Active citizenship with global dimension
Start date: Mar 1, 2015,
End date: Feb 28, 2017
PROJECT
FINISHED
The new time has brought new challenges and opened for young people not only geographical boarders but also boarders and horizons of competences. The topics of global interdependence and responsibility are becoming more relevant and the current globalisation trends caused that the active global citizenship is becoming more and more important. Critical thinking, sustainable ways of living, respect, solidarity, fight against xenophobia and understanding the connection between global end local are important components of their competences, which young people should acquire and reflect on to become active global citizens.
Young people are unprepared for fast changing interconnected globalized world. According to Eurobarometer 2013 (Future of Europe) nearly half of Europeans think society should stress social equality and solidarity in order to face major global challenges. Social equality and solidarity are closely related to the values and attitudes. Better understanding, ability to analyse and think critically on connection between individual action and global issues is missing also because of difficulties to implement learning oriented to attitudes into formal education curriculum.
Shift to non formal education as effective tool of spreading global citizenship concept is underlined by the researches done in Estonia. A study conducted in 2013 within the project „Youth of the World” among the Estonian youth organisations showed a great interest towards global education topics. 80% of the 83 organisations that took part in the survey were interested in learning more about global topics, particularly inter-cultural dialogue, access to education, sustainable development and human rights and discrimination. The results clearly indicated that there is a need for training opportunities to support youth organizations putting more focus on global issues. 91% of the respondents said that they would be interested in taking part in (or sending a member of their organization to) a training seminar on global citizenship education. In Austria similar survey showed that Global Learning is seen as absolutely relevant and more support related to trainings and material is needed.
Our project reflects on all of the topics related to sustainability and supporting the individual actions to take an active role in the globalised world. Moreover, it stresses the importance to bring the new competences also in the field of non-formal education, where such competences are still under-estimated. Project also offers possibility to think of sustainable and long-term solutions, which includes strengthened international networking within global citizenship organizations as well as coordination with other important stakeholders like youth organizations.
The aim of the project is to improve cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices in global citizenship education within non-formal education by which will be created better conditions for bringing the topics of global active citizenship to non-formal education, particularly youth work. The specific objectives are:
• enhanced quality and relevance of the learning offer in non-formal education, particularly youth work in the area of global active citizenship and
• developed the competencies of global active citizenship among youth workers and youth group leaders.
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