European Diversity and Inclusion Network Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Diversity and Inclusion Network

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 vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Disabilities – special needs; Inclusion – equity; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

The main aim of the Project is to create international network of companies operating in the area of Diversity and Inclusion as well as individuals – managers for whom diversity management becomes one of the key competencies. Their goal will be to promote the idea of Diversity&Inclusion in the workplace, create the tools and solutions to support the implementation of the idea in business environment, delivering and sharing the knowledge skills and best practices on diversity and inclusion and diversity management.

The expected outcome is to create national equivalents of this kind of network in countries participating in this Project.
The primal model is the Polish foundation Diversity Hub. It works as a think thank which main goal is to create a public discussion forum about the idea of Diversity in management. Diversty Hub has already organized 6 conferences and few more minor events on specific topics on diversity area (like interculturalism, age, gender etc.) with the participation of representatives of various environments: scientists and practitioners – business representatives, public institutions, non-governmental organisations and media. The other fields of activity are: organizing workshops, consulting, sharing good practices, conducting researches in various topics of Diversity.
The project is based on the mobility, it assumes the organization of international meetings / training with companies which belong to the network. Their taks will be development of rules of the network, excjange the knowledge and experience and learning from each other, collecting material concerning diversity and inclusion in the workplace and icluding more bodies to the network The meetings would have two variants:

• training session with experts in the field of diversity management and human rights in the context of business. Training would aim at increasing the knowledge of the participants in creating a friendly diverse environment, how to overcome difficulties resulting from working and living in such an environment and how to extract the largest amount of advantages carries by diversity. It is the basic knowledge, fundamental to start a work with creating a national think thanks.
• Exchange the ideas about starting the possibilities of starting the diversity think thank network at every country. The involvement of organizations with big experience in organizing events will be also crucial to Exchange the „know-how” about how to organize an succesfull event in the topic of D&I.

Diverse character of involved organizations will be seen at various levels – both international and national. The international character of the network gives it additional value – the exchange of experiences from different backgrounds. Intersectoral character of companies will provide the clash of different perspectives – through a holistic look at the situation.

The network can also be a basis for start the new projects and initiatives organized to promote the idea of diversity and inclusion.

Project will be realized by diverse partnership of 7 organizations from 6 countries, all of them have huge experience in different dimensions of diversity and inclusion and will give the best possible input. Project will last 24 months.

Specific Objectives:
• to create the international network of companies and institutions focused on exchange the knowledge, ideas and best practices on the topic of Diversity and Inclusion. Not only institutions will benefit from the network, but also managers developing their competencies in diversity and inclusion.
• to launch instruments of providing and sharing the knowledge and best practice on diversity in the workplace: knowledge platform and newsletter.
• Increase the knowledge of participating organizations on the topic of Diversity&Inclusion, exchange of experience, learning from each other;
• Increase the knowledge of participating organization related to how to start a think tank/network focused on D&I issues and promotion of this topic;

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 94215 Eur

Project Coordinator

ORANGE HILL Sp. z o.o. & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers des Pays-de-la-Loire
• VEREIN MULTIKULTURELL
• DACORUM COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE
• MERSEYSIDE EXPANDING HORIZONS LIMITED
• FORMACION PARA EL DESARROLLO E INSERCION, SOCIEDAD LIMITADA
• Center för Socialt Entreprenörskap Sverige