2012 - European Year for Active Ageing
2012 - European Year for Active Ageing
2012 is the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. A chance for all of us to reflect on how Europeans are living longer and staying healthier than ever before -- and to realise the opportunities that represents.
Active ageing can give the baby-boom generation and tomorrow's older adults the opportunity to:
stay in the workforce and share their experience
keep playing an active role in society
live as healthy and fulfilling lives as possible.
It is also key to maintaining solidarity between generations in societies with rapidly increasing numbers of older people.
AONTAS believes that all learners have the right to education throughout life. In a time of cutbacks and the narrow instrumental view of adult education, we must protect the right to all learners including those not part of the labour market, to education. AONTAS has support the rights of senior learners through its submission to the National Positive Ageing Strategy and through its development of a Senior Learner Network with its respective manifesto and senior learner charter.
2011 - European Year of Volunteering
2011 has been designated the European Year of volunteering both to celebrate the work of volunteers across Europe,and to encourage those who do not currently volunteer, to get involved so they too can make a difference. Click here for more information.
2010 - European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion
The European Council and the European Commission have designated 2010 as the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion. The European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion is intended to reaffirm and strengthen the initial political commitment of the EU at the start of the Lisbon Strategy, March 2000, to making "a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty". In the European Union, 78 million people are currently living at risk of poverty - this amounts to roughly 16% of the EU population.
Objectives
The European Year has four main objectives:
Recognition of the right of people in poverty and social exclusion to live in dignity and to play a full part in society
An increase in the public ownership of social inclusion policies, emphasising everyone's responsibility in tackling poverty and marginalisation
A more cohesive society, which recognises that society as a whole benefits from the eradication of poverty
Commitment of all actors, because real progress requires a long-term effort that involves all levels of governance.
Throughout 2010 events and activities will take place across Europe to increase public awareness of the existence of poverty and social exclusion, how it affects people and societies, and how it can be eliminated. The Year also aims to give a voice to those experiencing poverty and social exclusion by encouraging marginalised groups and disadvantaged communities to get involved in organising and participating in events.
In each Member State a National Implementing Body (NIB) has been appointed, which will organise the country's participation in the year. The NIB in Ireland is the Social Inclusion Division within the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The NIB is designing the overall strategy, selecting national, regional and local initiatives. When establishing and carrying out their national strategies, each NIB will consult and cooperate closely with a National Advisory Committee -- NAC -- composed of a broad range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations representing the interests of people in poverty, national parliament representatives, social partners, and regional and local authorities.
In November 2009 a funding initiative was launched inviting organisations and networks to apply for small grants to run events throughout the country. More information about these events and the European Year is available from www.socialinclusion.ie .
2009 - European Year of Creativity and Innovation
The European Commission has desiginated 2009 The European Year of Creativity and Innovation. The European Year of Creativity and Innovation aims to raise awareness of the importance of creativity and innovation for personal, social and economic development; to disseminate good practices; to stimulate education and research, and to promote policy debate on related issues.The key message of the year is that creativity and innovation contribute to economic prosperity as well as to social and individual wellbeing.
In Ireland, the contact point for the European Year of Creativity and Innovation is the International Section of the Department of Education and Science in Dublin. For more information on the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, please click here
2008 - Year of Intercultural Dialogue
2008 was designated by the European Commission as the European Year of intercultural Dialogue. The decision to focus on intercultural dialogue reflects the growing diversity within the EU as a consequence of inward migration. The National Co-ordinating body in Ireland is the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) which identified six programmes for the year, one of which was education. Interculturalism is one of the three core principles of the White Paper on Adult Education, Learning for Life (2000). It identifies:-
The need to frame educational policy and practice in the context of serving a diverse population as opposed to a uniform one, and the development of curricula, materials, training and inservice, modes of assessment and delivery methods which accept such diversity as the norm. This refers not only to combating racism and encouraging participation of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in education, but also a recognition that many minority groups such as travellers, people with disabilities, older adults, participants in disadvantaged areas, may have distinct needs and cultural patterns which must be respected and reflected in an educational context. It also envisages a more active role by adult educators in the promotion of Irish language and culture.(p 13)
