incluD-ed at the Inclusion & Diversity Strategy Launch of the European Commission
Mon, 18/05/2015
Annett Räbel represented the European Network of Inclusive Education & Disability, incluD-ed, at the Inclusion & Diversity Strategy launch organized by SALTO Inclusion on the 7 May 2015 in Brussels. The launch event was not only the kick-off of the Inclusion & Diversity Strategy (ID Strategy) by the European Commission; it was also a networking opportunity for the incluD-ed network.
The new Inclusion and Diversity Strategy of Erasmus+ aims to guarantee that young people from all backgrounds can benefit from the opportunities available through Erasmus+. Especially young people have been hit particularly hard by the economic crisis of 2008 and its aftermath and increasing numbers face long-term unemployment, discrimination and poverty. This new strategy aims to make sure that Erasmus+ tackles the challenges facing young people effectively. It seeks to achieve an even greater impact on the lives of disadvantaged young people and to ensure that Erasmus+ responds positively to diversity in the field of youth. It is a strategy for inclusion and diversity – both are equally important.
Targeting young people with fewer opportunities has long been a pillar of the European Union's work in the field of youth, notably through project funding for organisations working in this area. Erasmus+'s predecessor in the field of youth, the Youth in Action programme, made good progress with regards to social inclusion and the revised strategy seeks to address the challenges posed by diversity also. Additional information on the topics of inclusion and cultural diversity can be found at the websites for SALTO-Youth Inclusion Resource Centre and SALTO-Youth Cultural Diversity Resource Centre .
The ID Strategy launch event has been opened by Antonio Silva Mendes, Director of Youth and Sport Unit of the DG Education and Culture of the European Commission. Tony Geuden from SALTO Inclusion then presented “The story of the Inclusion and Diversity Strategy”, followed by an interactive presentation of the study on inclusion barriers called “Mapping of barriers to social inclusion for young people in vulnerable situations”, and developed by the EU-CoE Youth Partnership. Afterwards good practices have been shared and the 1st Steering Group on Inclusion & Diversity took place in parallel providing an opportunity to make sure that inclusion and diversity will happen in Europe.
The ID Strategy launch brought together the EC, National Agencies and Inclusion & Diversity Experts from all over Europe.
incluD-ed achieved its objectives in participating at the ID Strategy launch. The network presented its work on the gathering of best practices as well as its views on the lines of policy incidence at the ID Strategy launch to the different speakers and participants and highlighted especially the recent successes at European level such as the first ‘Conference on Inclusive Education and Disability in Europe’. Furthermore, the network spoke for example to Gerhild Vollherbst (Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung), Sever Dzigurski (researcher of the Study of Inclusion Barriers “Mapping of barriers to social inclusion for young people in vulnerable situations”) and Tony Geudens (SALTO Inclusion officer). The contacts that have been made during the conference will be followed-up by the Secretariat.
Furthermore, incluD-ed had been invited to participate in the High Level Debate and Youth Awards taking place on 6 May. In the frame of the European Youth Week young people from all EU Member states met in Brussels to discuss ideas to improve young people's participation, inclusion, employability etc. They presented their recommendations and celebrated a High Level Debate with European policy makers (European Commission, Parliamentarians, etc). This debate was followed by the Youth Award ceremony, rewarding a number of Erasmus+ youth projects that made a difference for young people's participation in society.
