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Social Inclusion in
Action
A Grundtvig 2 Learning Partnersips
Project (2005 – 2006)
Project Support
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Project was realised with support of European
Community through the Socrates Programme Grundtvig 2: Learning Partnerships action.
Project partners
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ANNWIN - Center for Support and Development of
Human Potential (Slovakia)
Arendal Centre for Adult Education, Arendal
Municipality (Norway)
Caritas of Katowice Archdiocese, Center for Disabled
"Divine Mercy" (Poland)
The European Initiatives Office Ltd. (Poland)
European Multicultural Foundation (UK)
The Folk Culture Association (Norway)
Folk High School of Ajdovščina (Slovenia)
Lithuanian Ethnic Minorities Association (Lithuania)
Aim
The project Social Inclusion in Action aims
to change attitudes and achieve social inclusion
and community cohesion through learning and
developing methods for motivating both
majority-dominated institutions and/or
organisations and minorities.
Target Groups
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2.
Minorities: ethnic minorities, disabled and
socially marginalized groups, including women
in rural areas
Majorities: members of our organisations,
local community members and staff
Project Activities
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staff and learners meetings twice a year in
different European countries,
taking part in study visits,
learning from each others experiences and
learning the Process Work method as practised
by the partners in UK and Slovakia thought by
Arlene and Jean-Claude Audergon, process work
teachers from CFOR, UK
Process Work Method
Process work is an innovative and cross-disciplinary approach to
facilitate individual and collective change. It provides a practical
framework through which each individual and group can
interact, bringing out all points of view in order to achieve
"deep democracy", the stage where all part of the group or
society is valued and accepted as they are. Thorough facilitation
of the gathering of groups and individuals who are often in
conflict or isolation, leads to greater awareness on each side and
allows interacting with more understanding. The tools of
process-work are particularly useful for coping with prejudices,
barriers and for empowering the individuals and groups from
within, by seeking for the inner resources of power, often hidden
under conflicts or painful experiences of marginalization.
Meeting in Norway
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First group meeting was
held since October 23 to
27, 2005 in Sundvolden,
Norway
Our host and project
coordinator Trine
Thommessen from The
Folk Culture Association
has led us generously in
this project
Process Work in Project Group
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The partners have started learning about the
Process Work method in practice. We have
covered these issues:
Translation and awareness of language, as an
important issue of social inclusion.
Issues facing people who are disabled: We
looked at attitudes that have oppressed disabled
people in the past, and still currently. Individuals
with disabilities spoke personally.
Issues facing refugees, asylum seekers and
immigrants: Starting as an exploration about an
issue within a participant’s organization, and how
you talk to people who are closed to including
immigrant groups - we looked at dynamics around
how people are included or excluded from
organizations and society.
Attitudes influencing the relationship between
‘East’ and ‘West’ in Europe: The group brought
up the issue of East-West relationships in Europe.
We raised questions about the meaning of identity
of East and West. It was uncomfortable for many
to consider how one identifies as East or West,
and several people spoke about not wanting to
choose to identify with one or the other.
Meeting in Poland
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Second group meeting
was held since May 22 to
25, 2006 in Ustroń,
Poland
Our host Edward
„Eddie“ Dawidowski
from Caritas of
Katowice Archdiocese,
Center for Disabled
"Divine Mercy„ has
made extraordinary
hospitality
Process Work in Project Group
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Deep Democracy – wisdom
comes out of the interaction, when
all viewpoints are included
World Café – emphasizes a group
mind, arising through conversation
Group Processes: InclusionExclusion
East-West issues – how the
attitudes of dominance or
superiority in the West are
impacting working relationships in
Europe
Racism – prejudice combined
with the power of a majority group
to enforce their prejudice –
manifesting as oppression and
violence
Outcomes
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The importance of recognizing there is a problem - and how this recognition
can occur through personal interaction, like we had together in this meeting
When people say ‘there is no problem here’ it is often based on the privilege
of being in a majority group, and being unaware of what is actually going on
for the minority. Or, the minority group may be so cut off or hidden from
society, that there appears to be ‘no problem’.
There is also a need to be exposed to the issues – none of us know about
everything going on, and we often focus on areas where we have been
downed, more than on areas where we have privileges.
Legislation is essential, but not enough. Legislation needs to be followed up
by forums that deal with interaction and attitudes. Attitudes change through
encounter. Also, people can too easily learn the language of the law, and then
discrimination becomes more subtle. While it was celebrated that the UK has
done very well, in terms of having almost no official practice of racism left in
the country, there is still a great deal of work needed.
The importance of recognizing the different levels of a problem, from the
personal level to institutional.
Group of Participants
Do we continue?
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Yes! The Social Inclusion in Action project has
been supported again by National Agencies of
Socrates Programme in all partner countries for
the year 2006/2007.
Thank you