Month: May 2025

Conference on Youth and Violent Extremism Addresses Trends from the Local Level

The Centre d’Estudis Jurídics i Formació Especialitzada (CEJFE) has organised the XV Jornada de la Comunitat de pràctica de Prevenció i Mediació Comunitària, focused on the topic of “Youth and Violent Extremism. Approaches from the local level”. The event, which took place on 28 May in Comarruga (Spain), was attended by experts in the field, including the researcher from the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, Daniel F. Pérez, who addressed the multi-ideological trends of radicalisation from a perspective that connects the global with the local, analysing the preventive role of youth. The mediator Lourdes Soler, from L’Ajuntament de L’Hospitalet, was in charge of presenting the lecture given by the researcher from the Euro-Arab Foundation.

The day also included a dialogue of practical experiences with Hicham Ibn Abdelouahab from the Ali Zaoua Foundation (Casablanca) and Manuel Comeron, head of the Prevention Plan of the city of Liège (Belgium), moderated by Xavier Xarbau from Salt City Council.

In addition, the final product of the Community of Practice (CoP) was presented with the screening of ‘El camí està traçat: Actuem a temps!’, by Fatima Ghailan (Cunit City Council), Laia González (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat City Council), Dani Utge (Vendrell City Council) and the audiovisual team formed by Olivia Paré and Marc Morell. This round table was moderated by Luis Herraiz of Arbúcies Town Council.

The conference was opened by Marc Cerón, Director of CEJFE, Jesús María del Cacho, Director General of Criminal Execution in the Community and Juvenile Justice, and Mariona Figueras, Councillor for Youth of the Vendrell Town Council. Lídia Ayora, Head of the Servei de Mediació i Assessorament Tècnic (SMAT), was in charge of the conclusion.

Tags prevention, radicalisation

EN Hatedemics News Projects

Evaluating the HATEDEMICS Project’s Platform against Hate Speech

The Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies played an active role in the pilot session organised to evaluate the functioning of the HATEDEMICS project platform. This European initiative aims to develop innovative tools for the detection and analysis of hate speech online, as well as for the promotion of alternative narratives.

The test session, held at the Museum of Andalusian Autonomy on Thursday 22 May, was attended by staff from project partners, including the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, through its researcher Lucía G. del Moral; the Maldita Foundation, the Andalusian Studies Centre (organiser of the session), as well as education specialists, journalists and professionals from various NGOs and civil society organisations. Participants were able to interact with the functionalities of the tool, providing valuable comments and suggestions for its optimisation.

The Euro-Arab Foundation’s involvement in this project underlines its commitment to promoting coexistence, respect and the fight against all forms of intolerance and discrimination. Its participation in the evaluation of the HATEDEMICS platform is an important step in ensuring that this tool is robust and useful in combating hate speech in the digital environment.

The HATEDEMICS project, funded by the European Union, brings together academic institutions, civil society organisations and technology experts from various countries. The platform being developed will enable researchers, practitioners and the general public to better understand the dynamics of hate speech and contribute to its prevention and mitigation.

Tags hate speech

ERAMUS KA ADULT en News Projects

New International Erasmus+ Events for June, July and August

The School of Solidarity Foundation is opening the registration period for three interesting international projects co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme, of which the Euro-Arab Foundation is a member. These opportunities offer participants the chance to live enriching experiences in Sweden, Italy and Germany, with expenses covered by the Erasmus+ programme, which aims to improve the quality and accessibility of continuing education throughout Europe.

The first event, ‘Carnival of Culture’, will take place from 2 to 10 June in Berlin, Germany. This event will offer an immersion in cultural diversity through the vibrant atmosphere of a carnival, fostering intercultural exchange and understanding.

Secondly, from 16-20 July, Turin, Italy, will host the meeting ‘Hospitality and Inclusion in Turin: The Role of the Third Sector’. Participants will investigate the crucial role of third sector organisations in promoting hospitality and inclusion in urban contexts.

Finally, ‘Permaculture and Diversity: A Tool for Change for the LGBTQIA+ Community’ will take place from 16-23 August in Ljungbyholm, Sweden. This project will explore how the principles of permaculture can be applied to the LGBTQIA+ community.

EUKH EN News Projects

The Euro-Arab Foundation at the 2nd National Congress on Terrorism and Prison in Cádiz

The Palacio de Congresos in Cádiz was the venue for the II National Congress on Terrorism and Prison held from 20 to 23 May. The event brought together experts, professionals from the sector, victims of terrorism, academics, civil associations and social organisations to debate and reflect on the evolution of organisational and ideological extremism with criminal results.

The congress addressed crucial issues such as policies and strategies against terrorism at international and national level, intelligence in prison systems, the terrorist threat in the prison environment, research and terrorism in this field, the role of female jihadists, radicalisation processes, as well as the impact of prison on those convicted of terrorism, the academic view of radicalisation and trends in radicalisation.

Among the participants were Javier Ruipérez Canales, Director of Research and Projects at the Euro-Arab Foundation and Director of Strategic Communication at the European Knowledge Hub for the Prevention of Radicalisation of the European Commission, who took part in the session on policies and strategies against terrorism at an international level, on Tuesday 20th. Likewise, Daniel F. Pérez-García, Researcher and Head of International Projects at the Euro-Arab Foundation, took part in the last day, addressing trends in radicalisation.

EUKH EN News

We participate in the DIGIPATCH meeting on polarisation and social fragmentation in the digital age

The DIGIPATCH Consortium is holding its meeting on 19 and 20 May 2025 at the Rectorate of the University of Cordoba, to discuss the progress and results of the project ‘Moving from Networked to Patchworked Society’ (DIGIPATCH). Javier Ruipérez Canales, Director of Strategic Communication at the EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation of the European Commission and Director of Research and Projects at the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, is among the researchers and experts invited to this event to analyse the challenges of polarisation and social fragmentation in the contemporary world. Ruipérez participated in the inaugural round table, open to the public, entitled ‘Challenges of polarisation and social fragmentation in the contemporary world’, where he will share his experience and knowledge about the initiatives on coexistence from the EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation, offering a crucial perspective on this highly relevant issue.

The round table has also counted with the presence of Sebastián Ventura, Vice-Chancellor for Digital Transformation and Data Management; Malgorzata Kossowska, Principal Researcher at Digipatch.

The DIGIPATCH Consortium meeting will continue on Tuesday 20 May with internal working sessions focusing on the presentation and discussion of the results of the different research areas of the project, as well as on the dissemination strategy of the findings. This event represents a key opportunity for knowledge exchange and collaboration between researchers and practitioners dedicated to understanding and addressing the complex challenges of polarisation and social fragmentation in today’s society.

About DIGIPATCH

The EU-funded DIGIPATCH project investigates the impact of digitalisation on social and cultural transformation. Funding organisations also include the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Government of Spain.

Its main objective is to understand how increasing digitalisation, while offering ample opportunities for information, expression and social connection, also contributes to the formation of closed groups with strong identities and epistemic realities of their own, which could lead to a fragmented or ‘patchwork’ society.

The project is based on a 3N (needs, narratives, networks) theoretical model, which postulates that the frustration of fundamental human needs (such as security and meaning) motivates people to develop beliefs that satisfy them (narratives) and to join communities (networks) that share these dissatisfactions.

EN Hatedemics News Projects

The Euro-Arab Foundation takes part in the meeting of the Spanish Network against Hate Crimes

This Tuesday, the online meeting of the Spanish Network against Hate Crimes and Infradenunciation (REDOI) took place, a meeting that brought together various actors committed to the fight against this problem.

María Pina, President of REDOI, welcomed the participants and highlighted the main objectives of the network: to promote scientific-technical knowledge, disseminate good practices, offer practical content, foster collaboration and networking, and facilitate citizen mobilisation and awareness-raising. She also reviewed the trajectory of REDOI since its birth in 2022, its formal creation in 2023 and its current expansion phase (2024-25), marked by the organisation of conferences, congresses, dissemination activities and meetings.

During the meeting, testimonials from REDOI members were shared, reflecting the spirit of collaboration and the positive impact of the network. The current status of REDOI, a statewide network that works with an interdisciplinary approach to combat hate crimes and encourage reporting, was also presented. Lucía García del Moral, researcher at the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, reiterated her organisation’s commitment to REDOI and the importance of working together, joining the European funding initiative and supporting the possible integration of REDOI into a European network that is in the process of being set up.
Project

Future projects

Currently, REDOI’s work is framed within the project ‘BREAKING THE SILENCE’, funded by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, which also includes interviews with victims, a manual for reporting, the II International Conference and a podcast of testimonies.

In addition, a new international project promoted by Columbares was also presented during the online meeting, with the aim of expanding collaboration networks at European level in the fight against hate crime.
The meeting served to address the tasks that REDOI will implement in 2025, including the 2nd International Conference, the reorganisation of the network’s structure, the establishment of more efficient communication mechanisms and the expansion of the network itself.

The 6th REDOI meeting was presented, which will be held in a hybrid format on 12 June in the Assembly Hall of the Faculty of Education at the University of Murcia.

data quality en News Projects

Online workshop on how to improve discrimination data management

On May 9th, the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies held an online workshop for civil society organisations, within the framework of the European project DATA EQUALITY, financed by the European Union. This meeting aimed to analyse current practices, challenges and good practices in the collection, management, analysis and exchange of data related to discrimination and was led by Euro-Arab researchers Rascha Albaba Acosta, Paula Cano Cruz and José Luis Salido Medina.

The session was interactive and participatory, allowing participants to share their experiences and perspectives on the topics discussed. The workshop was attended by representatives from different European countries, including Greece, Italy, Spain and Albania, who shared their knowledge and good practices on data management related to discrimination.

This activity is part of Task 3.1 of the DATA EQUALITY project, which focuses on improving the understanding of how different actors collect, manage, analyse and share data in the context of discrimination. The project, which will run for 24 months from September 2024, aims to develop a shared European methodology to enable civil society organisations, law enforcement and judicial agencies to cooperate more effectively in the management of discrimination data.

Digivet-en News Projects

VR DIGIVET continues to promote digital skills in Albanian VET

The Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Education has participated in two workshops with the aim of enhancing the digital skills of vocational training teachers in Albania, on the one hand, and students, on the other hand. These workshops have been carried out online between 7 and 8 May and have been organised in the framework of the European project VR DIGIVET in which Euro-Arab is part of the consortium.

Both teachers and students had the opportunity to share experiences, perspectives and opinions on the use of digital technology tools in Albanian Vocational Training centres, such as Artificial Intelligence or Virtual Reality.

Gaps and opportunities of digital tools in Albanian VET

The Euro-Arab researchers Lucía García del Moral and Jusaima Moaid-azm Peregrina are the authors of the study carried out in the context of the European VR DIGIVET project, which analyses the digital skills gaps and opportunities in Albanian VET schools.

According to this report, both staff and students are lacking in the ICT and Tourism sectors, the two main sectors of study in this project as a priority for the development of the Albanian economy. The main challenges identified are limited access to technology, insufficient infrastructure and lack of professional development opportunities. These problems are most pronounced in rural areas where the digital divide is most acute.

Despite these gaps, the report reveals positive attitudes towards Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, such as the general interest shown in the adoption of these tools. They also point out that academic curricula need to be adapted to improve employability and meet industry demands.

The report’s recommendations include: support and continuous professional development for VET staff, expanding access to digital infrastructure and accessibility for all, including learners and staff with special needs, and cross-sectoral collaboration between educational institutions, government agencies and the private sector to overcome systemic challenges and drive innovation in the Albanian VET system.

News Projects Rebel EN

Researchers from the Euro-Arab foundation discuss the results of the REBEL project with students in Granada

On the 6th May, researchers from the Euro-Arab Foundation in Granada held a workshop with over thirty-five high school students and staff at the prestigious educational Instituto Padre Suárez in Granada, to discuss the results of the EU funded ReBel project.

The Euro-Arab researcher, Karen L. Hough, presented the results of the ReBel project, which is being conducted along with Visio and Laurea University in Finland and What Design Can Do in Amsterdam. The researchers -with the assistance of Cecilia Pérez López del Moral, an English teacher at the same institute – engaged with the students to discuss pertinent themes related to migrant belonging. The students talked about their experiences in Spanish and English and suggested ways to better improve migrant integration, including the need for quicker recognition of academic qualifications and better measures to fight discrimination.

The students will be awarded certificates for their participation and will be invited to engage in future activities, which will involve policy roundtables in Spain with local, national and international policy makers.

News PARTES-COM EN

PARTESS-COM, a participatory project to protect freedom of religion, begins

Recently, PARTESS-COM, a project co-funded by the European Commission with a consortium of 15 European entities, including the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, was launched. The project, led by the Austrian Institute for International Affairs, will run for two years and its main objective is to improve the security of religious communities (including places of worship and assembly) and educational institutions by compiling a knowledge platform with complex, adaptive and inclusive security concepts, based on state-of-the-art practices.

The project contributes directly to mitigating populism, extremism and terrorism by compiling good practices in preventive, protective and reactive security, and training community representatives and security forces in their practical application. In addition, it will play a role in disseminating the knowledge gained to the general public through a European campaign supported by multiple smaller campaigns on social media, adopting an approach that engages the whole of society.

The role of the Euro-Arab Foundation

Religious communities and their places of worship specifically enjoy an even higher strategic priority given their centrality in many socio-political conflicts, which justifies the creation of the EU strategy to combat anti-Semitism and promote Jewish life in 2021, and the position of ‘Coordinator for Combating Anti-Muslim Hatred’ in 2015. The project also responds to the Commission’s recent call for action ‘No place for hate: a Europe united against hate’, helping to defend European values and social peace through interfaith cooperation.

The Euro-Arab will lead work package 2 of the project, which consists of identifying, systematising and assessing effective security concepts, tools, programmes and solutions for the protection of places of worship, religious educational institutions and communities. The aim is to provide stakeholders with effective access to knowledge and sources, empower them and actively involve them.

The Euro-Arab Foundation previously participated in the PARTES project, the prelude to the present PARTESS-COM project, and will therefore transfer the experience and knowledge acquired during its development. This previous participation will allow it to bring an informed and strategic vision to the new project, facilitating the identification of good practices and overcoming possible challenges. His experience in the field of child protection and child protection in the EU will be a valuable asset for the project.