The AESAEC project aimed to improve awareness of European citizenship among senior citizens (60+) and to give them a better understanding of the European Union by providing relevant information on the achievements of the European Union and its institutions, as well as on opportunities in a joint Europe.

The AESAEC project was primarily meant to educate and train older citizens for active citizenship. Despite the fact that people in later life are burdened by social stereotypes about their passivity and tend to think that it is not up to them to intervene in community life, the AESAEC project members consider people in later life as full and active members of local, national and European communities. We further believe that lifelong learning is important in later life, having a strong impact on both the learner and the community.

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Activities / Methods / Results

The main outcome was a training concept and a modular training course specially designed to introduce seniors to the concept of AEC and to empower them to contribute pro-actively to AEC (especially on transnational levels).

The AESAEC project included the development of We all are Europe Green Paper and We all are Europe, an educational and training programme for older students enabling them:

• to change their own, and to some extent also the social, outdated image of them picturing them as not very active and not very participating members of the community;
• to better understand their own needs and issues and the need for intergenerational bonds within the changing society (solidarity, co-existence and cooperation among generations);
• to become familiar with European institutions and European NGOs as well as European policies related to older people’s needs and issues;
• to devise a European project proposal and apply for funding, and hopefully also implement the project later on.

Target groups

Adult educators, older adult educators, older students and older people in general, policy makers etc.

 

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