By our project we want to achieve the following objectives: -enhancing quality and scope of soft and online competences of adult educators from Hungary,Poland,Romania,Serbia,Slovakia and United Kingdom (i.e. community organisers-people working in partner organisations who already identify themselves as community organisers as well as volunteers of partner organisations-people who may not identify as community organisers,but who are essential element of any community organising processes) so they will more efficiently and qualifiedly assist especially disadvantaged communities -strengthening network and know-how of partners supporting vulnerable groups and communities through in person and digital community organising,and blended educational tools -building partners capacity to take actions on national and transnational level,also in times of crisis and mixed (offline/online) conditions.
Europe is in the face of various worrying phenomena.According to numerous reports and publications growing crisis of climate,tolerance,nationalism,increase of radical right-wing parties and organisations,xenophobia (for ex.: Xenophobia, Radicalism,and Hate Crime in Europe 2015 by Dr. Valery Engel and others) and in consequence erosion of democracy and shrinking civic space (for ex.Shrinking space for civil society: the EU response,European Parliament 2017) have been immanent elements of daily picture of this part of the world.At the same time,we observe mass civic protests in different European countries (for ex. in Poland defending judiciary system or women's rights;in Slovakia against right-wing populist party;in Hungary supporting civil society sector or in UK protesting against lack of actions towards climate),which have shown that there is a base for progressive civil society that still wants to be engaged civically. Community organising (CO) can play a pivotal role in bringing these people together and demanding to reclaim values that Europe has been proud of for decades-freedom,respect for human rights,equality,solidarity and democracy. Moreover,unexpected pandemic,which spread in 2020 to almost every corner of the world,hit widely and severely many sectors,including civil society organisations (CSOs) and grassroots groups.In majority of cases,able to work in face to face context,felt unprepared and lost in tailoring ongoing activities for their communities and shifting them to online formula as well as reaching out to the most in need.All partners of proposed project also experienced that in their daily functioning.Above mentioned reasons as well as limited educational tools for adult educators that would effectively and professionally support them in involving less active,powerless and marginalised members of society,also in times of crisis and social distance,led us to prepare this application. All partners underlined the need for improving the craft of organising,in particular for increasing soft and online competences of adult educators (staff and volunteers) so they will be better prepared to provide face to face and online support to groups and communities they cooperate with and as a result more social changes could be seen on local,municipal,national level.They also expressed great interest in developing tools that will supplement their work in educating (also online) ordinary citizens,local leaders, grassroots organisations and CSOs as well as change-makers and donors,and make it more attractive and adaptable.Moreover,given that climate agenda is a growing concern of local groups whom partners support and that climate crisis bring more and more public attention,partners want to learn how to organise communities around climate and how to start together transnational organising campaign around this issue.Therefore by conducting set of tailored trainings (focusing on face to face organising,digital organising,climate organising and transnational organising campaigns),creating mixed (with offline and online elements) educational tools (educational curriculum for adult educators,online educational game,methodology for supervisors of community organisers),share of good practices and inspirations,partners will be able to reach out also in online formula to more and more citizens,including those with fewer opportunities,informal groups and organisations,who will subsequently become more active,powerful and visible in the public space.