Open Code: Citizen

The project was implemented in 2011-2013. The main project objective – to increase student motivation and opportunities to initiate their own active participation in civic activities , and to provide educators with the necessary skills to develop students’ citizenship . Total project methodology is based on the principles of non-formal education .

During the first year, the Lithuanian senior students were invited to form teams, identify problems which are relevant in their environment, come up with an effective plan to resolve the issue and implement the initiative . The work of students and teachers was facilitated giving the methodological recommendations of the Expert Group. Also the public campaign of society problems was carried out, so  students were motivated to raise and implement initiatives. In halfway through the project, the initiatives of students were studied through analysis of used methods and analytical tools. According to this the project staff have prepared a methodological tool which was carried out in the form of CD with lots of practical examples. During the project, teachers from different regions of Lithuania had the opportunity to participate in trainings ( seminar series), where it has been discussed the themes of active citizenship and respect for the diversity.

Centre for Equality Advancement was responsible for seminar series  for teachers. It also coordinated the development of methods.

Project partners: Non-formal Education Association Youth Academy, Centre for Equal Advancement, NGO ” European home ” , Lithuanian Association of Adult Education and “Profat” .

The project is funded by the 2007-2013  Human Resources Development Operational Programme ,”Lifelong Learning” implementation  ” Informal education services development” .

Multiple discrimination in Lithuanian universities and colleges

Project goal: to conduct research about the attitudes towards minorities of students from universities and colleges in Lithuania and understand their reasons for discrimination on the grounds of gender, ethnicity/race/religion, sexual orientation, age and disability.
Project duration: January 2011 – July 2011
Project activities:

• Prepared research methodology and composed questionnaire
• Provided consultations for a research agency which collected answers to the questionnaire
• CEA did analysis on students’ attitudes and presented it in the publication

Project coordinator: Lithuanian Students’ Union

Gender Mainstreaming for Better Governance

Project goal: to emphasize the importance of gender mainstreaming throughout government by targeting government officials and providing them with training to deal with gender inequality
Project duration: December 2010 – June 2012
Project activities in 2010-2011:

• CEA examined current gender equality policies within government
• CEA preparing to provide four training sessions of two days each that will target the main issues surrounding gender inequality (small scale research projects involving the concepts learned at the trainings will be assigned)
• CEA identified international experts from Sweden and Belgium to conduct training-of-trainers seminars on theories and methods of gender+equality policies
• CEA drafted the training program designed for Inter-ministerial commission members and civil servants from the Parliament and institutions accountable to the Parliament.
• From September 2011 CEA’s staff conducted three trainings seminars: two seminars (in September and November) targeted the Inter-ministerial Commission on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, one seminar (in November) was conducted for the civil servants from the Parliament and institutions accountable to the Parliament.
• CEA contracted the national experts to complete critical frame analysis of the policy documents on gender equality in Lithuania3 
• The staff started t draft the methodological tool on gender mainstreaming by adapting critical frame analysis to Lithuanian context.

Project coordinator: Office of Equal Opportunities Ombudsman
Project funding: European Commission

Developing open and socially inclusive dialogue: “A School For ALL 2”

Project goal: to build and sustain interactive communication and confident relations between Lithuania society and third country nationals, building capacities in order to accept the challenges of diversity as well as a multicultural environment and promote
intercultural dialogue and integration of the third country national in schools.
Project duration: January 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
Project activities for 2011 :

• CEA visited Denmark to learn about the work on migrants’ integration, good practices, lessons learned and other experiences between Danish NGOs and schools. During the study visit, the officials from the Ministry of Immigration and Integration presented their migrants’ integration programs, education strategies for a majority of society in acceptance of multicultural environment, and work with migrant young men in preventing honor based violence in  migrant communities. CEA staff visited a Danish Refugee centre, Danish Human Rights Institute, Amnesty International, Danish women’s foundation and three schools in Copenhagen.
• CEA organized and conducted the cycle of three-day seminars for 60 teachers from Lithuanian cities (Klaipeda, Kaunas, Kupiškis, Panevėžys, Šėta and Vilnius) in spring and autumn.
• CEA created the concept and drafted the content of the methodological tool for teachers
• The practical tool on multicultural learning – two table games for primary school students and secondary school students – was developed, designed and prepared for printing.

Project partner: Social partnership fund “Magnum Bonum”
Project funding: European Fund for the Integration of the Third Country Nationals