalisations – what where the incentives and accelerators of contemporary understanding of active citizenship – there should be mentioned things such as e.g. gender equality and social inclusion; participation in public sphere; demonstrations; democratic order; etc. The group should search for the common points between countries, they should not be the same events but concepts behind those events such as identity, integration, participation and remembrance.

Timeline

2008

1900

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Workshop Two: What does Europe mean to you? Theory and Practice This workshop poses a number of questions for the group to find out their impressions of what Europe means to them. What does Europe mean to you? What are the main topics discussed in your countries?

What makes you feel European?

What are the obstacles and shortcomings?

What are the particular challenges around creating a sense of European citizenship?

If European citizenship is to succeed there needs to be a European public space and a sense of the European common interest…Discuss

These questions provoke a lively discussion and interesting outcomes as Europe is understood and appreciated differently by the members of each country. These questions could by used by any educator to start a group exercise on Europe and/or European citizenship and identity. Be sure to schedule sufficient time for discussions! Focusing activities initially around “Europe and You / Theory and Practice” can result in engaged and lively discussions. Questions such as “How is Europe discussed in your countries” and “What makes you feel European” allow everybody to take part and to contribute from their own perspective and background regardless of different levels of knowledge or political interest. Expected (and actual) outcomes of discussions around these questions: The gap between European policy (as spread via national media and national government) and the personal interests of people in Europe becomes obvious. For instance: “How is Europe discussed in your countries” is mostly answered either with political, economic or judicial hard facts (Lisbon treaty, funding, labour market, migration, etc.) or it brings up negative connotations such as “bureaucracy”. Whereas the question “what makes you feel European” tends to evoke cultural, social and historical associations, (European culture, enlightenment tradition, shared rights and practices, peace, diversity, human and civil rights, sports and entertainment etc. and also currency).

Some obstacles which might be identified for further developing an awareness of being citizens of Europe include: the role of media (which should report not only local and world news but also news from Europe and other member states of EU), lack of direct contact to European Institutions / MEP which leads to feeling detached from Europe, and education and lack of common language.

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Workshop Three: When was the first time you felt European? You have been invited to facilitate an introductory session on Active European Citizenship. Here is a proposed scheme of work for this session. Aim: To introduce the concept of Active European Citizenship Target group: Adult Learners Number: 15‐20 Duration: One hour Time Activity 1 20’ Question: “When was the first time you felt European?”

All participants are invited to answer that question, while the facilitator writes the key word(s) of the answers on a card. If necessary the facilitator helps the participants to specify their answer (“I’m hearing you saying...”) Example: Participant John Doe answers: “I felt the first time European when I paid with Euros in Italy.”

Time Activity 2 5’ The facilitator puts the cards in order according to main topics, e.g.,

economic, emotional, political, idealistic... Example: John Doe’s answer is put into the category “economic”

Time Activity 3 15’ The group is then split up into 4 teams according to the 4 topics; people are asked

to discuss, while keep their answers from Activity 1 in mind, their part in the field of European matters, e.g. where do they feel active citizens, where do they have influence, where do they have power, what could be better, etc, Example: John Doe is part of the group “economic”. His contributions could be: It’s good to have the Euro, but somehow I feel that I do not have influence on economic decisions made in Brussels...; Well, if it’s the same money, why do I have to pay a high extra fee for a cash withdrawal in Italy; does it help if I write a letter to my bank to complain or is there a place in Brussels where I can write to...?; What can we do as European citizens to get more influence?; ...”

Time Activity 4 15’ Presentation of the teamwork Time Activity 5 5’ Facilitator ends the session and has to find a title for the next session...

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Workshop Four: Out yourself! You feel like being a European citizen?

You have been invited to facilitate an introductory session on Active European Citizenship. Here is a proposed scheme of work for this session.

Target group: Adults, 10 ‐15, aged 30‐70, politically interested

Available time: 2 hours

Available infrastructure: 1 room, overhead projector /beamer + laptop, pin board

I. Introduction (25 min) 1.1.“Out yourself!’’

• You feel like being a European citizen?

• You do not feel like a European citizen but would like to?

• You don’t consider European citizenship to be necessary?

Each participant shall assign him‐/herself to one of these groups, located in different corners of the room

1.2. Exploration of issue

Material needed: coloured paper cards, pencils, pin‐board

“I wish I were a European citizen” – Let’s dream a bit: If you were to design a European citizenship, what would that term encompass? Which rights or duties would you like to have? How should it be symbolised? How would you like to feel when called a “European citizen”?

participants present their results at the pin board

structuring by tutor

II Follow –up discussion • Which dreams are – in the legal dimension ‐ already reality?

• Which are non‐ existent?

• Which can’t be implemented due to lack of EU‐competences?

III Development and role of citizenship in West European Societies (tutor input) (25 min) IV Interactive discussion

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Considering our knowledge about our dreams and ideas and about the historical background of citizenship – is more than a legal understanding of European citizenship necessary, desirable, feasible?

V Short summary of discussion by the tutor or “Out yourself!ʺ

• You feel like being a European citizen?

• You do not feel like a European citizen but would like to?

• You don’t consider European citizenship to be necessary?

Each participant shall assign him‐/herself to one of these groups, located in different corners of the room. Repeat activity to see if opinions and attitudes have changed.

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Workshop Five: Pleased to meet you and Giant Steps You have been invited to facilitate an introductory session on Active European Citizenship. Here is a proposed scheme of work for this session. Aim: To introduce the concept of Active European Citizenship Target group: Adult Learners (specify if you have a particular group in mind) Number: 15‐20 Duration: One hour Icebreaker Title: Pleased to meet you! Time 10 minutes Materials A ‘Pleased to meet you’ card for each participant in the group (the same card

can be given to a number of participants depending on group numbers) (see examples following: page 29)

Instructions for Facilitator

Part One: Distribute one ‘Pleased to Meet You!’ card to each participant. Invite participants to walk around the room introducing themselves and posing the question on their ‘Pleased to Meet You!’ card to those that they meet. Part Two: Ask participants to resume their seats. Take feedback using the following questions as a guide: • Who did you meet? • What did you learn about those that you met – either in response to the

questions on your ‘Pleased to Meet You!’ card or as a result of any additional questions asked.

(Depending on time constraint you can state that you are only taking feedback from a small number of participants but that there will be plenty of time throughout the session to get to know one another.)

Activity 2 Title: European Citizenship ‐ Giant Steps Activity Time: 35 minutes Materials: • EU Member State Information Posters

• European Citizen ‐ Role Card for each participant • European Citizen ‐ Statements (Examples for each of these follows on pages 32‐36)

Preparation: Hang the EU Member State Information Posters on the walls of the room. Clear a large space in the room.

Instructions for Facilitator:

Part One Distribute a ‘European Citizen ‐ Role Card’ to each participant. The facilitator can decide to distribute multiple copies of the same role or to have a distinct Role Card for each participant. Each Role Card is in a different colour to make it easier for the facilitator in the feedback stage.

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Ask participants to read their Role Card and identify the EU Member State their ‘character’ is from. At this stage participants should not share the information on their Role Card with others in the group. Invite participants to locate and read the relevant EU Member State Information Poster on the wall. Ask participants to enter into their role by thinking about who they are, where they live, their family, what kind of life they have, whether they feel as though they belong in their community, country and Europe etc. Part Two Instruct participants to stand in character at one end of the room with their backs against the wall. Use the full length of the space. Explain that you are going to read out a number of statements. After each statement is read each participant must: • Take a giant step if they can do it easily or if the statement fully applies to

them. • Take a small step if they can do it but with difficulty or it the statement only

partly applies to them. • Do not move if they can not do it or the statement does not apply to them at

all. Emphasize that the aim of the activity is to try to experience what life is like for their character – it is not about reaching the top of the room first, or even at all. Read all the statements out consecutively. Part Three: Ask participants to remain in the spot they have reached at the end of the last statement. [Warning: Some participants may have strong reactions about not being able to move – remind the group that they must listen to each other’s feedback and opinions.] Take feedback using the following questions as a guide: • Get each participant to explain who their character is and which statements

applied to their character and which did not. • Who got the furthest along? Why? Do you think this happens in ‘real life’? • Who got left behind/out? • What were the main obstacles faced by those who could move very little?

Do you think this happens in ‘real life’? • How did you feel when you took a giant step/could not move? • How did you feel when others were moving at a faster/slower pace than

you?

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Activity 3 Title: De‐role and Debrief Time: 15 minutes Materials: Copies of European Citizen ‐ Role Cards for each group ( See examples

Page 34‐35) Instructions for Facilitator:

Part One: Option A: If you distributed multiple copies of each Role Card then you could ask participants to form groups with those who had the same identity during the Giant Steps activity. Option B: If each participant had distinct identities ask them to form random groups of five. The de‐role aspect of this activity is very important. The facilitator should emphasis that participants are no longer in role but rather are involved in small group work giving their own opinions and discussing their own reflection upon the experience of the activity. Instruct the participants should take turns to say their own name aloud in their small group. Part Two: Remind participants that the situations they have discussed are the result of European and national social and economic policies. These policies come into being as a result of societal attitudes political action. If there is sufficient willingness or desire to bring about change then this is possible. Option A: Each group should discuss the following questions:

• Discuss what could be done so that the group’s character could feel more part of the EU and could have more opportunities as a European citizen.

Option B: Each group should discuss the following questions:

• Choose one character, e.g. Krzysztof or Niamh. Discuss what could be done so that he/she could feel more part of the EU and could have more opportunities as a European citizen.

Part Three: In a short feedback round each group should highlight one initiative they agree could be taken to help their group’s character. Replies should be recorded on a flipchart and referred to at the start of Session Number 2.

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‘Pleased to Meet You’ Cards

PLEASED TO MEET YOU!

What European would you most like to

be stuck in a lift with? Why?


Where in Europe would you most like

to live? Why?


What European would you most like to

spend an evening with? Why?

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If you won €3,000,000 in the European Lottery, how would you spend it?


What is your favourite European holiday destination? Why?


If you could be any European

nationality what would it be? Why?

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What is your favourite European food?

Why?


What European language would you

most like to master? Why?

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EU Member State Information Sample Posters

Member State of the EU: IRELAND

Year of EU entry: Political system: Capital City: Total land mass: Population: Currency: Languages:

1973 Republic Dublin 70 000 km² 4.2 million Euro English and Gaeilge (Irish)

Flag:

The green, white and orange Irish flag was influenced by the design and arrangement of colours of the French flag. The flag was first introduced by Thomas Francis Meagher. Linking themselves as supporters of the French Republicans during a demonstration in 1848, the flag was first displayed in Dublin.

General Information:

Since joining the European Union in 1973, the Republic of Ireland (Éire) has transformed itself from a largely agricultural society into a modern, technologically advanced Celtic Tiger economy. Agricultural lowlands make up most of the interior, which is broken in places by low hills and includes considerable areas of bogs and lakes. There are coastal mountains to the west, rising to over 1 000m in places. Nearly a third of the population live in Dublin.

The Dáil, or lower house of Parliament, is composed of 166 members while the Seanad, or upper house, has 60 members. Parliamentary elections are held every five years.

Although the history of Ireland has seen troubles and turbulence, its people have always been associated with a love of music and storytelling. Often referred to as the land of saints and scholars, the country is the birthplace of many famous English‐language writers, such as Yeats, Joyce, Beckett, Wilde and Shaw. Ireland is home to internationally known rock bands and singers such as U2, The Corrs and Sinead O’Connor.

Simple meat dishes and boiled vegetables such as the potato, carrot, turnip and parsnip form the principal ingredients of traditional Irish cooking.

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http://europa.eu/abc/maps/members/ireland_en.htm�


Member State of the EU: SPAIN

Year of EU entry: Political system: Capital City: Total land mass: Population: Currency: Languages:

1986 Constitutional monarchy Madrid 504 782 km² 43.8 million Euro Spanish

Flag:

Red and yellow are the dominant colours of the Spanish flag, with yellow as the largest band in the middle. Since Charles III of Spain ordered that the flap feature these colours, all but one national Spanish flag have been red and yellow since 1785. The dominance of these colours is also reflected in the provincial flags. The bands of colour were designed so that the flag would be distinctive when flown on ships at sea.

General Information:

High plateaux and mountain ranges such as the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada dominate mainland Spain. Running from these heights are several major rivers such as the Ebro, the Duero, the Tagus and the Guadalquivir. The Balearic Islands lie offshore in the Mediterranean while the Canary Islands are to be found off the African coast.

Spain is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and a bicameral parliament, the Cortes or National Assembly. Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia have special status with their own language and other rights under the constitution of 1978 which enshrines respect for linguistic and cultural diversity within a united Spain. The country is divided into 17 autonomous communities (regions) which all have their own directly elected authorities.

Spain’s main economic sectors include agriculture (especially fruit and vegetables, olive oil and wine), fish, textiles, automobiles and tourism.

From Velázquez in the 17th century, through Goya in the 18th and 19th, to Picasso, Dali and Miro in the 20th, Spain has a rich artistic culture. Spanish Flamenco music and dance are widely admired around the world while Cervantesʹ novel Don Quixote is one of the landmarks of modern European literature. Spanish film directors such as Pedro Almodóvar, Alejandro Amenábar and Luis Buñuel have received several international prizes.

Spanish cuisine is known for its paella (made with rice, chicken, seafood and vegetables), tortilla (omelette with potatoes) and sangria (refreshing wine served with fruit).

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http://europa.eu/abc/maps/members/spain_en.htm�


Sample European Citizen – Role Cards

European Citizen

Role Card

My name is Maitea. I am a twenty year old Catholic and live in a small flat in Madrid (Spain) with my mother and

brother. I am just about to complete my university studies after which I hope to get a job as a translator. I hope that my

work will give me plenty of opportunities to travel, meet different people and encounter different cultures.

European Citizen

Role Card

My name is Niamh. I am sixteen years

old and have spent most of my childhood in care because of family difficulties. I’ve been living on the

streets in Dublin (Ireland) for the past nine months. I can’t read or write

properly because I’ve missed out on so much school. I am feeling pretty

hopeless about the future and I don’t think that anyone cares about me.

European Citizen

Role Card

My name is Krzysztof. I am twenty‐eight years old. I grew up in Warsaw (Poland) but moved to London 3 years ago. At home I worked in an office but am working as a barman in a Polish

bar/restaurant now. I do miss my family and do not really know where I will eventually settle. I still struggle with English, especially when it comes to official documentation, but I am

improving thanks to some conversation classes I’ve been attending.

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http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/emblem/index_en.htm�




European Citizen

Role Card

My name is Mikis. I am eighty‐two years

old and live on the island of Laros (Greece). I have lived here all my life. Many things have changed in my

lifetime. My eyesight is not good and I am less mobile than I used to be. I miss reading the newspaper every day and knowing what is going on in the world but I can still grow some vegetables in

my small garden. I am also lucky to have an extended family and they take turns

to visit with me.

European Citizen

Role Card

My name is Francesco. I am a forty‐year old accountant living in Florence (Italy). I am married with a ten‐year old son. My wife is originally French but speaks excellent Italian. We met 15 years ago when she came to Italy on a university exchange programme. We usually visit relatives in France twice a year. I am very interested in politics and am considering running for local office.

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Sample European Citizen ‐ Statements 1. I can name more than three EU member states. 2. I know the name of my MEP. 3. I understand the difference between the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. 4. I keep myself informed about European current affairs. 5. If I got sick while on a holiday in another EU member state country I would know what

my rights were. 6. I speak another European language. 7. I have friends/family living in another EU member state. 8. I have worked or plan to work in another EU member state. 9. I think that the benefits of EU integration outweigh the negatives. 10. I am very comfortable reading EU documentation. 11. I always vote in referenda related to the EU. 12. If necessary I would be able to pursue my legal rights through the European framework. 13. I regularly eat food which originates in another European country. 14. If a discussion about European integration arose in a social situation I would be delighted

to give my opinion. 15. I feel that my culture is respected at a European level.

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Four Themes: Identity, Participation, Integration and Remembrance During this project, four themes emerged as integral to people’s work in citizenship: identity, participation, integration, and remembrance. These themes can be discussed at national level or with a transnational group. Under each of these themes we outline a summary of our debates, propose methodological approaches to address the theme and suggest topics which may be useful to commence or guide a discussion. IDENTITY A debate which emerges when discussing identity is whether identity is a social construct or a political problem. How do we create our identities and to what extent is identity grounded in nationality? There is also a question about the degree to which people value some identities over others and whether there is a greater affiliation with a global, European or national identity. Some aspects of identity which provide rich material for consideration are religion, language, landscape, emblems and symbols. In terms of European identity, you might wish to discuss who we want to be, who are we now, what distinguishes us from others, and how do we get to where we want to be? A discussion might focus on how much say we have in creating the vision of a European identity and what common interests and allegiances we have in the wider community. Proposed Methodological Approaches:

Some questions suggested for commencing a discussion included: On what basis do you create identity? Is identity a social or individual construct?

Name your identities, e.g., nationality, parent, brother/sister, professional, etc Iceberg Activity – which of your identities are visible, which non‐visible, which inside and which outside?

Desert island identities – rank which three identities you would bring to a desert island and explain why. Why would you omit or discard your other identities?

If you were to pack a bag for a trip, what would you pack that would reveal something about your identity?

Card game based on emblems and symbols: include a range of emblems and symbols from European countries on cards and ask participants to sort the cards into categories and explain their rationale for how/why they organised the cards

A day in the life. Use digital photograph to take images which reflect or relate to elements of your identity

Draw a dimension of your landscape which relates to, or is important to, your sense of identity

Stereotypes: Discuss stereotypes, the good and bad in them, e.g., if working with a diverse group ask each group of nationalities if there is a particular stereotype within their country of another group/culture? If so, why? How do the stereotypes change between countries

Futures Thinking: Who do we want to be as Europeans? What does this mean to us now and what could it mean?

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Topics for discussion

Identity – who we are, and what distinguishes us from others ‐ differentials from other communities

Recognition Belonging/insiders/outsiders Identity based conceptions of citizenship Identity politics is political action to advance the interests of members of a group supposed to be oppressed by virtue of a shared and marginalized identity (such as race, gender, or sexual orientation)

Identity – related to location/geography Identity – related to group/relationship Identity – a matter of choice or inherited? Multiple and nested identities – relevant to geography, place, group, relationships Primary identities – strong identities often associated with national identity Local identities As a result of globalization sub nation state groupings seeking rights – Catalan, Basque, etc Lifestyle/issued based identities Gay and lesbian identities Primary/strong identities – often associated with national identities Supra‐national identities, e.g., European Allegiance/Alienation Language/culture Ethnic identity The ‘Other’ – stranger Morals Ethics Role of media in creating identity – national TV stations promoting local culture, minority languages, etc.

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PARTICIPATION The techniques used to get people involved depends on where they start their participation – some people are ready to express their point in a debate and they just wait for the opportunity, some simply need encouragement to take part in community life;

What members of the community already take part in a community life? Why? Political education – how do you make people understand how the institutions work – is it possible to adapt role playing games used in children’s education?

How do you get people to expect explanations from the policy and decision‐makers? Through this they may have an influence on the decision making, they are more conscious of the political process, and they may express a different opinion on how problems should be resolved. How does this idea fit with representation? In contemporary society arguably representation is not enough and policy making is a continuous process of confronting different views and negotiations, so that policy addresses real needs.

Is it necessary or right to have an obligation of being active – is it really a necessity for the citizen to participate?

There are also questions of how to distinguish between participation versus representation Proposed Methodological Approaches:

European Deliberation Day – a European Holiday (based on the idea of James Fishkin) – to create an opportunity for citizens to debate;

Organizing debates of mixed groups; using the De Bono hats method (to develop different patterns of thinking and provoke multilateral approach to problems; playing roles in the discussions);

Role games similar to children’s game Little Munich to learn how institutions work; To be a member of political party or another organisation; Door to door campaign to activate people or to learn on their views; Writing requests to the institutions; Protesting, demonstrating.

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Civic participation/engagement Democratic deficit Participation in political parties Participation in interest groups Participation in forms of peaceful protest Participation in public debate Participation in electoral process, e.g., Canvassing for election candidates Associational life – active and involved membership Civil society Civil liberty Civil renewal Civil rights Public sphere Public good Common good ‐ is understood in terms of a shared interest in self‐preservation ‘Club’ goods – that is, publicly supported goods that benefit only those with the capacities, time and resources to avail of them

Representative democracy Political elite Public discourse Political literacy Political communication Voting Voter education Volunteerism ‐Voluntary work in organisations and networks Activism Social responsibility Voice Trust Reciprocity Individualism Privatisation of public life New social movements (NSM) – issue based organisations, e.g., green movement

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INTEGRATION Integration is both a prerequisite and the result of a state when (different) people can live together. The term can be used at a level of groups (communities – e.g. local), nations and at transnational level as well. Political and economic integration are important for everybody in Europe but these aspects do not fully cover all important meanings of the term. Integration has much to do with everyday life, culture and education. Following the integration goals means also coping with our relations with ‘’the others“. Education (including the education of adults) can play an influential factor in integration processes as it stresses empathy and an ability to solve openly conflicts of all kinds. Integration is unthinkable without good access to information via media and the opportunity to develop competencies for communication (as a part of informal education). The opportunity to learn what different people and groups share (have in common) is a good way to support the aim of integration. An effective method in education for integration can be playing roles that increase our sensitivity (empathy). This can happen through partnership between towns, NGOs, clubs, etc. from different countries. The European programmes play positive role in this respect. Special attention in education should be paid to the minorities with special needs and groups at risk (especially immigrants). Proposed Methodological Approaches:

Discuss how we recognise other cultures –what do we consider to be defining elements of other cultures and why?

View national broadcasting and TV programmes from other countries and analyse/discuss how people live, the topics which are addressed, and the elements of society presented

Prepare fairs/markets of cuisine and cultural products – find similarities rather than differences

Role play Language teaching Community education projects Get out of the Ghetto Game – See Case Study ČLOVĚK V TÍSNI, O.P.S. (PEOPLE IN NEED) CZECH REPUBLIC on page 51.

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Models – assimilation/multiculturalism/interculturalism Assimilation: when people of different ethnic origins develop, or are urged to develop, the basic attitudes, habits and ways of life of another national culture

Multiculturalism: when different cultures in society live side by side, but don’t necessarily mix with each other

Intercultural approach is the development of strategy, policy and practice that promotes interaction, understanding, respect and integration between different ethnic groups on the basis that cultural diversity is a strength that can enrich society, without glossing over issues such as racism.

Dilemmas: Integration vs. exclusion, Community vs. individuality, universality vs. local context

Cultural diversity Ethnic minorities Social inclusion/Social cohesion/Social control/Social exclusion/ Social responsibility Recognition Equality Democracy ‐democratic culture Tolerance Pluralism Mother tongue language provision/acquisition Cultural festivals European Year of Citizenship through Education 2005 Civic integration requirements – e.g. Citizenship test UK Leitkultur – guiding culture Discrimination Racism Xenophobia Marginalisation Isolation Segregation

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REMEMBRANCE History / remembrance is a rich subject which provides a good access/entry point when discussing topics of European citizenship and understanding with adult learners. Issues and questions which emerge when dealing with European History / European Remembrance:

Who do we want to be? Identity National Views: different memories How far do we go back looking for common traces and common topics? What do we remember?: glorious periods? defeats? How does this influence our national identity?

Whose history do we talk about? e.g.: women How to deal (nationally and trans‐nationally) with different roles in history: Victims and perpetrators

National Views: different memories Europe: centre – periphery What are transnational crucial events? (e.g.1968) What are controversial national / trans‐national issues? (e.g. Ireland: the troubles; Poland‐Germany: World War II)

What are controversial issues? What do we focus on? Conflict or peace? Proposed Methodological Approaches:

Look at ways of national self‐representation; memory days, national museums Discussions / interviews with witnesses to history Use historical sources as photographs etc. Refer to personal memories / oral traditions

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Future as it relates to the past Commemoration Reconciliation Reflection Collective memory Collective amnesia Revisionism Public memory Common history Legacy of war Colonial subjects Heritage Remembrance events/ services Forgiveness Repentance Pacifism Symbolic events in history Iconic symbols of nationality National myths and heroes Preservation of historical sites and memorials Monuments Archives Veterans Symbolism

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SECTION D: CASE STUDIES: ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP IN ACTION This section outlines examples of the approaches used by organisations affiliated with this project

ASSOCIATION OF LEADERS OF LOCAL CIVIC GROUPS

ul. Ursynowska 22/2; 02‐605 Warsaw, Poland

The Association of Leaders of Local Civic Group (SLLGO) is a watchdog organization that acts at the local level through the Local Civic Groups. The idea of Local Civic Groups was developed to name the local initiatives of citizens who pose questions to the local authorities on their decision making processes, monitor the efficiency of public spending and enforce execution of the freedom of information. In other words they are a civic watch over the authorities’ performance. The core values for the Local Civic Groups are transparency, integrity and public benefit. We express our judgments on the basis of the thorough monitoring of a chosen problem and we aim at improving the situation and correcting failures identified.

People / Target groups The target group of the Association are citizens interested in watchdog initiatives, transparency and accountability of local authorities. Numbers The Association’s membership accounts for 30 people from all over Poland but its impact is much broader – around 200 in the area of training and around 1000 annually as regards users of the internet portals. The Association holds a training team consisting of 20 people who use active methods to provide training in participation and legal excellence for adult citizens. Annually the Association provides around 40 workshops, seminars and conferences in at least 6 areas: public participation, monitoring, access to public information, building local support, advocacy and community organizing. Citizenship Related Work Non‐Governmental Centre on Access to Information. Freedom of Information assures a civic right to be informed on the public decisions that influence our everyday life. They may refer to spending of our taxes and deciding on the directions for community development. This is why we believe that right to information should be known and used by the citizens. Thanks to the freedom of information we can learn: what the plans of the authorities are; how the authorities spend our taxes; who and on what basis the issue was decided, what is important for us; to what extent our authorities meet our expectations and are obedient to the laws; to what extent the officials are efficient and effective.

A very important factor of our work in the Centre is active adult education. Not only are we trying to change the attitude of the authorities towards the freedom of information, but also our goal is to educate citizens about their rights to access such information. In doing so, we are identifying what their needs are by collecting information about which specific issue is the most problematic in their citizen’s activity. For example, by cooperating closely with members of

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Local Civic Groups, we are learning what the potential problems in their local communities are – what experience they have, and what their expectations are.

SLLGO diagnosed that promotion of FOI must be approached in several ways. This is why education on the FOI law and its execution includes several elements:

The electronic resource centre on FOI: www.informacjapubliczna.org.pl that includes: up to date information on conferences, articles and reports on the execution of the FOI law; legal acts on FOI; manual on how to use FOI; data base of Polish and European jurisdiction in the area of FOI; results of the civic monitoring of FOI in different institutions in Poland; FAQ; dictionary of legal terms; the data base of links.

The Non‐Governmental Centre on Access to Information advises citizens and institutions in the FOI area. Once a week there is a lawyer in our office to give advice face to face or by phone – we do believe that having personal contact is a much more effective way of counseling then that via e‐mail.

The Centre created a discussion list where watchdog groups share their experience and discuss individual cases. This is an excellent form of non‐formal education and self‐motivation.

Workshops on FOI. There is a 16‐hour and 5 hour version of training agenda, which uses several active methods and case studies. We are now preparing a game to complete the learning process. The target groups of the workshops are not only citizens but we always try to invite some representatives of local government bodies – not only to teach them about FOI procedures, but also to open a possibility that those two groups will meet in one room and discuss the issues about which they are very often on different “sides of the barricade”. So far, more than 100 people have been trained.

Specific Challenges Some specific challenges can be enlisted:

The Internet is a very important tool, but we have realized that it should be treated as only one of the methods in civic education. It is more useful as a place to store articles and other materials, but more important and useful in that kind of activity is to find a way towards direct and informal contacts with citizens.

It also hard to settle what type of workshop group is desirable. For example groups containing citizen and public officials are very uneven and it is hard to decide what parts of workshop programme should be conducted.

Solutions / Suggestions / Recommendations for carrying out this kind of work It is extremely important to decide who are our target groups and the approach required if those groups are different. Varying topics should be delivered to public officials than to NGO’s activists but on the other side having a diverse group is always enriching for the participants, who may influence each other and better understand their needs and statements. Workshops are one of the best ways to reach the established aims of the project as above. Therefore it is important to decide on the specific definition of the problem, create methods that fit to different target groups and use as many practical examples as possible.

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http://www.informacjapubliczna.org.pl/


LEGNICKIE ASSOCIATION OF CIVIC INITIATIVES Legnickie Association of Civic Initiatives‐LACI (Legnickie Stowarzyszenie Inicjatyw Obywatelskich – LSIO) Ul. Zielona 16, 59‐220 Legnica, Poland LACI was established in 2001 through the young local leaders from Legnica initiative. Our mission is to support the development of a civil society in the Lower Silesia region, especially in the subregion of Legnica. The Association is charged with supporting the development of a civic society in our environs. We fulfil this mission by shaping new leaders, supporting social activities in local communities and educating young people in the area of civics. We meet these goals by educating active young people, NGOʹs members and local government as well as motivating new people to participate. We specifically support public activities of young people. Part of the work of LACI is also dedicated directly to increase public transparency. Local Group in Legnica is associated in the Association of Leaders of Local Civic Groups Our projects:

Increasing cooperation between NGOʹs and local governments in the district of Legnica (Found for Civic Initiatives);

Professional development of women from rural terrains (European Social Fund) Regional European Social Fund Centre (European Social Fund) Youth City Council in Legnica (Found for Civic Initiatives) People / Target groups We are a local association so our target groups are local NGOʹs, local public officials, youth and students. We also work with long‐term unemployed. Numbers The Association’s membership accounts for 24 people from the region. We are NGO workers, academics, public officials etc. Every year, since 2006 we provide around 1000 hours of different workshops and courses. Citizenship Related Work School for Young Leaders ‐ training for young activists from Legnica. Two editions: one in 2005, the second in 2006. This project was developed especially for those who studied in Legnica, however some participants were younger than 18 years old. The goal of this School is to support young people in their activities for the benefits of their local communities and to create network of young leaders in the subregion of Legnica. The idea was to give to young active people new useful tools and a possibility to discuss their points of view, at the same time creating an atmosphere of creativity and openness, to show them how important they are for the Association. Each time the Association selected and invited 15 persons (after interviewing each time about 35 candidates) and offered them 10, 4‐hours, free of charge classes and one weekend trip (the participants paid only for food and accommodation). All the classes were taught for free by members or by friends of the Association. They were as professionally prepared as those persons experienced in working with youth and in teaching using active methods.

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Students of our School met every second Friday afternoon and had seminars on key public issues, for example: what is democracy, what are our rights and responsibilities, do we have to respect human rights, but also about current news from the world and from Polish politics. The second part was dedicated to workshops dealing with core social skills and abilities. We always started with basics like how to work in a group, how to communicate with people and who is a leader and if there was the need to broaden some topics, we have answered by preparing broader materials or another workshop. Also, as a part of the school, LACI organized meetings with interesting people (civic activists, leaders of local NGOs), as well as “movie nights”, when the participants and the members of the Association could discuss civic issues brought up in the films. The most important factor for LACI are the long‐term results of this project. We can say that at least 30% of our beneficiaries have started to work for their local communities as volunteers or employees of various public institutions and NGOs. One of them has served as an elected Member of the Town Council in her commune. Specific Challenges One of the challenges was the difficulty of finding 15 active young people, because there was no place (real or virtual) which united any activist (no matter whether young or old). The second is how to disseminate the results of the school and how to show it to the public. Solutions / Suggestions / Recommendations for carrying out this kind of work We tried to search by asking schools counsellors or through organizations for young people. However we didn’t find it efficient enough and we’re rather unsatisfied by this method. Media relations were also very poor, because of the little number of local media. We decided that to extend the results more, the school need to be longer than this 10 workshop only, as the two first editions finished without any follow‐up, we decided to change the project. This time we created Youth City Council in Legnica. It’s not only the educational dimension, but also a real structure to work in and use the new tools and skills in practice. Now we put more emphasis on real youth participation in local public life too.

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COMMUNITY CLUB SURMA Warsaw, small, no‐name estate housing in Ochota district We work with so called CAL method. It’s based on a belief that people who do something for themselves can develop their personal and social skills and initiate local change and development. Here are the main elements of CAL method:

the central idea of CAL is “help people so they can help themselves” it promotes volunteer work, the work of local leaders, “civic animators” supports and establishes local initiatives groups, self help groups creates coalitions and partnerships for solving local problems works through already existing local organizations, institutions such as NGOs, cultural clubs,

social help centers, schools and so on, teaching them and helping to reorganize their work with CAL standards

sees community as one unit and tries to respond to all needs articulated by the community and the activity of CAL is not limited to specific field (such as cultural or ecological) or group (tries to see and involve all the groups of the local society), supports a sustainable development of a community, integration and activation of local community

promotes work through projects, team work Learners, numbers We try to reach all community members, from infants to seniors. Several projects differ on the number of participants, from few: 5‐8 people (mostly on workshops), to 25 (in projects like Woman’s Club) or even more – up to 70 ‐ 100 in Citizen’s Information Point or computer lesson’s for seniors Citizenship Related Work All our projects are citizenship related in a way, according to the CAL method we work with. I’ve chosen three projects which I’d like to talk about. First one is “Get to know your abilities – chances of computer work”. It has started when two citizens from neighbourhood came to the Club with a will to work as volunteers. At first they helped us in office duties. Soon they shared with us their own idea of projects that became a real success. Mr. Szewczykʹs idea was to teach elderly people how to use a computer, what opportunities it can give. Mr. Szewczyk wrote down the project and we started to advertise it. As a retired academy teacher, Mr. Szewczyk was very professionally prepared to run lessons. And his students appreciated it. The success overcame our presumptions and abilities to hold lessons at our place. We had to look for partners – first it was Youth Cultural Club, our neighbour. But soon we needed even bigger space – so we asked a friendly Primary School, also in neighbourhood, with which we often cooperated. We also started to look for more volunteers and eventually we had three volunteer teachers (at the moment two). 65 students have completed last (winter) course and about the same for the course running now. Next projects Iʹd like to invite to you is also a citizenʹs initiative. In 2000 some women connected with SURMA and an Association of Local Initiatives “Bialobrzeska” thought it would be a good idea to establish a womenʹs club. It also became a great success. Women’s Club “Bialobrzeska” became a place where women can get support, build up their self esteem, have fun, find friends,

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share bright and dark sides of their live, even exchange their clothes, recipes, tell others of their journeys, show photos, etc. They also organized for themselves gymnastics, English lessons, short trips and hikes, they go to theatres, museums, and organize Easter and Christmas meetings. They meet in SURMA once a month for a bigger meeting and once a week one of them is on duty hour in local library. There are mostly not working or retired women, rather elderly (one of the oldest is 86 but they mostly are about 50 ‐60). There are about 40 women in the club. Two years ago the leaders of the group wrote a project called “Don’t stay alone at home – join us”. The goal was to encourage older, lonely people to go out, meet other people, stay active. It was for both women and men but mostly women answered. They went to the cinema, theatre, museums, and on trips. Although the project only went on for a year or two many women joined the Club and still attend the meetings. Third project is the oldest. It’s called “Citizens Information Point”. It started in 1994 as Writing Application Help Point because many people came to Surma asking for help in writing requests, applications, official documents, writing CV and other employment matters, payments, etc. The consultant also guided clients to specific offices, information bureaus, places they can get psychological help, help with alcohol, drugs, violence and other family problems. In 1999 after CAL training the point changed the name according to CAL standard. From the beginning PIO was a great help for those who felt lost in quickly changing society, poor, older, badly educated etc. In April (before end of tax year) we also have a volunteer to help to complete tax declarations. PIO works one evening a week. About 120‐150 people a year get help in the Point. It’s important that all our projects are free for participants, so there is no financial burden to take part. Specific Challenges There are two ways we see challenges for our work. First is in relation to our participants and it is simply a matter of being open and watchful, to listen to people and their needs and problems. We also need to be patient and remember that our work is stretched in time and the effects are not spectacular – we need to enjoy small successes. The second challenge is in relation to the people we work through (our volunteers and group leaders) and it is the requirement for a higher frequency of informal education and the need constantly mobilise them. Solutions / Suggestions / Recommendations for carrying out this kind of work

constant education of ourselves and citizens lobbing on local initiatives and gaining guarantors over their consciousness and financial

assets involving citizens in local initiatives and process of creating social strategies.

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ČLOVĚK V TÍSNI, O.P.S. (PEOPLE IN NEED) CZECH REPUBLIC ČLOVĚK V TÍSNI, O.P.S is a humanitarian organisation working in areas affected by humanitarian crises. In the Czech Republic, it operates social integration programmes, training programmes focused on inter‐cultural training, global development training, a festival of documentary films dealing with humanitarian issues, projection of films, in schools, dealing primarily with totalitarian regimes. Active citizenship related work – specific AC projects / initiatives + method + outcomes Media training, media activities, public projections combined with discussions. A desk game “Get out of the ghetto” for four to five players. The game simulates the life of inhabitants living in social exclusion or, in other words, in a social ghetto. Every player plays for “his” family and strives to make it out of the ghetto. The “Get out of the ghetto” is not only a model for an effort to leave a house for “inadaptable” somewhere on the outskirts, but also a metaphor of psychological readiness to leave this environment. During the game, the players are faced with situations and problems resulting from cohabitation with the other inhabitants of the ghetto and from the effects which actions of authorities or other inhabitants of the town have on their lives. The game’s goal is to prepare the greatest possible number of family members to leave the ghetto, with the aim being to give the players factual information about social exclusion and to provide them with the experience of life in a ghetto from the perspective of its inhabitants. Challenges A change of the society’s attitudes to specific groups of fellow citizens which are found in

unfavourable social situation

Education of voters, so that they can better orient themselves in the context of social exclusion and its risks for the entire society in social as well as economic terms

Solution Responsible attitude to elections is an important aspect of active citizenship. Active and conscious citizens have a chance to influence the steps taken by the state in the future to address the situation of these groups. As voters, they can actively contribute to resolving the situation. Voters, thanks to their knowledge and understanding of the long‐term effects of social exclusion for the society, support political programmes leading to integration. They will then not support populist politicians which make these groups into their scapegoats or political groups offering slick but ineffective social policy. This way, they can actually take active part in resolving the issues concerned. Most citizens require from socially excluded ethnic minorities, in particular from those living for a long time on the territory concerned, an active attitude to resolving their own situation. In this, they use as a basis their own experience, where education and social situation allow them active participation in the events taking place around them. Only the understanding of fundamental principles of social exclusion allows them to understand the great advantages they enjoy. This understanding may then lead to an increased subjective perception of the value of their own civic opportunities and also to a realisation that integration is always a two‐way process and

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therefore, it is not possible to implement it without active participation of those to be integrated as well as the members of the mainstream society into which they are supposed to integrate. The greatest added value resulting from the game nature of this activity is that the players put themselves into their figure during the game and this creates an emotional link. Basic feelings experienced by the player during the game include frustration, the feeling of helplessness and despondence. The game is so designed that it pays off most to just collect social security benefits and otherwise to minimise any other activities. The more the player struggles to escape from his “social situation”, the greater is the frustration he experiences. During the game, the player realises that socially excluded people do not behave irrationally, even though it may appear so from the outside, but, on the contrary, their behaviour is a completely rational adaptation to a given life situation. Complicated rules which are very demanding for the leader of the game represent one of the difficulties which may be encountered in this game. If the game is to fulfil its purpose, it must allow the players to experience a broad context of the social situation. Hence, the success or failure of the game depends on the leader of the game, whose task it is among others to motivate the players in the first part of the game, when the players must learn the complicated rules and have not yet been drawn into the game. If the players are not drawn into the game and the game leader does not know what should be the ideal course of the game, the game may end up in a failure. It is therefore necessary that the game leader does have a personal experience of a well conducted game as a player. Practice has shown that it is not possible to lead this game only on the basis of a reading of instructions. Simplification of the rules could be a solution, but that would inevitably lead to a reduced efficiency of the game, the purpose of which is to show that an individual’s social situation is influenced by a wide range of factors. It needs to be anticipated that the game is very demanding in terms of time. It loses sense if it can not be played for at least 3.5 hours. This of course limits its availability. The players must be motivated to spend such a long time playing the game, which is rather complicated given the low attractiveness of the subject. At the same time, it is difficult for the players to imagine what could be their personal benefit from the game.

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SECOND CHANCE EDUCATION PROJECT FOR WOMEN (SCEPW) Organisational Details The SCEPW is a women’s community‐based education project based in County Donegal, in the North West corner of Ireland. The Project was established in 1996 to address the educational needs of women. A range of innovative community education programmes have been delivered by the Project for women over the years. Accredited training programmes have been developed and delivered for women that focus on social exclusion, poverty, and women’s leadership skills. The Project supports women to take a more active role in society and promotes a public understanding of women’s exclusion both at a local level and at a wider decision‐making and policy level. It gives women an opportunity to explore aspects of their lives from a gender perspective and analyse the influence of social and power structures on their lives. The Project supports women through its educational programmes to challenge the exclusion of women in different areas of society and so contributes to building a more inclusive society. The Project links and works with the wider women’s sector both locally and nationally (National Women’s Council of Ireland) influencing policy around issues that that have a direct impact on women The project specifically targets women of all ages in the county that can be ‘hard to reach’ by mainstream education providers. It has a neighbourhood work approach which works with these women to encourage their participation in lifelong learning. Citizenship Related Work A priority of the SCEPW is to promote active citizenship by women. This includes activities such as;

• Supporting marginalised women to address their educational needs using the neighbourhood work approach.

• Development and delivery of gender specific training programmes –Women and Leadership Training, A Women’s view of the Economy course, Neighbourhood Work Training

• Seminars exploring the inequalities affecting women e.g. Women Missing in Politics, Sexism in the Age of Equality, Exploring Government Policies for Women

• Conferences – to promote and highlight work – ‘Having your Say Conference’, ‘Doing it Differently Conference’

• Works collectively with the women’s sector to influence policy and effect positive change for women

• Linkages with other statutory education providers particularly the Donegal VEC in supporting marginalised women to engage in mainstream education and the provision of adult guidance to these women. It works with the VEC in promoting community education as a element in development of active citizenship

• Representation on other community and statutory agencies

One of the key methods used in promoting these activities is neighbourhood work and this work has informed the work of the project since its inception. The neighbourhood work engages directly with women, meeting them in the privacy of their own homes, gradually building their

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confidence and capacity. It motivates, encourages and supports women to be concerned about their own individual development and the development of their community. It brings women from a space of isolation and disempowerment to a space of confidence, been informed and empowerment where they are in a better position to engage and articulate there real needs with the wider organisations and agencies. The neighbourhood work approach assists these women to be more active citizens and this approach developed by the Project has become well recognised locally and nationally as a tool for combating social inclusion Challenges Specific to this work Donegal has the lowest educational attainment and the highest unemployment rates in the county. The key major challenges specific to the SCEPW work are as follows;

The people most excluded in our society are often the most difficult group to reach. This often requires a different slower intense approach like the neighbourhood work and by the very nature of this work, requires a long term commitment which in turn needs medium to long term funding. There is no mainstream community education funding available for projects like the Second Chance Education Project for Women.

Sometimes by the very nature and confidentiality of the work and the importance of continually building and nurturing positive relationships, this work can be hard to quantify and measure

Neighbourhood work is highly skilled work – provision of training around skills and issues that are part of the work and research documentation of this work approach

Making this work have an impact at policy level at national and local level Promoting and developing active citizenship education in Ireland Suggestions/ Recommendations for carrying out this kind of work with adult learners

Engaging with learners and the importance of giving time to listen and giving space for the adult learner to express their feelings and opinions on issues that affect their lives

Importance and centrality of Learners life experience – Programmes are specifically designed

around the needs and experiences of adult learners

Necessary supports are put in place to allow women’s access and participation in its various programmes and activities

Importance of collective learning‐ Programmes are designed not only to build on individual

attainment and growth but on collective action and learning

Developing programmes that develop a strong critical analysis

Linking this work to wider policy – providing opportunities to explore local, national government and decision‐making structures

Linkages with mainstream education organisations in providing pathways and progression

routes for lifelong learning

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USEFUL WEBSITES Europa: Gateway to the European Union Website – various links http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/eu_members http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/s50000.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/newprog/index_en.html

http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/nav/en/citizens/index.html

http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm

http://www.coe.int/

http://www.europarl.ie/eu.html

http://europedirect.ie/content/view/29/52/

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/default_en.htm


http://www.activecitizenship.ie/

http://www.activecitizenship.net/

http://www.historiasiglo20.org/europe/

http://www.ecas.org/

http://www.citizen.org.uk/speakout/about.html

(

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http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/eu_members

http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/s50000.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/newprog/index_en.html

http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/nav/en/citizens/index.html

http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm

http://www.coe.int/

http://www.europarl.ie/eu.html

http://europedirect.ie/content/view/29/52/

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/default_en.htm


http://www.activecitizenship.ie/

http://www.activecitizenship.net/

http://www.historiasiglo20.org/europe/

http://www.ecas.org/

http://www.citizen.org.uk/speakout/about.html


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