The ARMOUR project has come to an end, successfully achieving the objectives set. Promoted by a consortium of 9 entities from 8 different countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Spain, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands and Romania) led by the Euro-Arab Foundation and funded by the Internal Security Fund – European Union Police (GA nº.- 823683). ARMOUR started in 2019 with the aim that professionals and future professionals who work with children and young people, aged 10 and 18 years old, know how to prevent, detect and intervene on possible cases of radicalization and violent extremism in educational centers, social centers and other entities where minors are worked.
Over the last two years and half, the project partners have carried out an in-depth analysis of the factors that contribute to the phenomena of radicalization and societal polarization, through literature review, expert consultation, individual interviews and focus groups with first line practitioners and have been working on building a model for the prevention of radicalisation which worked on different levels and involved multiple social actors. Armour has explored a new learning model to provide individuals in the community and practitioners the know-how, as well as a toolkit consisting of an experimental creative lab architecture in which to create, test, and promote psychoeducational and community behavioural and communication strategies aimed at correcting reactions to perceived or real grievances and thus promote resilience to push and pull factors involved in advancing radicalization and violent extremism.
The ARMOUR project ends with the successful development and testing of the ARMOUR Experimental Labs on development of individual agency, community empowerment and resilience, and moderate and proportionate state response where special attention was placed on individual capacity building and social skills of support. The labs represented a safe environment where participants could experience alternative ways of responding to push and pull factors of social polarisation and extremism.
Through different activities and elaborated resources (such as a Train-the-trainer program, manuals, toolkits, workshops, e-Learning Courses…), ARMOUR has been increasing awareness and capacity of first-line practitioners on radicalization and polarization among children and youth; promoting interaction and cooperation among different stakeholders; promoting the views of moderate voices by engaging with the silent majority and integrating them into the experimental lab and developing and promoting concrete tools targeting vulnerable groups.
Thanks to its good results, the project will continue implementing the Experimental Laboratories in collaboration with different organizations and institutions and training public and private professionals in strengthening the resilience of young people.
All findings can be found on the ARMOUR website at
https://armourproject.eu
Check out ARMOUR Project Overview Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaFYZzZcYnY
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