About the Project
Active Telling, Active Learning
The EFC project to the active education of younger generations towards the cruelty of WWII
Project Description
The project involves 5 EU countries (Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Poland) ensuring a diverse perspective on EU historical experiences related to WWII, involving countries from different euro-zones. The chosen countries are a spectrum of European historical background and geographical balance. This pan-European involvement will ensure a cross-examination of national collective memories and create a comprehensive picture of one of the key episodes of European history –WWII. The partnership involves active organisation on various levels, some in small communities in which people have less opportunities to be engaged in EU activities. The Training of Trainers, followed by a public workshop on history teaching, will take place at The Europe Direct branch in Croatia. The Human Library events will take place in all partnering countries, with all parties having been heavily touched by WWII and the crimes associated with it.
In Italy the HL will be held in a public High School. In Romania and Poland it will be hosted by the university conference hall. In Slovenia and Croatia the HL will be run in co-operation with local municipalities.
Each event will be organised in 2 rooms: one used as the welcome desk running debates, the other as reading room with the books. The final international conference will take place in Bologna in the regional council convention room and will be accessible online via streaming services. One of the dissemination activities on local level (the urban trekking of remarkable WWII places) will happen simultaneously on the streets of partnering cities, ensuring the engagement of the passing-by public and tourists. Other dissemination activities will be organised in the main squares and public spaces at the university and municipal library halls.
In Italy the HL will be held in a public High School. In Romania and Poland it will be hosted by the university conference hall. In Slovenia and Croatia the HL will be run in co-operation with local municipalities.
Each event will be organised in 2 rooms: one used as the welcome desk running debates, the other as reading room with the books. The final international conference will take place in Bologna in the regional council convention room and will be accessible online via streaming services. One of the dissemination activities on local level (the urban trekking of remarkable WWII places) will happen simultaneously on the streets of partnering cities, ensuring the engagement of the passing-by public and tourists. Other dissemination activities will be organised in the main squares and public spaces at the university and municipal library halls.
Project Aims and Activities
Due to socio-political processes such as Brexit, today many Union citizens feel EU is not a feasible idea. EU “achievements in terms of peace and stability in Europe have not always led to a strong feeling among citizens of belonging to the EU” (Council Reg.390/2014). One of the main reasons it happens is that UE citizens, especially younger citizens, are not fully aware of EU history and & its achievements, thus taking it for granted. Project “ACT” is focused on commemoration of one of the core events in modern European history which touched every European country and millions of senior citizens –WWII. ACT activities involve citizens from 5 EU countries, which mainly target youths with WWII-commemorative events: creative workshops, guided visits to historical places, debates, and Human Library (HL) events in each partnering country.
The HL method turns people into “living Books”: from a 'catalogue', people in small groups can choose to “read a book”, as if turning the pages of real life in a face-to-face discussion. The invited “books” are the survivors, ex-partisans, victims’ relatives, history teachers, professors, and researchers of WWII History. Via discussion the 'readers' will be able to turn the pages of the book and show the EU’s history, developing active ownership on common EU values throughout and learning about their common past.
The HL method, recommended by CoE, will enhance inter-generational dialogue among youth and direct and indirect witnesses of WWII. It will also empower the witnesses to play an active role in raising awareness on the EU’s core values in the aftermath of WWII. By reflecting on their contemporary democratic achievements, ACT will foster a collective memory of the citizens and their feeling of belonging to EU community.
The HL method turns people into “living Books”: from a 'catalogue', people in small groups can choose to “read a book”, as if turning the pages of real life in a face-to-face discussion. The invited “books” are the survivors, ex-partisans, victims’ relatives, history teachers, professors, and researchers of WWII History. Via discussion the 'readers' will be able to turn the pages of the book and show the EU’s history, developing active ownership on common EU values throughout and learning about their common past.
The HL method, recommended by CoE, will enhance inter-generational dialogue among youth and direct and indirect witnesses of WWII. It will also empower the witnesses to play an active role in raising awareness on the EU’s core values in the aftermath of WWII. By reflecting on their contemporary democratic achievements, ACT will foster a collective memory of the citizens and their feeling of belonging to EU community.
Project Activities
The ACT work programme is based on a holistic approach that includes different activities based on the principles of non-formal education and active participation. The work methods applied are in the framework of NFE and follow the CEDEFOP guidelines for effective structuring of activities and validating the learning process. We chose HL as the method for main activity because it is able to sensitize and activate younger citizens (the readers) on the core values deriving from the Union’s citizenship. The activities plan is structured as stepping stones, including preparatory phases and activation phases we believe are the most appropriate for achieving projects’ aims and objectives. ACT is structured in 3 main phases:
The key method used for commemoration is the HL. It is an effective method to engage and spread testimonies through direct word of mouth, while reaching two diverse target groups – WWII witnesses (the Books) and younger generations (the Readers). After choosing a Book from the catalogue, the reader can speak with direct/ indirect witnesses in small groups (1-3 people). The public will be composed mainly by youths thanks to school involvement, so that youngsters can develop a sense of ownership and motivation to build together a tighter-knit EU based on fundamental rights.
The Books also share their experience during other commemorative activities run in each country involved: urban trekking – guided visits to places linked to WWII and crimes associated to it; video books creation, dissemination events.
The video-books will preserve oral testimonies, while the handbook supports the reuse of practices for youth workers, teachers and public bodies focusing on incorporating HL and other non-formal learning methods also in formal history education. The final conference fosters cross-sectoral cooperation and lays the basis for the establishment of holistic network on EU remembrance that can invest further in elaborating innovative and creative methods for citizenship education and bridge the gap between formal and non-formal learning sectors. The local dissemination events will encourage the local audience, the stakeholders to broaden their horizons of history & citizenship education on a national level by using innovative & creative techniques and fostering inter-generational dialogue – a crucial and important part of WWII education due to the woeful disappearance of the witness generation.
ACT actively involves not only those who have already taken part in HL but also those previously not a part of it: e.g., organising urban trekking; it being an open event outside can be engaging to the public passing-by, people living in the neighbourhood or tourists. The local dissemination events will encourage local audiences & stakeholders to broaden their horizons of history & citizenship education on an international level.
- Preparation and training: International Training Of Trainers on HL method (ToT) and public events (workshop on history teaching) - in Croatia
- Implementation: Human Books’ selection and books training in each country;
- HL events in each country;
- Dissemination in each country: Video-Books production and distribution;
- Handbook production and distribution;
- Urban trekking in remarkable WWII places;
- Final international conference in Italy: commemoration/share the results/setting of the ACT network followed by public debates on historical revisionism;
- Commemorative dissemination events in each country.
The key method used for commemoration is the HL. It is an effective method to engage and spread testimonies through direct word of mouth, while reaching two diverse target groups – WWII witnesses (the Books) and younger generations (the Readers). After choosing a Book from the catalogue, the reader can speak with direct/ indirect witnesses in small groups (1-3 people). The public will be composed mainly by youths thanks to school involvement, so that youngsters can develop a sense of ownership and motivation to build together a tighter-knit EU based on fundamental rights.
The Books also share their experience during other commemorative activities run in each country involved: urban trekking – guided visits to places linked to WWII and crimes associated to it; video books creation, dissemination events.
The video-books will preserve oral testimonies, while the handbook supports the reuse of practices for youth workers, teachers and public bodies focusing on incorporating HL and other non-formal learning methods also in formal history education. The final conference fosters cross-sectoral cooperation and lays the basis for the establishment of holistic network on EU remembrance that can invest further in elaborating innovative and creative methods for citizenship education and bridge the gap between formal and non-formal learning sectors. The local dissemination events will encourage the local audience, the stakeholders to broaden their horizons of history & citizenship education on a national level by using innovative & creative techniques and fostering inter-generational dialogue – a crucial and important part of WWII education due to the woeful disappearance of the witness generation.
ACT actively involves not only those who have already taken part in HL but also those previously not a part of it: e.g., organising urban trekking; it being an open event outside can be engaging to the public passing-by, people living in the neighbourhood or tourists. The local dissemination events will encourage local audiences & stakeholders to broaden their horizons of history & citizenship education on an international level.
Dissemination
The dissemination plan was elaborated in order to reach different target audiences:
In order to reach them, ACT will use the following measures:
All activities will be organised in partnership with public bodies in high visibility points (city halls, universities). While the support of EFC will be emphasised by the introduction speech, logos and banners used on the visibility materials.
Each activity will be followed by media coverage: articles in local & regional newspapers and radio broadcasts which will be ensured thanks to the partner’s collaboration with local media. The partners will fully utilise their own communication capacity and networking (newsletter, social networks, partners’ website, national and international networks, mailing list and dissemination platforms) in order to ensure cost-effectiveness and efficiency of the dissemination activities. The partners will promote the project through the networks that they are a part of and through EU channels such as E.
Thanks to the involvement of public bodies, these tools will be multiplied and used in other initiatives on EU remembrance, citizenship education and, raising awareness in schools, universities and municipalities (e.g. the Europe Direct points will use the video-Books in the school workshops on EU history. Teachers of history can use Video books and gamification techniques while teaching WWII history).
We will provide the handbook for open access to ECAS, SALTO Otlas and our pages, all materials created will show the EFC logo.
- EU younger citizens, (to get involved in spreading awareness of EU history. To play a more active role today in preserving EU values);
- Direct/indirect witnesses of WWII and crimes associated with it (Our aim is to get them involved actively in initiatives of sharing their testimony for building a better future);
- Youth workers, teaching/educating staff, public bodies representatives and policy-makers (We aim for them to use the HL method/ ACT outcomes in formal and non-formal activities on EU remembrance and citizenship education).
In order to reach them, ACT will use the following measures:
- To hold press conferences and press releases in each partner country in order to launch the project, present the events and outcomes.
- To use a promotional kit developed by youth workers with a vast professional background in design (flyers, posters, postcards, slogans and headed paper).
- Based on HL events, create video books & distribute DVD’s and online.
- Social networks: YouTube channel with the video-Books, Twitter, Instagram, FB page with the hash-tag #ACTandbuildthefuture, publicizing project news, activities and outcomes.
- A handbook with living Book stories and a guide on how to apply HL to EU active remembrance and citizenship, sharing experiences both good/bad, hold local dissemination events organized by each partner to spread the results (by sharing photo/videos from the events but also through an open space urban trekking event in each partner’s city) and to commemorate the beginning of WWII and each country’s role in building a peaceful Europe in the aftermath of war.
- To hold a final international conference with the participation of policy makers, thematic experts, teaching staff, youth workers from 5 EU countries aiming to share project results and to commemorate the beginning of WWII. The conference will be available to stream on the project website.
- Project webpage;
- Creation of a network on EU remembrance opened to any interested organization.
All activities will be organised in partnership with public bodies in high visibility points (city halls, universities). While the support of EFC will be emphasised by the introduction speech, logos and banners used on the visibility materials.
Each activity will be followed by media coverage: articles in local & regional newspapers and radio broadcasts which will be ensured thanks to the partner’s collaboration with local media. The partners will fully utilise their own communication capacity and networking (newsletter, social networks, partners’ website, national and international networks, mailing list and dissemination platforms) in order to ensure cost-effectiveness and efficiency of the dissemination activities. The partners will promote the project through the networks that they are a part of and through EU channels such as E.
Thanks to the involvement of public bodies, these tools will be multiplied and used in other initiatives on EU remembrance, citizenship education and, raising awareness in schools, universities and municipalities (e.g. the Europe Direct points will use the video-Books in the school workshops on EU history. Teachers of history can use Video books and gamification techniques while teaching WWII history).
We will provide the handbook for open access to ECAS, SALTO Otlas and our pages, all materials created will show the EFC logo.