The initiative is the continuation of INCLUDE ME, an Erasmus+ project of inclusion through mediation that, from 2020 to 2022, positively impacted more than 10,000 people across Europe.
A meeting of partner organizations inaugurated, this Thursday, December 21, the INCLUDE ME + project (Inclusion, Participation and Peacebuilding through Mediation in Digital Media), which adopts inclusion through mediation to:
- Develop a new educational program and
- Empower higher education professionals, digital media agents, civil society organizations and students to become responsible and active collaborators in shaping the future of digital media.
In this way, until May 2026, INCLUDE ME + proposes to contribute to inclusion, citizen participation and the construction of peace throughout Europe.
The initiative is the continuation of INCLUDE ME, an Erasmus+ project on inclusion through mediation that was successfully implemented between 2020 and 2022. Its aim was to empower students, activists and migrants to become peer mediators in their communities and wider area. The project positively impacted more than 10,000 people across Europe. With INCLUDE ME + a step forward is taken in the use of mediation, in this case, in the field of digital media: media that must be more inclusive, participatory and involved, and more positive in terms of results and impacts on the field of peace, democracy and values.
The different elements that will be worked on in the project include:
- Conducting a participatory action research to understand social inclusion, citizen participation and peacebuilding through mediation in digital media and provide a methodology to implement it.
- The creation of a training program on the use of media mediation, as a civic and inclusive method of information, for all agents involved in the creation of digital content: media representatives, university students, people who create civic content, civil society organizations… This educational program will consist of:
- A face-to-face course with pedagogical guidance and transferability.
- A face-to-face training aimed at staff of higher education institutions, students, people who create digital media, civil society, and educators.
- The editing of a documentary video from 35 stories about the influence of the media, the need for a mediation approach and the possible impacts with and without this approach.
The project is coordinated by Åbo Akademi University (Finland). The other partner entities are the International European University (Ukraine), Momentum educate + innovate (Ireland), OMK (Outside Media & Knowledge) (Germany), EUEI (European E -learning Institute) (Denmark), EUCEN (European Universities Continuing Education Network) (Belgium), T.C. Tuzla Kaymakamligi (Turkey) and the UB Solidarity Foundation.
This news is related to the following SDG of 2030 Agenda:
