Grundtvig Learning Partnership

The learning partnership for "Roma Youth Empowerment for Active Citizenship" brought together Roma organizations experienced in adult education from five European countries for a two year lasting transnational networking and learning process. The main aims of the partnership were to strengthen the foreign language skills, the initiative and the social and civic skills of young adult learners, Roma and non-Roma, to combat racism and xenophobia, as well as to improve the approaches and methods of staff and trainers in the field. The partnership addressed the transnational and European challenge, which was recognized by the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020, that young Roma are at risk of social marginalization through lack and failures in formal educational systems. Stigmatization and social marginalization are recognized as the root causes of social exclusion. Therefore, the partnership developed innovative and inclusive approaches in adult education with young Roma and non-Roma adults, based on non-formal and informal educational methods, and disseminated and advocated practices on national and European level.

The core elements of the Grundtvig Learning Partnership were international mobilities of staff, trainers, educators and young adult learners. Mobilities included joint meetings of the partnership in order to share practices, develop concepts, tools and a common understanding, as well as in order to develop the skills and competences of educators, as well as of adult learners. Various phases of individual mobilities allowed staff members, trainers and educators to travel to the partner organizations, to observe and understand the practices and local realities, to participate in local activities, and to learn from different approaches and methods in adult education. Moreover, individual mobilities of young adult learners had a great impact on their skills development, in particular foreign language skills, skills of intercultural learning and understanding different realities, and social and civic skills. 

Participating organizations: Roma Education Centre (SK), Amaro Foro (DE), RGDTS (HU), Youth Network for Development (BG), Roma Onlus (IT)

Time frame: August 2012 - July 2014

With the financial support of the Grundtvig Learning Partnership programme in the framework of the Lifelong Learning Program of the European Commission.