ACT! Active & Responsible Citizen= Flourishing Future Society Virtual Forums Summary 2nd project partner meeting May 2012, Rotterdam

General Information Goal: To share knowledge and gained experience related to active citizenship Approach: Organised as part of the training for trainees for discussing ideas and sharing opinions on relevant issues 4 virtual forums have been organised within month and a half The forum discussions were made visible only for registered participants (project partners + active trainees) Topics: 1 st forum: Effective channels to intrigue and engage people into civic actions 2 nd forum: To be active citizen you need to have high intellect and courage 3 rd forum: How to change a passive spectator into an active participant of civic actions 4 th forum: How to organize a civic action Statistics: Total posts: 60 Posts by countries: LT – 20 ; BG – 16; ES – 9; NL – 6; RO – 6; IE – , Rotterdam

First Forum (1) Topic: Effective channels to intrigue and engage people into civic actions Period: April 2012 Posts: 20 Summary: Forum participants shared their ideas on how to attract people to act Give good examples and show that efforts bring results Having an idea alone in not sufficient; Turn it into an action and disseminate it to the community as widely as possible Organise actions with passion, attachments and desire – this could attract others as well Identify the issue you care about and only then start taking action – find existing good practices and join them or design your own civic action Learn how to work with the local authorities Action is the key – people will join when they see real action It is hard to be the one who starts the action. Joining is easy, so a leader is needed. Is a leader needed or not? – example with the 15M movement in Spain (the indignants) Building strong communities – links with helpful recommendations Nowadays the most effective channels to intrigue and engage people are the social networks – Facebook, Twitter, etc. They can bring people with different backgrounds to stand up for the same cause. Frequently used for attracting participants in civic actions. The “neighbourhood” channel could be also effective , Rotterdam

The “Interact Club” – rock concerts, urban street painting, flash mobs “Think global, act local!” – notice a problem, care, initiate an action to solve the problem, look for allies When you involve in solving a problem you are not only a beneficiary anymore, but you engage directly Art speaks to everybody and wins people to causes In Romania a joint action will be organised taking the form of a charitable concert to help fundraise money for a group of high achievers academically from very poor rural areas Desire to act; Learn how to do it Use advertisement to inform people about civic actions ACT to use social media to inform people about civic actions Nowadays a crucial problems is the lack of a civil self-consciousness. Change this attitude! Go public! Get people willing to act! Extracted ideas: Use good practices for setting an example Take action Use social networks Inform people of the idea Disseminate the civic action , Rotterdam First Forum (2)

Second Forum (1) Topic: To be active citizen you need to have high intellect and courage Period: April 2012 Posts: 13 Summary: Forum participants shared their ideas on what does it take to be an active citizen Discussion on the qualities which make a citizen active or passive Active citizen = intelligent and courageous person? Passive citizen = coward? Active citizen = curious, persistent, communicative and creative Active citizen = passionate, motivated, determined, wide-opened, innovative and intelligent in one or another way, but to know how to utilize his intelligence and other qualities Active citizen = variety of qualities Active citizen = to seek positive changes in the society, but not by using any violence Active citizen should possess common sense in order to identify needs and to have a proactive attitude Must have courage to improve your quality of life and this of your local community Passive people don’t believe they are able to change something => they don’t take action , Rotterdam

There are active citizens who are not necessarily highly educated and neither do they have a very high IQ Good practices and results might activate people to act Just because someone may have a different intellectual experience does not mean s/he is less of a citizen or not qualified to be an active citizen High intellect as ability of acquiring knowledge and developing critical thinking is very important for an active citizen. Crucial is the ability to make informed decisions for a change or for resisting a change An active citizen should have very strong sense of justice and respect the law If you don’t have courage and high intellect you wouldn’t start doing something in the first place Extracted ideas: Active citizen = a person who possesses a variety of qualities, including intelligence, courage, dedication, common sense, etc. The ability to make informed decisions is crucial Active citizen = a person who seeks positive changes in the society Second Forum (2) , Rotterdam

Third Forum (1) Topic: How to change a passive spectator into an active participant of civic actions Period: 30 April - 7 May 2012 Posts: 11 Summary: Forum participants discussed ways of turning spectators into active participants Find an issue of concern for the spectator Make sure the spectator is not intimidated but welcomed to participate in the civic action Present the passive spectators with the benefits of being active Give them access to information of civic actions concerning their areas of interest Disseminate ways for being active Example on how to change passive spectators into active participants – a Flash Mob Participation is often encouraged by intriguing ways of initiating an action Non-conventional places for an action are also very appreciated and they enjoy wider participation The format of the action is also relevant with open invitation for passers-by to participate in the action; dance, music, face painting, fashion, taking photos, etc. It is necessary to communicate the action cause; The message the action brings should be very clear , Rotterdam

The way you implement the idea is just as important as the idea itself When the action is prepared in advance and there is no place for joining, there should be ways to disseminate the "idea" behind the action among spectators and how they can be involved in future actions if interested It's not enough to change a passive spectator into an active participant but also to think about his/her involvement in future actions in order to make that change permanent The content of the action must affect the viewers directly => choose the context related to specific target groups The environment is very important. Some places can invite people to join actively, while others can put them in the position of spectators Extracted ideas: Think of intriguing ways and formats for implementing a civic action Choose non-conventional places for a civic action Choose the place and context according to specific target groups Make the message your action brings very clear Think how to turn the passive spectator into an active participant in the long run Third Forum (2) , Rotterdam

Topic: How to organize a civic action Period: May 2012 Posts: 16 Summary: Discussion on practical tips for organisation of a successful civic action Civic action = a group of people taking an action to demonstrate a possible solution to a social issue Steps for organising a civic action – define the objectives, set targets, define target groups, develop a strategy, distribute roles, attract volunteers, selects channels of communication, monitor and evaluate Good planning is very important for a civic action Leave space for improvisation or be prepared to improvise (it makes the action more exciting) Have a good team to work with Be aware of your aims and make it clear to the public Clarify the message and use proper channels for spreading the idea – social media, etc , Rotterdam Forth Forum (1)

Collaboration with the local authorities and institutions responsible for organizing public events is important Make sure there are no legal problems Good practice “Clown therapy” – how to bring a smile on the faces of disadvantaged people; Clinic clowns are active also in the Netherlands and Lithuania Extracted ideas: Plan your civic action well Be prepared to improvise Gather a good team Clarify the message Spread the idea If necessary, collaborate with local authorities Use good practices for the issue you’re addressing , Rotterdam Forth Forum (2)