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Paris Seminar

Summary of the event

We would like to organize 4 day long Seminar, bringing together 40 youngsters from different youth NGOs, with the aim to create platform to discuss and share best examples of impact of non formal education, active youth participation in civil society and decision making processes.

At the same time with the day on Non Formal Education organised at UNESCO’s Headquaters 4th of December, gathering many youth NGOs, we would like to use this chance and held seminar in parallel on non-formal education.

By bringing together representatives of different youth NGOs we would like to create a platform to exchange good practices and to set future action plan – how to make Non Formal Education recognized.

Partners

Netherlands: IPSF - International Pharmaucetical Students' Federation
France: BEST - Board of European Students of Technology
Belgium: EMSA - European Medical Students Association
Belgium: ESN - Erasmus Student Network
Germany: IFSA - International Forestry Students’ Association
Lithuania: YEU Lithuania - Jaunimo mainai ir bendradarbiavimas
Poland: Societas Matura - Mature Societies
Finland: EYP - Finland ry
Germany: AEGEE-Mainz/Wiesbaden e.V.
Greece: Neoi Evropeioi Federalistes Elladas (Young European Federalists Greece)
Latvia: Zemgale NGO Support Centre

The theme and objectives of the event

The project aims at creating platform for youth workers and youth leaders to discuss and share best experience they have gained when practicing youth work and non – formal education (NFE).

Projects objectives are:

  • To exchange methodologies, approaches and impressions about non-formal education and how youth organizations put it into practice;
  • To present various initiatives on the subject of recognition of NFE that took place at national level as well as at European level;
  • To gather resources and experience of different youth NGOs in the field, with the aim to elaborate joint positions on recognition of NFE;
  • To encourage young people to be active citizens. This is defined as stimulating involvement at every dimension of citizenship, as well as inciting to the creation of new ways of action and cooperation in order to achieve an active and creative civil society.
  • To realize the role of youth organizations, the role that structures like AEGEE-Paris and other NGO’s participating in this seminar have in the NFE process, but also in the society
  • To be able to demonstrate to external world the impact that non-formal education experience has on young people today, and the outcomes that can be achieved if non-formal education is used in peer-to-peer context

We would like to benefit from an event at UNESCO/Paris – the Day on Non-Formal Education that takes place on 4th of December 2007. It will gather 45 NGOs (member organisaitons of Joint Programmatic Committee on Youth at UNESCO), to look at practical aspects, impact and outcomes of NFE, within global context. We believe that this event will be a perfect forum to share the outcomes of our seminar. Having the seminar before to UNESCO Day, will enable to prepare for it in the best way possible. The common ground for both our seminar and UNESCO event are: the role of youth and youth NGOs in the society, application of various NFE methods and its results, impact of youth activities, based on NFE, on shaping young generations.. Another benefit from linking our seminar to UNESCO event is that it will create a great opportunity for local youth activists to meet youth leaders coming for the UNESCO Day on NFE. Sharing the vision and ideas of people working in high posts of international NGO’s with the vision of NGO’s active in local level will be a good way to approach the NFE and its concept. At the same time the presence of all those youth leaders in our city will have a very good impact in the motivation of the local youth activists. We are convinced that with our seminar we will get the best out of occurring possibilities for the youth activists in Paris.

We believe that it's an important moment to focus on NFE and role of youth NGOs. Youth work bears particular characteristics and a unique value since it provides the opportunity of non-formal education and space for young people to develop their capacities and become active citizens.

Having consulted our partner organisaitons, we realised a shared feeling among European youth that school/university don't meet growing needs of educated society. Different forms of out of school learning have been elaborated since 70s of 20th century – vocational training, adult training etc. The French concept of popular education (education populaire), is seeing its equivalents in more and more European environments., Non-Formal Education Tools are not used only by youth organizations, but also by trade unions, political unions and many other.

However, still in many countries and by many institutions non-formal education is treated more as an obstacle or a hobby, rather than a complementary component to formal education. From the experiences of our partner organisations we realised that many volunteers and members of non-governmental organizations experience this problem.

In most European Countries nowadays there is problem of understanding, what youth work and what non-formal education is, what kind of skills are acquired through NGO work. Recognition of learning outcomes is not based on real assessment of knowledge, skills and attitudes, but only on documents issued by official institutions. Young people with learning experience acquired outside of formal education system are not equally treated on the job market. Next to that, an issue of great importance is often ignored: it's the immense positive impact that NFE activities, done by peer-to-peer channels can have! This positive impact is much bigger than institutions see it, and often, even bigger than the NGOs themselves realise. We want to make a step towards higher self-awareness among youth NGOs of the impact they have or can have. We also aim further, at reaching institutions based in our city (international like UNESCO, or local/national) to show them this impact in a more clear and convincing manner.

By bringing together youth workers and youth leaders from various NGOs, from different countries, we will give us all chance to learn from each other. On practical level, by sharing experiences, best practices, and practising methods of NFE which our NGOs use. On more philosophical level, by reflecting on our role in society, realising our mission, and defining what we as NGOs and as individuals get from NFE.. We will also gain new knowledge with help of the invited experts.

As the finalisation of our activities, participants would compile a document with our conclusions and messages, which will be presented in the UNESCO Day on NFE. We believe that our input will be valued, as it will be very practical, thought over and tailored to the concept of UNESCO event. Therefore we count on it being included in the results of the Day on NFE.

Seminar will create space for gathering representatives of different NGOs with different background and experience. This would enable participants to share experience and success stories on the topic of NFE. Since seminar talks about non-formal education, the whole activity will be built on different non-formal education methods.

The structure of the programme reflects the objectives put that are set by us. During each day we focus on a bit different aspect.

And so, the seminar starts with general introductions and claryfying expectations. Getting to know each other is a basis that is needed for participants to work efficiently together and share the best of them. The latter part of first day is where we learn about other present NGOs: discover and understand different ways of working, but also mark the relation and approach of each organisaiton to non-formal education and initiatives that some of them have undertaken for recognition of NFE.
The following three days create a sequence: NFE – IMPACT – OUTCOMES, as it is also presented in the title of the seminar. We'll start with going in depth info non-formal education, as this is the issue we want to have joint conclusions about. To avoid getting stuck in definitions, we want to approach it from a new angle and use expression by artistic means, we'll also set common key words for our work. However on that day the emphasise will be put on practice. We want each organisation to share an interesting NFE methodology, in order to show variety in it and get a great collection for future activities. We plan to have also outdoor activities, by carrying out some of the presented methods in public, on the streets or squares or Paris (e.g. theatre forum)

Next day we will focus on the role of NGOs, and the impact that youth can have if organised. By basing our discussions on scientific knowledge, we will assure new insight and higher level of quality of conclusions. Nevertheless it is crucial that participants develop their own perceptions and reflect on their role and responsibility they carry out. Special attention will be drawn to the peer-to-peer communication. There will be a film showing how this method greatly empowers youth in developing countries. After the film we will do both: group discussions as well as self-reflection, to build upon it. Meeting with UNESCO speaker, will let us see how youth involvement in NGOs is perceived and evaluated by a big international organisation.

On the “Impact” day we will try to express what are the benefits and effects of NFE. The starting point will be looking in oneself: self assessment with help of Portfolio, will allow participants to name whatever they have gained from their youth work involvement. On one hand participants will get familiar with the reality of lobbying for recognition. Meeting with representative of European Youth Forum will help to understand how institutions “talk” and “think” about NFE, which will be used by participants to formulate their papers with conclusions. The main task of the day will be to demonstrate how youth sees what are the outcomes of doing NFE. In smaller groups participants will use their creativity and experience to work out different images, expressions, messages, which will later be combined into conclusions paper.

Preparation will bring the whole group into the atmosphere of the next day – Day at UNESCO. There they will encounter many more representatives of youth NGOs. Participants will deepen their knowledge on NFE through workshops and sessions they will attend. But they will also contribute largely. In informal and formal setting they will be sharing outcomes of their work during seminar: sharing NFE methods and experiences, ad well as adding points for the result paper of UNESCO Day.

This great final point of the seminar will be also a strong injection of motivation and concrete ideas for follow-up activities. Particioants will gather once more after coming back from UNESCO, to evaluate their participation and plan their future actions (using the method of “letter to myself” and “my action agenda”)