We have collected and made sense around practices on how to engage citizens in community building
The booklet was edited and published in the frame of the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Co-Engage. Erasmus Plus is financed by the European Union.
“A successful innovation policy is one that involves all actors in society, innovation is something you do with people, not to them”
– José Manuel Barroso
Co-engage methods
General introduction
Co-Engage project is seeking to identify Smart Practices of co-creation.
A concert of 8 partners worked together for more than 3 years, through a global social-economical crisis caused by the pandemic, not only on our formal goals but also investigating side-goals like to create a european network which could strengthened up collaboration between different countries and organizations who have common values and visions. On a political point of view, the collective process we took part in is the most important output we generated.
What are Smart Practices?
Smart Practices are adaptable and applicable practices, suited to various needs, target groups and circumstances (they are transferable). Smart Practices engage and are accessible for groups with different backgrounds and skills and raise from the needs and the capacity of the learners. Smart Practices improve the current status of communities in a smart way and empower learners to take a more active role in society. Smart Practices include the learners in the construction of the assessment.
What is the context of co-creation?
The Co-Engage project is facilitating co-creation processes in order to turn citizens to be innovators and advocates of positive change in their community. By supporting people to discover and develop their capacities of critical thinking and constructive participation in any issue related to their personal and professional lives, citizens will gain the tools to be empowered and to be equipped for active participation.
Specific method
Comparative Research Network
The Comparative Research Network was founded in 2007 and worked since then in the field of adult education and research. The CRN Network is specialised in training activities within the fields of intercultural competences, intergenerational learning, mobilities and migration. Additionally, the CRN is specialised in creating and performing evaluation and dissemination processes. CRN lately gained through various projects both as coordinator and participant expertise in game design in education, storytelling and community reporting, where the network is currently carrying out training for several target groups. Due to CRN being organised as a transnational network, it has an international scope. At the moment, it employs 4 permanent and around 10 freelance staff, and has a network of more than 120 members, located in almost every European country. As a NGO CRN is non-profit oriented and performs crucial part of its work on a voluntary basis. Major target groups of the CRN are beside trainer marginalized groups, such as persons living in remote rural areas, seniors and unemployed. Generally, CRN is seeking to link social science with civil society.
Contact: central@comparativeresearch.net
Federation of Youth Associations from Porto District
FAJDP (Federation of Youth Associations from Porto District) is an umbrella organization for Youth Work stablished in 1986. Since than more 100 affiliated Youth Associations joined, more than 25000 youngsters are active within the affiliated Associations and today is represented in 17 of 18 district councils of Porto region.
FAJDP have already organized and participated in several events (local, regional, national and international level) related to youth participation, democracy, fight against racism and xenophobia and active citizenship.
Find more at:
www.fajdp.pt
https://www.facebook.com/fajdp/
https://www.facebook.com/casadasassociacoesfajdp/
Education for Democracy Foundation
Founded in 1989, the Education for Democracy Foundation is an independent, non-profit, nongovernmental organization. Our mission is to create and support prodemocratic and procivic changes in societies in Poland as well as in post-Soviet countries. We make efforts to encourage people to take responsibility for their local communities and be open to other cultures and societies. To achieve this goal, we educate leaders of social changes and financially support their initiatives.
People’s Voice Media
People’s Voice Media is a NGO based in Salford in Manchester that works across Europe. PVM was founded in 1995 and we specialise in supporting people to have a voice. In 2013 we were recognized as being one of the top 50 digital leaders in the UK.
We developed the Community Reporter programmer in 2007 and this has now developed into a pan European Community Reporter partnership with over 35 organisational members and almost 2000 reporters. Reporters are local residents often from marginalized and excluded groups who tell their own stories and the story of other people around them to develop an authentic European voice of real people. All are programmers are accredited and quality assured through the Institute of Community Reporters. We work in the Heath, housing and higher
education and research sector with service users, citizens and communities.
School Raising
School Raising is a platform harnessing innovation into schools. We think schools are the best partners we can engage to enable the citizens of tomorrow to co-design solutions for the needs of our society. We make it happen creating opportunity of peer exchanges between teachers, students, parents, citizens and companies.
Our Design Thinking workshops enabling schools to co-design concrete solutions while solving social challenges.
Ipso Facto
Ipso Facto is a training and consulting cabinet works on local and national social
politics, helping institutional and social and solidarity economy actors in their
strategies, actions and evaluation.
Ipso Facto develops training programs based on active involvement of participants
(institutional and social and solidarity economy actors) with cooperative games.
Slide TL’Echappée des copropriétésitle
L’Echappée des copropriétés is an association aiming to create free tools for inhabitants and professionals working with degraded condominiums (condo facing technical, financial and social issues), In order to promote mobilization and implement a better governance in renovation projects.
The methodology is based on short videos and popular education animations to promote collective exchange.
Future Fashion Forward
Future Fashion Forward e.V.is a non-profit association addressing brands and fashion consumers alike in order to establish a more sustainable and responsibly-trading fashion industry. Our mission is to raise consumption awareness among consumers and to support textile companies in regards to their social and ecological impact.
FFF e.V. provides expertise and background information; different education programs, alternative fashion consumption solutions. Our vision is to boost sustainable buying decisions of customers all ages mainly by providing valuable background knowledge which leads to a change of shopping behavior and consequently to a sustainable transformation of the economy.
Future Fashion Forward e.V. is run by a group of ca.20 highly motivated experts from various backgrounds within the fashion industry including fashion and graphic design, marketing and education. Besides that FFF can count on about 50 voluntary helpers for special events.
VDU AJMD "Modusas"
“Modusas” is non-profit, NGO (non-government organization), situated in Vytautas Magnus university, Kaunas, that consists of a group of young people active on youth work. Our main goal is the enlightenment of the civic public in nature sciences. Our organization specializes in biology and chemistry.
We host a multitude of seminars in our university and lead biology and chemistry classes in different schools around the country. We always try to make a connection between theoretical and practical sciences.
