"I am a city Changer"

I'm a City Changer is a global movement to share and spread individual, corporate and public initiatives that improve our cities.

I'm a City Changer is a worldwide campaign with the aim of sensitizing and creating awareness among citizens on urban issues to achieve better cities.

EXPLORING INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE

There is no accepted definition for Intercultural Dialogue. 

The term is an adaptation from other terms, all of which remain current, such as multiculturalism, social cohesion and assimilation. The best formulation at the moment is perhaps the terminology used by the Council of Europe in its White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue, which states:

‘Intercultural Dialogue is understood as an open and respectful exchange of views between individuals and groups with different ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds and heritage’. 

Note that this definition is wide enough to encompass almost all kinds of exchange between culturally distinct groups and individuals while setting down no priorities with regard to any of them. 

Have young people given up the fight?

An economic crisis. Climate crisis. Resource crisis. Unemployment crisis. Poverty crisis. Ecosystem crisis. Energy crisis. Food crisis. Democratic crisis. Values crisis. Social crisis.

No matter what the particularly interest is, everyone can agree we’re in a crisis one way or another. Once again words of global crises echoed around the imposing SulAmerica Conference Centre in Rio at the Youth Blast by speakers and young people from around the world.

But while the reminder of our impending doom, social destruction, economic collapse and environmental suicide can be inspiring to some and help people feel they are not alone as we stare into the abyss, mutual recognition of our problems is not solving them.

KEY COMPETENCES FOR LIFELONG LEARNING

European Reference Framework

As globalization continues to confront the European Union with new challenges, each citizen will need a wide range of key competences to adapt flexibly to a rapidly changing and highly interconnected world. Education in its dual role,  both social and economic, has a key role to play in ensuring that Europe’s citizens acquire the key competences needed to enable them to adapt flexibly to such changes.



In particular, building on diverse individual competences, the differing needs of learners should be met by ensuring equality and access for those groups who, due to educational disadvantages caused by personal, social, cultural or economic circumstances, need particular support to fulfill their educational potential. Examples of such groups include people with low basic skills, in particular with low literacy, early school-leavers, the long-term unemployed and those returning to work after a period of extended leave, older people, migrants, and people with disabilities.

A POWERFUL ANTI-BULLYING MESSAGE

Originally posted: http://www.voicesofyouth.org

Non-Formal Education helps employability of young people, research finds

Among the six soft skills mostly demanded by employers, five are also among those developed through involvement in youth organisations: communication, team work, decision-making, organisational skills and self-confidence.

A study by the European Youth Forum in cooperation with the University of Bath and GHK Consulting on “The impact of Non‐Formal Education in Youth Organisations on Young people’s Employability” will be presented tomorrow in Brussels at the European Economic and Social Committee, from 9am to 1pm.

Through consultation with 245 youth organisations, a survey with over 1,300 young people and focus groups with employers from across Europe this research assesses whether the competences and skills obtained through non-formal education in youth organisations contribute to the employability of young people.

Non-formal Education

What is Non-Formal Education?

The European Youth Forum works with a holistic view of Life long learning, understanding that all education builds on previous learning and all educators are de-facto collaborators. In this holistic view there are three different fields of education;

formal education is typically provided by formal education institutions and is sequentially and hierarchically structured leading to certification;

nonformal education is an organised educational process which takes place alongside the mainstream systems of education and training and does not typically lead to certification. Individuals participate on a voluntary basis and as a result, the individual takes an active role in the learning process.