LEARNING ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP

Hope for the Future A Comenius Project of Romania,

Portugal, Turkey, Hungary and Italy, 2012-2014
CONCLUSION
What Does Active Citizenship Mean to Us?
To be an active citizen means to have a clear notion about problems
and bad situations that are present in our country and other countries,
as well.
If we want to make a difference in society we can do it, but first we
must open our eyes and minds. We should be grateful for our lives and
help disadvantaged people by trying to understand their situation and
feelings. If we look around, we will find a lot of people in trouble. This
is the starting point, and if we are motivated, the next step will come
by itself.
It is important that schools organize volunteer actions so that we,
students can take our first steps towards becoming responsible citizens
with assistance. Therefore, we do not only learn school materials, but
we become socially aware of other peoples problems, and we learn
ways to help without money. Small, ordinary things mean a lot more.
Later we can join volunteer organisations. For example, we can spend
time with disadvantaged people, listen to them, share nice experiences,
help them with their daily chores, give out food and clothes. We can
visit disabled people, hospitals and old peoples homes and give them
some nice moments. We will realise they are interesting and valuable
individuals. We can visit the poor parts of our city and try to develop
the conditions there. It is our responsibility to deal with problems in
our society.
To sum up, being an active citizen means to be aware of problems
and participate in activities to help. Volunteers are the happiest and
richest people in the world, even if their value cannot be represented
by money.
This brochure was compiled by the Hungarian Team.
The Importance of Learning Active Citizenship
According to the European Commission, volunteering is a creator of
human and social capital, and a key factor for improving social cohesion.
It translates the fundamental values of justice, solidarity, inclusion and
citizenship into action. Values that are not enough to be read about or
taught at school.
We can best learn them through real-life experiences, activities we have
taken part in. Such experiences help us make one step ahead towards
becoming active citizens.
The project HOPE FOR THE FUTURE is a partnership of five schools from
Romania, Portugal, Turkey, Hungary and Italy. The project focuses on
the improvement of students education in the field of learning and
practising Active European Citizenship. The project aims to define the
concept of EU Active Citizenship, to make students sensible of social
signals, to promote the awareness of a common future greatly depending
on youth involvement in social issues, and to scan the practical impacts
Active Citizenship has on peoples lives and to push students into action.
In what follows, you can find a brief summary of the materials collected
for and presented at our third project meeting in Izmir, Turkey held in
October 2013. The brochure highlights how similar and (at the same
time) diverse the problems can be that different countries have to face,
and how similar the solutions are that students come up with. It gives
a nice landscape of how we see and experience the aspects of Active
Citizenship, adding up to show a (close to comprehensive) European
view.
CONTENT
Introduction ..................................................................................... 2
Romania .......................................................................................... 3
Portugal ........................................................................................... 4
Turkey .............................................................................................. 5
Hungary ........................................................................................... 6
Italy .................................................................................................. 7
Conclusion ....................................................................................... 8
ROMANIA Liceul Teoretic Aurel Lazar, Oradea
PROBLEMS WHO CAN WE HELP? Abandoned children, orphans
living in foster homes, disabled people, homeless people, old
people living alone or at care homes, poor and vulnerable families,
environmental organizations
SOLUTION = VOLUNTEERING
HOW CAN WE HELP? By visiting foster homes, playing with the
children, collecting toys, clothes and food for those in need, listening
to old people, organizing outings for them and helping them with
their daily chores, working with disabled people and showing them
they are important, keeping our environment clean, collecting
rubbish.
PORTUGAL Escola Prossional do Alto Ave,
Pvoa de Lanhoso
PROBLEMS WHO CAN WE HELP? Young people suffering from
bullying or addiction, women who experience gender discrimination
at work or suffer from domestic violence, and elder people who face
abandonment and isolation.
SOLUTION = VOLUNTEERING
HOW CAN WE HELP? By raising awareness of problems caused
by addiction, educating the community, organising campaigns,
promoting healthy lifestyles, promoting gender equality, visiting
elderly people and doing their household chores (cleaning, shopping),
organizing activities for them.
Awareness-Raising Acton promoted by the students of EPAVE in combatng drug consumpton - Portugal
Never be bulied into silence. Never allow yourself to
be a victm. Accept no ones deniton.
Dene yourself.
Harvey Fierstein
EPAVE students aganist violence - Portugal
TURKEY - nn Anadolu Lisesi, Izmir
PROBLEMS WHO CAN WE HELP? There are many disadvantaged,
abused children, who live on the streets and are exposed to violence.
Disabled people are in difficult situation because they do not have
equal opportunities in education, everyday life and employment.
Some women have to face domestic violence, social and cultural
pressure and discrimination in schools and workplaces.
SOLUTION = VOLUNTEERING
HOW CAN WE HELP? By organizing volunteer actions, raising
awareness, creating sensitivity to these problems, organizing
activities with the disabled, working with disadvantaged families and
institutions for the disabled, helping womens organizations.
HUNGARY Szabad Waldorf ltalnos Iskola s Gimnzium,
Szeged
PROBLEMS WHO CAN WE HELP? Families living in poor conditions,
homeless people, sick children in hospitals, old people living alone or
in care homes, underprivileged children, disabled people
SOLUTION = VOLUNTEERING
HOW CAN WE HELP? By organizing community service for students,
joining volunteer centres and foundations, visiting hospitals, homeless
shelters and nursing homes and spending time there, collecting food
and clothes, working in disadvantaged childrens schools, going on
trips or playing with underprivileged children.
ITALY Isttuto Tecnico Commerciale e per Geometri
Enrico Fermi, Pontedera
PROBLEMS WHO CAN WE HELP? people with physical disabilities
and mental disorders, who dont have equal opportunities in everyday
life, and sick people who need care. Also, environmental problems
should receive more attention.
SOLUTIONS = VOLUNTEERING
HOW CAN WE HELP? By organizing activities, for example regular
sports events involving students and this way promoting equality,
inclusion and respect, joining volunteer teams that raise awareness
to social and environmental problems, learning and teaching to
recycle, experiencing disabled peoples lives, providing activities for
disadvantaged people, learning first aid.