Sabato 02 Ottobre, a Sant’Angelo in Vado, giornata clou per lo sviluppo del Progetto

Sabato 02 Ottobre, a Sant’Angelo in Vado, giornata clou per lo sviluppo del Progetto “L’educazione civica e la sensibilizzazione della cittadinanza per gruppi minoritari”.
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Meeting in Italy - Photos

Hi!!

Please find some memories of the meeting in Sant'Angelo in Vado, Italy on: http://www.flickr.com/photos/training2000/

Questionnaire on European Dimension in Adult Education

The questionnaire on European dimension in adult education is now available online. The aim of the questionnaire is to collect opinions and ideas on how issues about Europe are integrated in different training and education offers. The questionnaire should be compiled by people or organisations involved in education and training of adults.
Answers will be collected in four different countries.

a. If you are from the UK please fill in the questionnaire by clicking on the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8GHTFZW

b. If you are from Romania please fill in the questionnaire by clicking on the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8G5Q8QP

c. If you are from Turkey please fill in the questionnaire by clicking on the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8G6SJF7

d. If you are from Italy please fill in the questionnaire by clicking on the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FGQLWN2

Thanks for your participation!

Poster of workshop 2 - Meeting in Italy

Hallo!

Just to try....Love Paolo

Third international Project meeting

CLEAR - Civic Literacy and European Awareness for Minority Groups
Third International Meeting
October 1st-2nd 2010
Meeting place: Fano, Italy

Programme

Thursday 30th of Sept. 2010
Arrival and Accommodation – Hotel Angela

18:00 Starting of the meeting - introduction of the partners and students – All partners - agreement on the agenda – open discussion – All partners

19:00 Brief visit to the city, Dinner together – discussion continue

Friday, 1st of October 2010

9:00-10:00 Project development in each country - All Partners Instructing the students to walk in Fano – TRAINING 2000 (Walking, Watching, Talking and Reflecting (Intercultural WaWaTaRe)
10:00-11:00 Presentation of the research/survey in partner’s countries – All partners
11:00- 11:30 Coffee break
11:30-12:30 Analysis of the immigrants situation in the Marche Region- Training 2000
12:30-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:00 Communication and dissemination tools -e.group – by Kylene -web site – by Silvia -leaflet – by Paolo - CD/DVD – by All
15:00-16:00 - Establishing common framework ( comparative report) for the research/survey task regarding the European dimension, European values and European citizenship – by Silvia - Workshops and training – All partners
16:00-17:00 Feedback – reporting from students ( plenary session)
17:00 – 19:00 Transfer by mini van to Sant’Angelo in Vado – Hotel Santa Chiara

Friday, 1st of October 2010 - STUDENTS

10:00-12:30 and 14:00-16:00 Workshop 1 - Walking, Watching, Talking and Reflecting (Intercultural WaWaTaRe) – Please bring video camera to take pictures and videos

The objectives of the workshop:

1. Walk, Watch immigrants, Talk to immigrants, Reflect;
2. To increase knowledge about immigrants integration in Italy.
3. To make contacts with immigrants
4. To learn new methods of learning for immigrants
5. To learn more about immigrants culture in Italy
6. To provide feedback to all partners and colleagues from the project.

To create a common product to transfer on CD/DVD

Saturday, 2nd of October 2010

8:30 Breakfast
9:10 – 10:30 List and feedback of achieved results in the first year according to the project outline – by the Coordinator and All partners
Plan for the second year : activities, products, meetings dates – by Silvia and All
Report from each partner on the project development ( Dec. 2010 – January 2011)
10:30-13:00 Workshop 2 – International Folklore dance – with the participation of local groups
13:00-15:30 Workshop 3 – International food preparation and tasting – with the participation of local population and immigrants, social services
16:00-18:00 Social activities and cultural visit to Roman city from Augustus Emperor ( 100 a.c.)
19:00 Dinner

Sunday, 3rd of October 2010
Departure from Sant’ Angelo in Vado

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The second meeting with target group

Pro Xpert Association organized on Monday, the 15th of March the second meeting with target group from the project Civic Education and European Awarness for Minority Groups, which took place at the Antim Ivireanu library. This project is financed by the European Union within the Lifelong Learning Programme - Grundtvig Partnership component.

Twelve young Roma people who are involved in The Second Chance Programme that is developing from more years at the Normal School nb. 8 from quarter Colonie Nuci (this school being a collaborator of Pro Xpert Association in implementing the project) were the main "actors" of the meeting (they represent the target group of Romanian partner). A group of young volunteers from Europe Direct and Pro Xpert Association also joined the Roma people and accepted to give a helpful hand.

The meeting had an informal aspect as it’s aim was to educate adults, a feature which is common for Grundtvig Programme. For the beginning, the members played a joyful game called “ The game with the ball of twine” which involved knowing each other and mutual respect. After that, Bianca Minoiu presented the European Union’s history and its institutions. During Bianca’s presentation the audience had to answer some questions related to the European Union. The right answers were rewarded and were given enthusiastic congratulation.

At the final, both volunteers and the young Roma people (led by Mrs Consuela Pausescu - teacher in Second Chance Programme) agreed to dance the Youth in Action’s dance ( which the volunteers learned it the previous day at the end of the Youth in Action class from Ana and Andreea, the most beautiful and charming trainers).

Turkish Partner - SAMSUN PUBLIC ADULT EDUCATION CENTER

SAMSUN PUBLIC ADULT EDUCATION CENTER is a public institution, a unit of Samsun National Education Directorate, located in Samsun, Turkey. In our adult education center different types of courses are offered to people regardless of their age, educational level, sex, religion, ethnicity, or language. These courses target people who did not have the educational opportunity or left their education at any level. Our aims are to support to complete their education and encourage them to gain current skills needed in social life. In addition to vocational skills, courses and seminars about social and cultural knowledge is also provided to course participants.
Samsun Adult Education Center offers three types of courses and seminars:
1 - Literacy Courses: These courses provide basic literacy skills to people who are illiterate or people who did not complete their mandatory schooling. Upon completion of the courses participants receive a GED (graduate equivalent degree) diploma.
2 - Vocational and Technical Courses: The main objectives of these courses are to provide vocational skills and knowledge and improve their capabilities. Two types of vocational courses are offered:
a) Skills development courses: These courses provide participants with basic skills to improve their life quality and effectively manage their spare time. Examples of these courses include parenting courses, handcrafts courses, etc.
b) Vocational courses: The course curriculum includes the following topics: technical information, work safety, productivity, entrepreneurship, and customer service. Examples of these courses include computer assisted accounting, hairdressing courses, furnaceman, ready-to-wear clothing courses, and fabric dying courses.
3 - Social and Cultural Courses: These courses aim at providing course participants the skills to become successful in their social relationships, to prepare them for job applications, and have them engage in sports and social activities. Examples of these courses and activities include sports activities, socialization meetings, music, and dance.
The institution wishes to enhance and develop European and global awareness and citizenship in adults living in our town and also to encourage intercultural dialogue, tolerance, respect and understanding within the evolving local community. It wishes to give opportunities to establish communication links across Europe and to develop friendships with adults from other European cultures and traditions. It wants to foster partnership with newer European countries. This is an important time for Turkey as it debates internally and externally the value of being a member of the European Union. Engaging is a project such as this is of major importance for a region such as NE Turkey. There are many underlying issues and some very powerful forces that influence the debate about future direction of the country. Thus engaging local people (as compared with metropolitan professionals etc) in participation in a project such as this, which allows focus on an important issue, is an important activity for the city and area. The creation of a European partnership in which to develop this work adds a value that could not be attained working in isolation. The opportunity for local people to travel and have, through the processes of the project, increasing contact with others in Europe will enormously enhance the value of the work.

British Partner - The Mosaic Art and Sound

The Mosaic Art and Sound (UK) is a private company based in London and working in the field of education and culture. The main activities are related to research and applications of music as a science and an art.
The Mosaic organizes courses, seminars and lectures, locally and internationally, on the educational and therapeutic effects of sound and music. It also produces educational multimedia products and organizes music cultural events.
The Mosaic Art And Sound has developed teaching modules for adult education that provide a very effective tool to enhance listening skills and intuitive intelligence. The modules were tested and evaluated at EU level and were born from the work of a previous EU partnership, Grundtvig 1 project ‘Euphony Implementing Teacher Knowledge’ www.euphonyeurope.eu , that was designed to develop teaching modules based on a series of techniques derived from the study and experience of the effects of sound and music on the human being and the environment. Currently, The Mosaic is spreading the modules in various European countries, expanding the research through various projects and liaising with the national Councils.
The Mosaic Art And Sound is recently working on international cultural projects connected to humanitarian activities through music and promoting group experiences aimed at balancing mind and emotions.
Participation to the proposed Partnership is seen as an opportunity for our learners to gain first hand experience in working alongside colleagues from diverse cultures and social backgrounds. One of the aims is to achieve common goals for which a range of latent or new skills will be required from each individual participant. Through the project, the Mosaic Art and Sound’s learners would therefore be able to have contacts and work with other organizations at a European level.
Problem addressed:
In the UK, groups of migrants from all over the world are continuously being added to the existing society.
As noted in a recent Home Office report, migrants are geographically much more concentrated than the UK population as a whole – more than 40 per cent of migrants live in London, making up 26 percent of London’s population. International migration is expected to play an important role in London’s future population growth.
Migrants are also heavily concentrated elsewhere in the south of England and urban areas in general.
It is recognised that as well as bringing diversity, entrepreneurs, labour and other resources to local areas, migrant concentration can also place additional demands on local services.
Their sustainable growth and social inclusion is a challenge. To explore cultural background, education, training needs and aspirations of the new migrants is a pressing task.
With this project, besides the general tasks, we would like to make a little contribution to an improvement of migrants’ psychological and psychosocial well-being, through meetings where our reciprocal music background is shared, by means of exchanging traditional and creative new songs. This will promote emotional understanding and language skills and will create an atmosphere of joyous exchange among all the European project’s partners and the local groups, as a celebration of diversity and respect.
The natural follow-up would be that the local community would continue the human/cultural exchange with an action plan and through internet communication and future projects.

Italian Partner - Training 2000

TRAINING 2000 is a VET (Vocational Education and Training) centre in the Marche Region-Italy, with experience in vocational training and continuous education with emphasis on socially and economically disadvantaged groups. During each year, this centre is responsible for the execution of different types of training in the region, including apprenticeship training.
Since 1994, Training 2000 is involved in research and development of new tools and methodologies for LLL-Life Long Learning and distance learning as well as pedagogical aspects of teaching and learning in adult’s education. The Organization has participated in several international projects with partners from all European countries in areas related to education, e-learning, blended learning, formal-informal education for adults, differently disabled people, immigrants, people with low education level.
Our organization is also involved in a Grundtvig Multilateral Project named “ALL INCLUSIVE”, aiming to equalise access to information and services in the disability sector that will enhance the lifestyle and increase opportunities for persons with disabilities and a migration background and their families. In this project we will gather together young migrants from more nationalities and support them to develop a sense of connection to others in Europe and aware them on their European Citizens’ status. In this way we will help them to exceed their uncertainty due to the “swinging” between their native and their adoptive citizenship and support them in developing their sense of self-worth and self-esteem.
The European dimension will assist the learners involved in the project to develop a sense of connection to others in Europe and their integration into a project which reaches beyond the immediate area in which they have settled will also, through the valuable contribution they are making economically, help them develop their sense of well-being as valued citizens in a new and dynamic Europe.
Problem addressed:
The Italian partner, based in the hill region of Marche has already established some contacts with a certain disadvantageous category: people with disabilities with a migrant background, making a research on needs analysis at the level of this target group. This research reveals more problems this category face with, as follows:
- a big rate of unemployment – one of the reasons is the low access to the information (about labor market and any other useful links – about their rights and privileges, programmes focused on them,
- a lack of understanding from society – especially due to the numerous financial, communication and social barriers
- an almost total absence of leisure time activities – this force them to spend their free time at home and this is the first barrier against their social integration and self development.
The project aims to build a “bridge” between young immigrants and old autochthon inhabitants of the rural region of Marche, by engaging them in a set of common activities.
The first – young immigrants – often do not fully belong to either the culture of the host country or the culture of origin. The deepest roots are developed in the place they live and in the relationships to a broad (sometimes international) social network of relatives, friends and peers. Young people are trying to balance and to bridge these divergent world views by integrating their diverse experiences into a new identity, facing, in this way, with a profound societal and cultural transformation.
On the other hand, the impact of the rapidly changing society in the rural region of Marche (& as elsewhere in rural Italy) due, in part, to the influx of affluent urban ‘settlers’ and holiday home owners, is the increasing isolation of older indigenous people who are in many of the smaller communities increasingly segregated from the ‘new’ society that develops. Whilst, in many cases they have under-developed skills in certain aspects of modern life they are still repositories of valuable knowledge and understanding of local ‘resources’ of product and of landscape.
So, the project will gather together two groups – one who left their natal places and try to built a life abroad and others who were more and more “pushed” toward their natal places as in a cage. They will be involved together in common activities and discover a new and unknown world: immigrants will face with a hidden but very important part of culture from their host places and old villagers will find out that the world is fully living beyond the hills of Marche. At the end the common European dimension of their existence and the feeling of “being European” will come as a matter of course.

Project coordinator - Pro Xpert Association

Pro Xpert Association is a young organization – established in March 2005 – in a region very nice (Valcea County) but less developed. Included in South-West Oltenia Region (one of the regions less developed in Romania, with regional GNP fluctuating around 10% under national average) Valcea County meets now a high degree of structural fragility, determined by the unbalanced structure of Valcea industry, represented mainly by the hard industry (chemical, extracting industry), with a share of over 50% of Valcea industrial sector and 25% of labor force employed. In actual context, on the global crisis threat, our county presents a high risk of becoming a declining industrial area and confronting with social tensions. The economic and social confusions have created specific difficulties for many people, especially from a very vulnerable category as Roma minority: young people – who need to develop a wide variety of new skills for the new economic systems, senior citizens – who often experience a sense of disorientation as they experience old certainties by replaced by the flux of a new order and, last but not least, women – who continue to be engaged in limited and closely defined roles and are not encouraged to develop their personal skills and education which would, if developed effectively, be a major contribution to local society.
On the other hand, all these economic difficulties have produced, for many years, considerable migration away from Valcea (and from Romania, generally talking). The traditional nature of local largely rural society results in a lack of understanding for the need to develop a skilled and well informed society which is able to respond in an appropriate reflexive manner to the rapid changes occurring throughout the region.
On this background Pro Xpert Association was founded by persons with strong experience both in project management and adult’s education field in order to contribute to the sustainable development of the local community and to the Romanian Society’s synchronization with the European Society by offering technical assistance in several fields such as ICT, communication and partnership between public institutions and civil society, strategic planning, environment etc.
Even a young organization, we may remark that we have already experience in implementing project – we were partner in two project on Phare Human Resources Development (one of them dealing with Roma people), also in a Grundtvig Partnership (started in 2008). We also have a good experience in organizing seminars, workshops and short training sessions focused on civic issues as human rights, European Citizenship, European Values, methodology of the election process (we have a rich activity in this field as there were more ballots in Romania last years: a referendum for President’s demission – in may 2007, elections for PE in November 2007, local and general elections in 2008 and this year we will have presidential and PE elections). In all this activities we give a special attention to Roma minority – as it is the biggest minority from our county (about 15% from the total inhabitants, but only 6% have recognized this status, and this is a big problem of the ethnic group)
Participation in the proposed Partnership is seen as an opportunity for our learners (from Roma minority) to gain first hand experience in working alongside colleagues from differing cultures and social backgrounds in achieving common tasks for which a range of latent or new skills will be required of each individual participant. Without participating in the project it is highly unlikely that any learners would otherwise be able to have any contact at all with similar organisations on an international level.
Pro Xpert itself – being relatively young - is keen on embracing opportunities which will broaden its own horizons, add an extra dimension to the services it is currently offering and hopes to expand upon as the organization matures. The organization would expect to gain directly from sharing experiences with European partners facing similar - or widely different - challenges and, as important, to be able to help partners with the benefit of our experience where relevant. It would be hoped and intended to establish long term working relationships through the Partnership to create for example an exchange programme.

First meeting with target group in Romania

The first meeting with Romanian target group aimed to made the project known to its direct beneficiaries: a group of Roma people that attend the "second chance" programme developed in Normal School nb. 8 - from quarter "Colonie Nuci"
I presented them the project (aim, objectives, activities, partners) and applied to all 11 participants a questionnaire in order to gauge the degree to which participants assess at the start of the programme both their civic competencies, their self confidence and their own capacity and potential for action and new skill development.

First project meeting

Place: Ramnicu Valcea, Romania
Period: 8-9 October 2009
Participants:
- Pro Xpert Association (Ramnicu Valcea - Romania): Silvia Petre - President, Daniel Petre - Secretary, Maria Popescu - Psychologist, Cristina Maria Ciuca - Volunteer
- The Mosaic Art and Sound Ltd (London - UK) - Paolo Cremona - Director, Teresa Dello Monaco - EU project manager
- Training 2000 (Mondavio - Italy) - Kylene de Angelis
- Samsun Public Adult Education Center (Samsun - Turkey) - Ozgur Karademir - Project Coordinator

The meeting began with a welcome from the project coordinator, Silvia Petre.
Each partner introduced in details the organization they represented.
The partners then started to review the Application, establishing clear understanding of the project’s aims, activities and target learners.
A journalist visited the group during the first day of the meeting and some articles are about to appear in the local newspaper.
It was proposed that a common template to gather all dissemination activities would be produced and each partner will fill it according to the dissemination activity undertaken.
Next day, in the morning, the group went to visit Horezu, a town well-known as an ethnographic centre and an ancient folk pottery centre.
The town emblematic activity is pottery. Horezu is considered the capital of the Romanian folk pottery.
The partners visited two workshops and were able to see the pottery making in action. This was a unique experience, very interesting and beautiful, perfect to get in contact with the Romanian folklore.
The partnership went then to visit the Mayor of Popesti and introduced the project and the envisaged outcomes, as part of the dissemination activities.
A visit to the Horezu Monastery followed. This was one of the country’s main cultural centres during the Renaissance and found by Constantin Brancoveanu. It is now a UNESCO heritage item.
The lunch was offered by Pro Xpert Asociatia, the project coordinator, at the Monastery, in a splendid, peaceful terrace.
The rest of the afternoon and the evening were spent in the countryside with the Romanian project target group, a Rom group with whom the partners danced and sang together, around a succulent barbecue in a joyous atmosphere. Local musicians were present and a wonderful singer who is also a writer and a radio programme producer. The project was introduced and a fruitful cooperation started.
All partners agreed that the meeting was productive and truly pleasant.
Pro Xpert Asociatia, project coordinator and meeting host, was extremely hospitable and all partners experienced a friendly welcome from the team. All participants were comfortable with the partnership’s language which was English.
The partners had a chance to know each other and work in harmony. All enjoyed the meeting very much and left Romania with the feeling of having met new friends. There were also clear ideas on the next project’s phases and tasks.
Some pictures here

About the project

On the actual economic crisis background the whole world faces to a stronger and stronger identity crisis, a kind of problem the more high the more complex are entities involved. In such a unique structure as European Union was since it’s establishment – becoming more and more heterogeneous during its growing – especially at once with the “expansion toward East” (where “East is much more that a cardinal point, it’s a “lifestyle”) the identity problems were strong enough even in “good times”. The more important is, both for European Union as a “three pillar temple” (as it was designed by the Maastricht Treaty) and for each inhabitant, the passing through the whole path based on the “implication scale” (detailed below) – from awareness of European Citizenship concept to the assuming of the main European Values.

On this background, the project Civic Literacy and European Awareness for Minority Groups" (CLEAr)aims to built, on the European Citizenship concept, a “toolkit” for improving capacity of a range of people, socially and economically disadvantaged, that have suffered loss of self esteem and self worth due especially to their status of “minority” (ethnic, religious). This “label” and are increasingly in danger of isolation even within their own societies and became a serious obstruction in their self development and civic involvement.

The partners have identified specific local needs & target groups that are representative of some of the key issues facing the wider European community & with whom the project will be developed and will engage these groups in the detailed work.

The project provides, in each partner context, flexibility to develop appropriate action and allow participants with a range of identified needs, to develop managerial capacity both of the project and of their own personal needs and requirements.

The approach envisaged in the present project is polyvalent, general and interdisciplinary, particularly employing experimental and interactive methods associated to the creative process. It will be an experiential one, in a non-formal and informal context exploring and using the existing skills and talents of the participants, developing, as necessary, appropriate new skills.

The “red line” of this approach is “the implication scale” – an eight level “stair” needed to be covered in order to gain the public opinion's support for each strategy, public politic or any other approach – particularly applied in this project in the Long Life Learning process. These eight important stages are: awareness -> informing -> communicating -> knowing -> participating -> involving ->engaging -> assuming.

The way from awareness to assuming is often difficult and asks a strong involvement both from institutions and persons which are participating at the educational act, together with a large participation of communities.

The activities are designed in order to getting over the path from awareness to assuming by involving the target groups in each stage and we expected – as a major impact – that almost 80% from our target to reach the assuming level in order to develop, after the end of the project, its multiplying effects.

Activities will include training sessions in personal development – in each partners’ country – and demarches for public involvement – in different ways each partner chooses: music and drama shows, public debates, communicating traditional skills and family learning outdoor and indoor actions.