On March 19th, the Rebel Jury convened at WDCD’s headquarters in Amsterdam and selected 11 finalists from 56 applications received during an open call that invited designers, students, creative makers, thinkers, and innovators to contribute to the ReBel project’s goal: developing innovative integration models and solutions for diverse EU contexts.
An international jury of over 21 experts in service design, social anthropology, migration, and other fields, including the Euro-Arab Foundation as a project partner, selected the finalists from several EU countries. The winning projects will be chosen through a public vote on March 26th.
Last Thursday, March 13th, the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies participated in the international conference ‘Artificial Intelligence against Hate and Disinformation’ in Brussels, organized by ALDA (European Association for Local Democracy) and the Hatedemics’ Consortium.
The conference featured the presentation of initial findings from the Hatedemics project, which is developing advanced tools to detect, analyze, and counter harmful narratives, including racism, xenophobia, conspiracy theories, and intolerant discourse.
Lucía García del Moral, a researcher and international project manager at the Foundation, presented the methodological approach for the effective implementation of the Hatedemics Advanced Platform. She emphasized the importance of actively engaging NGOs, CSOs, fact-checkers, journalists, and young activists in the daily use of this tool to effectively combat hate and disinformation.
About the Hatedemics Project:
Following the conference, the Hatedemics project consortium held an internal meeting. HATEDEMICS, funded by the European Commission, aims to combat online hate speech and disinformation. The Euro-Arab Foundation leads the research component of the consortium.
The project’s primary goal is to empower NGOs, civil society organizations, media professionals, public authorities, and young activists to address these issues, with a focus on their impact on vulnerable groups. HATEDEMICS addresses the interconnected nature of hate speech and misinformation in the digital sphere.
Last week Malaga hosted a training course on Strategic Communication in which around 40 local actors from the European Union participated. The main objective of this training was to deepen the role of this communication in mitigating radicalisation processes and extremist dynamics, while promoting the resilience of vulnerable communities.
For Javier Ruipérez, director of StratComms (Strategic Communications) at the European Knowledge Hub for Prevention of Radicalisation, “strategic communication plays an essential role in developing effective policies and actions aimed at preventing radicalisation that can lead to violent extremist actions, regardless of ideology”.
According to this expert, the radicalisation of narratives is “a phenomenon that is increasingly tending to polarise our societies in Europe, to normalise extremist narratives in political discourse, in the media or through the viralisation of content – often false and manipulated – on social networks”. Ruipérez is Director of Research and Projects at the Euro-Arab Foundation, one of the entities that make up the European Knowledge Hub, the European Union’s new knowledge centre for the prevention of violent extremism, and organiser of this event.
Javier Ruipérez in one of the sessions of the EUKH course in Malaga.
About the EUKH
In the course held in Malaga on 6th and 7th March, participants from different European countries were trained by leading experts on the crucial role of strategic communication in building community resilience and the use of narratives for positive change.
During this training they worked on identifying specific audiences within the community and tailoring messages for each group, developing practical skills in creating personalised messages that address local concerns and counter extremist narratives. In addition, techniques have been explored to engage local and community stakeholders, building trust and cohesion. Tools and strategies have also been applied in simulated cases aimed at communicating effectively in crisis situations, maintaining public trust and controlling narratives.
About the EUKH
The European Knowledge Hub for Prevention of Radicalisation, established in the EU Counter-Terrorism Agenda 2020, acts as a meeting point for practitioners, policymakers and researchers engaged in the prevention of radicalisation in Europe and priority countries.
The Euro-Arab Foundation, based in Granada-Spain, leads the Strategic Communication (StratComms) line, implementing various activities such as thematic panels that function as forums for experts to facilitate debate and knowledge consolidation; workshops and ad hoc events to help respond to new challenges; study visits to the Middle East; research and preparation of reports and analyses for member states, among other activities.
On March 6th, researchers Jusaima Moaid-azm Peregrina and Rascha Albaba Acosta participated in a seminar titled “Syria’s Path to Democracy: Domestic Challenges and Regional Implications.” Organized by IE University in Madrid for master’s students, the event aimed to analyze and foster debate on the impact of current changes in Syria, its democratic trajectory, and its future. An expert from Universidad Complutense de Madrid also contributed to the seminar.
Moaid-azm’s presentation focused on the Syrian regime’s trajectory, examining its authoritarian foundations, the factors leading to the conflict, and various conflict resolution initiatives. It explored the key dynamics contributing to the potential fall of the Assad regime, providing an overview of its rise, consolidation, and potential collapse.
Albaba addressed the future and reintegration of Syrian refugees in a post-conflict era, examining their return prospects, conditions needed to prevent re-traumatization, their legal rights during return (protected by international law), and the role of international frameworks and a future Syrian government in ensuring safe and dignified return.
This seminar is part of the European VicTory project whose work focuses on understanding and tackling (violent) extremism and hatred in a holistic, victim-centred way, seeking to ensure that victims’ rights are respected and secondary victimisation is avoided.
Funded by the European Commission’s E-Justice, the project identifies existing legislation, protocols, practices and initiatives around victim support in Europe, with the aim of examining their effectiveness and challenges, especially whether there are those tailored to victims of incidents related to hate and violent extremism, taking into account the perspective of victims, as well as examining other initiatives focused on supporting different types of victims, which can be transferable and adaptable.
VicTory also promotes and guides the implementation of restorative practices, with the aim of raising awareness and empowering practitioners, communities and victims themselves to successfully engage in them, thereby improving victims’ access to justice and key support.
The European project PARTES, in which the Euro-Arab Foundation participates, has launched a new video to raise awareness of one of its main objectives: preserving places of worship as timeless symbols of faith, history and cultural heritage.
The PARTES consortium notes that in order to effectively counter security threats to synagogues, mosques or churches, it is essential to understand the underlying violent extremist phenomenon and its specific manifestations in relation to these targets. There is also a need to engage religious communities in policy and action and to educate the general public about toxic extremist rhetoric, but also about the specific characteristics and manifestations of the various faiths. To raise awareness on this issue, PARTES is publishing a series of videos that can be viewed on this Youtube channel.
About PARTES
The PARTES project started in 2023 and was born in a context of increasing attacks and hate crimes against places of worship in Europe and around the world. Mosques and synagogues are particularly affected, although Christian places of worship have also been targeted. The threat landscape has become even more complex with the growing number of online hate crimes and cyber-attacks, sometimes combined with offline campaigns.
These attacks are only a symptom of a wider violent extremist phenomenon that is on the rise in Europe, fuelled by toxic extremist rhetoric, ignorance of other religions and cultures, and insufficient involvement of society at large in preventing extremism. While the authorities provide some protection and security support, existing measures need to be strengthened and improved. The phenomenon needs to be addressed in a more complex way that goes beyond architectural security and police presence.
If you are interested in participating in the European project ReBel (Redesign Belonging) and submitting your project to the Open Call we have just launched, you should not miss one of the webinars where we will explain the context in which this project is launched, tell you more about our research and guide you through the application process. During the webinar there will also be time to ask questions about the applications.
ReBel is a project that aims to explore how design and co-creation can enrich the sense of belonging of people who have had to migrate from their home countries to Europe. The call to participate in this co-design is open to people involved in design, but also to students or creative and thinking people who have good ideas to help us to do so.
So far, we have heard from more than 200 women in Finland, Spain and the Netherlands who have shared their experiences and challenges with us. They have told us how they have to adapt their lives to a new country. They have made it clear to us that belonging is not just about ‘fitting in’ in the host country, it is about feeling valued, included and empowered.Belonging means feeling connected, to people, places and communities. For migrants this involves navigating new languages, cultures and systems while seeking inclusion and understanding.Small actions, such as inclusive activities or access to information, can make a difference.
Get involved in ReBel. Find out how by connecting to one of these webinars. Registrations here.
February 20th, 17h- 18h. March 7th, 12h- 13h. 12th March, 9h- 10h.
Last Friday, February 14, Jusaima Moaid-azm Peregrina, researcher at the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, specialised in North Africa and the Middle East, participated as a guest expert in the event organised by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed).
Jusaima Moaid-azm Peregrina, researcher at the Euro-Arab Foundation, participating at UfM’s event on the 14th February 2025
The forum brought together more than 120 people from the 43 member states of the Union and aimed to reflect on strengthening cooperation in the North Africa and Middle East region in the coming years, taking into account the critical changes taking place in the region and new European policies, such as the EU Pact for the Mediterranean. Moaid-azm Peregrina participated in this consultative process, offering his views on the need to strengthen governance and inclusion in the UfM, and emphasising gender mainstreaming and the key role of civil society in the implementation of its policies.
Participants also focused on Palestine, and the reconstruction process to be faced in the Gaza Strip, once the attacks are finally brought to an end.
30 years of the Barcelona Process
28 November marks the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process, a date that UfM will commemorate during Mediterranean Day, which is celebrated every year, but which will have a special character this year, 2025. Likewise, the Euro-Arab Foundation also celebrates 30 years of its consolidation as a foundation dedicated to promoting dialogue, cooperation and mutual understanding, as well as the transfer of knowledge for social change.
The European project ERASMUS + KA ADULT, whose main objective is to improve the quality and accessibility of continuing education throughout Europe, finances several activities organised by Fundación Escuela de Solidaridad, aimed at adult audiences:
From 31 January to 9 February: Movement and stage improvisation workshop in Brussels (Belgium).
From 17 to 23 February: Building community in the third age in Brindis (Italy).
23 February to 3 March: From the real to the imaginary in Florence (Italy).
To apply, please send an email to edesolidaridad@gmail.com.
Between the 15th and the 17th January, it took place in Poznan – Poland- the first Capacity Building Training Seminars “Facilitating Refugees and Asylum Seekers’ Integration through Mentoring”, organized as a strategic initiative under theIN2PREV“Law enforcement and community cooperation and training approach to prevent radicalisation by ensuring refugees’ successful inclusion” project.
This 1st 3-day in-person training CBTS was coordinated by the Polish Platform for Homeland Security (PPHS) and the Innovative Prison Systems (IPS) – members of the Consortium – and focused on developing the capacity of participants to promote and foster the successful integration of persons in refugee and asylum seeker-like situations into their host communities, particularly considering their vulnerabilities to being targeted and exploited by radicalising and extremist agents. It counted with the participation of around 45 participants, from 9 European countries: Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
One form of integration is through mentoring. The 1st CBTS provided skills to practically utilise the IN2PREV Mentoring Programme to support persons in refugee and asylum seeker-like situations to foster social inclusion. The implementation of this mentoring programme will last 6 months, from February to July 2025, and that will be organized mainly in the 7 countries of the Consortium partners, which are: Spain, Portugal, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
FUNDEA’S participation
In addition to the contribution in the preparation for the training, FUNDEA’s participation was in facilitating three sessions:
Ethical and Human Rights compliant Principles for Practitioners, that was facilitated by Rascha Albaba Acosta, Researcher and Project Officer at the foundation, whom provided guidelines for practitioners to implement a human rights-based approach when implementing mentoring programs and in other interventions as well.
Refugee and asylum seeker communities’ vulnerabilities to successful integration: The IN2PREV findings, that was facilitated online by Lucia Alonso Pérez, Researcher and Project Officer at the foundation, who presented the key findings of a study that interviewed 32 practitioners and stakeholders to identify common factors, elements and dimensions that may contribute to identifying potential indicators of the procedures and tools developed in Europe to screen radicalisation vulnerabilities among asylum seekers and refugees.
Moderation of a panel discussion with practitioners, whom presented their country experiences in the integration of refugees and asylum seekers, and best practices, challenges and lessons learnt to consider when implementing mentoring programmes. The panel discussion was moderated by Rascha Albaba Acosta, Researcher and Project Officer at the foundation.
In addition to FUNDEA participation as a Consortium partner of the IN2PREV project, three Spanish partners participated in the training, as experts in implementing integration approaches with asylum seekers and refugees in Spain, including through mentoring programmes, whom will pilot the IN2PREV mentoring programme with mentees in addition to others.
Street San Jerónimo, 27 18001 GRANADA (Spain) +34 958 206 508
Subscribe to our newsletter
Gestionar el consentimiento de las cookies
Utilizamos cookies para optimizar nuestro sitio web y nuestro servicio.
Funcional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferencias
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Estadísticas
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
