EdUCATe - EUropean nonviolent Conflict management for educators : Advocacy and Training

"Context of the projectThe EdUCATe project was born from the observation that, most of the time in Europe, conflict situations are not sufficiently taken into account at school and that some of these situations can lead to violence that has negative effects on school climates. To address these unavoidable conflict situations, the EdUCATe project aims to disseminate knowledge, know-how and tools on nonviolent conflict transformation through the training of teachers and educators. The partners also noted the absence and the lack of a European network for sharing good practices in this area. Objectives of the projectThus, the EdUCATe project had three major objectives: - the exchange of good practices in the field of teacher training in nonviolent conflict transformation (NVCT) with a view to drafting a European curriculum for such training;- the exchange of advocacy experiences with governments on this subject;- and the establishment of a European network of actors for advocacy and the exchange of good practices in this field.This project was therefore built around these three axes (curriculum, advocacy and network) which were each coordinated by two project partners.Number and profile of participating organizationsThis 36-month project, running from September 2015 to August 2018, brought together six partners, three associations, two universities and one foundation: the University of Gothenburg (Sweden), the University of Barcelona (Spain), the Centro Psicopedagogico per la Pace e la gestione dei conflitti (Italy), the Centre for Peace, Non-Violence and Human Rights in Osijek (Croatia), the Evens Foundation (Belgium) and the Coordination for Non-Violence and Peace Education (France), which coordinated it.Description of the main activities implementedFirst, five of the six partners conducted research activities to identify and describe the situation of teacher training in nonviolent conflict transformation in their countries (Evens Foundation was not involved in this part of the project). Among other things, they identified and analysed 3 good practices per country. Based on this research and their training experience, the partners have drafted an innovative European teacher training programme (curriculum) on nonviolent conflict transformation. This four-module curriculum was tested by the partners during a learning activity, which was a pilot training organized from 11 to 15 July 2017 in France. It brought together a total of 25 participants, i.e. 15 trainees (teachers) selected by the EdUCATe partners and 10 trainers and staff persons. It made it possible to evaluate and validate this curriulum while allowing it to be improved on certain points. At the same time, the partners conducted research on the advocacy actions that had been carried out at European level and in each country on this theme of teacher training and together they defined the common principles of their advocacy and action plans for each country based on the results of their research. Finally, throughout the project, the partners reflected on the creation of a European network on this teacher training on NVCT. The research conducted, in conjunction with previous research, made it possible to identify the various actors in this field in Europe (networks, national associations, universities) and to confirm the absence and the lack of such a European network. Gradually, the partners defined the outlines that this network could take (vision, mission, objectives, structures). The partners organised a European Multiplier Event, entitled ""Growing the Movement"", in Brussels, on 24 May 2018, in the morning at the Bozar Museum and in the afternoon at the European Parliament. This day was an opportunity to share with other European associations the various results of the project, to discuss in a dynamic way the construction of the European network, whose idea was well received, and to exchange on our advocacy practices with women and men politicians and education officials.Results and impacts achievedBased on their research, the partners drafted several documents. First of all, a of the current situation in terms of training teachers in nonviolent conflict transformation and another on advocacy in Europe for such education. Based on these results, they drafted the three intellectual productions foreseen in the project: a European curriculum in four modules, a European Position Paper on advocacy and an analytical dossier on the creation of a European network for the training of teachers and educators in nonviolent conflict transformation."