EENCE is a network of organizations and experts aiming at promoting exchange and development of knowledge, skills and values on citizenship education in the region of Eastern Europe.
The network was established in 2015 as a focus group within NECE with a vision in mind. That vision was to promote the exchange of non-formal and civic education experience between state and non-governmental professionals from the Eastern Partnership countries and Russia as well as to endorse networking with the EU countries both within the focus group and with other NECE focus groups.
The intention of the network is to create a platform for the long-term exchange between groups, providing the opportunity to discuss goals, subjects, formats, current needs and projects, as well as challenges that may be faced in the realm of civic education in the individual countries.
The mission of the Network is to have a tangible contribution to the sustainable development of the civil society in the Eastern Partnership region and Russia through widening the citizenship education sphere and developing the capacity of the institutions and experts in the field.
The key areas of the Network’s activities are:
- Strengthening the capacity of organizations and experts in the field of civic education through advanced training for managers and educators, exchange of work experience, documentation and multiplication of best practices through training, exchange of experience and documentation of best practices, joint research.
- Promotion of the values of civic education and the impact on decision-making in all areas of society through common campaigns, dialogue and discussion platforms, research, participation in the work of other networks, international institutions.
- Strengthening the sustainability of the network through the development of internal communication and public relations, fundraising, improvement of membership policies and strengthening of decision-making structures.
EENCE is steered by the Coordination Council. The members of the Council for the years of 2023-2025 are:
- Yuriy Petrushrenko, Ukraine,
- Natalie Gamtsemlidze, Georgia
- Vitaut Rudnik, Belarus
- Sergiu Musteata, Moldova
- Azar Ramazanov, Azerbaijan
- Elmurad Mammadov, Azerbaijan
- Serhiy Shturkhetskyy, Ukraine.
The names of two other Council members are withheld for security reasons.
The application for membership is possible by signing the Memorandum of EENCE.
Within the framework of the Network, thematic working groups and project consortia are created and operate. Themes of their work can cover any topical issues related to citizenship education and relevant to the mission and priorities of the Network.
In 2024, the following groups are active in the Network:
- Countering hate speech in the times of war and political crisis.
- Countering Propaganda and Developing Media Literacy in the Eastern Partnership Countries.
- Research in the field of civic education.
- Resilience for Citizenship Educators and Education.
- Implementing a trauma-informed approach in citizenship education.
- Youth work as a factor for effective development of civil education in the Eastern Partnership countries.
In 2022, the following working groups were:
- Social entrepreneurship and innovation
- Youth science, creativity, activism and volunteering during the war in Ukraine
- Instructional design for the development of civic education
- Art for Act: Art as a tool for civic education and civic action
- Civic education in working with discriminated group
- History and Human Rights
- Resilience for Civic Educators and Education
- Research in the field of civic education
- Women in local communities
- Youth & Citizenship Education (in the context of inclusion of youth from vulnerable groups-refugees, IDPs’ etc).
- Promoting change-oriented civic education
In 2021, the following working groups were:
Women in local communities
Aim: To activate women in local communities through different approaches of citizenship education and gender mainstreaming. Also to develop knowledge and competencies of EENCE members by providing trainings on various narrow topics based on their needs.
Group coordinator(-s): Narine Teknejyan (teknejyan.narine@gmail.com)
Research in the field of civic education
Aim: Identify the understanding and structure of civic education, as well as a review of the current situation in civic education in the Eastern Partnership countries and Russia.
Group coordinator(-s): Helga Melnik (for.ms.melnik@gmail.com), Yuriy Petrushenko (yuriy.petrushenko@gmail.com)
Instructional design in cityzenship education
Aim: Helping participants develop quality cityzenship education curricula based on Instructional Design approaches.
Group coordinator(-s): Vitali Nikanovich (vnikanovich@gmail.com)
Social entrepreneurship and innovation
Aim: To promote social entrepreneurship as an alternative instrument for solving social problems and addressing social needs. This working group will mainly work on 3 direction : 1) share best practical experiences from 7 countries via social media 2) Introduce online SE sessions for new starters in English /Russian 3) Organise SE and innovation Forum in 2021.
Group coordinator(-s): Gulnara Ismailova (gismailova2015@gmail.com)
History and human rights
Aim: Promoting civic education in the fields of history and human rights in formal and nonformal settings in EENCE region by exchanging experience, sharing best practices, conducting research and developing recommendations, elaborating tools and materials, conducting offline and online training activities (including TOT) by means of international cooperation.
Group coordinator(-s): Siarhei Salei (siarhei.salei@gmail.com)
Resilience for civic educators and education
Aim: Development of the system of (self) support of civic educators in different aspects: technical, methodological, psychological. Securing of non-stop civic education process in EENCE member countries.
Group coordinator(-s): Sophia Shakirova(sophia.shakirova@gmail.com)
Civic education in working with discriminated groups
Aim: Monitoring the situation, searching for and sharing effective practices to overcome discrimination, training technologies, and trainings to defend the rights and interests of discriminated groups.
Group coordinator(-s): Viacheslav Kaigorodov (slavaslovo@mail.ru)
Developing online tools for civic education
Aim: Online education is becoming an integral part of life, especially during the pandemic its importance increased as it was never before. Aim of this WG to support civic educators to use online sources, as well as develop or integrate relevant CE activities online.
Group coordinator(-s): Naila Izmayilova (nailaismayilova7@gmail.com)
Youth and Citizenship education
Aim: To involve more young people in citizenship education and develop their knowledge and competencies, also show that young people are a key part of the global citizenship education agenda.
Group coordinator(-s): Narine Teknejyan (teknejyan.narine@gmail.com)
Citizenship Education at Territorial Conflict Zones
Aim:
To study the current state of citizenship education in the zone of regional conflicts and suggest the EENCE particular steps for improvement.
Group coordinator(-s): Nazarii Boiarskyi (n.boiarskyi@gmail.com)
Online civic education
Research on the needs for civic online education, problems and obstacles to civic online education, tools and formats for civic online education, digital competencies necessary for the development of civil society in the online environment.
Group coordinator(-s): Ilia Safronov (igromislav@gmail.com)
ART FOR ACT: Art as a tool for civic education and civic action
Develop and implement a methodology for civic education and engagement in civic engagement through activities in the field of art (visual, cinema, performative (theatrical), all types of public art, contemporary and community public art). Organize the implementation of projects on civic education and civic engagement in the participating countries.
Group coordinator(-s): Rymma Mylenkova (rimmamay@hotmail.com)
Civil Journalism as a tool for the formation and development of Civil Society
To promote the values of civil society through educational projects in citizen journalism and video blogging.
Group coordinator(-s): Kuznietsova Tetiana (arnautova.tv@gmail.com) , Balayan Valery (tvdocfilm@gmail.com)
Civic Education in Formal Education
Initiate and facilitate an exchange of experiences and best practice examples how to address topics related to citizenship education within the formal sector (both, in primary and secondary schools and universities). Together we will have a look at the country-specific educational situation in all Eastern Partnership countries, their curricula and their national policies. Furthermore it is planned to share best practice examples of the participants within their countries and finally we will explore the opportunities for cross-border cooperation and joint projects.
Group coordinator(-s): Nato Gamtsemlidze (natalyendy@gmail.com), Martin Thalhammer (MartinThalhammer@gmx.de)
Mainstreaming SDGs into CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION and fostering the Global 2030 Agenda
To foster the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via Citizenship Education (CE) in the EENCE region, with specific objectives a) to identify the current status-quo of SDGs via CE: stakeholders, cooperation framework, legal and institutional background, and level of awareness; b) to highlight the existing gaps and, therefore, the specific needs of local groups within countries; and c) to define the learning needs and methods to solve the specific issues of SDGs and CE in EENCE region; d) build the capacity of our target group and beneficiaries; e) provide expertise to the other WGs in the EENCE and cooperation for the joint goals.
Group coordinator(-s): Viorica Olaru (ollaru.viorica@gmail.com)
EENCE Brend Book
Contacts:
– Coordination Council: eenceboard@gmail.com
– Svetlana Alenitskaya (BpB, Germany)
Adenauerallee 86
53113 Bonn
Phone +49 (0)228 99 515-509
svetlana.alenitskaya@bpb.bund.de
