This Grundtvig funded project aims to use life history approaches in working with adults to explore the ways in which different concepts of citizenship impact upon the social and economic lives of adults from a range of 'disadvantaged' groups in countries across Europe. These countries are Finland, Ireland and the UK. Each partner in the project will focus on working with a particular social group who are disadvantaged for socio-economic reasons, who have special educational needs or who do not generally take part in lifelong learning activities, and seeks to explore issues of national identity, inclusion, and lifelong learning. Through this distinctive and innovative approach, our objective is to promote a broader understanding of the issue of citizenship in Europe, to promote co-operation between adult educators, providers and policy-makers, and to promote the development of tools for encouraging reflective learning of this kind, whilst disseminating both the immediate products of the project activity as examples of 'good practice' and evaluative reports. The project aims to increase the capacity of individuals to play a full and active part in civil society by developing the practice of adult educators working with excluded groups. This will be done through improving the supply and availability of learning opportunities for adults through the development, exchange and dissemination of this innovative approach to reflective learning. Intercultural awareness is also a major goal, and understanding the experience of the 'other' in our communities has been central to both the development of the initial project activity and in the design of the dissemination activities.

Partners in the project include:

The Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sussex, UK
For further Information about the project contact Pam Coare at: P.J.Coare@sussex.ac.uk.

CCE has a long history of working with excluded groups within the SE region of the UK. This work includes research and delivery with refugees and asylum seekers who are excluded by a complex series of economic and social factors. In addition, we have considerable expertise in using life history approaches to explore the needs of such groups and to develop appropriate curricula for engaging them in lifelong learning activities. Staff who are involved in this project are part of a team who have undertaken research into citizenship and lifelong learning and the activities in this project will complement this work. This previous research was published by NIACE in a book entitled ''Adult Learning, Citizenship and Community Voices'. CCE also have considerable expertise in managing European funded projects developed over the past ten years.

Harrow Adult and Community Learning service
For further information about the project, contact G.trodd@harrow.gov.uk

The Larkin Centre, Dublin
For further information about the project, contact Anne Flannery at anneflannery@larkinctr.com. The Larkin Centre is a non-profit making organisation, located in Dublin's North East Inner City and engaged in the provision of a range of services targeting people experiencing disadvantage. The Centre has always had a strong tradition of promoting education as an integral part of its approach to addressing disadvantage. The mode of operation of the Larkin Centre recognises the value of partnership and the strategic importance of cross sectoral linkages in ensuring effective targeting of needs. Organisations such as the Larkin Centre have different capacities and ways of working to those of the statutory bodies involved in community activities. The current policy discourse that is advocating closer linkages between the formal and non formal providers in the education sector is a position that the Centre actively endorses. As the Irish partner in this transnational project working in the non formal education sector this learning partnership represents one example of a co-operative venture across sectors that affords each participant the opportunity to learn through exchange of expertise and understanding.

Eijsveikeetry (The Association for Learning Disabilities in North Savo, Finland)
For further information about the project, contact Marja.hartikainen@iwn.fi

Information about Grundtvig and Socrates funding can be found on www.britishcouncil.org

Project update: September 2003
The first six months of the project have provided members of the partnership with the opportunity to work collaboratively, whilst also engaging in a series of activities in their own countries. Each partner is working with a different target group, using life history approaches to explore issues of citizenship and adult learning.

As this national work develops, we have planned a series of conferences where on-going evaluation and the sharing of good practice will take place. Each conference will reflect both the work it is undertaking, but also the expertise of the particular organisation involved in the work.

The initial activity was a professional exchange, hosted by the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sussex. The exchange was organised as a one-day opening Conference, followed by two days of development work. This development work included a facilitated discussion and workshop on the development and design of a website for the project, reportage sessions from each of the participating countries, and activity planning.

Finland was represented by two participants, Ireland by three and Harrow by two participants with additional staff attending the opening-day Conference. The conference themes were 'Concepts of Citizenship' and 'Life History Methodology'. The first keynote address was from Dr Al Thomson, whose life history work is respected internationally. This address formed the basis for exploring the practical application of such approaches to increasing the participation of under-represented groups and of working with disadvantaged learners to support lifelong learning and active citizenship. In the second keynote, Dr Rennie Johnston explored concepts of Citizenship across Europe and the ways in which disadvantaged groups of adults might engage/are engaging in active citizenship. Our third guest, River Jones, facilitated a workshop that bought together these two themes and explored practical applications of life history work in understanding concepts of citizenship. The invited audience was made up of representatives from local adult learning organisations, local Government officials and learners, as well as the Grundtvig participants. It proved to be a very useful and informative day.

Project update : March 2004
The Partnership visited Dublin in March 2004 and attended a seminar with participants of the Community Education Programme at Ballybough. Guest Speakers included David Begg, General Secretary, ICTU; Bernadette McMahon, from the Democracy Commission; Eithne Fitzgerald, Senior Research Office, National Disability Authority; and Ted Fleming and Brid Connolly from Maynooth University.

See the Learning, Life Histories & Citizenship presentation (powerpoint)

The objective of this transnational Learning Partnership concerns the exploration of citizenship from the perspective of groups in our society who are excluded. The reference group for the Larkin Centre are women living in an area in the North East Inner City of Dublin, Ballybough, categorised as disadvantaged. All have participated on a Community Education programme that was specifically established to meet their needs and that of the community they live in. The agenda of community education is concerned with the building of a more just and democratic society and promoting the interests of people who are marginalized or exploited. Since the inception of this community education programme the Larkin Centre has been involved in applying life history techniques to generate material to document the experience of this group as learners. This material has served a twofold purpose. Firstly it has been used to inform the development of the programme and secondly these stories also provide the context for reflecting on citizenship incorporating a range of dimensions including the social, economic and political positioning of women.

In essence the value of using a life history approach is that is opens up the possibilities for new insights to be gleaned in respect of groups that heretofore have been excluded and challenges the notion of knowledge and knowing as being the preserve of the educated experts. Life history which is located in the personal and subjective can reveal the human dimension of public issues and from this standpoint one can get a sense of what it is like to step into another person's shoes. This approach can also challenge our thinking and understanding to see beyond the stereotype that is sometimes used to characterise people that are positioned on the margins of our society and respect and connect with the person. Life history with its emphasis on inclusiveness and the entitlement of all to have their say represents what democracy is about in practice.

The life history material that has been collected throughout this programme is being disseminated in two forms. The first output is a video recording of this group of participants discussing their experience of learning and the impact it has had on their lives and that of their family and community. The themes highlighted in the video reveal some of the aspects of the learning experience that holds significance and importance for each participant. The second output is a book which was launched on Feb 7th 2005 by An Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, T.D. This book draws on a range of work produced by each participant, including learner journals, evaluation reports, group discussions and written assignments. This book is a means of piecing together the disparate elements that collectively has given this programme its distinctive identity. It is a collective testimony revealing some of the hopes, fears, challenges and developments that has characterised the learning experience for this group. By documenting these stories is also a means of recognising the right of each learner to define both their engagement in learning and its outcomes, in terms of its usefulness to them. In this way the wider benefits of learning, that may not always be fully valued in conventional programme evaluations, are now brought to the fore.

The use of a life history approach in this community education programme has pointed to a number of benefits, key among these are the following:

• Through listening to and taking on board the views and suggestions of all, it is helping to foster a learning ethos that is participatory and inclusive as learners are placed as active agents in the learning process. This in turn is having a positive impact on levels of motivation and ownership of the programme.
• By connecting with learner life story material of it is creating a context to draw on the lived experience of each participant and link it to the wider world.
• Through the process of sharing our stories a stronger sense of solidarity and friendship is being forged among all participants.
• It is helping to promote a more critical disposition among learners, as they are encouraged to consider and analyse events and developments in their lives. The capacity to be reflective is one that is highly relevant in the practice of citizenship.

Project update: October 2004 (Harrow)

Project update: February 2005 (Finland)