Xeno Tolerance – Supporting VET teachers and trainers to prevent radicalisation Erasmus Project

Project Title

Xeno Tolerance – Supporting VET teachers and trainers to prevent radicalisation

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 2015

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

Education and training welcome learners from different backgrounds facing social integration difficulties, with a low level of education and limited employment prospects. Tensions in society interfere with the creation of a favorable learning climate. A growing number of young people are losing their critical attitude by adhering to conspiracy theories and seeking answers in extremist ideologies, most often religious or political. The lack of visibility of positive role models in the media can lead some of them to fall into violent radicalisation.
For many experts, teachers and trainers, in direct contact with vulnerable groups and potential targets, are best placed to combat radicalisation.
They must be able to conduct their work in a peaceful, non-discriminatory and optimistic environment in order to prevent radicalisation. But they also need to be better prepared to deal with tensions with and between learners. They must be able to detect indicators of radicalisation at an early stage and act appropriately. They must be able to counter conspiracy theories that disrupt the educational process. However, they are not always prepared and all of them do not have easy access to appropriate lifelong learning opportunities.
Our aim is to provide teachers and trainers with tools to:
– transmit to young people the desire to live and work in a pluralistic society,
– create a learning climate favourable to all,
– deal with tensions between learners and between groups of learners,
– detect indicators of radicalisation,
– identify who is at risk and how to help those in need of support,
– to reduce racism and xenophobia.

The partnership brings together 9 organisations from 9 different countries to cover different radicalisation contexts. They are all active in the education, training and youth sectors.

Based on an analysis of needs in each country, we have developed guidelines and a set of resources to intervene with groups of young people facing difficulties, with social, cultural and religious differences generating risks and tensions. These resources include theoretical and practical elements, case studies to prepare for different situations and pedagogical activities to be implemented in the classroom, usually with a view to preventing radicalisation.

Guidelines and resources are available in 9 languages (DE, EN, ES, FR, IT, GR, PT, RO, SL). They are organised on the multilingual platform www.allo-tolerance.eu providing open and free access, without registration. The whole was tested in real situation in all participating countries in order to validate the concept, to improve its ergonomics and to propose actions for the future, the platform being designed to easily add new contents and to facilitate exchanges.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 264099,75 Eur

Project Coordinator

LYCEE CHARLES ET ADRIEN DUPUY & Country: FR

Project Partners

• QUALED obcianske zdruzenie pre kvalifikáciu a vzdelávanje
• INSTITUTO POLITECNICO DO PORTO
• E-C-C Verein fuer interdisziplinaere Bildung und Beratung
• Bundeshandelsakademie und Bundeshandelsschule Wien 10
• Organizatia Umanitara Concordia
• INTEGRA INSTITUT, Institut za razvoj clovekovih potentialov
• Escuelas Profesionales Padre Piquer