Empowerment of European Citizens for Action through Education
Funder:
Erasmus +; nr.2019-1-DE02-KA204-006510
Duration:
September 2019 - August.2021
Project homepage:
http://economic-literacy.eu/
Project manager:
Ederi Ojasoo
ederi.ojasoo@gmail.com
How is money created – every day? Why are the interest rates of the European Central Bank currently so low? What are the reasons of financial and economic crises? How can the euro zone problems be explained? Do we need economic growth? What does it mean to organise an economy which runs socially and ecologically? What different schools economic thinking exist? What about the impact of these various interpretations of economy on the concrete proposals to the economic policy of a state? Peipsi Center for Trasboudnary Cooperation is partner of the innovation project „Fresh-up Economics. Towards Economic Literacy in Europe“ on these and other questions with colleagues in six countries of the European Union. Together they create a learning platform in six languages for economic literacy for adults in Europe. See https://weltgewandt-ev.de/fresh-up-economics
Discover the project Democracy thrives on the fact that citizens have a say. To do so, they must be able to understand what is going on. Especially when it is about topics that determine their own lives and those of entire societies – even more in times of crisis. Economy affects everyone, and yet many people do not understand it. But it can be made understandable. That is the aim of this two-year project. To this end, economists from different 'schools' and adult educators from Austria, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Poland, Spain and Germany are working on a learning platform. We focus on these topics: Different perspectives: schools of economic thinking, Money and how does it come into the world, The state-market relationship, Inequality, justice, diversity, Economic growth, Economic strategies for crisis management: austerity policy or more government investment? Future of Europe: competition or/and cooperation? Debt in an economy and the case of the Irish debt crisis, Effects of tax evasion on the global South, Public goods and social welfare, Climate Change, Feminist economy, Empowering women through coaching and entrepreneurial skills, Migration and economy: Do refugees take away the work of others? The information are written in easy language for beginners. For deep searchers are background information provided in detailed versions. In addition, adult educators will find didactic suggestions. They may stimulate to take up economic issues in their educational work. First parts of the learning platform will be published in autumn 2020. Until then, we offer inspirations on our website for current economic topics.
Background
The project bases on the idea that European societies are more and more steeped in the economy and its principles. The context of work, health care, pension insurance, life insurance, education and other spheres are progressively shaped by supply and demand, competition and efficiency. However, there is a lack of knowledge of what an economy is and what could be called economic reasons. This causes uncertainty in particular in times of crises like the current climate change challenge, the growing social inequality, the fear of job loss
due to digitisation, etc. Citizens need orientation, an 'order in mind' to cope with complexity and ambivalences to keep the humanistic values alive and 'updated' in times of change. The European societies, in turn, need well-informed citizens so that the capacities of ALL may be transformed in ideas and actions for a Europe of democracy, prosperity, peace, sustainability, and well-being.
This project brings economists and adult educators of seven countries together to bridge the gap between the educational requirement and the missing offers of socio-economic learning in adult education. It aims to establish socio-economic education as part of general and civic education in Europe. This includes a "fresh-up" of economics by considering different schools of economic thinking as well as social and political aspects. Moreover, it shall combine with participative, creative methods to stimulate interest, overcoming fear in understanding economy, entrepreneurial competences, critical thinking, active citizenship and humanity.
- The exchange during five transnational meetings results in an educational platform (edu-kit) for Economic Literacy in Europe with 15 articles on issues such as economy and migration, the Euro zone project, women's economic empowerment through business skills, inequality, debts, climate change, etc. and related to them didactic tools to be applied in adult education.
- Developing edu-kit on socio-economic learning in adult education. The edu-kit also contains glossary on basic economic terms. The project partners exchange on the article's subjects during learning, teaching, training activities ensuring that the texts are comprehensible, that multi-perspectivity (different economic schools), self-reflexion and method reflexion are put in practice and a European dimension is taken into account. The direct exchanges allow testing the methods developed according to the articles.
- In order to 'push' socio-economic learning in Europe, each partner holds a multiplier event to present the platform and motivates its implementation in the educational practice of adult educators, the direct target group of the project.
- Parterns meeting in Ljubjana, Slovenia in November 2019.
- Project online meetings: 16.04.2020, 04.06.2020, 02.07.2020, 29.10.2020.
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16.th -20th In November 2020, an ECOLIT 2 webinar took place.
The event brought together economists and adult educators and fostered a dialogue on sociology-economic learning materials. Economists and adult education providers from different schools combine their abilities (knowledge, didactic tools) and create online learning materials together. See more: http://economic-literacy.eu/
- First study material by Aija Kosk is ready: the article of the social welfare (ENG, EST) and the teaching methodology (ENG, EST). The purpose of this study material was to provide an overview of how different types of social welfare states define the provision of public and common goods. To achieve the goal this study material, first, explained the meaning of well-being. The simplest definition of well-being is just feeling well. Well-being can be achieved by satisfying the needs and / or eliminating the unnecessary needs. A simplified schematic overview of our needs is worked out by American psychologist Abraham H. Maslow who explained that human well-being is based on meeting peoples physiological and safety needs. Physiological needs are the underlying needs we cannot live without, and safety needs mean feeling safe. When basic needs are satisfied, a person strives for realizing their social needs. In economic terms, meeting needs requires the consumption of different types of goods.
The #Freshupeconomics project has been funded with support from the European Commission. Its content and material reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Project code: 2019-1-DE02-KA204-006534
This website reflects the views only of the authors, and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
