INCLUSION THROUGH MEDIATION Erasmus Project

Project Title

INCLUSION THROUGH MEDIATION

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Access for disadvantaged

Project Summary

CONTEXT:
The Europe 2020 goals for a more inclusive Europe with higher social integration and community cohesion are more important than ever in light of increasing societal tension, linked to the economic crisis, immigration & refugee crisis and increasing multi-ethnicity communities etc. INCLUDE ME recognises that by educating migrants and refugees as well as HE providers, community activists and workers, in mediation skills we can play a substantial, positive role in changing social dynamics.

OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES:
The Project aims to empower learners, activists and migrants to become peer-to-peer mediators in their communities and their wider area through:
– undertaking EU wide research to identify the skills, opportunities and best practices on social mediation across Europe and publishing a Good Practice Guide of the findings
– developing a set of Open Education Resources IO2 to deliver mediation skills training to learners and volunteers in creative, dynamic ways; allowing them to maximise inclusion through mediation.
– producing the Include ME MOOC which will engage high number of volunteers, migrants and stakeholders, allowing them to learn in flexible and adaptive new ways.

PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS:
INCLUDE ME will involve Participants from a number of different target Groups:
Higher Education providers, HE educators, Community leaders and activists, local community development NGO and migrant support groups will participate in the research and compilation of our Good Practice Guide.
Teachers, trainers and adult/community educators will use our Inclusion Through Mediation OERs to deliver innovative teaching and training to individuals interested in using mediation to resolve community tensions.
HE & Adult educators, community activists, refugees/migrants and community support workers will use our MOOC to build their conflict resolution, mediation and social inclusion skills and understanding.

RESULTS:
Output 1: INCLUSION THROUGH MEDIATION Good Practice Guide (UBSF) will introduce the concept of conflict and tension resolution via mediation to stakeholders (HEI providers, educators, community leaders and activists, local support groups) and outline it’s capacity to integrate refugee and other disadvantaged persons into the wider community.
Output 2: Inclusion Through Mediation Open Education Resources will encourage teachers, trainers and adult/community educators to use a systematic approach to integrate mediation education into their organization’s continued learning curriculum. As a direct result of the development of this IO and during the project, 12 educators will be upskilled in mediation, they will then go on to train and empower 32 learners, community volunteers in mediation and communication skills as part of the pilot testing.
Output 3: INCLUDE ME Massive Open Online Course will be a user-friendly and basic platform (to allow for those with minimal digital competence), it will provide a place for learning as well as peer connection and networking. The MOOC will be piloted tested by 64 users during the lifetime of the project, and this number will increase to hundreds after the project has ended.

IMPACT:
Through using the INCLUDE ME resources, hundreds of individuals will be the empowered to view conflict resolution as an individual task which we can all take responsibility for. Users will gain vital knowledge, skills and self-esteem, which will be useful for their personal life and career development. Socially excluded groups and their representatives (community leaders and activists), who face diversity and challenges, will be provided with new tools and techniques to encourage understanding and build open communication, thereby enable communities to increase social inclusion and community cohesion in the longer term.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 240341 Eur

Project Coordinator

ABO AKADEMI & Country: FI

Project Partners

• European E-learning Institute
• T.C. TUZLA KAYMAKAMLIGI
• FUNDACIO SOLIDARITAT UB
• MOMENTUM MARKETING SERVICES LIMITED
• EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES CONTINUING EDUCATION NETWORK