People with disabilities (hereinafter, PWD) comprise an estimated 15% of the world’s population, or one billion people, of whom 80% live in developing countries and are overrepresented among those living in absolute poverty. PWD often encounter discrimination and exclusion on a daily basis. The situation is even worse if they live in rural areas, are woman, young, belong to ethnic minorities and/or other discriminated groups. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes PWD and has thus opened doors for their participation and recognition as active contributing members of society: who must not face any discrimination or be left out or behind. Persons with disabilities should be recognized as equal partners, and be consulted by Governments, the UN system, civil society and other stakeholders. EU-Rudisnet project created an active European network for social inclusion of PWD in The EU rural areas through an strategic methodology aimed to develop and pilot implementation of an innovative training program on mentoring methods, leadership skills and other soft skills. This was possible mainly through the development of a training program on mentoring methods and leadership skills and other soft skills for PWD using innovative approach, methods and tools, thanks to an European cooperation established by organisations coming from different fields but sharing characteristics and objectives. The specific objectives reached during the project were: * Contributing to Increase the self-confidence and integration of PWD from rural areas in an individual and collective way. *Identify the existing needs that PWD from rural areas face in their daily day and regarding lack of information about resources and training needs on leadership and civic participation in each of the region covered by the program. *Emphasize the importance of training and improving leadership and other soft skills for PWD as a process of empowerment that allows the person to get the abilities to promote the cooperation and leader partnerships, as a mean to defend their rights and eliminate barriers that avoid their social inclusion. *Celebration of a transnational training for professionals of adult education which allowed them to create new contents aimed to mentor PWD on leadership to be included as active members in rural areas where they live. *Implementation of training courses aimed to develop leadership and other soft skills competences and thus mentor methods for PWD from rural areas. *Dissemination of all the results, training and tools reached and created at national and transnational level. Activities: EU-Rudisnet purpose was possible mainly through the activities: - Qualitative study which identified the existing needs of PWD from rural areas and lack of information about opportunities for them in the EU regions covered by the project. - Creation of a Virtual Community of European professionals adult educators, mentors and trainers of PWD, putting them in contact to share experiences, knowledge, training, etc. - Celebration of a Transnational training course aimed to professionals of adult education of PWD staff which allowed them to create new contents aimed to mentor for leadership to PWD in rural areas. - Celebration of training for trainers courses aimed to develop leadership and other soft skills competences and thus mentor methods for PWD from rural areas. - Creation of EU-RUDISNET portal, an open ICT tool designed with the purpose of modelling a learning community for supporting adult educators professional upgrade in the field of mentoring and supporting the civic participation and social leadership of PWD living in rural areas. -Local action / workshops for mentoring accompanying process to empower PWD to be leaders in their rural areas and to contribute to improve their life at local level. - Celebration of 6 multiplier events in all partner countries to disseminate results. Results: EU-RUDISNET project, was implemented by an association of 6 organisations from 6 countries (Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey and produced the following results: - Qualitative study REPORT on the existing needs of PWD from rural areas and lack of information about opportunities and handbook with the results available in 7 languages - Virtual Community of European professionals for AE and trainers of PWD in EU ( more than 60 registered professionals) and 48 organisations joined the network. - Contents and implementation of a transnational training course aimed to staff partners on how to mentor PWD from rural areas to be leaders and other soft skills. - Piloting: 67 professionals participated in the training based on the curriculum and 60 registered in the MOOC - Mentoring process (50 PWD from rural areas) - 6 Multiplier events attended for more than 200 stakeholders. - 1 open ICT portal designed with the purpose of modelling a learning community for adult educators in the field of supporting the civic participation and social entrepreneurship of PWD living in rural areas through mentoring. - Recommendation for implementation & mainstreaming of the curriculum into EU AE systems translated to 7 languages
EU- RUDISNET main purpose is to create an EU network aimed to the social inclusion of PWD through the development and pilot implementation of an innovative program on mentoring for leadership of PWD from rural areas. Specific objectives: *Increase the self-confidence and integration of PWD from rural areas in an individual and collective way. *Identify the existing needs that PWD from rural areas face in their daily day and regarding lack of information about resources and training needs on leadership and civic participation in each of the region covered by the program. *Emphasize the importance of training and improving leadership and other soft skills for PWD as a process of empowerment that will allow the person to get the abilities to promote the cooperation and leader partnerships, as a mean to defend their rights and eliminate barriers that avoid their social inclusion. *Develop a transnational training for professionals of adult education which allows them to create new contents aimed to mentor PWD on leadership to be included as active members in rural areas where they live. *Implement training courses aimed to develop leadership and other soft skills competences and thus mentor methods for PWD from rural areas.
People with disabilities (hereinafter, PWD) comprise an estimated 15% of the world’s population, or one billion people, of whom 80% live in developing countries and are overrepresented among those living in absolute poverty. PWD often encounter discrimination and exclusion on a daily basis. The situation is even worse if they live in rural areas, are woman, young, belong to ethnic minorities and/or other discriminated groups. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes PWD and has thus opened doors for their participation and recognition as active contributing members of society: who must not face any discrimination or be left out or behind. Persons with disabilities should be recognized as equal partners, and be consulted by Governments, the UN system, civil society and other stakeholders. The main purpose of EU-Rudisnet project is to create an European network for social inclusion of PWD in The EU rural areas through an strategic methodology aimed to develop and pilot implementation of an innovative training program on mentoring methods, leadership skills and other soft skills.