GWIA Barcelona 2008
Grundtvig project: The Grassroots Women's International Academy -
A Peer Learning Strategy applied to the Mother Centers Movement
Download the first report of the partnership
Download the Turkish report of their study visit to the Netherlands
Download the Czech host report of the Polish and Spanish study visits
Download the Dutch host report of the Turkish and Bulgarian visit
Download the report of the Spanish study visit to Germany
Download the minutes of the GWIA in Barcelona
Download the minutes of the end conference in Vienna
Mother Centers are self-managed community meeting places, providing support to families. They are a social cohesion strategy, a rich setting for informal learning and empowerment and a basis to strengthen social and political participation, especially for women from marginalised groups.
In the partnership, women from established Mother Centers in five countries transferred their knowledge to women interested in starting centers in their own country. They were not passive recipients of knowledge, but actively shaped their own learning through study visits and the Grassroots Women’s International Academy (GWIA). This unique, field-tested peer learning format received the 2006 UN Best Practices award. The GWIA-methodology structured a process of peer learning, where participants learned to be owners of the knowledge they generate by coping with everyday issues, to develop strategies based on these competencies and skills and to transfer their knowledge to others.
The GWIA-methodology and process was extended to bilateral peer-exchanges and study visits: the Mother Centers approach was adapted to different national and cultural settings and new initiatives were started in Turkey, Poland and Spain as a result of the partnership. Mother Center initiatives were established in each of these three countries, that are still in the process of searching for rooms and funding. In Poland a network (“Patchwork”) between mothers’ groups of different towns has been set up. Peer learning between the established Mother Centers improved their educational programs.
Partners met during the peer exchanges and study visits, at the GWIA, and at the concluding conference.
