Innovative Religious Education NEtwork: educating to the religious diversity Erasmus Project

Project Title

Innovative Religious Education NEtwork: educating to the religious diversity

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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Ethics, religion and philosophy (incl. Inter-religious dialogue); Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

IRENE project is tailored to 72 people with professional experience and/or education in the area of religious pedagogy/dialogue education (educators, RE teachers, theologists, operators of international cooperation, pastoral workers, clergy, active members of religious communities or parishes). Furthermore researchers, people with national assignments on the topics of dialogue and hospitality, pastoral workers and community animators will be involved. 1000 members of civil society organizations, interested in the theme of dialogue and coexistence of people from different cultures/religious background , but also people in need are indirect project beneficiaries. The training and education activities carried out by the project (international training mobilities, meetings, etc.) are also intended to at least 5000 people – general public and in particular those people who works in Europe and in the contexts of the southern hemisphere within international/development cooperation projects, students in European, cultural studies, professionals in theology, people who are in disadvantaged situations and many others. IRENE objectives are: to improve the teaching methods of RE teachers and professionals in theology to deal with diversity and multiculturalism; to facilitate the exchange of experience and the transfer of innovative RE knowledge and methods; to increase the digital, social and learning to learn skills and multicultural competences of the target groups; to foster the inter-religious practices to deal and educate in religious diversity and social exclusion at local level; to train RE teachers/professionals to play active role in the society; to create strategic partnership and increase the volume of cooperation between the partners. In order to achieve these objectives the following activities will be implemented: 1) Mobilities: 4 blended mobilities organized for adults learners, members of the target groups will take place in Greece, Estonia, Finland and Italy; 2) 5 transnational meetings will be organized in Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland and Italy; 3) 1 International conference will take place in Italy to promote the project results; 4) Intellectual outputs: IO1 Comparative study, led by Finnish partner; IO2 Collection of articles in English and translated in partners’ languages, led by Greek partner; IO3 Open e-learning platform, led by Italian partner; IO4 Pilot training course in English, translated in partners’ languages and in sign language, led by Bulgarian partner.
IRENE involves an appropriate mix of complementary participating organizations, belonging to different sectors of education, with necessary experience to successfully cover all project aspects. It has 6 partners: 3 recognized universities, including the Institute of Theology of the EELC – Estonia; University of Eastern Finland (UEF) and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; 3 NGOs – Vasiliada Association, established under the patronage of Oltenia`s Archbishopric; Istituto di Studi Ecumenici San Bernardino della Provincia Sant’Antonio dei Frati Minori – Italy, which is the higher education and training institute belonging to the Province of Sant’Antonio da Padova of the Franciscan Friars; Regional Development Foundation (RDF – Bulgaria), which hosts the local EDIC-Vidin – one of the official partners of the European Commission.
IRENEs project implementation will lead to the following expected results: Created conditions for exchange of experience and transferred good innovative practices in teaching religion between the participants, involved in the project; increased knowledge (historical, cultural, theological) about the existing denominations/religions in the partner’s cities/communities; increased key competences (leadership, multicultural, social, learning to learn skills) of the target groups to deal with religious diversity and social exclusion at local level; improved inter-religious practice of those who are directly and indirectly involved in the project; increased knowledge of the contents, terms and languages of ecumenical and inter-religious matters; improved education to religious diversity in educational settings, in those of care as well as in general in living communities; improved methods in teaching religion; shared new vision of cultural and religious pluralism by researchers and trainers participating in the project (helping to interpret religious diversity with appropriate language and categories that prevents any forms of discrimination and or racism); established long-lasting strategic partnership between the representatives of the partners’ organizations and the participants involved directly or indirectly in the project. The lead partner of IRENE project is Vasiliada Association, Romania. The project will be implemented for 30 months.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 204592 Eur

Project Coordinator

Asociatia Vasiliada & Country: RO

Project Partners

• ITA-SUOMEN YLIOPISTO
• ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS
• Fondatsiya za Regionalno Razvitie
• Istituto di Studi Ecumenici San Bernardino della Provincia Sant’Antonio dei Frati Minori
• Eesti Evangeelne Luterlik Kirik