Irish Regions Office Website

July 01, 2008

The Limerick Declaration and the Future of Regions

A meeting of European Regional experts and practitioners in Limerick in May discussed the future of learning regions. The result is the ‘Limerick Declaration’. It is shown below. It is relevant to every manager, administrator and councillor concerend about the future of their region. It can be printed and displayed as an example of how 21st century regions must learn and develop. Much, much more new knowledge about learning regions can be found on www.longlearn.org.uk, including unique active learning materials for managers, professionals and advisors. PASCAL European Network of Lifelong Learning Regions (PENR3L) The Limerick Declaration We recognise the urgent need for local and regional authorities to meet the changing economic, social, political, environmental, cultural and management challenges of 21st century life. We believe that the solution lies in a better understanding of the underlying regional dynamic which balances the global and the local, develops the social capital already existing in most communities and fosters innovation, creativity and growth. This can only be achieved by a large increase in continuous and lifelong learning for management, professionals and councillors, eventually extending to the citizens themselves. In short, cities and regions must become learning cities and learning regions, developing their human, intellectual and community potential for the benefit of all, and engaging all stakeholders in this task. We, new and potential members of the PENR3L network, declare that we will foster and develop new knowledge, expertise and resources to help create learning cities and regions well able to meet the future with confidence, imagination and success. In particular we believe that the following list of strategic directions will help local and regional authorities to construct stable, prosperous and sustainable learning regions that will benefit all its institutions and citizens. · exploiting the resources and expertise of Higher Education Institutions, thus helping them to fulfil their third mission in the Bologna process · mobilising the energies and potential of other public and private sector stakeholders for social and economic growth · fostering innovation, creativity and vision in people and organisations · capitalising on diversity as an investment, valuable for economic , human and intellectual growth · adapting and using already existing tools and materials to increase lifelong learning opportunities for all citizens · requiring all institutions and workplaces, including the local authority itself, to become learning organisations with continuous improvement programmes for all employees and high quality benchmarked standards · developing interaction between the local and the global to create investment opportunity · continuously improving employability and skills to meet the changing requirements of the world of work · releasing the talents, skills, experience and knowledge of the community in active citizenship projects · using the media imaginatively to publicise and celebrate the learning region internally to its citizens and externally to its customers and potential investors · enabling people and institutions to become actively involved with environmental protection projects Addenda to the declaration include the potential roles and responsibilities of stakeholders such as universities, business and industry, schools, cultural institutions and community organisations in this process. These are also shown at www.longlearn.org.uk European Regions wishing to share the benefits of membership of a dynamic and forward-looking network of experts and practitioners (PENR3L) should contact learningregions@longlearn.org.uk Those wishing to know more before joining may wish to obtain the book ‘Learning Cities, Learning Regions, Learning Communities – Lifelong Learning and Local Government’ via www.longlearn.org.uk/book4.html It gives an excellent and very readable overview

Posted by iroronan at July 1, 2008 04:25 PM