The aim of the project is to inspire and encourage civic engagement amongst 40 older people within the framework of Seniors’ Councils by 31 December 2023. The project takes an innovative approach to civic education for current councillors and those who are ready to submit an application to establish such a Council in a town where one has not yet been in operation.
An important aspect of the project is collaborative learning „by doing”. Older people identify their own skills and development needs, as well as those of their Council, and then exchange information with other organisations, with the aim of ultimately implementing a single joint initiative for the benefit of other older people – residents of the Silesian Voivodeship.
As part of the project, we will carry out the following:
- 90 hours of lessons on civic education and participatory activities;
- 3 guest appearances at meetings of existing Senior Citizens’ Councils.
We assume that one of the outcomes of these activities will be to inspire senior citizens in Zabrze to submit a proposal to establish a council in that town.
The implementation of the project activities will strengthen cooperation between the MOST Association in three cities:
– We have been active in Zabrze for over 20 years, where we support organisations working on behalf of people with disabilities and those aged 60 and over. We work closely with the City Council and see a great need to establish a Seniors’ Council in this city. However, it is important to us that the Council is set up on the initiative of Zabrze’s senior citizens’ groups, rather than ours;
– In Mysłowice and Katowice, we helped set up the Seniors’ Council (hereinafter referred to as the SC) and have been providing advisory support to these two organisations from the outset. In addition, the first SC in Katowice included the late Anna Szelest – a senior citizen and chairwoman of the MOST Association.
The project received funding under The „Aktywni+” Multi-Annual Programme for Older People for 2021–2025 – 2023 edition.