Projects archive - year 2008

Project of the Forum Institute

3 international conferences

Partners: Forum Institute, Šamorín
Research Institute of Slovaks in Hungary, Békescaba
Institute of Slavic and East-European studies, Charles University, Prague
 
Period: January 2008 - October 2008
 
Forum Institute, in cooperation with the Research Institute of Slovaks in Hungary, Institute of Slavic and East-European studies at the Charles University, and CVEK has organized series of 3 international workshops on "Effective participation of minorities on decision-making processes". The aim of the project has been to foster dialogue on new approaches how to manage the ethnically diverse societies of Central and Eastern Europe. 
 
The first workshop was held on April 10-11, 2008, in Šamorín. One of the purposes was to clarify the basic concept of minority participation. A presentation of four minority participation models followed, in the form of case studies. The presented models were based on Central European Hungarian and Slovak minorities, respectively on minorities in the Baltic countries. Elena Kriglerová took part on the workshop on behalf of the CVEK.

 

The second workshop of the series was held on May 15-16, 2008, in Budapest, at the House of Hungarian Culture (Magyar Kultúra Háza). This time, the focus was set on the southern part of the Eastern-Central European region. There were many detailed presentations about the situation in Ukraine - first of all about the Hungarian minority, followed by the topic of ethnic relations on the Krym Peninsula and the ethnic structure of the multinational Ukraine. Dr. Michal Vašečka participated on the workshop representing CVEK. 

 

The third workshop took place on September 29-30, 2008 with experts from Serbia, Kosova, Estonia, Ukraine, Hungary, and Slovakia. Dr. Jarmila Lajčáková represented CVEK on the workshop.

RAXEN 9

FRA Network

Donor: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) 

Period: January 2008 - December 2008  

Racism and Xenophobia European Information Network (RAXEN) was established by European Monitoring Center of Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) that was changed into the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in 2007. The main objective of FRA is to offer broad audience in the EU-25 objective, reliable and comparable data on issues of racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism in the territory of member states and to contribute to formulation of effective measures designed to fight racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

 

RAXEN Network consists of 25 national groups, one group operating in each member state. National groups are partners of FRA providing needed information and data on national level. Center for Research of Ethnicity and Culture together with People Against Racism form national group for Slovakia. Particular national groups carry out different tasks specified by FRA, collect information and statistical data about various activities in the area of fight against racism and xenophobia, work out general (general situation in the country) as well as specific reports (employment, education, housing, etc.)

Intercultural Navigators

Project of the British Council

Partners: British Council and University of St. Andrews in Scotland

 

Period: June 2008 - June 2009  

 

CVEK has been participating on cross-European project "Intercultural Navigators" that took place in 12 European countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Great Britain, Ukraine). The project aimed at development of an international network of young and diverse influencers (Intercultural Navigators) and equipped them with leadership skills and intercultural competencies, which will enable their communities to fully benefit from opportunities presented by globalization and minimize the risk of exclusion and marginalization.

 

Within the project a diverse groups of next generation leaders have been selected. These young influencers will be helped to develop cultural literacy indispensable in building intercultural trust. Their leadership and communication skills will be developed so that they can contribute both to mainstream debate and to constructive action - helping others understand and communicate better with people from other cultures.

 

Project has been focused on following issues:

1. Diaspora communities and their relationships with home and receiving societies,
2. Unprecedented movement of people between new and old EU member states, 
3. Globally mobile professionals and intercultural competency in global business,
4. Mainstreaming intercultural understanding in policy making at a all levels, 
5. Linking leaders from “fortress” Europe, Africa and other regions, 
6. Participation at all society levels as a positive measure addressing roots of radicalization.

 

In the scope of the project a multi-country study on youth political mobilization and radicalization in Europe - the European Survey on Youth Mobilization (ESYM) - is being conducted. The study is co-ordinated by the University of St. Andrews. In Slovakia as many as 300 semi-structured interviews were conducted by CVEK. These interviews  became, together with interviews from other countries, a core for the Intercultural Navigation Manual. Project should be understood as a pilot study for an even more ambitious European Union survey. 

 

CVEK research on political mobilization and radicalization of the European Youth (ESYM) has been coordinated by Mgr. Peter Hlohinec. Six students of social sciences from the Comenius University participated on the research as researchers:

Pavol Bellan (FF UK, Sociology)

Bc. Táňa Grauzelová (FSEV UK, Social Anthropology)

Bc. Naďa Horňáková (FSEV UK, Social Anthropology)

Peter Krištofič (FF UK, Sociology)

Lukáš Pikulík (FF UK, Sociology)

Bc. Gabriela Tydlitátová (FF UK, Sociology)

Summer School V4 - 7th Edition

July 6 - 19, 2008

Partners: Willa Decius Association Krakow; Association for International Affairs Prague; Foundation Cracovia Expres Krakow; EuroRegio Ukraine Kyiv. 

 

Donor: International Visegrad Fund 

 

Period: July 6 - 19, 2008 

 

CVEK co-organized V4 Summer School at the Willa Decius in Krakow this year again. The Visegrad Summer School is a two-week educational program which provides an interdisciplinary learning space for young Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak students, and for their peers from other Central and Eastern European countries. The program consists of lectures, panel debates and seminars on issues and challenges relevant to the Visegrad Group region, the European Union and beyond.

 

The topics cover current social, economic, political and cultural issues, such as multiculturalism, economic transition in Central and Eastern European countries, relations between the EU and other countries, and European and national cultural identity and heritage. School gives many opportunities to learn about each other and start an international co-operation between the people and the countries. 

 

The program of the seventh edition of the Visegrad Summer School included debates on actual challenges for European Union and political situation in Russia together with its implications for region. Environmental protection, energy security as well as regional and Euroatlantic cooperation were also discussed. The Summer school was aimed especially at graduate students, young researchers and journalists from Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and some other CEE countries.  

 

Dr. Michal Vašečka lectured on the 7th edition of the Summer School on "Paradigmal changes of multiculturalism in 21st century".

 

More information:

1. News of CVEK

2. Web page of the Willa Decius

 

Registration form here.

 

Information brochure about V4 Summer School here.   

 

Slovakia has been represented on the 7th edition of the Summer School by 8 participants:

1. Eva Jakubčáninová, Faculty of Humanity Studies, Charles University, Prague

2. Marianna Mišúrová, Comenius University, Bratislava

3. Tina Gyarfášová, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno 

4. Matej Kresáč, Faculty of Economics, Masaryk University, Brno

5. Lukáš Makovický, Faculty of Social & Economic Sc., Comenius University, Bratislava

6. Peter Hlohinec, Philosophical Faculty, Comenius University, Bratislava

7. Stanislava Šimurdová, Faculty of Social Science, Aalborg University, Aalborg

8. Zuzana Kostovčíková, Faculty of Arts, Constantin the Philosopher University, Nitra

 

Pictures from the 7th Edition of the Summer School here.

Seminar NGOs and Civil Society: Promoters of Democracy and Active Citizenship

International seminar of the CVEK and CoE

Partner: Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe 

Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs of the Council of Europe 

 

Period: April 25-26, 2008  

 

This Seminar was organized by the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) of the Council of Europe in the context of the Slovak chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (November 2008 - May 2008). It should be noted that one of the three priorities of the Slovak chairmanship precisely consists in “promoting a citizens’ Europe” and “in strengthening the participation of civil society in the decision-making process at both national and multi-national levels”.

 

The main aim of this activity was to facilitate contacts between Slovak NGOs and their counterparts at the European level, in particular the INGOs enjoying participatory status with the Council of Europe. This should make it easier for Slovak NGOs to take part in the activities of the INGOs and the Council of Europe, thus strengthening the role of civil society in Slovakia and increasing the visibility of Slovak NGOs in Europe. At the same time, it should offer them an appropriate institutional framework, thus fostering exchanges and partnerships.

 

A further aim was to familiarize Slovak NGOs with the Council of Europe’s legal instruments in the fields covered during the conference as well as to raise awareness and understanding among the INGOs on Slovak civil society achievements and challenges.

 

It was proposed that the main topics focus on democracy/citizenship/participation through social issues, especially violence against women, including domestic violence.

 

Objectives of the Seminar: 
1. To support Slovak NGOs and learn from their experience;
2. To compare the Slovak legislation regarding NGOs and Slovak consultation mechanisms between NGOs and public authorities with the European standards and practice and to foster relations between NGOs and public authorities;
3. To foster contact and co-operation between Slovak NGOs and INGOs enjoying participatory status with the Council of Europe;
4. To familiarize Slovak NGOs with the Council of Europe’s activities, including campaigns and legal instruments. 

 

Main groups targeted:

Slovak NGOs and INGOs enjoying participatory status with the Council of Europe.

 

Photo gallery from the Seminar

 

Report on Topics discussed here

 

Conclusions and recommendations here 

Attitudes of primary schools pupils toward authochtonous and new minorities in Slovakia

Quantitative survey

Partner: Open Society Foundation 

Period: January 2008 - April 2009 

  

According to several analyses conducted in Slovakia, education system is still relatively ethnocentric. Integration of autochtonous as well as of the so-called new minorities is so far failing also due to non-effective school system. School curricula do not reflect cultural diversity of Slovakia, school-texts are practically free of information on national and new minorities. This is clearly influencing both chances of integration of other ethnic groups and processes of majority population attitudes formation. Integration into the society is not possible without acceptation of minorities by the majority.

 

Multicultural education as a topic incorporating issues of cultural diversity into the educational system might be an effective tool for the integration of these minorities. Effective incorporation of the multicultural education into the school system depends, however, on numerous factors that have to be met. One of the most important ones is good knowledge of young people attitudes toward different ethnic and religious groups. Identification of prejudices and stereotypes can help to identify proper form of the multicultural education in order to implement it effectively. 

 

Most important aims of the research have been identification of spheres that multicultural education should be focused on and recommendation of practical steps how to implement it into the educational system. The task of researchers has been to answer research question: “Which spheres should be multicultural education focused on within educational system in order to reflect changed needs of society in relation toward different types of minorities?” Quantitative analyses of attitudes and prejudices of elementary schools students is a result of the study that reflects regional and stratification differences.  

 

Publication with results of the research was presented in the OSF Gallery in Bratislava on April 21, 2009.

 

Preliminary results of the survey can be found here.

 

Publication can be downloaded here.

Migration - Rethinking Contemporary Migration Events

International conference in Telč

Partners:

Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University Brno;

Faculty of Science, Ostrava University.

 

Donor: International Visegrad Fund 

Period: May 29 - June 1, 2008  

 

There is not a single migration; there are multiple migrations – experiences, practices and institutions leading to various forms and consequences of modern trans-state mobility. Conference focused at migrating men, women, and children as subjects through whose acts, experiences and narratives migrations can be grasped. At the same time, state officers, social workers, and migrants´ employers were no less relevant as acting subjects. Multiple experiences and meanings of migrations are negotiated in everyday interactions at state offices, social centers and work places. Mobility or up rootedness is an equivalent state of existence to a settled life; both are co-existent in the ambivalent symbiosis. In the social sciences, the settler’s perspective is being preferred and considered the norm. Organizers of the conference were looking for ways to creatively deal with this ambivalence instead of disregarding it. We see the role of social scientists in attempting to de-construct and falsify politics and practices that are rooted unconsciously in nationalized legal norms and the perspective of the settler. 

 

Organizers aspired to create a lively discussion environment for any scholars who have been active in migration research, not just on the European scale. Keynote speakers brought fresh ideas that were discussed by Ph.D. students and other scholars. We aspired to bring multiple views and by doing this to reinforce critical thinking about migrations in the contemporary world. 

 

Conference has been divided into two parts: 

 

1. Theorizing Migration

This session was focused on theoretical reflections of migration processes and their interpretations. The changes in understanding of what exactly does belong into this realm as well as possible consequences of theoretical thinking about migration policy and migration research were discussed. 

 

2. Researching Migration

Researching migration is a practical as well as epistemological and political issue. The session posed several research methods in order to articulate the possibilities of different approaches. Special emphasis was put on the vitality of the interdisciplinary approach in studying migration and on demonstrations of innovative research approaches. A reviewed volume of the conference papers is being published in English language.

 

Program of the conference:

 

Csaba Szaló: Transnational Migrations: Cross-Border Ties, Homes, and Theories, 
Jaanika Kingumets: Journey on Forefront: Diversifying Perceptions on Time and Space in International Migration
Radka Klvaňová: Conceptualizing Inclusion/Exclusion of Migrants in a Transnational Perspective: Ways of Belonging and Non-belonging in a Transnational Social Field
Any Correia Freitas and Philippe Lacour: Reconsidering the "Discoursive Turn" in Social Sciences and Immigration Research
Václav Štětka: Imaginary Homelands: Diasporic Media Spaces and Consumption Practices
Lydia Morris: Managing Migration: Civic Stratification and Migrants´ Rights 
Alice Szczepaniková:  The Practice of Everyday Depoliticization: Relations of Power and Gendered Performances in NGO assistance to Refugees
Mojgan Rahbari: The Marginalized Integration Accounts of Foreign-trained Professional Migrants in Canada: an Analysis of Structural and Institutional Barriers to Integration
Heikki Kerkkanen: Cultural Governmentality in Finnish Integration Policy

Graeme Hugo: Circular Migration and Development: An Asia-Pacific Perspective
Damir Josipovič: Statistical Adaptation to Migration Data: The Post-socialist Perspective
Michal Růžička: Roma Migrations in Post-socialist Czecho-Slovakia
Stefan Rother: "Transnational Political Spaces": Political Activism of Philippine Labor Migrants in Hong Kong
Wojciech Janicki: New European Post-national Society: Questioning Internal-international Migration Dichotomy

 

More information here.

 

Photo gallery from the conference here 

Practice of Minority Protection in Central Europe

Survey of the best practices of minority protection in Central Europe

Partners:

Competence Centre of South Eastern Europe at the Karl-Franzens-University, Graz;

Institute for Minority Rights, EURAC Bolzano;

Institute for Specialized Communication and Multilingualism, EURAC Bolzano;

Institute for Ethnic Studies, Ljubljana;

Institute for Social and European Studies, Budapest;

Corvinius University, Budapest.

Period: January 2008 - April 2009

 

The aim of the project has been to identify best practices of minority protection, while at the same time studying under which conditions such practices can function and under which circumstances the application of certain measures is not recommendable. This goal was reached by comparatively studying the real situation of autochthonous minorities in certain key areas, taking into consideration the respective social, cultural, historical, political and economic context. The situation in Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania has been studied.

 

Main focus has been placed on the impact that the implementation of provisions for the protection of minorities have had on the interethnic living together, the mutual trust, the functioning of institutions and the interstate relations. This is shedding light on which impact an adequate minority protection system can have on the internal and external stability, economic prosperity and the lived cultural diversity within a state.