Online Conference: Civic Competences and Lifelong Learning for the Green and Digital Transitions: Is Europe Ready?
On 7-9 April, SOLIDAR Foundation organized, in partnership with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), its annual conference for launching the 5th edition of its flagship publication: the Citizenship and Lifelong Learning Monitor 2020. Over three days of online panel discussions, the Monitor 2020, a research report on policy developments linked to citizenship education and lifelong learning and complemented by good practices from non-formal and informal education providers, was presented, participants discussing, on its basis, the existent conditions and policy frameworks to facilitate the green and digital transitions in Europe. They explored how multi-stakeholder collaborations and scaled up bottom-up community projects can build sustainable, inclusive and resilient European societies.
MEPs Marcos Ros and Victor Negrescu, together with representatives from the European Commission, laid forward the current processes at European level and the avenues for connecting them to promote digital and green transitions. Discussing links between the European Green Deal, the European Education Area and the European Bauhaus Initiative participants highlighted synergetic ways in which green competence frameworks can be developed and implemented. They have called upon Member States to ensure the adequate implementation of tools that already exist, ranging from the Council Recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning to the Council Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning, while also committing 10% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility to education.
Based on Monitor’s findings and recommendations, participants acknowledged the inadequate investment in closing digital infrastructure and skills gaps in Europe, the improperly regulated online environment that sees citizens treated as users by tech companies, the insufficient attention allocated to global citizenship education at national level. They disapprove of the high degree of silo-isation of public policy when it comes to the green and digital transitions. The role of informal and non-formal education providers was reiterated, with increased calls for their participation in education policymaking, for their collaboration with local, national and European authorities on community projects. The importance of lifelong and lifewide learning which must see all types of education providers and stakeholders collaborating together to combat global challenges is the key to ensure adaptability to the 21st century society. SOLIDAR Foundation is keen to continue cooperating with all stakeholders joining the conference ensuring that all learners can benefit from quality education in a way that ensures that the green and digital transitions are compliant with the Just Transition towards sustainable and socially resilient societies.
Please find below the links to the recordings of the three sessions:
