Cnam: Erasmus plus CEDAR project

Our association takes part in the action-oriented research consortium led by the Emerging Security and Defence Team (EE SD) at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts (CNAM). The CEDAR project aims to support education and training professionals (university or professional level) and help them identify and prevent different types of radicalization. We also wish to improve the skills of those who work daily with urban youths in community organisations and associations, especially those who work with vulnerable groups (migrants, unemployed youths, school dropouts, etc.). Indeed, the educational services in charge of youths are bearing an increasing burden (increasing specific cases, new forms of migration in the European context due to conflicts abroad, or even natural disasters…) however, they must be aware of the risks linked to violent extremism, which has become a daily reality. In concrete terms, the expected results for our partner universities and associations are as follows:

a) To have a validated European curriculum, adapted to various specific professional skills and presenting various types of scientific knowledge;

b) Create a digital e-learning platform with multilingual course modules and hybrid curriculums. We will evaluate these two results through a twofold approach. (establish an online training with students from each country) (have experts evaluate content following a two-blind protocol).
For students and trainees following continuous training:

c) Design online and autonomous teaching and learning tools.

d) Design self-positioning tools and provide a memorandum of acquired skills.

e) Provide a multilingual vade-mecum of taught knowledge.
We expect to achieve the following short- and medium-term impacts:

1) Increase awareness of the phenomenon of radicalisation and extremism in educational environments (national and European levels), including personal, structural, ideological, political and social factors;

2) Ensure a better detection of the “warning signs” for violent radicalisation among youths (warning signs and intervention options) and teach prevention and detection mechanisms currently in place in Europe based on real case studies (e.g. tools needed to assess existing radicalisation risks);

3) Ensure youths at risk of radicalisation can receive support, by providing professionals them with training sessions enabling them to acquire new knowledge and useful tools to deal with everyday challenges;

4) Increase awareness train community youth services to deal with youths vulnerable to radicalisation and/or assist former radicals throughout their reintegration process;

5) Present mentoring programs as a means of social support for former radicals or youths already identified as vulnerable to radical messages upon their release.