Socrates/Grundtvig 4No. 110301-CP- 1-2003-1-NL-GRUNDTVIG 4 - G4

Pan-European Forum for Education for Senior Citizens

FIRST STEPS IN DESIGNING THE PROJECT

During the first meetings of the European project PEFETE (Pan European Forum for Education of the Elderly), a first idea of a project aimed at improving the living conditions of older people in Romania has been developed. According to this preliminary idea, the project would mainly consist in developing, by means of educational and training opportunities, a series of bottom-up driven initiatives aimed at stimulating an active role of senior citizens for the improvement of their quality of life in some pilot Romanian local communities (an initial number of 5 being identified). Thanks to the skills and expertise of the involved partners (seebelow), a dialectic process between representatives of local communities and the initiators will be initiated which, supported by training and monitoring activities, will contribute to the development of initiatives able to be self-sustained in the long-term.

OBIECTIVES AND AIMS OF THE PROJECT

The project will consist in the development and implementation of senior citizens’ educational programmes, whose main contents will be identified through a dialectic process of consultation between the project coordinator, local facilitators, privileged witnesses and the local population, in order to contextualise topics and methods according to the specific needs and characteristics of local communities belonging to Eastern European countries (Romania).

Involved partners

the Romanian office of the IIZ-DVV (Institut fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit der Deutschen Volkshochschul-Verband), Bucharest; the Dutch training and consultancy institute Odyssee, Baarn, TheNetherlands;the Italian National Institute for Elderly Care and Research on Ageing (I.N.R.C.A.), Ancona, Italy;older people’s organisations located in the Romanian communities chosen for the pilot project (approximately 5);the local public administrations of the communities involved in the project (approximately 5);national representatives of institutions responsible for social and cultural affairs.

STAGES OF THE PROJECTI

Selection of 5 local communities. Also 5 local facilitators will be selected by the national coordinators according to a relevant professional profile;Contact seminar with the local facilitators, with the local representatives and the foreign experts – 2nd of October 2004,Training seminar of the local facilitators;First draft of a training program designed according to the local needs and presentation to the local communities selected into the project;Designing the final draft training program and setting new local projects;Developing the local projects;Evaluation and dissemination of the project results, exchange experience and good practices.

2 nd of October 2004 - WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

agree on a dialectic method to adapt the overall aim of the project to the specific interests of local communities and involved partners, and to connect them to the available resources (“grounded theory” method);distinguish main tasks to be carried out within the project, including assessment, monitoring and training needs;agree a simple conceptual framework to be used as a common background for the practical activities to be carried out, which should try to take into account the demographic, economic, social, political and ethical implications of the project;provide examples of similar projects already carried out with success in the past;identify possible actors playing a role for the success of the project in the different contexts chosen for its implementation (local representatives of older people’s organisations, representatives of chosen municipalities, facilitators, internal and external monitors/supervisors);provide deadlines for the above tasks;estimate a realistic financial budget for the successful completion of the project.

Workshop PROGRAM – 2nd of Octobre 2004

9.00 – 9.05 Welcome to all the participants - Mrs. M. Matache, director fo the IIZ/DVV Project Romania9.05 – 9.35 - Presentation of the particpants9.35 – 10.00 - Project Presentationaims/objectives Mrs. M. Matache, director fo the IIZ/DVV Project Romania10.00 = 10.30 - Specific types of activities involving the seniors in the Netherlands -PresentationMr. B. Hameleers10.30 – 10.45 - Coffee break10.45 – 11.15 - Specific types of activities involving the seniors in Italy - Presentation Mr. G. Lamura/A. Principi11.15 – 12.00 - Participants’ questions&answers - Mr. B. Hameleers Mr. G. Lamura/A. Principi12.00 – 13.00 – Lunch13.00 – 14.00 - Plenary session presentations of the 5 selected local communities - „Local opportunities for implementing projects aiming the seniors“Representatives of the local communities14.00 – 15.00 - Workshops:Planning activities which involve the seniors into local communities (5 groups) Representatives of the local communities National coordinators - Mrs. M. Feczko, Mrs. R. Oana15.00 – 15.30 - Coffee break15.30 – 16.30- Plenary session: workshops’ results Representatives of the local communities16.30 – 17.00 - Inputs of the partners (NL and IT) Mr. B. Hameleers Mr. G. Lamura/A. Principi17.00 – 17.30 - Project next steps National coordinators - Mrs. M. Feczko, Mrs. R. Oana

(01 august 2004 -31 december 2005)

Aim of the project:

- Active involvement of Seniors in the community life, allowing them to adapt to nowadays realities and changes, enjoying mutual

respect and equal rights with the others, using their own resources.

Objectives and steps followed:

Selection of five local communities.

Contact and informative Seminar: exchange of experience between the facilitators and experts from Italy and the Netherlands ( Bucharest, 02 oct. 2004 ).

Local facilitators’ training seminar( Drajna, 03 – 05 nov.).

Realization of some project drafts by participants.

Finalization of a project in every community.

Implementation of local projects.

Evaluation and dissemination of the results.

Exchange of experience and good practices.

Pilot communities selected:

Braila (BR), town, South-eastern Romania.

Drajna (PH), village, central part of southern Romania.

Mandra (BV), village, central part of Romania.

Sulina (TL), village, in the Danube Delta.

Stei (BH), small north-western city.(Each community chose its own facilitator)

Seminar, Bucharest (02 oct. 2004)

aim of the seminar:To inform and to train the participants, exchange of ideas, experience and good practices.

participants:25 persons from the counties mentioned and from other localities and experts from Italy – Mr Lamura and Mr Principi – and from the Netherlands – Mr Hameleers.

results:Participants got a better understanding of the aim of the project, how to reach it and use local resources and especially Seniors, considered as a resource by themselves.

Local Seminars, Drajna, Mandra, Sulina, Stei, Braila (03-05 nov. 2004)

aim of the seminar:To inform the facilitators and other participants, to train them, providing them news skills.

content: Skills in order to work with seniors.Exchange of ideas, experience and good practices.Design of a project for every community involved by participants.

results:Participants designed projects, debated on them, proposed solutions and resources and realized that seniors by themselves represent a great potential.

Project Results :cultural-administrative institutions were made aware about the problems of seniors; they eventually provided premises and supported the organisation of the activities

adult trainers of all ages (local facilitators) were trained and they acquired communication and skills and specific abilities for working with seniors

the seniors themselves participated actively in the seminars andactivities organised by the association

exchange of ideas and good practices were made both among the pilot communities and between them and other communities participating in the program during its implementation

we encouraged community intergeneration and interethnic activities

- At Stei and Sulina interethnic folklore activities were organised; in Sulina intergeneration and interethnic competitions were organised, attended by mixed teams ; in Sulina and recently Buftea, high school pupils train senior citizens in using Internet.

the most important achievement was registered by organising training courses addressed to senior citizens (Sulina, Braila and more recently, Buftea – access the Internet; Braila – how to educate well our children and grandchildren in a negative world or how to tolerate the divorce in the family)

Difficulties faced:

Lack of understanding and cooperation from some mayors.

Some people focused on their personal interest through the project, more than on positive aspects for Seniors.

Lack of work-experience of some social workers hired by the City Hall.

Big differences in the way every community approaches seniors’ issues (mentalities, initiatives implemented...).