Youth Counselling against Radicalisation – a Holistic Approach to Support Vulnerable Adolescents Erasmus Project

Project Title

Youth Counselling against Radicalisation – a Holistic Approach to Support Vulnerable Adolescents

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: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Ethics, religion and philosophy (incl. Inter-religious dialogue); Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Project Summary

For a critical minority of young people, adolescence is a time when serious problems emerge or earlier difficulties escalate. They may have difficulties at school, lack good role models or the resilience to deal with new pressures. They may be confronted with alienation from and experience discrimimation and open or hidden racism. Since they do not see positive perspectives, a rsising number is attracted by extremist ideologies, such as Neo-Nazi groups or the „Islamic State“.

The Radicalisation Awareness Network of the European Commission states that „the best prevention is to stop people from getting involved in violent extremist or terrorist activities in the first place, or to convince them to turn away from such ideas and methods…. The people best placed to tackle the phenomenon of radicalisation are people in direct contact with targeted individuals or vulnerable groups of population.“ We must help young people to stay on track – by improving the support and opportunities available. The project’s aim is to help young people to stay on track by improving the counselling support. YCARE shares existing knowledge about radicalisation that might be relevant for youth counsellors around Europe. Our products are relevant for all professionals working with young people who are vulnerable to radicalisation, or who have already been radicalised.The main products are:

Guidelines, a framework for counsellors to inform about targeted youth support to help vulnerable young people early to address their dfficulties as soon as possible and to prevent their problems escalating, in order to prevent them from being drawn to into anti-social behaviour, crime or joining terrorist organisations and movements

Best Practice Toolbox, offering a modular range of awareness raising, training and demonstration materials for youth counsellors, trainers as well as other professionals working in the field of youth counselling, based on latest positive psychology research findings, particularly the use of new didactic tools combating problems such as radicalisation

Online Platform and Mobile Applications, supporting the delivery of the all outputs of the project and providing new means of interaction between learners and trainers, as it supports electronic management, storage and presentation of materials, transcending limitations of space and time and creating the necessary conditions for a dynamic teaching environment.

More than 300 professionals filled in the questionnaire. Another 300 professionals participated in the Multiplier-events. More impact is expected in the near future, since we reached all kind of intermediar organisations who can and will spread the tools in their regular activities.
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The partnership comprises a multidisciplinary team based in eight countries:

VERWEY-JONKER INSTITUUT (NL), an independent institute for applied research into social issues with a longstanding reputation on policy-strategic and evaluative research into social issues.
INTEGRA Institute for Development of Human Potentials: focus on counselling for young people with learning disorders and aspects of discrimimation and racism as driving force of radicalisation dynamics.
MEATH Partnership (IE): family counselling activities for social inclusion
ALDAIMA (ES): a collaborative organisation of the Andalusian regional government for family integration and protection of children and adolescents
KULTUR UND ARBEIT (DE):
QUALED (SK): development of creative and innovative educational products
ECC (AT): experience on prevention of early school leaving and managing diversity and rage, development of educational mobile applications.
GUNET (GR): development and provision of advanced ICT services

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 290361,25 Eur

Project Coordinator

STICHTING DR HILDA VERWEY-JONKER INSTITUUT & Country: NL

Project Partners

• Asociación andaluza de apoyo a la infancia – ALDAIMA
• ZDK Gesellschaft Demokratische Kultur gGmbH
• INTEGRA INSTITUT, Institut za razvoj clovekovih potentialov
• MEATH COMMUNITY RURAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP LIMITED
• AKADIMAIKO DIADIKTYO
• QUALED obcianske zdruzenie pre kvalifikáciu a vzdelávanje
• E-C-C Verein fuer interdisziplinaere Bildung und Beratung