.png)
Timeline of Events
Preparatory Workshop
28th July 2021
Description
Partners and citizen representatives will come together to formally launch the project and discuss processes and methodologies for citizen engagement. The group will cross check numbers and target groups to ensure maximum reach of project. The workshop will also prepare a risk assessment and mitigation strategy to ensure the deliverables are met in the context of Covid-19.
Outcome
Project formally launched and communication strategy begins with development of e-mail, website, Online platform etc. Press Release and Project news and plan disseminated across partner organizations.
Recruitment strategies and scoping of numbers of direct and indirect participants agreed. Gender/Equality/Poverty proofing of work plan and associated tasks. Risk assessment completed.
Opening Symposium
19th - 21st November 2021
Description
This initial seminar will take place at Maynooth University with remote participation of project partners in the case of ongoing Covid 19 restrictions on travel. The process will center on introducing the main topics/themes for discussion and the project ideation with potential participants. Guest experts will be asked to contribute to the seminar from both civil society and academic fields of practice.
Outcome
Citizen participants from individual partner organizations and colleagues from all partner organizations will engage for the first time. Smaller working groups will be formed to develop content and resources. Technical /training support will be delivered, and online methodologies agreed
Maynooth University:
Citizen Engaged Learning Programme
4 October 2021 - 29 April 2022
Description
This activity will take place over one academic year and will consist of the delivery of a facilitated learning programme focused on participant involvement in debates and discussion about European identity and the role of its citizens in contributing to its policy formation and shaping its future. The activity will be delivered on campus to undergraduates and off campus as part of an innovative community outreach programme.
Outcome
The activity will produce qualitative data and research on citizen understanding of European history, culture and identity taken from a diverse student body. This material contributes to the larger debates with fellow citizens across the other partner organisations. Participants will work collectively with their fellow European partners to develop a policy response and contribute to the online network discussions. They will also contribute to the development of the FFE open access journal.
Urkraft:
Participative Democracy Programme
4 October 2021 - 29 April 2022
Description
This programme of learning, reflection and participation will be delivered as a series of workshops with students, and adult learners from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups, especially those with psychiatric and neuropsychiatric disabilities as well as immigrants. The workshops will explore educational inequality and lifelong learning regarding inclusiveness building a sense of identity as a European. The issue is social inclusion and building a democratic society.
Outcome
Participants will work collectively with their fellow European partners to develop a policy response and contribute to the online network discussions. They will also contribute to the development of the FFE open access journal. The result of the workshops as well as reflections and conclusions from the peer discussions will be presented by using Story mapping, storytelling and podcast
EAPN Ireland:
Participative Democracy Programme
4 October 2021 - 29 April 2022
Description
EAPN Ireland will organise a series of workshops which will bring together people from marginalized communities, who as EU citizens often have little opportunity to discuss and debate the EU. The workshops will provide an opportunity for participants to develop their understanding of the EU and its relevance to their lives. EAPN Ireland will develop resources for their workshops and use this experience to contribute to the wider on-line resources being developed as part of this project.
Outcome
EAPN Ireland's activities will support people from marginalized communities to develop a deeper understanding of the EU, and potentially become more engaged as citizens in its development as a more inclusive Union. The online tools developed collectively by all the partners will mean that the project will have an impact beyond the project’s direct participants. EAPN Ireland's participation will help to ensure that these tools are accessible and relevant for marginalised citizens.
PECS University:
Participative Democracy Programme
4 October 2021 - 29 April 2022
Description
By learning for creative and active communities, workshops and community days are organized following the best practice of the Learning Festival. A Senior Academy with 124 students will target the age group to have access to intergenerational dialogue, i.e. students of community workers are holding symposiums and community events for the aged to feel connected and part of the European community sphere. Therefore, it strengthen the role of HEIs in the development of senior academies.
Outcome
Development of intergenerational dialogue for Active Citizenship, methodology on two horizons can lead to the following results: (a) between the broader socio-environment of senior citizens (mentees) and in the environment of the student/mentor, and (b) among the wider socio-environment of the mentees (methods can be passed on to the mentees). In other words, in addition to acquiring community learning supports.
Novi Sad University:
Engaged Learning Programme
4 October 2021 - 29 April 2022
Description
Targeting students who are representative of the diverse cultural student body at Novi Sad university this programme will provide a series of participative classes, workshops and debates on the Future of Europe. Using participative methodologies and reflective learning participants will identify common issues with fellow students and other participants from partner organisations and will work towards preparing papers that reflect the opinions, analysis and learning from their shared dialogue.
Outcome
This programme will challenge the populist nationalist rhetoric that is present across Europe and seek to build solidarity among citizens from across cultural and geographic divides. Students will work with other target groups to contribute to academic discourse about European Social Policy and will contribute to the development of dialogue between European university students and will provide opportunities for deeper relationships between higher education and civil society organisations.
Hellenic Anti-Poverty Network:
Participative Democracy Programme
4 October 2021 - 29 April 2022
Description
The Hellenic Antipoverty Network will organize seminars with participants, mainly refugees and asylum seekers. Themes of common interest will be identified, and participants will be engaged in mutual dialogue in order to bring about a shared collective understanding of European culture and identity. At the end of the implementation period a conference will be organized with participants from Greece and other participating countries and address key social, economic and cultural issues in Europe.
Outcome
The results of the project will be the development of a methodology to facilitate vulnerable groups with an emphasis on refugees and asylum seekers to participate in public debate processes to develop social action cultivate democratization, interculturalism and promote European values while countering Eurosceptic
European Symposium
14th - 16th March 2022
Description
This second symposium will bring together all of the partners and participants representatives with additional capacity to live stream to all participants. The symposium will present the citizen reflections using a range of media including video, audio and visual representations. The second day of the event will include policy workshops and a session focused on building the open access journal.
Outcome
Participants will have shared and collated their reflections and will be ready to begin the process of developing a collective policy response. The online platform will be fully operational and available for consultation with participants in other partner countries. Partners will have begun the process of establishing an open access journal for engaged research relating to Europe.
Final Conference
October 19th and 20th 2022
Description
This final conference will bring together all of the relevant research and findings associated with the project. It will mark the official launch of the open access journal and the online citizen network. The event will celebrate all participants who have been involved and contributed to the process from the outset. It will be an opportunity to communicate the policy position papers and other resources associated with the participant training/educational programmes.
Outcome
The project will have reached its target audience and will have successfully secured the sustainability of the citizen involvement through the provision of an online platform and open access journal. The project will have built relationships beyond the partner organizations and will have successfully communicated its message and disseminated associated material through this network of participant organizations both academic and community based.