UPPER project “lands” in Malta
The fourth UPPER project meeting and the second multiplier event were organised from 14 to 15 October by the Maltese Ministry for Education and Employment (MEDE) at congress centre of Hotel Excelsior in Floriana, Malta.
During the meeting, all the deliverables developed by the project partners were analysed and further discussed, in view of the launch of the UPPER piloting phase in schools.
After the opening session the project and the partnership, were presented to teachers and students of one of the Maltese pilot schools directed by the Migrant Learners’ Unit, a section of the Maltese Ministry for Education and Employment (MEDE) dedicated to pupils, coming from non-English-speaking countries, who need to be acquainted with both English and Maltese languages in order to get ordinary access to the Maltese school system. This interesting and fruitful onsite visit was followed, during the afternoon, by a final session focused on designing the structure of the second UPPER multiplier event on the following day.
The multiplier event was opened on the morning of 15th October by David Degabriele of the the MEDE, who addressed the value of the UPPER project from the institutional perspective. Subsequently, participants were introduced to the project by all the other partners, through a detailed description of its different outcomes and supported by a guided tour on the EIP Laboratory website.
Finally, three thematic workshops were organised, followed by a plenary session and a final round table which included experts in the field of peace education. This debate was aimed at sharing some crucial aspects related to peace education which could have might inspire peace in the youngest generations.
UPPER Project Meeting in Utrecht
Utrecht (The Netherlands), 11-12 April 2019
In April, the third Project Meeting of the UPPER Project was organised by the European School Head Association at its premises, in the Netherlands. Many of the instruments structured by the UPPER partnership were revised, discussed and improved during the meeting, taking advantage of open debates and interactive workshops.
Sessions included activities regarding the integration of the draft version of the Peace Educators’ Competences Framework, which was analysed by the team in its most crucial sections, the further development of the innovative Benchmarking System for educational institutions, and, finally, the delineation of some general outlines for the future design of the Peace Education Handbook.
A few external contributors, most of them educational professionals and experts in the field of formal and/or informal education, were also invited to participate in the work on 12 April. As expected, their presence provided precious independent inputs for the future development of the project.
“Education inspiring peace, from fragments and silos to a systemic approach” international workshop
Sanremo (Italy), 23 November 2018
On 23 November 2018, this international workshop on “Education inspiring peace, from fragments and silos to a systemic approach” was organized in November at Villa Ormond by the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, within the framework of the project “UPPER – systemic UPscaling of Peace Education Practices”. The workshop was held under the auspices of the Municipality of Sanremo and the Liguria Region. This initiative gathered about 55 participants including policy makers at different institutional levels, school teachers, representatives of local communities and civil society, members of cultural institutions and international organizations, all committed to enhancing the positive role of education in creating the conditions for peace and respect for cultural differences. The workshop presented a synopsis of the good practices identified within the UPPER project and introduced the concept of “international collaborative benchmarking” by discussing strategies for capacity building and international networking to maximise the impact of existing educational initiatives. Furthermore, the workshop was the occasion to announce the creation of the “International Peace Education Laboratory”, a project spin-off, to be established in Sanremo on a permanent basis.
