On May 23, 2024, ECEPAA had the pleasure of hosting a local workshop at Le Val-Fayt in Fayt-Les-Manage. This event, conducted in both English and French, focused on fostering refugee inclusion through the Whole School Approach (WSA). The workshop aimed to equip educators, administrators, and community members with the skills needed to formulate more effective…

In the preceding articles, an analysis was conducted on the advancement of policies related to inclusion, equality and diversity for migrants in European higher education, focusing in the last post on their implementation in Turkey. The latter had recently experienced an increase in young immigrants, which led to the implementation of additional frameworks by universities…

What is this all about? In Africa, mainly in Ethiopia, there are several forms of migration that affect the quality of life of the population. One, if not the most disastrous, is directly related to climate. How is climate a factor that explains migration in large part? Why is migration in Ethiopia constantly increasing? Why migration…

The previous post introduced the imperative of immigrant integration policies in university settings, outlining progress in Europe and areas for improvement. This article focuses on Turkey, which has faced challenges in implementing effective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) frameworks in its institutions. Therefore, there will be an analysis of the complexities of immigrant integration in…

In the historical town of Rakovník, Czech Republic, a pivotal gathering is on the horizon. The FEEL project (Fostering refugEEs incLusion) proudly announces its international workshop slated for April 22nd to 26th, 2024, targeting the seamless integration of refugees, with a spotlight on educational integration. The FEEL workshop represents a significant stride towards redefining refugee…

In recent years, the discourse surrounding immigrant integration has permeated discussions not only at the European Union level but also within the educational systems of individual member states. Since around 2016, significant migration flows and demographic shifts have prompted integration to the forefront of policy agendas across Europe. This is particularly evident in the field…

 First Online Meeting and Communication  First Online Meeting and Communication with partners for the Erasmus+ project “Increasing Migration and climate change Public Awareness through Collaboration and Teaching” with number: 2023-1-BE01-KA220-SCH-000166907  On Tuesday 05/12/2023, the first online meeting was made with Microsoft Teams – video chat with all partners of the European IMPACT project. Essentially, there…

Russian aggression in Ukraine has unleashed an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, putting European solidarity to the test. Italy, Greece, the Czech Republic and Belgium responded with significant commitment, demonstrating the flexibility and diversity of responses within the European Union. In Italy and Greece, the integration of displaced Ukrainians has become a priority, with government bodies and…

The FEEL project (Fostering refugEEs incLusion)  represents an ambitious initiative aimed at promoting organizational inclusion and diversity, with a particular focus on policies in the education and training sector. This commitment materializes through a holistic approach that encompasses various targeted activities. Firstly, a comprehensive review of the approach of the involved schools is planned, with…

As mentioned in the previous post, to conclude this series of articles dedicated to the New Pact on Immigration and Asylum, we will focus on the relationship that has been defined over the years between the EU and third countries, particularly African ones.  The goal that the European Union has set itself is to create…

In the previous post, we made an introduction to the New Pact on Immigration and Asylum explaining that the main objective is to make reception procedures more effective with new border controls and procedures and the reform of the Schengen system.  In today’s post, we will discuss the theme of solidarity, while our next post…

From October 2 to 5, 2023, Turin, Italy hosted the first transnational meeting of the Erasmus+ project, “Fostering RefugEEs inclusion – FEEL”. The project (feel-project.eu) is geared towards equipping educators, school leaders, and youth/migrant organization professionals, with enhanced tools to seamlessly integrate individuals, particularly Ukrainians, into both the educational system and the broader local community.…

In September 2023 the European Union presented a new strategy to address the immigration issue that has been increasingly present in the European public debate in recent months. The pact is a set of regulations and policies which aims to define an European approach to the migration phenomenon, in particular on how to manage migration…

First Online Meeting and Communication with partners for the Erasmus+ project “Fostering RefugEEs inclusion (FEEL)” with number: 2022-2-BE01-KA220-SCH-000100260.  On 19/04/2023, the project consortium held its kick off meeting via Microsoft Teams – video chat with all partners of the European FEEL project. Essentially, there was a first introduction, a brief presentation and description of each…

A comprehensive recap of racism and discrimination in Europe Giovanni Dal Prà As explained in the previous articles of this series, racism and discrimination persist as challenging issues within the European Union. Despite the EU’s commitment to upholding human rights, equality, and social cohesion, instances of racism and discrimination continue to undermine these principles. Discrimination…

The discrimination suffered by the Asian community in Europe Giovanni Dal Prà Ethnic origin discrimination is still a widespread social issue in Europe. According to the 2019 “Discrimination in the European Union” survey conducted by Eurobarometer, which focuses on people’s perceptions, attitudes, and opinions on discrimination based on ethnic origin, skin colour, sexual orientation, gender,…

By Martina Monti Assessing Ukrainian refugee wave in numbers On 24 February 2022, Russia forces stormed Ukraine, carrying out attacks in the north and south-eastern part of the country[1]. Inevitably this brought about two subsequent effects; on one side, it launched an all-out military offensive in a supposedly post-conflict continent. This was accompanied with the…

EU Support to Ukrainian Students, Young People, Teachers and Educators Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, has announced EU measures to support Ukrainian students, young people, teachers and educators in these extremely challenging times. How is the European Union supporting Ukrainian pupils, teachers and people fleeing from Ukraine? Let’s have a look at the initiatives. The Cohesion’s…

 Transnational Cooperation Between Universities in Europe Interested organisations can now apply for a new Erasmus Plus call to pilot a joint European degree label and test institutionalised EU cooperation instruments, such as a possible European legal status for alliances of higher education institutions, in the perspective of facilitating deeper transnational cooperation between universities in Europe. Topic 1: Pilot a joint European…

The partners of the “ESC-2-Learn” strategic partnership (AMSED (France), Solidarity Tracks (Greece) and ATA (Romania)) have been welcoming young volunteers for a long time, and on the basis of that, they faced various difficult situations such as lack of initiative of the volunteer to set up an activity, lack of specific skills to carry out the tasks of volunteering or to…

Developing sustainable and environmentally friendly projects is a key priority of the Erasmus plus programme. The youth sector has been at the forefront of developing good practice in the area of sustainability and this is not a trend that is new to the sector; it is something that has been developing for many years, but it is true…

The European Youth Conference brought together more than 300 young people and decision makers from all over Europe to discuss the commitment of young people for a sustainable and inclusive Europe. It was an opportunity to give young people a voice on these issues that are close to their hearts. European Youth Conference Organised by…

By Sofia Pegoraro, 25th July 2022 Twelve years after the Jasmine Revolution democratic stability in Tunisia is under threat after president Kais Saied removed government and suspended parliament in July 2021. After almost one year of suspended democracy, the virtuous example of democratic transition that Tunisia represented after the Arab Springs is at risk of…

Migration and Pandemics – Spaces of Solidarity and Spaces of Exception is a research work by Anna Triandafyllidou about the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on migration. Anna Triandafyllidou holds the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Ryerson University, Toronto, as of August 2019. She was previ- ously Robert Schuman Chair at the Global Governance Programme…

A research by the 2nd Vocational School of Katerini (partner of the DO-IT project) The reality of the new Covid-19 coronavirus and the effects of the pandemic on international level form an unprecedented setting for citizens and organized societies. International education systems were called upon to take on the responsibility of moving to a new…

On the 22nd of February, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) organised the online policy roundtable aiming at presenting and disseminating the OECD’s recently published report “Well-being and Covid-19: Life in the pandemic”. Online Policy Roundtable The event, introduced and moderated by Jutta Schulze-Hollmén, Director for Resources of the EPRS, was broadly focused on the implications of the…

Monitoring early school leavers in Europe: EU targets and prospectsEarly school leaving in the European Union represents an obstacle to both economic and employment growth. A high rate of early school leavers can represent a symptom of other socio-economic problems and create a barrier for young people that want to enter the labor market. This…

by Tamara Hegyi, 4th October 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has had serious impacts on our lives. We have never experienced a phenomenon like this before, so studying its effects is crucial in order to better understand what is happening and what we can do in the future to better help and support those people that…

by Tamara Hegyi, 20th September 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives significantly. In particular, it had a huge impact on education, and especially on the education of vulnerable populations. The aim of this project is to ensure access, equity and inclusion in the learning environment. Introduction to the project Fast facts The need for…

By Tamara Hegyi, 6th September 2021 Instead of living the careless and joyful life of children, some are forced to face with the cruellest side of the world, war.Children are being recruited by armed forces and are being put in extremely dangerous situations. These children are expected to combat, transport explosives, act as a human…

By Tamara Hegyi, 23rd August 2021 Afghanistan has always been known as a stage for war and hard-to sustain peace. Since 2001 U.S.-led forces have been present in the country, so it is no wonder that President Biden’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan shocked the world. Many experts called the decision a strategic…

In the 14th edition of the EDD (European Development Days) the president of the European commission Ursula Von der Leyen during her opening speech underlines her interest in environmental policy, the main theme since the beginning of her mandate, which become reality with the European green deal. “The EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL has paved the way…

By Andrea Visentin, 10th June 2021 Are vaccines a collective good of humanity that should be available equally to everyone, or are they just another product that provides profits to big companies? In other words, can the rules of capitalism be put aside when they go against basic human rights? On 2nd of October 2020,…

It may seem a distant problem, but it is not. According to the last available statistics, in 2017-2018, 14.145 victims of human trafficking were registered in the European Union (excluding the United Kingdom). To put it in perspective, 9.301 victims were registered in North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) in 2018 (latest data available…

In March 2020, Luxembourg became the first country worldwide to provide free public transport. Such revolutionary measure, which is at the same time a part of a mobility plan that started almost ten years ago, brings up a multitude of questions that ECEPAA sought to find an answer to. Why this measure? How can a…

In late February, The Guardian revealed that, since it was announced that Qatar would host the 2022 football World Cup, over 6,500 migrant workers have died in one of the richest countries in the world. Since 2010, thousands of workers from African and Asian countries (from Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Philippines, Kenya,…

Migration has been the subject of debate for centuries. Old as humanity itself, migration has always remained one of the most discussed topics worldwide. In 2021, this is not an exception. Even in a world immersed in a pandemic and its economic and political consequences, migration remains one of the most debated subjects. While developing…

When it comes to its natural resources, Africa is an extremely rich continent. From the gold mines in South Africa to the coffee and cocoa plantations in Western Africa, including the gold, cobalt and coltan mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, all these richesses come at a very high price: armed conflicts…

Talks on the Universal Basic Income (UBI) have been around for decades. While it has never been implemented nationwide in any country, calls for UBI remain strong and, over the past year, notably due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the support on the proposal has notably increased. In the United States, for example, apart from the…

Since its emergence, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the global economy and most health systems. Most countries have suffered important setbacks since the start of the crisis. Sub-Saharan countries, although data seems to show that the health crisis has not affected them as much as other epidemics have (and are currently doing), namely Ebola…

Keywords: Youth, education, security, innovation, entrepreneurship, policy Who should read this post? Ngos, policy makers, grassroots organisations, youth organisations, those interested in EU-AU relations. What are Ethiopia’s biggest needs? Young Lives published a longitudinal research paper in June 2018, focusing on the greatest disparities face by the Ethiopian population. These include but are not limited…

The European Commission published a new Migration Pact on 23rd September 2020 in the attempt to right previous wrongs and balance the ever changing situation. Migrant journeys span a diverse range of factors; security, socio-economic, environmental, political. For hundreds of thousands each year, reaching Europe is the goal and for many, gaining asylum, the prize.  Today’s…

By: Sara Mariani The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of today’s society, bringing to the fore the weaknesses of what were thought to be the strong points of institutions, such as education. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected educational systems worldwide, leading to the near-total closures of schools, universities and colleges. Teaching has turned…

Are we equal in the face of the Covid19 threat? There are three categories of people more exposed to risks. Let’s see which one. By: Sara Mariani Covid 19 has been coming into our lives for about two months now.  Quietly, in small steps, it approached and began to carve its place in the minds…

STORIES OF MIGRANT WOMEN. By: Sara Mariani. Gender issues and equal opportunities for men and women are an integral part of the topic of migration, which involves 214 million migrants worldwide, half of whom are women. (1) Migration is “a mighty but silent river…an expanding revolution of movement and empowerment, but one that remains largely…

An overview of the Bewogen Festival in Brussels By Sara Mariani. Multiculturalism is what I perceive when I walk through the streets of Brussels, when I sit on its metro and see books in the hands of people of all languages: English, French, Flemish, German. In Belgium, Brussels-Capital is the region where, in proportion to…

Overcoming the margins: intersectionality. By Elena Alban. Even if in advanced and developed countries, the judiciary system has developed consistently during the history and many results have been reached in the recognition of human rights toward all humankind, in the practice people still face many obstacles in having their rights granted. In the article “Mapping…

But who will be more affected? By Elena Alban. On the 23rd June 2016, an event marked the history of the United Kingdom and the European Union. «Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?>> was the question that could change the future of Europe. And it…

The refugee status: a distinctive factor that must be understood as such. By Elena Alban. “Financial inclusion means that individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs – transactions, payments, savings, credit and insurance – delivered in a responsible and sustainable way.” World Bank definition. Financial…

The opening of a new scenario: the first European Union rule of law crisis. By Elena Alban. The Article 2 of the European Union Treaty states: “The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons…

By Diogo T. dos Santos Last Thursday, April 25, ECEPAA attended the conference “Global Compact for Migration: Controversy and Media” at the Press Club Brussels Europe. The talk was on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration non-legally binding agreement adopted by most UN Member States in December 2018, in Morroco. However, not…

By Diogo T. dos Santos ECEPAA has recently been at the high-quality conference “Nationalism and Populism: The Future of Europe?” held at the University of Kent in Brussels. The speakers and panelists that composed such a meeting had an outstanding intellectual exchange and considerable levels of both input and output. That was possible for two…

By Diogo T. dos Santos About a week ago, ECEPAA attended a conference along with other representatives of other organizations and professionals engaged in the non-profit organizations sector. The discussions consisted of topics from written “Policy Papers*” stemming from internal security matters, asylum and migration policies, to notions on the single market in the European…