A safe space is a space which, either technically or emotionally, is meant to provide equal opportunities, representation and communication outlets for marginalised groups or persons in an environment of respect and understanding that eliminate oppressive behaviours, recognises struggle and cultivates dialogue. Historically safe spaces have been places for marginalised individuals and groups to come together and communicate regarding their experience with marginalisation, learn, and engage in social and political matters against repression. The European Commision has highlighted in the last decade, through campaigning and recording realities in documentarist manners, the crucial role that safe spaces play in the psychological empowerment of refugees and people in traumatic journeys under systemic exclusion due to gender, sexuality, race or their socio-economic status.
The aim of this project is to strive for social inclusion and change by improving and extending the supply of high quality learning opportunities for adults, through the creation of a comprehensive guide for creating and maintaining safe spaces for learning, including an extent research on safe space mentality in the life systems of people, meaning family, community and international identity. The project also aims to increase learning demand and take-up through effective outreach, guidance and motivation strategies that will be facilitated by the creation of a storytelling boardgame that will aim to not only recognise the safe and unsafe elements of a learning environment but also provide solutions, highlight struggle and work towards resolving conflicts through understanding.
Project objectives and results
Safe spaces for learning – Guide: How to create and maintain a safe space for adult learning
Safe spaces in everyday life: Coping with struggle and oppression in everyday life
Good practices on safe spaces for learning: A visual library of existing safe spaces for adult education
The SAFE Boardgame
Recognise Bias and Create a Safe Space
A dialogue facilitation tool to inspire and assist the creation of Safe Spaces for all.
Pilotings
Phase 1: Co-designing the SAFE Boardgame with learners, educators and providers
Phase 2: Working with the SAFE Boardgame in a learning setting
The SAFE Policy Paper
Sustaining Safe Space Mentalities: Discussing policies on race, gender and civic identity in Europe.
Raise Awareness: On the meaning of discussing race, gender, social and cultural bias Increase learning demand and take-up: through effective outreach, guidance and motivation strategies
Multiplier events
E1. Dialogue and Reflection in creating Online Safe Spaces for Learning (Greece)
E2. The role of European actions in Creating Impactful Safe Spaces (Belgium- European Level) E3. Cultivating S.A.F.E. Mentalities in the Community (Italy)
E4. Working with diverse groups of learners and the Necessity of creating Safe Spaces (Austria)
E5. Discussing theories on Space, Safety and Relevant Concepts (Serbia) E6. Raising Awareness for Transcending Safe Learning Spaces into the Workplace (Portugal)
Partnership
EPATV
COORDINATOR
VHS Wien
PARTNER – AUSTRIA
ICAE
PARTNER – SERBIA
Patatrac
PARTNER – ITALY
EAEA
PARTNER – BELGIUM
DAFNI KEK
PARTNER – GREECE
