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Active aging 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. Younger volunteers, students and faculty members will also participate in the round table.
According to forecasts by Eurostat, in 2010, almost two thirds (63.8%) of the population aged 15 years used the Internet on a daily basis, whist only 17% of the EU population aged 65 to 74 years do so. And by 2050, 30% of citizens of EU countries will be over 65 years old. 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 aging through intergenerational learning and peer training. 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 - SREP, Fundación para el Desarrollo Infotecnológico de Empresas, Centrum vizualizace a interaktivity vzdělávánà Ostrava, ICVolunteers) will discuss their specific projects and achievements, as well as challenges and opportunities for expansion 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).
The project provides support through a teaching kit -- 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.