Context The European Union has found itself unprepared to govern the mass migration phenomenon of the last five years (2015-2020), as many of the tools to manage it are still in the hands of the national states. For their part, individual states have not shown a willingness to act together and according to common rules. The initiatives have thus fragmented. However, the European Commission has tried to activate programs and funding for projects to support the reception and inclusion of migrants and refugees, however, little has been done about a complete social and political inclusion that takes into account the rights / duties of citizenship within the national communities and within the common European home. This is an important task, on which the future stability of the EU institutions and the preservation of its principles inspired by the dignity of the person will depend. Purposes and objectives The aim of the project is to exchange good practices at transnational and European level and to outline new approaches, methods and tools for the training of migrants and refugees from third countries as future aware and responsible European citizens. The objectives that the project pursues are therefore the following: . create a transnational network to promote the development and exchange at local, regional, national and European level of innovative and improvement practices aimed at supporting a more active participation of migrants and refugees from third countries in European society in terms of informed citizenship . identify guidelines that allow the various operators who support migrants and refugees from third countries to guide them towards the acquisition of complex social and civic skills . imagine paths specifically intended for migrants and refugees for the knowledge of democratic values, fundamental rights, the project, the values and the history of the EU (education for European citizenship) . Lay the foundations for the future realization of European civic education courses aimed at migrants and refugees, based on the educational model identified in the final report of the project. Number and profile of participants Participants to focus groups: - Experts: 50/100 - Migrants: 100/150 Dissemination events: at least 250 experts and migrants/refugees Citizens: at least 5000 Policy Makers: 150/250 NEW TIMES activities To implement the set objectives, the project intends to carry out a series of coordinated activities at national and transnational level: A.1. Collection (on a documentary basis) of good practices on the transmission of social and civic skills to the adult population A.2 Detailed investigation of the educational needs and social and civic skills of migrants and refugees A2.1 Focus Group among sector operators A2.2 Focus Group among migrants and refugees A3. Development of the educational model and the NEW TIMES curriculum A4. Transnational training of the first group of educators / mentors NEW TIMES (LTTA C1) A5. National in-depth workshops Methodology to be used in carrying out the project The working method will be the one usually used by research-action in the training and educational field: listening and analysis of needs, sharing and development of good practices, design and theoretical construction of new possible approaches, methods and intervention tools, putting theoretical models to the test, identifying new operating models examined by experience. Results and impact envisaged The main results of the project are: R1) active involvement at local level and through the coordination of partner organizations, citizenship education experts and the various subjects involved in the training of migrants and refugees from third countries R2) the development of new approaches, methods, tools dedicated to European citizenship education for effective social and political inclusion of migrants and refugees from third countries within European society (NEW TIMES educational model) R3) NEW TIMES curriculum In this sense, the project aims to produce a positive and lasting impact on all those involved at local and transnational level by showing the effectiveness of coordinated and integrated interventions for the inclusion of refugees and migrants in a European and supranational dimension. Potential longer term benefits The project can produce long-term benefits by contributing to: . perceive the importance of adequate training for European citizenship specifically addressed to migrants and refugees for their full social and political inclusion . increase awareness of the positive potential represented by migrants and refugees for the development of European society . improve mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue between migrants and refugees and host societies, with consequent positive effects on social cohesion
The project aimed to achieve several objectives, which were successfully accomplished. These objectives included the creation of a transnational network to promote the development and exchange of innovative practices to support the active participation of migrants and refugees in European society. The project also identified guidelines to support migrants and refugees in acquiring complex social and civic skills, taking into account linguistic, cultural, and social difficulties. The project laid the foundations for the future realization of European civic education courses aimed at migrants and refugees, based on the operational model identified in the final project report. The project involved different target groups with different needs and roles within the project activities. These groups included adults' teachers and expert professionals, migrants and refugees, and policy makers. The concept of "European citizenship" was a priority for the project, which aimed to help the mobility and inclusion of migrants and refugees throughout Europe. National workshops were conducted to share the project's results and contribute to the final definition of guidelines for the educational policy of migrants and refugees on European territory.
The social and political inclusion of migrants and refugees from third countries in the EU is a priority process, which benefits everyone, not only migrants, but also European citizens, as it has positive effects on social cohesion, democracy, strengthening European institutions and developing the European integration process as a whole. Without an effective inclusion policy, all the energies spent in the first aid and reception system would have been spent in vain and the foundations would be laid for serious problems in the future for peaceful coexistence between individuals and groups. Citizenship education for migrants and refugees who will one day be European citizens is, therefore, a necessary and urgent response, which must be added to the other educational pathways already present today in the various European countries. For these reasons, our project sets itself, as a priority, the need of exchanging and developing transnational and European good practices aimed at innovating and strengthening the adult education for migrants and refugees, as well as coordinated and integrated actions of local and European operators and institutions for the social and political inclusion of them inside the European society.