LeuveNet
Inspired by the topic of the UNIV Congress 2019 we have decided to create a project that would be beneficial for the community of our university town Leuven.
LeuveNet pursuits several aims. Firstly, LeuveNet works as a skill-sharing bank. Every person’s knowledge and life stories are unique and valuable – and there is always something they could share with others to help them improve. Our goal is to bring young and old people with similar interests together so that through communication and experience exchange they could learn new things and skills, develop already owned, and reach personal empowerment.
Secondly, with Katholiek Universiteit Leuven in its heart, the city of Leuven is a study book example of a University Town. However, it also entails specific problems, one of which is a generational gap. One of LeuveNet’s goals is to promote communication between older people and students.
Finally, the last aim of our project has become the fight against loneliness. According to the researchers from Ghent University, almost 50% of Belgians feel “sometimes or permanently” lonely. We hope that LeuveNet will create learning duos that will form long-lasting learning relationships and, ideally, intergenerational friendships.
Leuvenet & UNIV Congress
In April 2019 LeuveNet was awarded Second Prize in the category Social Projects in the 51st UNIV Congress.
UNIV Congress is an annual international university congress that takes place in Rome during the Holy Week. Each year a relevant aspect of our culture is chosen as the theme of the congress. Young people have the opportunity to study and reflect upon the theme of UNIV, with the purpose of suggesting forward-thinking solutions that are shared with the rest of the participants. UNIV Congress is a part of a workshop that includes other activities such as: an audience with the Pope, international get-togethers, social projects, cultural and historical tours of the Eternal City. For more information visit the website: http://www.univcongress.info/en/
The theme of the Congress UNIV 2019 is: GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS: THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF WORK (link to promotional video: http://www.univcongress.info/en/topic-2019-transformative-power-work-18946/) Inspired by it, a group of 8 students from Leuven has started the social initiative “LeuveNet, a skills sharing bank”, that we would like to share with other young people in our city.
