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The Knowledge Volunteers Network

Active ageing and solidarity between generations: seven countries will meet around "The Knowledge Volunteers" (TKV) project. On 21st September 2012, the protagonists of the initiative, funded under the Grundtvig European Community Programme for Lifelong Learning, meet in Geneva. In the round table will also participate younger volunteers, students and faculty members.

According to forecasts by Eurostat, in 2050, 30% of citizens of EU countries will be over 65 years old. In 2010, only 17% of the EU population aged 65 to 74 years used the Internet daily. On the other hand, almost two thirds (63.8%) of the population aged 15 years do so. Overall, it is believed that there are not enough opportunities for young and elderly persons to meet in a hands-on fashion and work together.

In the 2012 European Year for Active Aging and Solidarity between generations, Italy, United Kingdom, Greece, Romania, Spain, Czech Republic and Switzerland have partnered for social and digital inclusion. The Knowledge Volunteers (TKV), a two-year project, conceived and promoted by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, encourages active ageing with the method of intergenerational learning and peer training. The young tutors teach those over 60 to use the technology and the older generation, more experienced, helps its peers: thus forming a large network of volunteers of all ages for the dissemination and sharing of knowledge. In Italy, the project also relies on the support from Intel.

The seven partners of the project (Fondazione Mondo Digitale, University of Edinburgh, 50plus Hellas, Societatea Romana Pentru Educatie Permanenta, Fundación para el Desarrollo Infotecnológico de Empresas, Centrum vizualizace a interaktivity vzdělávání Ostrava, ICVolunteers) will describe the challenges and achievements during the interactive roundtable discussion which will take place on 21st September 2012 from 9:30 to 12:30 at the International Conference Center in Geneva (rooms 5 and 6, 17 rue de Varembé, 1202 Geneva).

Participants:

•  Carlo Lamprecht, former President of the Republic and Canton of Geneva
•  Magda Boon-Dènes, retiree from International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (designer)
•  Sylvie Galaup, Fundación Para el Desarrollo Infotecnológico de Empresas (Fundetec), Spain
•  Viola Krebs, Executive Director, ICVolunteers, Switzerland
•  François Ledoux, Corporate Affairs Manager, Intel
•  Mirta Michilli, Director General, Fondazione Mondo Digitale, Italy
•  Myrto - Maria Ranga, Project Manager, NGO 50plus Hellas, Greece
•  Alfonso Molina, Professor of Technology Strategy, University of Edinburgh (Scotland) and Scientific Director, Fondazione Mondo Digitale
•  Raluca Icleanu, Societatea Romana Pentru Educatie Permanenta (SREP), Romania
• Tomas Sokolosky, Project Manager, Centrum vizualizace a interaktivity vzdělávání Ostrava, Czech Republic

The project provides support through a teaching kit, consisting of four modules -the ABC of technology and social networking, together with an online platform to bring together the elderly, young volunteers, teachers and associations from different countries.