slicproject.wordpress.

com
facebook.com/SharingLearningInCommunities
Perspectives on and the
challenges involved in
engaging learners across a
number of divides:
A Community
Development Contribution
1
Preface
An intended output and outcome from the SLIC project is evidence from partners confrming
that they are working towards...
A strategic framework for Community Development Learning, refecting
diferent national perspectives on engaging learners across the divides of
class, age, gender, sexuality, culture and wealth and ensuring recognition of
skills and knowledge gained from community activities.
Contents
Report
Preface
Gathering the Evidence from Partner Contexts
Engagement in Learning Programmes
Challenges and Changes
Learning Society & Lifelong Learning
Refection and Summary
Appendices
Cyprus
Finland
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Poland
Slovenia
United Kingdom
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
9
11
16
21
23
25
27
2
Response from most partners has been rich in evidence. Through written feedback material and
through contributions made at the various gatherings across Europe evidence been gathered providing
a range of examples in which communities have, with difering degrees of success, taken part in
community based learning programmes and been able to use the learning to develop more sustainable
communities. The practice and empirical evidence show the ways in which those involved have
engaged learners of diferent social classes, ages, genders, sexualities, culture and wealth. Importantly
the examples also illustrate the barriers that have been overcome to ensure access to learning and
addressing inclusiveness. There are some particularly good examples from Cyprus where work has been
carried out with youth groups in developing their resilience at a time of economic crisis. This focus
compliments the work and interests of some current UK project work that is engaged in identifying the
forces and factors that enhance personal and community resilience. Similar to Cyprus the UK the work
has similarly focussed on youth groups in areas of greatest economic stress. In the North East of England
the statistics show that one in every three of young people between 18 24 years fnds it impossible to
fnd employment.
The Greek partner was also involved in work with young people both bringing them closer to their
tradition and culture but also helping them to develop entrepreneurial skills to help them to exist in
the current economic climate. Clear attempts were made to target young people between 17 and 30
with a balance of gender, parental status and age within that band and ensuring that immigrants and
repatriates were also well represented.
In Slovenia, steps are being made towards enhancing access to justice by developing volunteers to
provide legal advice for marginalised groups, thus providing opportunities for unemployed and highly
qualifed volunteers providing training and experience while also addressing the marginalisation from
the legal system of people without fnancial resources and who are often intimidated by the processes
involved. They are also exploring ways of making legal advice and information available on-line and
providing the skills for older people to do so.
CAL in Poland has described the work of social animators and educators at their Social Welfare Centre in
Wloclawek based on the values of belief in dignity of the individual, mutual respect between people, a
sense of social justice, participation and empowerment. This is a place where trainers as practitioners,
together with learners, form an important educational community focussed on social change. . This
particular work is focussed on the city of Wloclawek which has serious issues of unemployment and
poverty where people have little sense of belonging to the local community. Again, the work focuses on
cutting across social class divides by identifying community leaders. Their initial role is to enable people
afected by poverty and unemployment to become involved in the working programme and working
with people across cultures in the accidental community that has been formed.
A particularly interesting piece of work has been carried out in Hungary where a framework for
community development learning has been developed by the Association of Community Workers in
one region, assisted by the Civil College Foundation. The community development professionals have
done their best to be inclusive of all actors in this process. The most important aspects of the strategy
are the strengthening of self confdence and learning motivation, developments of learning skills and
capacities, the enhancement of local and regional community identity, the development of confdence
and co-operation between sectors. Work that has developed as a result includes free adult learning
programmes to enable their availability to groups often marginalised from learning. There are also plans
to introduce informal and interactive learning to the socialisation process of children and young people.
Plans include community studies leading to the development o a community based economic culture
Gathering the Evidence from
Partner Contexts
3
and proividing opportunities to learn about demoncracy. The process used involved parents, local
institutions and other residents.
In the UK, eforts have been made to develop structures called Community Development Learning Hubs
to bring together people and groups in a town or city to develop a strategic approach to community
development learning. The Hubs have become locally based partnerships with the purpose of providing
meaningful community development learning opportunities based on the Community Development
Learning Framework. The partnerships comprise employers, training providers, activists and volunteers
who make joint decisions about the form the learning activities could take and how they will deal
dynamically with the learning, social and economic needs emerging within our communities, thus
ensuring that all marginalised groups are included.
Engagement in Learning Programmes:
Challenges and Changes
Projects describe the barriers faced in involving people in learning programmes from which they
and their communities stand to beneft. In Poland, they identifed psychological barriers that
involved a loss of hope in ever improving their situation, low self-esteem and an apathy to action.
There were also a number of social barriers such as long term unemployment combined with
poverty and a sense of hopelessness and alienation together with a dependence on support from
aid institutions. The Slovenian project works across generations and has identifed the issues of
providing on-line services to older people unused to the technology. They are working across
social class and age divides as they help well qualifed young people to develop and use their
skills to support older people and more marginalised groups to overcome barriers of living at a
lower social standard and perceptions of the welfare state and the rule of law as being something
that is not available to them.
The Hungarian example below provides information about the positive and asset based way in
which they work with communities and especially with children and young people, bulding on
the strong community identity and comitment identifed in some neighbourhoods. Community
dvelopment professionals became aware of processes within some local areas that promoted
study of and involment in the local community from a very early age, through schools, local media
and parents. In this way, involvement of al groups happens throughout the life course. The Civil
College Foundation is developing a complex strategy that will address the issue of including
marginalised groups by mobilising and developing community solutions to build constituency
and citizen power. The work described in the German case study aimed at breaking down barriers
to learning for physically and learning disabled people and people who had not completed their
education. They worked to strengthen relationships across all educational phases, facilitating
empowerment and self guidance, promoting equality of opportunity and co-operation between
providers and users. They also worked across age divisions by making provision available to all
from the ages of 12 to 99, using diferent forms of learning and media.
In the UK, the challenges are imposed by the austerity measures that have cut the funding not
only for front line delivery of training but also for the national and regional bodies that provided
support for such delivery. The national Standards Board that is a partner in this project also sees
those challenges as ofering opportunities though for developing new relationships and new
ways of recognising skills and achievements.
4
Does the vision of a learning society
sit comfortable in the context of
constructing learning programmes which
form part of lifelong learning strategies
Two major issues of diference have been identifed in exchange visit discussions.. Community
development learning, while providing a framework for qualifcation as a community development
worker, places high value on intrinsic learning learning for its own sake. There has been a move over
the last twenty years in England away from learning of intrinsic value to learning perceived as being of
instrumental value. Schools are forced to concentrate on getting learners through examinations and
adult learning tends to be resourced only if it leads to a qualifcation which may help into employment.
Approaches that involve intrinsic learning have the potential both to develop and transform individuals
and communities through developing their critical capacities. Intrinsic learning can inspire confdence
in people and can develop new skills and knowledge within a community that can lead to some
transformative actions.
The second debate is, as yet, just developing. Community development learning aims to embrace
issues of justice and inequality. This requires processes for ensuring that our work and any learning
opportunities engage people across the divides of class, age, gender, sexuality, culture and wealth. In
the case studies exemplifed earlier there is evidence, explicitly and implicitly, that the processes being
used acknowledge the barriers that class, age, gender, sexuality, culture and wealth pose to involvement
in both community development learning and within communities and democratic structures. There
are some good examples of the processes used to break down these barriers. Community development
learning is less concerned with counting the numbers of people taking part who have a low income or
are gay or a woman but with using the right process to allow all people to take part. The evidence for
this is to be found in the case studies provided by the diferent partners.
Further, the Polish programme has worked with diferent age groups to enable them to learn how to
function as a group and to accomplish goals together as a team. The monthly meetings they held with
block representatives provide an opportunity for participants to learn new skills, exchange experiences,
develop mutual support and set common goals and tasks for each month. The workers have applied a
model of researching the problems and dilemmas of the community, analysing the issues, setting the
goals and expectations of the residents and planning implementation. The work described here is an
excellent example of informal learning.
In Hungary, Common Knowledge is a participatory learning programme carried out in fve micro regions
of Hungary. The programme is based on the assumption that the countrys economic development
could be infuenced by community and social relations as well as by active citizen participation in public
issues. Participatory learning processes have been used in both formal and informal learning adult
education and, as a result, the programme increased the capacity of existing institutions for community
organising and adult education. One element of the training worked with community enterprises and
local economic development and included training in community entrepreneurship, local guiding for
hiking and culture and community mentoring. Study circles were organised to compensate for the lack
of opportunities in adult education. Another aspect of the programme focussed on community capacity
for self help, motivating young people to staying their communities and strengthening mutual help and
solidarity within communities.
There is an interest in Finland in developing community development learning within formal training
structures where citizenship based social work is already emphasised. The Finns are also developing
5
meaningful partnerships with civil society and third sector groups. They are also working towards
developing and delivery of a community development learning programme through working with
others/ Some of these developments have resulted from the Finnish groups search in the SLIC Project
for new approaches and ways of approaching development work in terms of the curriculum and
delivering training.
There is an admission within Greece that the concept of the learning society is not widely understood,
despite which educational activities take place to promote citizenship, intergenerational learning and
co-operation, challenging social exclusion and encouraging social inclusion. A number of examples
are provided of training programmes as part of the Youth in Action programme and Implementing
Association. However, the Greek perception of a learning society has been set out in some detail and
has a number of pillars such as learning through experience, active participation of disadvantaged
groups and a desire to change society for the better.
Thus, there is much evidence across Europe of community based learning programmes which contribute
to a process of transformation which can work towards achieving sustainable and resilient communities
and a learning society, in each of localities. All partners identify a range of barriers that they have
to overcome and the process they adopt to engage learners across the divides of class, age, gender,
sexuality, culture and wealth. Lifelong learning strategies have been put in place in most locations which
support our vision of a learning society.
Reection and Summary
It is a basic premise of the SLIC Project that community based learning practices can only be understood
as products of the national culture in which they exist. For the SLIC project is is becoming clear that the
experiences of one country can have a signifcance for people in the other participating countries. The
SLIC project through its activities, case study evidence and processes is designed to bring these out. The
examples above identify the common challenges relating to the social and economically marginalised
young people; highlighting politically and socially divided societies and limited tolerance levels which
demonise specifc groups.
From a wider perspective, some contexts such as Germany, through vocational educational models and
social pedagogical approaches aim towards progressive and responsible approaches to addressing some
of the above. In the Northern parts of the UK, the perceived need is to create an informed, responsible
citizenry, capable of exercising democratic rights and fulflling responsibilities., They are developing
policies and practices which enhance civil society through resources and services explicitly focused on
developing a learning society.
Overall, the Partners in the SLIC Project have demonstrated a particular interest in spreading knowledge
of innovation in community based learning. They have demonstrated thereby their awareness of the
need for new approaches to meet ever changing circumstances and, not least that reach that larger
populations hitherto untouched by traditional education approaches and practices.
Accommodating novel ideas and approaches in established practices is proving challenging and
complex. However, in small ways the SLIC project is identifying situations that are open to change. The
challenge is how best to tackle these opportunities and facilitate ways of enabling participants in this
programme to take their aims forward and, at the same time, develop future project work.
6
Appendices
Cyprus
Breaking down a project and writing the specifc steps that have to be taken is an essential stage of a
successful project. Below we describe the specifc steps that need to be taken for the implementation of
a new project, titled Resiliency Development in Communities shortly described in 1st sharing paper.
The frst step in developing a new project is to identify the target group, assess its needs, and decide on
how our involvement will beneft the recipients. Generally speaking, selecting a target group depends
on factors such as the organizations mission and general aims, its expertise, its prior experience, and
so on. Since our organizations general aims are the support of youth clubs and the promotion of the
well-being of youth in general, the ultimate benefciaries in any project development must necessarily
be young people. Contributing to the strengthening of a community, according to Bronfenbrenners
Ecological Systems theory, can have great positive impact to the communitys youth. In the framework of
Resiliency Development in Communities the target group would be a community that is encountering
adversity due to the crisis and there is a youth club in its territory. To identify the most disadvantaged
communities we could ask the executive board of every youth club all over Cyprus to fll in a questioner
prepared to identify the risk and protective factors within their community (could be flled electronically
or paper and pencil according to the potentiality of the specifc Youth Club). A same questioner could
also be sent to the authority of the communities and other local organizations or groups to gather more
reliable data. Also we could arrange meetings of the youth clubs representatives with our coordinators
(employed ofcers of CYCO that have frequent contact with Y.C) and conduct informal qualitative
interviews with them. This could give us more unstructured data that we could otherwise miss. Later, on
the basis of the data collected with the questioners and the interviews we can export a subgroup of the
most disadvantaged communities (where youth clubs exist) and get the necessary guidelines to design
our project the best possible way to beneft the most our target communities. At frst we could proceed
with a single community as a pilot project to assess the efectiveness of such a program in a Cypriot
community and then expand to more communities.
The frst meeting would be arranged by a CYCO ofcer familiar to the specifc Y.C and the coordinator
should be present. The benefts of the project can be presented to them and give them the opportunity
to express their opinion on the applicability of the project in their communities, review the needs
together (give them ownership) and assess their interest and motivation to participate in such a project.
Following the frst meeting, the objectives of the project will be clarifed always with the cooperation
and contribution of the Youth Club (e.g. strengthening the Social Networks within the community,
development of support services, building a sense of community pride, development of diverse and
7
innovative economy). Then we could start preparing for the strategy of achieving our expected outcome.
This involves designing all the activities of the project and assigning the various tasks to the appropriate
young volunteers, staf members and/or other associates. An important step at this stage is reviewing
or building the activities with the people that will implement them so they get a sense of ownership
which helps the growth of motivation and the increase of the possibilities for a successful progress of
the project. A starting activity could be the volunteers of youth clubs to organize meetings with other
groups (e.g. church groups), organizations and stakeholders in their communities (in the presence of
facilitators) in order to develop common goals. The frst approach could be challenging and staf should
be available to give guidance in order to avoid burn out of participants. Altogether could develop a
strategy to encourage their citizens to buy locally and give them information and incentives for diverse
and innovative economy. Other activity could be the conduct of workshops from psychologists for
developing a positive outlook among the people of the community. Because in diferent communities
there are diferent needs and characteristics it would be helpful if we prepared a pool of many modules
of activities in order to use diferent parts in diferent communities to meet their specifc needs.
Furthermore, this stage of project includes applying for and securing funding, as well as fnding partner
organizations at a local, European, or international level that will collaborate in carrying out the project.
Potential partners should be able to contribute to the implementation of the project through their own
expertise and relevant experience. Therefore, selecting the right partners is often crucial to the smooth
progress of the project.
Implementation of the project is where planning and ideas become reality. During this stage an ongoing
monitoring and evaluation will take place, which will help us identify possible weaknesses or faws of
the project. In this way we could act efectively, modifying the necessary aspects of the project in order
to improve the projects overall efcacy. Upon completion of the project, we could evaluate the results
and outcomes through the questioner used in the beginning (as post-test) in order to identify any
diferences. In the end, the main conclusions will be disseminated in the target community and other
disadvantaged communities.
Below are the major stages of project planning and development:
Identifcation of the target group. Assess its needs and decide how the project can best tackle
these needs and beneft the target group.
Preparation stage. Develop a strategy for achieving desired results. This includes designing
activities and assigning tasks to each member of the project team. Gaining a sense of ownership
at this stage increases the motivation.
Finding partner institutions from home or abroad that can add importantly to the project with
their expertise. Applying for and securing funding.
Implementation of project. At this stage is also very important that the activities are appropriate
for the level of the community building on previous knowledge.
Monitoring and evaluation. Modifying aspects of the project, if necessary, in order to deal
efectively with arising problems and other challenges.
Completion of project. Evaluating results and utilizing them for future project.
Dissemination of projects results and conclusions. Could inspire other communities to implement
it too.
8
Finland
Step by step process for a new project. This process is based on an instruction for students research
projects.
1) Community analysis
Which groups or sub-communities the community consists of?
2) Needs assessment
Recources
Challenges and problems
3) Interests
What are the interests of the diferent groups?
4) Getting people involved
The community analysis will be shared with local people before the aims or targets can be defned
5) Aims or targets
6) Resources for the project
7) Process
The process consists of two parts: concrete level and analytical level .

8) Evaluation
9
Germany
The Learning Studio The vision of a vocationally and
practical learning center
A strong participation in education in the feld of lifelong learning contributes to ensure the future
development and maintenance of a highly qualifed (working) population for todays industrial
and service society. To win individuals to participate in education both the individual conditions
for the involved people must be attractive as well as the educational ofers themselves. Therefore a
learning centre is needed which ofers Lifelong Learning opportunities, that is general, professional
and political-cultural education in all phases of education from school to old age. This centre is to
meet the increasing demand for customized solutions in the context of lifelong learning and should
provide specifc ofers for all educational stages to increase the participation in education.
Under the name The Learning Studio such a learning centre will follow and actively support the
guidelines of Lifelong Learning
strengthening relations between all educational phases and areas
empowerment and self-guidance
motivation for disabled people, persons with learning difculties (or special needs) and
people with a defcit in education
promotion of equal opportunity
cooperation between education providers and users
and will pursue its own working objectives
creating strong links of traditional and innovative teaching and learning methods
combining theoretical knowledge transfer and practical appropriation processes of diferent
target and participants groups
teaching and learning across diferent target groups
the ability to self-learning skills and cooperation
documented knowledge transfer across educational areas and generations
Based on this approaches the potential target group of the Learning Studio could include all eager
learners between 12 and 99 years due to the fact that there are always education gaps across all
stages of life (see picture 1) starting at the stage of vocational and academic orientation of pupils

Picture 1: Life and educational phases
10
and ending at maintaining mental ftness for retired people.
To realise such a learning centre the business idea of the Learning Studio wants to pick up
approaches of a gym. Thus, diferent learning spaces will be created for the learners who also use
diferent forms of learning and media. For 4 diferent large rooms (like shown in picture 2), focused
on special target groups but also interactive linked with each other, a learning coach is responsible
for the learners individually, gives support and help, answers questions or moderates events,
workshops, etc. Like in a gym, the coaches want to identify specifc gaps and defcits hereby on
educational level - as part of a consultation, to work on individual plans to remedy the defcits and
to accompany and support for continuously control of success and improvement. Therefore the plan
should not only include ofers of the Learning Studio but also those that are implementable at home

Picture 2: Learning rooms and learning methods of the Learning Studio
or at other learning places individually.
The WORKSHOP ROOM with modern presentation and moderation equipment, enough space for
working in groups or to organise learning events, e.g. seminars & trainings, network forums, debates, etc.
The KNOWLDEGE GARAGE with library and media centre, computer work stations and a large range
of self-learning materials, learning and simulation games, learning programmes and special ofers for
retired persons or persons who are searching for a job.
The IT ACADEMY with several training programmes, e-learning programmes around the themes IT
and networking. Interesting learning games should foster and support the learning process with new
medias for each age group. It should also integrate ofers for beginners (e.g. older people) who are not
yet profcient with PC, Internet, podcasts, mobile phones/smart phones, etc. and allowed them to work
directly with their own equipment during the courses to get familiar with it.
The INDUSTRY CABINET AUTOMOTIVE as a demonstration and laboratory for pupils, students and young
people. It will impart knowledge about careers in the automotive industry and enables the young people
to test in practice several jobs in individual activities with the guidance of experts.
And additionally there should be the opportunity for educational counselling or to obtain information
on the individual ofers and opportunities within the Learning Studio. For that reason qualifed learning
consultants are needed, who are able to classify learning types and to develop personnel learning
plans tailored to the individual learning needs and the targeted educational goals. The learning plan
should enable a continuously control of the learning success as well as the determination of the next
educational goals.
Through the creation of optimal learning environments and conditions, an attractive range of
learning materials and professional learning support the learning center should provide access to a
wide audience. Thanks to its design and its ideas behind, the Learning Center can ofer a high degree
of implementation for individual self-organized learning. Summarised the Learning Studio will be
the central contact point for Lifelong Learning that defnes individual learning goals, develops and
implements individual learning plans, creates individual learning scenarios and adapts individual
learning speeds.
11
Greece
EPIMORFOTIKI KILKIS SM LLC usually uses a specifc process for planning and managing a project. The
programs that Epimorfotiki implement or which cooperate with other local bodies are related to Lifelong
Learning. The following describes the stages of planning and managing a project:
HOW EPIMORFOTIKI BE INFORMED ABOUT THE CALL PROPOSALS AND HOW SEARCH THE
SUITABLE CALL/ MEASURE
1. SEARCH INTERESTING CALLS/MEASURES DEPENDIG ON THE SECTOR OF EDUCATION (e.g. health,
immigrants, technology, youth, social inclusion, environment and others):
Internet research (searches to websites of ministries, government agencies, European
organizations, etc) and other available tools (e.g. mailing lists, yahoo groups etc)
Searches through local bodies and associations
HOW EPIMORFOTIKI WORKING TO GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT
2. CALL FOR TENDANCE:
Post of the call. Finding appropriate measures according to the educational needs of the region.
HOW EPIMORFOTIKI CHOOSE THE MEASURES OF THE CALL
3. STUDY THE SPECIFICATIONS OF TENDER/CALL: emphasis on the important points and choice of
measure that serves the needs
HOW EPIMORFOTIKI FORM THE CONTENT OF THE PROPOSAL
4. Design the project based the terms and conditions of the tendance /call:
E.g. Target group (gender, age, parentage e.t.c.)
Planning of the implementation of the project
Trainers profles
Educational felds that will be the training
Actions/initiations of the project
Providing consulting services
Cooperation with other associations/bodies
Analysis of the budget
HOW EPIMORFOTIKI WORKS FOR WRITING THE PROPOSAL
5. WRITING THE PROPOSAL:
Find short and clear title for the project
Description of the educational institution that will implement the actions or will undertake to
provide the training
Explain in a comprehensive way the issue, project objectives and the expected results
Target group of the project
Description of the educational felds
Description of the impact of the projects results on the target group, the local community and
European community
12
HOW EPIMORFOTIKI SUBMIT THE PROJECT
6. Proposal submission in corresponding to the management body
Completion and submission the appropriate forms
HOW EPIMORFOTIKI BE INFORMED FOR THE RESULT OF THE PROJECT SUBMISSION
7. EPIMORFOTIKI BE INFORMED ABOUT THE RESULT OF THE PROJECT SUBMISSION via post mail or email
that send the management body (e.g. ministry, European Social Funds ESF- Actions Implementation
Authority). Sometimes Epimorfotiki be informed through internet research on the management bodys
web page.
WHAT ACTIONS DOING EPIMORFOTIKI TO VIEW THE PROJECT
8. VISIBILITY OF THE PROJECT FROM THE INITIAL TO THE FINAL STAGE
Epimorfotiki view the project by all available means and tools e.g. press releases, posts in websites,
facebook, twitter, emails, newspapers, magazines, leafets, promotional material such as hats, pen
etc
WHAT INFORMATION TAKE INTO ACCOUNT EPIMORFOTIKI FOR PROGRAMMING THE ACTIONS
9. PROGRAMMING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIONS:
Place, space (classrooms), time, way (educational methods) and available means (internet
connection, whiteboards, projectors, fipcharts, videocamera etc)
HOW EPIMORFOTIKI CHOOSE THE TRAINERS
10. RESEARCH AND CHOICE OF TRAINERS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THEIR KNOWLEDGES, EXPERIENCE AND
NEEDS OF THE SCOPE OF EDUCATION. The choice of trainers is done through the Trainers Registry of
Epimorfotiki and after study of the CV of each trainer.
HOW EPIMORFOTIKI CREATES THE EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL
11. CREATION OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL
The educational material is created in cooperation with the trainers.
Use of educational material according to the level of knowledge and skills of participants.
Use of technology and internet tools
HOW EPIMORFOTIKI WORKS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTIONS
12. IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATION AND ACTIONS OF THE PROJECT WHICH ACCORDING TO THE
REQUIREMENTS OF THE CALL
Realization of any travel or meetings
Accommodation and food arrangements
Arranging airline tickets
Conduct with partners e.t.c.
WHAT PROCCESS IS USING BY EPIMORFOTIKI FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT
13. EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT
Recognition of any errors
Evaluation of participation and interest of participants
Evaluation of trainers
Evaluation of methods that were used
Evaluation of training material
13
General evaluation for the impact of the project to the local, national and European level.
Use an Evaluation Sheet by all were involved e.g. participants, trainers, mentors, responsible for
monitoring the project
Creation an Evaluation Report by the responsible of the project and director
HOW EPIMORFOTIKI COMPLETE THE PROJECT
14. FINAL REPORT
Completion and submission the appropriate forms to the NA
WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR DISSEMINATION AND USE OF PROJECT RESULTS THAT IS USED BY
EPIMORFOTIKI
15. DISSEMINATION AND EXLPOITATION OF RESULTS AFTER THE END OF THE PROJECT
Dissemination or result through conduct, internet, local bodies and others
Exploitation of results by educational bodies, local or European associations, trainers, students
e.t.c.
Below there is a brief description of the planning and management of the project which entitled:
ACTIONS OF YOUTHS FOR THE CONSERVATION OF LOCAL TRADITION AND CONTINUATION OF
CULTURAL HERITAGE in the frame of YOUTH IN ACTION PROGRAM.
1. SEARCH INTERESTING CALLS/MEASURES DEPENDIG ON THE SECTOR OF YOUTH and the needs in local,
national and European level.
Internet research on http://ify.gr/ & http://www.inedivim.gr/
2. CALL FOR TENDANCE:
Finding the EUROPEAN QUIDE 2011 for YOUTH IN ACTION PROGRAM and the appropriate
measure (1.2 Youth Initiatives) according to the needs of the region
3. STUDY THE SPECIFICATIONS OF TENDER/CALL: emphasis on the important points and choice of
measure that serves the needs
4. Design the project based the terms and conditions of the tendance /call:
E.g. Target group (gender, age, parentage e.t.c.): Young people aged 17 to 30 (repatriates and
immigrants were included)
Planning of the implementation of the project: 09 / 05 /11 to 09 /05 /12
Trainers profles: Experienced trainers were chosen by Epimorfotiki from using the Trainers
Registry. Trainers who worked for the project were: technologist for food, nutritionist and trainers
for traditional dances
Educational felds that were the training: healthy eating, exploitation of traditional products
(e-commerce), Youth Entrepreneurship, meet young people the tradition and culture
Actions/initiations of the project:
Creation a Pontiac Stamping Ground (Area for young people: meetings implementation &
youth information)
Workshop for Development the Basic Knowledge in Cooking with the use of traditional
Pontiac products
Youth Meeting on the subject Youth and Culture
Providing consulting services: young people (participants) were consulting by a coach
Cooperation with other associations/bodies: cooperation with educational institutions, social
associations and schools
14
Analysis of the budget: a plan was created for the economical needs of each action and defned
the available amounts. For each action was made a market research and then following the
necessary arrangements with suppliers.
5. WRITING THE PROPOSAL:
A short and clear title was given for the project
Was given information for the body, the activities that body implements, the members of the
body, the collaboration network. The aim of the bodys description was for being understand the
management capacity for support young people according to the projects needs
Epimorfotiki emphasized the need to be involved young people of the region, the need to
bring young people close to tradition and culture but also the need to be developed youth
entrepreneurship in order to exist in the future an economical growth. Also in the description was
highlighted the nutritional value of traditional products and the need for a healthy way of life.
The characteristics of target group were described (e.g. age and hobbies of young people).
Participants were 9 youngsters between 17-28 years old. Participants had to create, organize, view
and disseminate the whole project. Also in the project participated other young people from the
region as learners.
The educational felds that were chosen by Epimorfotiki were: culture and tradition, nutrition
value of traditional products, youth entrepreneurship and healthy life style. The aim was to
participate young people in training courses and take knowledge and skills for eat healthily and
develop business ideas by using the traditional products.
The outcomes and results for youngsters, local community and European community were
described. For the proof of learning experience of young people the body provide to each
participant the CERTIFICATE YOUTHPASS.
6. The proposal was submitted in corresponding to the management body
7. EPIMORFOTIKI WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE RESULT OF THE PROJECT SUBMISSION via post mail
8. Epimorfotiki view the project by all available means and tools e.g. press releases, posts in websites,
facebook, twitter, emails, newspapers, magazines, leafets, promotional material such as hats, pen etc
9. PROGRAMMING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIONS: The actions were implemented in Kilkis.
Procedures were followed according to the actions and having as criterion the safety and protection of
young people.
10. The choice of trainers is done through the Trainers Registry of Epimorfotiki and after study of the CV
of each trainer.
11. The educational material was created in cooperation with the trainers.
The educational material that used was according to the level of knowledge and skills of youth
participants. For the needs of the project Epimorfotiki used all the logos of Youth in Action Program
12. Arrangements for the project. (e.g. conduct with trainers, local bodies, closing deals etc).
Implementation project meetings.
13. EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT
Recognition of any errors
Evaluation of participation and interest of participants
Evaluation of trainers
Evaluation of methods that were used
Evaluation of training material
General evaluation for the impact of the project to the local, national and European level.
15
Use an Evaluation Sheet by all were involved e.g. participants, trainers, mentors, responsible for
monitoring the project
Creation an Evaluation Report by the responsible of the project and director
14. FINAL REPORT
Completion and submission the appropriate forms to the NA
15. Epimorfotiki disseminated the project results through internet and other conducts. Also
Epimorfotiki cooperated with other local bodies for the dissemination of the results. Furthermore was
created a presentation (in PPT form) in order to be used in the future in other educational programs.
16
Hungary
Case study: The Common Knowledge participatory learning programme in Northern Hungary
This case study presents how community participation, knowledge about local citizen participation
and citizen self-organisation and community learning were enhanced, and the institutions of local
citizen action established, through community development and adult education in fve small regions
of Borsod-Abaj-Zempln, a severely disadvantaged county on the northern periphery of Hungary
between 2005 and 2011.
Borsod-Abaj-Zempln County is the second largest in the country, and borders on Slovakia and Ukraine.
Its total population is 709,634, with 408,000 people living in urban areas. There are 358 local communities
in the county, of which 25 are towns. 34 per cent of the local communities have populations under
500 persons. The standard of living in the villages is lower than that in the towns. The villages have less
access to services, job opportunities, healthcare and care for the aged, as well as to public institutions.
As for infrastructural development, running water, electricity, telephones and gas are available almost
everywhere, but sewerage is missing in several places. Transport is excellent between Budapest and
Miskolc, the county capital, by rail and highway. This said the availability of transportation to the small
villages is variable.
The 1990s saw the county facing the consequences of economic transformation. The sudden collapse
of heavy industry, such as metallurgy, mines and chemical plants, led to a structural crisis that caused
high unemployment, the migration of qualifed labour away from the county, the depopulation of whole
villages, the ageing of the population, the withdrawal of public institutions and ghettoization. While
the county caught up somewhat after 2003, the most recent economic crisis halted this development
and further jobs have been lost since 2007. As a result, the villages lack services and public institutions,
especially in the felds of health, education and culture. Postal services and locations for citizens to meet
and exchange are also lacking.
The Common Knowledge participatory learning programme was carried out in fve microregions
including 85 local communities, mostly villages, in Borsod-Abaj-Zempln County. Starting in 2009,
the programme was based on the assumption that the countys economic development could be
infuenced by community and social relations, as well as by active citizen participation in public issues.
The programme built on the creativity, knowledge, selforganisation and cooperation skills of the locals,
and it reached beyond local community limits, made training widely accessible and generated new
cooperation.
The programme set out to improve the quality of locals lives through participative learningprocesses,
through formal and informal adult education. In local contexts, the transition to a democratic culture
has been slower than the economic transition. Some of the social skills previously required have
become obsolete, while those required by democracy have not yet been acquired. Until the community
development process took place in these localities, the citizens did not believe that they could act
to improve their own situation. As a result, they were not motivated to act or to learn, and were shy
and afraid of new things. The intervention of community developers grew new institutions of citizen
participation that helped residents to see the value of civic engagement. The programme also increased
the capacity of existing institutions for community organising and adult education (mostly cultural
institutions, often at the forefront of Hungarian community development work). In almost all rural areas
in Hungary, learning for democracy and skills relevant to the contemporary economic and social context
are defcient. Little has been done to provide free access to learning opportunities for rural residents,
who are faced with having to transform their lives and communities. Apart from the local pedagogical
17
institute or the organisation that re-trains unemployed people, there are almost no adult education
institutions operating in Borsod-Abaj-Zempln County. Employers provide some training but focus on
skills for specifc jobs, rather than addressing life or community building skills. The most popular courses
taken are driving lessons and language courses. Local cultural centres have not been able to seize the
opportunity and specialise in adult education, due to a lack of supportive policies and fnancial resources.
The programme aimed to address some of these defcits, especially those related to education and
community development. Although community development cannot solve structural unemployment,
it can contribute to local economic development. One training element worked with community
enterprises and local economic development, including trainings in community entrepreneurship, local
guiding for hiking and culture, and community mentoring. Study circles were organised to compensate
for the lack of opportunities for adult education. Another part of the programme focused on community
capacity for self-help, aiming to motivate young people to stay in their communities, develop the sense
of belonging, and strengthen mutual help and solidarity within the community and openness towards
the outside world.
The idea of community development appeared in the county in 2001 when the Hungarian Association
for Community Development (HACD) started a community development process in the micro-regions
of zd and Putnok and in the villages of Kirld and Ht. A few local professionals working in culture,
NGOs or for social change took part in HACDs work and training activities, forming a core team that
gradually worked towards the goals of community development. The countys Institute for Culture
made community development an integral part of its work. Its members teamed up with like-minded
professionals seeking community approaches to change and, in 2002, founded the Dialogue for
Communities Association. These two key institutions cooperate with county cultural institutions and
the institutions of higher education, especially as regards culture, social work and adult education.
They engage these institutions in mobilising locals, conducting research and training, and organising
new services. Further cooperating partners are schools, family support and child protection services,
institutions of healthcare and education, the business sector, churches, and the minority communities in
the county. Above all, the programme sought to engage the residents of participating local communities.
Launched in July 2009 and completed in June 2011, the Common Knowledge programme was
implemented through the cooperation of local and county-level public institutions and NGOs (mainly
organisations of community work and community development) in a consortium. Previous community
development and learning processes served as valuable experiences, and active locals were engaged
in the community planning process in two ways. Firstly, residents and their NGOs were invited to
community planning workshops. Secondly, the process was continued during four professional
workshops conducted by the staf of the cultural centres located in the county.
The consortium presented the programme to the wider public in the county including community
activists, local and county press. Opening events were organised principally to motivate and engage
new stakeholders in community development and adult education. Community organisations and
focal points for local action were introduced to newcomers by their neighbours, reinforcing the
engagement of those who had been involved for longer and inspiring newcomers to join in, learn and
act. Presentations were made by experts on a variety of themes related to community development and
adult education. Information was distributed to participants about training available and on-the-spot
applications were accepted. These events reinforced the belief of the stakeholders in their work.
Accreditation procedures started for adult education in two institutions, the county Institute for Culture
and the Cultural Centre, Library and Museum of Edelny. Several adult education programmes were
accredited including a 90-hour community mentoring training, a 90-hour community entrepreneurship
training, and a 90-hour local guide for hiking and culture training.
Several non-formal training activities were implemented through learning circles. A learning circle is a
small democratic group which functions according to the principles of dialogue and engages the active
participation of all its members. It is a free form of learning in which the participants (as equals) strive to
understand the processes taking place in the society around them. The participants learn in a democratic
18
manner, and have the opportunity to take part in building the community. They learn to communicate,
cooperate and to participate in community, social, cultural and political life.
The study circles took place between December 2010 and March 2011, with fve circles in each of the fve
regions in the county. They were organised on themes including agriculture, computer skills, traditional
Hungarian embroidery, English and German language, etiquette and ballroom dancing, folk songs,
cookery, handicrafts, local history, medicinal plants, and vintage motorcycles. Study trips were included
and experts invited, tools and textbooks were purchased, and cooperation with partners was established
to create prospects for continuity beyond the programme. The leaders of the study circles received
training from community developers to ensure a positive learning experience for participants. An
important concern was to involve as many local communities as possible, so each meeting was held in a
diferent local community. The programme supported the transport costs of the participants to ensure
maximum participation. As a result, a total of 1,102 people participated in 25 study circles.
The programme included various events to inform the residents of the county the opportunities
ofered. 22 such events were held along with several smaller meetings and press conferences for the
local and county media. These events also served to establish continuous dialogue with benefciaries
of the programme about its results, further steps and possibilities for participation. The closing event
that presented the results of the project was a true celebration involving all stakeholders, and giving all
participants an opportunity to voice their feedback.
The success of this programme can be attributed to several factors. It united the resources of all the
cooperating partners, and it drew on existing institutional capacity: the county Institute for Culture
managed large scale funds, ran professional programmes, achieved accreditation and provided
administrative support, and its staf came with prior experience in community development work.
Positive cooperation existed between community developers and the Department of Cultural and Visual
Anthropology at the University of Miskolc, which developed the research tools to identify training needs.
The researchers built on the knowledge and social network of the community workers active in the area,
and the students conducting the survey contributed fresh perspectives. Local community developers
and their NGOs working in the county supported the programme, with their awareness of what could or
would not work in the local context. The programme was based on a culture of discussion and dialogue,
with all decisions taken together among concerned stakeholders and participants. Finally, the facilitation
of the educational dimension of the programme was a true example of participation, as the curricula
were developed according to the needs and knowledge of the stakeholders, while the training methods
were those of adult education, built on the work and life experience of adults, and developed each topic
through the broadest participation possible.
The programme did, however, also encounter a number of obstacles. Community and regional identity
was weak among locals. They understood community more in administrative terms than in terms of a
sense of belonging, and they have little interest or motivation to get involved in community afairs. Local
NGOs tended to have limited horizons and few contacts beyond their villages. Given that the programme
placed considerable emphasis on inter-community cooperation and partnership, much time and work
was required to expand horizons. One of the greatest challenges, however, was to ensure continuity and
sustainability. The programme certainly succeeded in increasing participation and citizen activity, and in
building awareness of the importance of self-help and self-organising among participants. Nonetheless,
the programme remained just a beginning in terms of real citizen activity.
Although the programme prepared members of the community to address problems they identifed
themselves, many of those problems could not be solved. Community enterprises are a case in point.
Some viable business plans were drafted but project carriers lacked confdence to implement them
and expected others to deliver solutions. In addition, discrepancies remain between social and citizen
participation. The study circles demonstrated that interest in cultural traditions dominates over interest
in the development of a modern democratic lifestyle and active citizenship, with handicrafts more
popular than English language or computer skills. This problem extends to cooperation with the local
governments and real citizen action, such as participating in decision-making, advocacy or lobbying,
19
which are not yet on the horizon for most resident groups. People living in these communities continue
to know little about the mechanisms of democracy. Some participants of the educational activities
also found it hard to work with the nonfrontal and participatory training methods used, not surprising
perhaps given the rigid educational system they had learned in earlier.
Mistrust persisted despite the fact that examples of good practice accumulated. Some of it can be traced
back to the phenomenon of anomy, which is said to be greater in new democracies.16 Mistrust is also
nurtured by the experience that reality is becoming more complex and uncertain, and many people
fnd it hard to see where they ft in. In this project, this was manifest in the reluctance among some
participants to share their contact information and to participate systematically in the study circles. In
sum, this programme clearly demonstrated that the social environment for community participation
remains challenging in rural areas.
All the same, there have been substantial results. Working with local knowledge and understanding
through the participation of local people in planning this programme helped to build the self-confdence
of locals to engage in adult education. Most of them, like other people of low qualifcation, were afraid
of adult education because they thought that they would not be able to learn, let alone teach. The
broad base of cooperation established during the programme broadened the view of all stakeholders
on opportunities they can create jointly, and improved their self-confdence and comfort in working on
community issues, cooperation with ordinary people and facilitating mutual learning.
While it is not usual for cultural institutions to conduct adult education and community development, or
to base their work on local demands and engage residents, there are technical and mentality barriers to
this approach. Examples of such encountered by the institutions that joined the programme include the
need for fexible working hours and for adaptation to developments in the community.
It can be concluded that the programme presented here has achieved what could be achieved under
the specifc circumstances in which it was rolled out. Although its results are partial, they can be turned
into a solid foundation for future development if the actors of the three sectors government, NGOs and
business can muster the energy needed for systematic, continuous and long-term work, and the vision
to take their co-operation onto a larger scale of socio-economic developments in the county.
This is not an easy task in contemporary Hungary, given the general lack of resources, the difculty of
accessing development funds, their bureaucratic nature and the project-based approach preferred by
funders. Funds granted are generally available for the short-term, they do not necessarily address goals
defned by the locals concerned, and there is no guarantee they will be continued once the project
is fnished. In the same vein, this programme presents examples of the main problems of community
development in rural areas. Participation in public issues and community development are not yet
incorporated into the local culture. Skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for managing modern,
democratic societies are lacking, and policy-makers have not taken the necessary steps to fll the gaps.
Instead of institutional frameworks securing development, NGOs and local government institutions are
struggling to meet contemporary challenges without suitable instruments. In sum, the mechanisms
supporting development by communities for communities are not yet established in Hungary.
It must also be admitted that community development and civil society (no matter their will and
persistence) cannot compensate for the state and its policies. The attitude of government authorities
towards citizen initiatives is often problematic. Hobby groups, which do not present alternative opinions,
are well liked and in exchange for small-scale support, they readily legitimate the authorities approach.
In turn, citizen initiatives working for change, engaging in advocacy or taking an alternative position
to the ofcial line of those in power, do not receive support. What is more, development remains the
privilege of those whose work corresponds to the priorities identifed in the national development
plan fnanced by the EU. No national or local resources are available to fnance local development.
Local governments struggle to make ends meet, even when it comes to their core tasks, while local
development has become a task for others, especially the EU. In the local context, the short-term
logic of the project-based approach means that after 18 months of employment, people return to
unemployment. If the mobilised residents cannot access the tools needed for the realisation of their
20
plans, like free and accessible adult education, afordable community development assistance, capital to
start up companies or the resources necessary to make applications for external funding, and if these are
not available into the medium-term at least, then development will remain the cause of an enthusiastic
few rather than many.
The case study is based on the work of Gyula Bak, Bla Bereczky, Erzsbet Budai, Ferenc Dolgos, Gbor
Erdei, Katalin H. Petkovics, Pl Hadobs, Kitti Kovcs, Zsuzsa Mszros, Aranka Molnr, va Olter, Andrea
Slley, Pta Mria Lzr, Gza Szki, Lszl Tiszolczki, Anna Mria Tth and Klra Tnde Ureczky. Compiled
and analysed Ilona Vercseg
21
Italy
Updating CV and self presentation
Inside a virtual class like eun community platform exchanging suggestions using wikispace or google-
drive through the exploitation of non-formal and informal learning.
Why
1. The economic crisis involves a continuous search of job for both young and adults.
2. In the past because of the predominance of formal education this tool got rigid.
3. This instrument underlines and enhances self-esteem
4. Experiences done are often undervalued whereas you never know if they are spendable in the
job world (reference: twelve key competences)
5. http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/key_en.htm
6. It allows people to have a complete evaluation of themselves with the chance that dynamic
aspects of active citizenship could emerge.
How
1. Starting point: CV Europass
http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/documents/curriculum-vitae http://europass.cedefop.europa.
eu/en/documents/curriculum-vitae/templates-instructions
2. Use of Google-drive or Wikispace to write together the same document on-line
3. Use of Eun community (collaborative and virtual class on the European Schoolnet platform) as
tool for tutoring and continual assessment
4. Discussion on learning experiences (in group) to let competences emerge
5. Discussion and selection of learning experiences taking into account the twelve key competences
http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/key_en.htm
6. Writing : curriculum and letter of presentation
7. A video as a tutorial will be created.
22
Poland
TURN settlement in Wloclawek
Based on the example of work of social animators and educators from Social Welfare Centre in
Wloclawek, CAL implement the objectives set out in the 1st Sharing Paper . Education is based on the
pillars, that values are shared by the teaching staf e.g. belief in the dignity of the individual , mutual
respect between people, a sense of social justice , participation , empowerment . Trainers as practitioners
, together with learners , forms an important educational community focused on social change . Efective
learning process includes several key elements : a sense of meaning and purpose , the participants
involvement, sense of security and a sense of agency . We called this concept engaged education .
Step by Step process for a new project:
Introduction
We describe the process that led to mobilizing people in Wloclawek, Leopoldowo district and improves
the living conditions of the local community. The aim of the task was to select local leaders who, through
their attitude and the commitment, afected the others, engaging them to solve the most important
issues in their community .
Background / situational context .
Wloclawek is a city with about 113 000 inhabitants. This is an area struggling with serious problem of
unemployment and poverty caused by the fact that over the last 10 years biggest companies were
closed. Unemployment and a process of impoverishment of the population , results in an increase in the
number of families having problem with paying the housing fees, which often leads to eviction to units
with lower standard of living. The city has produced several places enclaves of poverty . The fastest
developing multi-faceted problems of almost every aspect of life were that people lived in accidental
community , with no tradition and no sense of belonging.
The target audience
Area where educators and facilitators of Family Support Centre (OPS) work is one of these enclaves
of poverty - District is is located on the suburbs of Wloclawek , far away from the city center . There
is no proper infrastructure . The only connection with the city is one bus line . The inhabitants are a
relatively small community . District is inhabited by 534 people within 181 families of which 143 are using
the support of OPS ( 448 people in total ), which constitutes 84 % of the total population . Among the
supported residents nearly 50 % are children and young people up to 18 years of age.
Problems
An important aspect is the complexity and diversity of problems among the adult population of the
settlement like long-term unemployment, alcohol abuse , single motherhood , families with many
children, youth crime . It is a socially excluded community . People from Wloclawek has a stereotypical
thinking of Turn People as lazy drunks.
Signifcant obstacles of residents Leopoldowo district :
psychological barrier - due to loss of hope of improving their situation , low self-esteem , apathy to
action
Social barriers - long-term unemployment combined with the poverty , hopelessness and
alienation and dependence on the support provided by aid institutions. A social worker is treated
as a person in control , only providing the fnancial support.
23
How do you set up a frst meeting
Social workers, carried out interviews and observations with local community . Results were presented
during several meetings with residents and local stakeholders. Many problem articulated by the
residents were on devastated staircases and lack of opportunities of leisure time activities for young
people.
Starting a Project and the development stage within it .
The frst shared initiative was a project called Rainbow settlement . Focused on the oldest houses,
because these were the most devastated . The main objective of the project was the reintegration of
families at risk of social exclusion and make them learn how to solve problems by taking collective
action. Also included such items as :
building a system of incentive to undertake joint activities for their own the environment;
develop positive changes in individual social functioning ;
the formation of positive attitudes in community residents as social group ;
presentation of socially desirable behavior ;
making renovations to improve the aesthetics of the premises;
Allowing Leopoldowo residents , who are in a difcult fnancial situation, repainting their homes -
residents who are actively engaged in the work could buy paint for this purpose;
an increased sense of responsibility for the common residential areas ;
educate young people by promoting the settlement of socially acceptable attitudes and role
models ;
change stereotypes about people on the estate through contact with local media and
presentation of results of the work performed;
formation of a new image of the citys inhabitants as people who are able to build and take care of
common property .
In the frst place we wanted to meet local leaders , so that it was possible to initiate action and solve the
following problems.
Partners
Social workers invited to the project local partners : entrepreneurs ( lent materials , refreshments ) ,
housing co-operative , which helped in the assessment and coordination of necessary repair work , local
NGO and KIS (Klub Integracji Spoecznej)
Project
The pilot project Rainbow settlement and established cooperation between local residents and local
partners made it possible to launch fve editions of this project. Almost every time there were more
people who declared willingness to help . Planning subsequent editions Rainbow settlement also
determined actions that go beyond painting frames. We tried to choose and plan the tasks that they are
not only one time activities but also the inspiration and motivation for further actions.
Young people who participated in these projects , following the example of adults, painted school
rooms, where classes were held and prepared court for beach volleyball .
How do we engage in Learning
Our project was conducted and initiated for diferent age groups. Participation in these projects created
a chance for residents to establish neighborhood relations and settle partnership. The opportunity to
learn how to function as a group and accomplish goals together as a team were given.
Currently, residents are those who initiate and start new local projects.
24
Since then monthly meeting with representatives of blocks were held, every last Wednesday of the
month . They are very important for those who are interested in improving the living conditions of their
communities . They provide an opportunity to acquire new skills , to exchange experiences, mutual
support, but also to set common goals and tasks for each month . They give a sense of efcacy and
impact on the surrounding reality . We hope this is the beginning of the road to independence .
Five edition of the Rainbow development allowed us to get closer to the people , to establish a
relationship based not only on fnancial aid , but on partnership and mutual trust. We were able to
see crucial relations between people, who is the leader or can be trusted and who else need to be
strengthened . On the basis of these systematically collected information we could better plan the next
steps that grasp the community needs.
Social workers starts every project with research of problems and dilemmas of the community. On the
basis of analysis of the problems main goal and objectives and expectations of residents are formulated.
We try to defne the results they want to achieve in the project. Very often the goals and outcomes are
determined jointly with project participants during meetings and individual interviews. Then we plan
, the place of execution , and people (including local communities ) and those responsible for their
implementation. We are also planning a budget that will be needed for the project. Then, based on their
own observations and conversations with the locals, we describe the implementation of the various
stages of the project and what results have been achieved by collecting the photo documentation. The
actions promote co-operation with the local media as well as through our website, highlighting the
contribution made by the people and the role of local partners and sponsors . In addition , all those who
help us in the implementation of projects receive a written thank you note .
Educators Refections
We still have doubts whether our actions have meaning. For example, when the settlement is having
serious problem (such as the destruction of the lighthouse or the destruction of the car repair )
In order not to lose faith and strength we needed to notice these small successes , welcome every new
person who join us and want to work for the local community. It took three years to work this out with
the community. At the beginning they didnt have trust in us. Now they want to achieve their goals with
our help but much with strength and empowerment. Working with these people draw energy and faith
that there will come a time when they create an image of the estate will not those who destroy , but
those who fx and work for their community .
25
Slovenia
STEP BY STEP TOWARDS ACCESSIBLE JUSTICE
PREFACE
In this paper we will try to point out some key elements in implementation of this project at hand,
namely Step by step towards accessible justice. Access to justice is one of the pillars of equal society
and fairness. There is no socially coherent society without law and equality. Therefore legal system
must provide access to justice in order to prevent inequality and wider social exclusion of individuals or
groups. Civil society can also participate in promotion of law, equality, knowledge, social inclusion and
active citizenship, especially with incorporating volunteers in these actions.
BACKGROUND
Thinking more widely for a moment, no one today can pretend to have mastery over anything other
than small parts of our legal system. And yet everyone of us, under the law, is taken to have knowledge
of all legal provisions that afect us. Given that most citizens do not know most of the law and cannot
aford to obtain conventional legal advice, we seem to be in a rather parlous state. The problem seems
even bigger if you take into consideration that even a paper form for social help (or something similar)
needs some knowledge in order to fll in the form. There is a visible defcit of legal and administrative
knowledge as well as lack of afordable legal advice.
In Slovenia, as well as in other EU countries, especially those who joined the EU in 2004, there is a
lower social standard and also diferent perception of welfare state and/or rule of law. There are also a
lot of people older than 60 years and these generations are not used to use online services or other IT
equipment which widens the access to justice. In this context it is important that civil society proposes
projects that are aimed towards providing legal/administrative/informational services that help those,
often marginalized groups of people.
Important fact is also that there is a surplus of legal graduates who cannot fnd proper employment.
They are young people, without any experience and would be glad to assist in a project that helps them
evolve and get some valuable experience.
PROJECT GOAL
In Intergenerational Centre Celje we were aware of the current situation, which has deteriorated since
the start of global economic crisis. Therefore we started fnding solutions in which capable volunteers
would add something towards accessible justice and improve legal/administrative/IT knowledge of local
communities. The project has several goals:
Improvement of legal/administrative/IT knowledge of stakeholders,
To provide legal/administrative/IT services/advice,
Improvement of young lawyers experience and employment rates for young unemployed.
Promotion of active citizenship, rule of law, equality and access to justice.
HOW TO START
Every start is quite a difcult task, especially if you are an innovator in the feld at hand. There are several
aspects that need to be taken into consideration before making the formal project proposition.
26
a. Project team
One of the frst tasks was to assemble a proper project team that would be able to provide necessary
data, knowledge, enthusiasm and devotion to the goals of the project. It was crucial that we found
individuals from diferent generations, so we could take into consideration diferent aspects of the same
problem, through the intergenerational prism. In addition, it was necessary to fnd capable individuals
in diferent felds that are needed in this project: social welfare, law, society, volunteering management,
project coordination, grants applications Therefore project team members derived from Faculties,
Local Communities, Governmental bodies and NGOs.
b. Preparation of the ofcial time-line
When we have set out the goals and aims, prepared analysis of the community problem and defned the
target group, it is crucial to set out a proper time-line, a project schedule that helps the project running.
Every project team member has its own obligations which correspond to diferent tasks that are set out
in the time-line.
Time-line needs to be wide enough, but on the other side it is also important that includes proper and
realistic dates and also enough concrete defnitions of the tasks. Since this project aims at providing
useful knowledge for people from diferent generations, it is useful to maintain intergenerational
coordination meeting throughout the project. Every generation has its own view on the tasks and it is
worth listening to them in order to boost project results.
c. Implementation of project activities
Improvement of legal/administrative/IT knowledge of stakeholders setting of the interactive seminars in
the local communities that are delivered by young unemployed lawyers and law students; preparation
of informational leafets containing key information about law system (especially those felds that are
needed the most ones: social welfare, rights, health security)
To provide legal/administrative/IT services/advice providing those services has a great impact on the
local community with regard to quality of living. Firstly, marginalized groups, especially those who
cannot aford traditional legal advice, have better possibilities to resolve their legal issues. Secondly,
volunteers, especially those unemployed and highly qualifed, have opportunity to learn something new
and to get important career experience. Thirdly, through giving advice, stakeholders are learning proper
ways of resolving their issues.
Dissemination of the results It is highly important to constantly provide information for the local
communities and especially stakeholders. Promotion of the project is one of the more important keys
towards a successful project. NGOs should also include IT capable volunteers to provide for them new,
interesting and appealing ways of promotion video commercials, sketches, good design leafets and so
on.
27
United Kingdom
Community Development Learning Hubs
In the past the UK government supported national and local organisations involved with
Community development and Community development learning programmes. The ESB started
in 1997 with a small government grant to develop systems for ensuring quality in community
development learning and qualifcations. Over the years this support has changed from grants to
bidding for contracts for particular pieces of work, to focusing more on the regions than national
bodies, which led to the development of regional community development learning networks.
Now funding has been withdraw completely as part of the austerity measures. Therefore, much
of the national and regional infrastructure has closed down. ESB had never been dependent on
grants or contracts, earning money from its endorsement processes, and is thus in a better position
today to start to look at what is happening around community learning development and how to
promote what remains and to develop new ways to fll in the gaps so that people have access to
appropriate learning for themselves.
We developed the idea of bringing together all the people involved in a town or city to collect
information about what they were ofering, so that we could promote their activities to make
them sustainable and to create new learning opportunities to fll in the gaps. We use our National
Qualifcations and Learning Framework as a guide to what learning people should have access to.
We described Community Development Learning Hubs as locally-based partnerships with the
purpose of providing meaningful Community Development learning opportunities based on the
Community Development Learning Framework for:
continuing professional development for all using CD approaches, values, tools, and
processes,
workbased learning,
employability skills,
co-production of learning programmes to meet particular needs.
Based on value-driven Community Development practice these Community Development
Learning Hubs aim to take forward individuals and organisations to where they want to be through
the identifcation of needs and the creation of connections for action.
The hubs are local partnerships of employers, providers, activists and volunteers creating a critical
mass for the delivery of relevant, useful and purposeful Community Development learning
activities. It is those involved in the hubs who decide:
what form the learning activities should take,
how they link together to ofer progression opportunities,
and how they will develop dynamically to deal with the learning, social and economic needs
emerging in our communities.
We have now set up 4 of these CDL hubs in diferent cities and towns. In each place the process
has been similar but the outcomes have been diferent as they refect the local situation and local
needs.
28
The step-by-step process
In each area ESB has worked with its associate partner Sostenga ESB is a quality Assuring Body and
Sostenga is a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) of independent trainers and consultants in community
development who can deliver training and undertake other kinds of work. So a member of ESB and a
member of Sostenga with local knowledge would decide to call a frst meeting to discuss the possibility
of creating a CDL hub. We would agree on who should be contacted, explain the idea and then invite
them to a meeting. A local organisation would be asked to host the meetings. In London it was a
Housing Association, in Bradford, a community centre, in Adur a voluntary action organisation and in
Manchester a regeneration agency.
At the frst meeting we would discuss the purpose of a CDL hub, using a prepared paper, outline the CD
learning and qualifcations framework, fnd out what everyone was doing, and decide if we wanted to
meet again to make something happen. In each case the outcome was to meet again and to undertake
specifc pieces of work, and to bring in other people who might be interested.
The following gives some idea of who got involved and the next steps they took.
In London the partners were Hexagon Housing Association, London Metropolitan University, Greenwich
Community College, ESB, Workers Educational Association, Croydon Voluntary Action, Islington Giving,
Local Authority CD workers and independent trainers who had been involved in previous projects. The
list was compiled from organisations that ESB knew undertook quality CD learning programmes.
The group decided that what was missing were taster courses and Recognition and they applied for
funding and were successful in getting a National Pilot Project fund from NIACE (a national body for
continuing education) called Developing a curriculum for difcult times. The project ran in 2013 and was
very successful and funding is being applied for a continuation project. Details of this will be given in the
3rd Sharing Paper.
One of the other aims was to publicise the existing provision to increase take up.
In Bradford the impetus was from a community centre who wanted to train its staf and volunteers
in Community development. They suggested some people to approach, and ESB suggested others
that it had known from the past. The people who came were from other community centres, from a
Foyer (a residential hostel for homeless young people), the local College, community workers, Housing
Association, a local Resource Centre and Voluntary Action organisation.
This group decided to conduct a small survey to fnd out what kind of training people wanted. This
showed that some people wanted taster workshops, and others the opportunity to gain qualifcations,
and some wanted a form of Recognition for ofenders on community service, some for the young
people in the foyer, as well as for volunteers. The group decided to compile a list of people who could
run courses and have started to apply for funding to put on some courses. The group publicised the
existing CD course being run by the Voluntary Action. The community centre who started this hopes
to run a pilot Recognition scheme early in 2014 using some of their own funds, Probation funding and
money from local funding bodies. They have also contacted the WEA local coordinator who will visit soon
to see if they can help with funding the workshops, which can be opened up to other local voluntary
organisations.
In Adur a Sostenga member brought together a group of people who might be interested in
Recognition, including a local voluntary action, The Big Local (a funding body), local council workers,
independent training providers, voluntary sector training providers and local community activists. They
organised a workshop on Recognition which was then followed by a training day for future mentors.
The local voluntary action raised enough money to put on a day training session on What is Community
Development? and how Recognition could work. Now that interest has been expressed in Recognition
by diferent sets of people, the group is looking to fnd some money for a pilot project for local people.
In Manchester a Sostenga member met with a person who had previously led a national CD organisation.
29
They then talked to a few more people who were attending a starfsh meeting a meeting with a wider
remit than just training in CD and from this a few people expressed interest. With the support of ESB
a meeting was held to discuss setting up a CDL hub. This has now led to the likelihood of 2 hubs being
formed one for a very small area which is physically separated from the rest Manchester by roads, and
the other for a larger area to the south of the city. In the frst one the regeneration agency has come
up with some money to run a Recognition scheme for local residents backed up by workshops open to
residents and their own staf who need to know more about CD. This project will start in the spring of
2014. The bigger hub has members from the local council, housing associations, a specialised Theological
College which runs CD programmes, the WEA and other training providers. This group has commissioned
a trainer to deliver some What is CD taster sessions and to use them to determine interest in Recognition
or other types of learning in the near future.
We aim to share the ideas of CDL hubs at some national conferences of housing associations early in
2014, and are looking at how to form a network of CDL hubs.