| | | ACC Bulletin No. 61
November 17th 2004
ACC International Programme Office
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Learning for European Co-Citizenship, by Lucie Čížková.
Outstanding Global Work Award Ceremony 2004, San Juan.
Newropeans Think Tank Award 2004 Ceremony, Paris.
European Parliament - What does it mean for me?
WebSeminars and Network on European Citizenship Education/FECC
Networking European Citizenship Education Conference, Santiago
Membership of EAEA
Invitations received
Calendar
New members
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Learning for European Co-Citizenship, by Lucie Čížková.
This thesis by Lucie Čížková (Learning for European Co-Citizenship – Danish Contribution to the Educational Aspect of Post-National Identity Formation) analyzes the current debate about the concepts of citizenship and identity with a special regard to the process of European integration. It uses Jürgen Habermas’ teachings to point out the necessity to redefine these concepts so they capture the reality of today’s Europe. It examines the learning processes that enhance post-national identity formation in Europe and suggests that the Danish tradition of non-formal residential education of adults, the folkehřjskole, can be used for the purpose of learning for European co-citizenship. The initiative that supports the establishment of a European variant of the Danish schools, the Association for Community Colleges, is pointed out as a practical example of that use.
Download from the ftp-server: http://seminars.acc.eu.org/Seminars/(1)%20First%20European%20Community%20College%20(FECC)%20-%20A%20proposal%20for%20European%20Citizenship%20Education/Principles%20-%20European%20Citizenship%20Education/Learning%20for%20CoCitizenship/Thesis.pdf
Just a few highlights:
".the essence of learning for co-citizenship in Europe should be the commitment to the process of peaceful democratic dialogue and discussion, allowing each individual to venture on a path of questioning, defining, doubting, redefining and co-defining his or her identity within a community of co-citizens" (p.10)
"Formal education is constrained in the area of learning for co-citizenship by the unequal relationship between the teacher and the students, by clearly defined curricula that leave little space for adjustment and flexibility, and by the need to make the 'immature' identify with the values of the 'mature' part of the society. Post-nation citizenship is rarely encouraged and the protected imagined community is that of the nation state. Last but not least, citizenship needs to be learnt through citizenship practice, for which there are limited conditions in the formal educational institutions. These weaknesses are resolved in the sphere of non-formal learning to which Community College courses belong" (p.91).
"The essence of Europe [...] is not to look back at the sometimes glorious and other times bloody past of Europe. It is neither in the bargaining about quotas, nor about blaming "Brussels" for local mischief. The essence of Europe should lie in the commitment to the process of peaceful, open, and democratic dialogue, through which Europe and Europeans could come closer to defining what Europeanness consists of." (p. 99)
"The common journey suggested [...] is the establishment of European Community Colleges, schools where Europeans could come together to discuss European issues in a non-formal learning setting while simultaneously forming small samples of European public sphere." (p. 99)
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Outstanding Global Work Award Ceremony 2004, San Juan
The Association for Community Colleges (ACC) is the 2004 recipient of the Organisational Development Network's Outstanding Global Work award. The Awards and Recognition Committee met in April “and agreed wholeheartedly to recognize ACC for its sustainability and its breadth and depth of global work”. “We are pleased to have found such a deserving recipient for the award in this our 40th Anniversary celebration year!”
These were the pleasant words received by our contact to the Organisational Development Network (ODN), Nataliya Nikolova – ACC in Varna - in early June.
The boarding school format as a method for creating a European public sphere – with its non-formal, formal and in particular informal learning elements has then been seen and now appreciated even outside Europe and in the world of global business.
We were pleased to get to know, that the award serves a vital need of the ODN community - recognizing and celebrating outstanding contributions and achievements in serving the field of organization development.
The award was presented during one of the plenaries of the 2004 ODN Annual Conference (3 - 6 October 2004) at the Caribe Hilton, San Juan, Puerto Rico. John Petersen (ACC chairperson), attended both conference and sessions as representing the ACC.
In his nomination speech, Mr Bob Marshak (ODN Board of Trustees), mentioned in particular the trans-national character of the work and organisation of the ACC as well as pointed out the global potential of the civil society work done by the ACC in Europe.
John Petersen received the award on behalf of the 4-500 ACC members believing in combining formal, non-formal and informal learning methods within the residential European Community College format. “It is my impression that in US-America you understand that Europeans have to stand together – and not only on government level”, said John Petersen, and continued expressing that “...there is a need to develop a European public sphere and we are some few common citizens working on it. Thank you for catching sight of us!”
Apart from the award ceremony, the OD Annual Conference was a major inspiration for the ACC, as it proved that INGO’s like the ACC are far from standing alone in developing new forms of organisations that fit a post-national era. High-level speakers of the ODNetwork, including strategists of Microsoft, Intel and a number of OD Practitioners, authors and university staff – even if within the logic of the marketplace – proved the need to investigate further the possible bonds between the triangle of market-place-demands, motivations stemming from ideological goals, and the will expressed in the policy of governments.
Next years OD Network Annual Conference is going to take place in Minneapolis, http://www.odnetwork.org/conf2005/
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Newropeans Think Tank Award 2004 Ceremony, Paris.
ACC had been nominated in the category youth/education together with JEFF, AEGEE and CafeBabel. The festivities have been taken place in Paris at the very private place of the writer Léo Gros. Invited had been only the leader or a representative of the nominated organisations, institutions or enterprises. In this way the ceremony was organized in a small and personal way so I had the chance to gather more information about the other organisations and their aims from a very personal side. At this point I want to mention especially the Newropeans network. This network contains a quite large number of partnerships among existing european organisations and private groups who aim to pave the way of democratisation in the European Union. This idea of the Newropeans was created at the Congress in october 2000 when the AEGEE was having their 15th anniversary of their first congress. There the participants explored a neccessity to associate more people with the establishing procedure of the Union. After this congress the Newropeans web portal was created to link up all those who who had been interested to found such european network. The Newropeans network was founded later in June 2002 while the democratic marathon was held in more than 100 cities of 25 countries to debate on a European future during 8 month. That was also when the charta of the "fifteen fundamental principals and reform proposals for a democratized Europe in the coming decades" had been sent out. As you can imagine this network gathers today a lot of organisations together and represents a wide opinion towards the European future.
The Award now is one way to honor the participation of an organisation,institution or enterprise of the democratisation process and in another way it gives access to the privileges of the Newropeans network. The decision of the winner consisted of 500 member judges.
The Award in our category was given to CafeBabel. ACC did not really have a realisitc chance to win this prize since as far as I discovered the most the member judges I talked with did not really know what ACC stands or works for. Therefore this ceremony was a good chance to familiarize other organisation leaders with ACC.
All in all it was already an honor to be nominated and if we work a bit more on the representation we could win the award next year.
To gather more information about all the other winners or the newropean network check out these internet pages
http://www.newropeans.org
http://www.europe2020.org
See you soon and stay in the ACC spirit
Helen Frenzel (Paris)
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European Parliament - What does it mean for me?
This was the headline, when the ACC Latvia organised a seminar for 24 young people on the issues of European Parliament. The seminar took place at the Rites Tautskola (LV) from October 28th-31st, and was a complete success! Participants proved to be very active and interested. Included was a visit in Siauliai (LT) and a meeting with their mayor and students from Siauliai University and a Latvian MEP. The seminar was 4 days long and was mainly sponsored by the European Parliament Information Office in Latvia. As usually, the event took place within the 24-hours concept. The Community College idea of 24-hours learning and living together makes the difference and has proved it once again.
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WebSeminars and Network on European Citizenship Education/FECC
The first week of the WebSeminars went very well. We hope that the discussions will evolve during the next seminar weeks (November 15th-21st & December 6th-12th).
The following report aims at summing up the different types of contributions we have received during the first seminar-week and to reply on some concrete questions.
With this summary we hope to inspire you to go to the website (http://www.acc.eu.org/SEEEMS.asp?id=2702), read the different contributions and comment on them (seminar@acc.eu.org) so that we can get a good discussion going on the purpose, the principles, the content and the methods of European citizenship education and the First European Community College (FECC).
1) A lot of organizations have kindly sent us their logos, which we have placed on the website as a symbol of their support. We appreciate this gesture - thank you.
2) Several persons have written us e-mails to show us their interest in the seminar and the establishment of FECC. Thank you for showing an interest – we hope that you will share your thoughts about the FECC and take part in the debate.
3) A sum up of the contributions:
• Hans Göttel from Europahaus Burgenland has sent a short project description on the relations between adult education and citizen’s initiative to create a European sphere. Mr Göttel finds that this description could be a source of inspiration for citizenship education at the FECC.
• R. Sampatkumar from International Society for Human Values has the following comment to the FECC and to the Basic Paper 2 (Basic paper included in the invitation). Mr Sampatkumar wonders about a statement in the Basic Paper concerning a withdrawing from taking part in any cultural dimensioning of a European identity. Mr Sampatkumar finds it difficult to avoid discussing culture in the process of building European Citizenship when the idea and inspiration of the FECC come from the Danish Folk High School model. (Please see the answer below in (5))
• The Secretariat from the Cypriot Students and Young Scientists organisation seeks more involvement from youth organizations in the establishment of the FECC. The Secretariat proposes, among other aspects, that there should be more emphasis on intercultural understanding in the whole process of establishing the FECC and that the monitoring committee for the Community College should be composed of NGOs from around Europe that could give their opinion and be connected with the programme.
• Eva Valvo from the ACC-board contributed with a paper on Europe and its margins. Miss Valvo hopes that the paper will serve as inspiration for discussing identities and citizenship in Europe and that the topic should be included at the FECC.
• Ted Hartly, director for Development and Special Projects believes that a work plan and a report on citizenship trough education would serve as inspiration on how to proceed with the citizenship education at the FECC.
• Concepción Naval provided some research information on Education for Citizenship from a research group that she is conducting at the University of Navarra, Spain hoping that the information can be beneficial to the establishment of the FECC and citizenship education in general.
• Mjellma Mehmeti from the ACC-board provided a quotation from an interview on the core of Europe, the core of Europeanness made by the ACC. The person quoted suggests that citizenship education should explain what impact the 20th Centuries Wars have had on the political integration of the EU. A topic of discussion should be who can and who cannot be a member of the EU – the membership of the EU should only be granted to the countries that regret and admit the sins they have committed in the past.
• Conchi Gallego from the ACC-board contributed with a publication, which deals with European Citizenship for young people. Miss Gallego hopes that the publication can inspire and be subject of discussion for the methods of the FECC.
• Amana S Ferro provided her Master’s Thesis on the double standard the EU applies in relation to minority rights’ protection. Miss Ferro hopes that her Thesis can be an inspiration to what kind of topics that could be dealt with at the FECC.
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Networking European Citizenship Conference (NECE)
The European Year of Citizenship through Education 2005 of the Council of Europe was one important background when the Bundeszentrale für Politsche Bilding (Federal Agency for Civic Education, Bonn) invited to the "Networking European Citizenship Conference" in Santiago de Compostela. The NECE conference took place from September 23rd-26th. Conchi Gallego, Dasa Bolcina and John Petersen took part in the conference for the ACC. The forwarding of the FECC-project in beforehand to the organisers, made organisers send a special invitation to the ACC. We were invited to present our good practise as what European Citizenship Education concerns in the workshop dedicated to (a) "non-public organisations" (NGO's etc). Other workshops were dedicated to the (b) public units (universities, ministries), (c) projects dealing with competencies in the media and information society, (d) projects on participatory engagement for increasing voting rates and (e) projects on education for sustanability and intercultural learning.
As is common at conferences dealing with European issues, there is a built in uncertainty, if we are dealing with Europe or we are solely dealing with exchanges of practices between states in Europe. The NECE-conference mirrored this uncertainty as well. It is difficult to say, if the conference dealt mainly with Citizenship Education in Europe or mainly with European Citizenship Education. The truth is probably both at this stage. The conference will prove to be an important step in making this very uncertainty more clear and to inspire for ways forward.
Conclusions from the conference as well as the resolution from the non-public workshop is available from:
,0,0,NECE_%96_Networking_European_Citizenship_Education.html
The participation of the ACC in the NECE-conference should be viewed in the context of creating a network of First European Community College- sympathizers and of European Citizenship Education for the development of a Europan public sphere in general.
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EAEA-membership
The ACC has been approved for associative membership of the European Association for Education of Adults (EAEA). The EAEA-General Assembly in Metz (F) taking place in the weekend of 5th-7th of November, the Assembly approved unanimously this recommendation of the EAEA-board. Elly Andersen and John Petersen took part in the GA representing the ACC.
The EAEA does (a) policy advocacy for lifelong learning at a European level, (b) develops practice through projects, publications and training and (c) provides information and services for members. A work plan for 2005 was presented at the GA. It stresses EAEA's continued cooperation with the Commission, influencing public policy within memberstates, cooperation with the EU-parliament, strategic partnerships, development of learning activies via projects and training and councelling, information and service activities towards members, and a number of EAEA-organizational issues.
Full members of EAEA are typically adult evening schools, Volkshochshulen, Universitees Populaires, folkeoplysningsforbund etc. It means the main focus of EAEA has been on basic skills in a "learning society", while aiming at basic skills for only a "knowledge society" is considered be a too narrow focus.
More information at the www.eaea.org
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Invitations received (find it at the website, http://www.acc.eu.org/SEEEMS/873.asp):
*Small islands developing 7-12/1-2005 (Mauritius)
*Community Activist Network Project, Kosovo (2nd April- october 2nd 2005)
*European Week (11-15 of April 2005)
*International Poetry Competition, Italy (20.03.05)
*International Workshop, Palestine (22.12.2004 -03.01.2005)
*Grant for Cultural Project Concerning the Meditteranean World
*Snoghřj Cirius Course 2005 (Snoghřj, DK, 9/1-21/5)
*The use of the sport as a tool to fight against violence in social work with young people (Toulouse, France 6-12/12 2004)
OBS! Applicants for the Demos Community College (Rhodes, http://www.acc.eu.org/SEEEMS.asp?id=2063)!!
Please remark the Grant for Cultural Project Concerning the Meditteranean World at the invitations-page. It could make it possible for your to take part in the Demos CC. The grant is meant to incite research and appreciation of the region’s cultural diversities. Candidates will be required to travel outside their native country to pursue their research on a subject of their choice. The result of their investigations can take the form of expression of their choice: written, oral or visual. Should the candidate so desire, the elaboration of the final result of the project can be carried out while in residence at the Marc de Montalembert Foundation on the island of Rhodes (the site of the Demos CC)
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Calendar:
October 1st-3rd: ACC Latvia internal seminar at Rites Tautskola.
October 2nd: AWE International Council meeting in Moshi, Tanzania (No participation from the ACC). ACC reapproved as an associate.
October 5th: John Petersen received, on behalf of the ACC, an award from the Organization Development Network in San Juan, Puerto Rico for “Outstanding Global Work.”
October 9th-10th: Board meeting in Mollina, Malaga (Spain).
October 14th: Urska Novak visiting the ACC Office
October 15th: Mjellma Mehmeti meeting in the government of the Rep. of Macedonia, European integration office.
October 16th: John Petersen introducing ACC at Ryslinge Hřjskole together with Daniel Zuchowski, Lucie Ciskova and Urska Novak, (DK).
October 20th: John Petersen presenting the ACC at Aarhus Business School (DK).
October 22nd: Helen Frenzel representing the ACC at the Newropeans Think Tank Award Ceremony 2004, Paris (F).
October 24th-31st: Elisabeth Alber presenting the ACC at the seminar: “Making a difference - the participation of minority youth in public life”, Sinaia (RO)
October 28th-31st: Seminar for High School students in Rites Tautskola (ACC Latvia).
October 25th-31st: First Webseminar on future European Citizenship Education.
October 31st: ACC Ĺrhus Committee meeting (DK)
October 18th-21st: European Parliament - What does it mean for me? 4-days seminar at Rite, 24 young Latvians at Rites Tautskola (LV)
November: Szilvia Malik visiting the office, interviewing Mjellma Mehmeti.
November 4th, Urska Novak visiting the ACC Office
November 5th-7th: Elly Andersen and John Petersen representing the ACC at the EAEA General Assembly, Metz (F)
November 11th, Article by Szilvia Malik in Nepszabadsag, Az európai gondolat oktatása - Véletlenül éppen Dániában (HU)
November 12th, Aarhus Business School Students presenting proposals for future revising of the Rites Tautskola and the ACC websites (DK).
November 15th-21st, Second Webseminar on future European Citizenship Education.
November 15th-19th, ACC taking part in the International Week of Cirius, Copenhagen (DK)
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A warm welcome to our new members:
Ilze Andersone, Riga
Emilie Champliaud, Ĺrhus
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Our best regards,
John Petersen/Helle Villekold
ACC International Programme Office
Falstersgade 44, st.
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
0045 7363 0043
0045 2425 3068
www.acc.eu.org
office@acc.eu.org
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