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1. GOTALK. Inclusive children’s councils leading to democratic exchange

Bando e linea: CERV-2022-Child 
durata: 2  anni (2023-25)
PI del progetto: prof.ssa Rita Bertozzi
Università, centri o altri partner coinvolti: University of Antwerp (Belgium), IIHL (Istituto Internazionale di Diritto Umanitario) (IT), Fondazione E35 (IT), Autonoom Gemeentebedrijf Stedelijk Onderwijs (Belgium) 

Abstract del progetto:

The EU Strategy on the rights of the child (2021) has listed the facilitation of meaningful, safe and inclusive children’s participation rights in decision-making processes as one of its top priorities to be implemented or started by 2024. The strategy is based amongst others on a European mapping study (2021) on political and democratic life, which showed that only 4 out of 27 countries legally
require governments to include children or young people’s opinions in decision–making. The mapping study points to children’s councils as the most prevalent permanent structure involving children. It does not, however, provide details on how children’s participation is ingrained in less formal contexts such as educational and leisure environments. Moreover, children’s councils tend to
lack in diversity, and represent only part of the school’s population in terms of age, gender, special needs, cultural background and social class. 

With the final aim to improve the level of inclusiveness, sustainability and policy impact of children councils, GOTALK will use both existing and innovative mechanisms and strategies to establish children’s and youth councils on a micro level in school and out-ofschool contexts through continuous capacity building and stakeholders’ engagement;  two pilots in Antwerp (Belgium) and
Reggio Emilia (Italy) with children between 6 and 18 years old and their families, professionals working in schools, out-of-school care and leisure facilities, politicians, policy-makers, local and youth-oriented media partners and other relevant stakeholders; validation of the methods used; mainstreaming, to make the councils impactful and ensure their continuity, beyond the local experiences.

2. VEREAD. Virtual Exchanges in Religious Euro-African Dialogue
veread

Bando: Virtual Exchanges in Higher Education and Youth (ERASMUS-EDU-2022-VIRT-EXCH)
Durata: 36 mesi (01/07/2023 - 30/06/2026)
Coordinatore: prof. Gianni La Bella
Partner coinvolti: 

  • Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose Giovanni XXIII , Italy 
  • Arrupe Jesuit University (AJU), Harare, Zimbabwe
  • University of Dar es Salaam (UDS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 
  • John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), Lublin, Poland
  • Kenyatta University (KU), Nairobi, Kenya 
  • University of Kwazulu-Natal (UKZN), Durban, South Africa 
  • Makerere University (MU), Kampala, Uganda
  • Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), Modena/Reggio Emilia, Italy
  • Tangaza University College (TUC), Nairobi, Kenya 
  • Institut Catholique de la Méditerranée (ICM), Lyon, France (Associated partner)  


Abstract del progetto:

VEREAD wants to be the privileged tool to make young European and African people engage in a transnational virtual dialogue and interactive exchange of ideas about Religion, to fight any form of intolerance and promote intercultural understanding. The project wants to:  

1. Stimulate cross-cultural communication and knowledge transmission, promoting discussion and interaction among students from different cultural backgrounds and countries as well as creating opportunities for team-work on small research assignments.
2. Enhance critical thinking, by promoting exchange of ideas that includes a plurality of perspectives on chosen topics and case-studies through student-centered activities. 
3. Ensure high-level, inclusive and equal education and promote learning opportunities for all, making higher education more accessible.
4. Offer the benefits typically associated with physical mobility (intercultural encounter, exposure to new research and teaching methods as well as different perspectives) to a larger audience through virtual exchanges.
5. Broaden knowledge about Religion by providing academic content on specific topics with an interdisciplinary and comparative approach. A better knowledge of the religion of the other will foster tolerance and a culture of acceptance against any discrimination. One of the main goals is also to offer a gender perspective on religious studies, giving a voice to women often underestimated in this field of research. Provide students with methodological skills (sources and text analysis and contextualization) as well as technical skills developing their digital and linguistic competences.   
6. Strengthen the competences of lecturers and facilitators in online pedagogy and e-learning.
7. Through virtual interaction, strengthen the collaboration between African and European universities, allowing the exchange of best practices.

 

By referring to the course schedule published on the website www.veread.org, students will be able to enroll in Virtual Exchange courses not only for the subjects designed by UNIMORE but also for other courses they find interesting.

Dissemination efforts:

Sito del progetto