About Project

“Integration, Volunteerism and Adult Learning, through an Intercultural Pathway” - IVALIP

This project aims to build a network of awareness on the need to facilitate the development of intercultural skills in volunteerism as a means to manage diversity and exclusion. Starting by analysing and quantifying the impact volunteerism has on traditionally socially excluded groups (social risk people, immigrants and minorities with integration difficulties) this project will explore training activities based in non-formal and informal educational methodologies as an inclusive tool.

The key objective is to engage these target groups in developing competences that will allow them not only to better integrate in their communities but also to act as active agents for social inclusion.

Project duration: 1st August 2008 – 31st July 2010 (2 years)

Project partners:

  1. Portugal – Intercultura-AFS Portugal – coordinator
  2. Lithuania – Association LIA / Window to the Future
  3. Slovakia – Foundation Institute of Transnational Education and Research
  4. Turkey – Giresun Halk Egitimi Merkezi ve Aso Mudurlugu
  5. Poland – Polish Humanitarian Organisation

During the first year, each partner organisation from five different countries will be researching on their specific volunteering reality and will develop in partnership, educational and learning methodologies that can fulfill the identified needs.

For the second year, the project aims to develop the contents for a Training for Trainers course in non-formal education to be used as an alternative pedagogical approach to promote not only social integration but the development of an interculturally competent citizenship.

General objectives of the partnership

The approaches to achieve the objectives 

Added value of the project

With research, training and final products, project will improve quality in adults training and give the participants skills to be used as tools in their daily-life, thus contributing for their social and personal development. In addition, these competences will give the possibility to be used as local groups’ motivation to be active members and transfer the knowledge to others.

Specifically, the benefits expected for learners are: new knowledge and understanding acquired through an Intercultural Pathway, the sense of sharing and transferring knowledge, the participation in mobility activities will provide the awareness of cultural differences.

The participating organizations in the lifelong learning partnership benefit with experience and knowledge, learning by observing and interacting with the others, getting different pedagogical methods. Staff will improve some competences as communication in foreign languages, cultural awareness and expression.

The benefits for the wider lifelong learning community will be to transfer new ideas, new knowledge, new experience and to create new opportunities for education of local people. There is a chance to be joined by a group of volunteers and those who wish to learn more and become more active in the every day life.