Scientific accompaniment and power-critical support
New perspectives for our work
In this project, we focus on exploring practical methods of civic education with young refugees. At the same time, we aim to critically reflect on and improve our own work on a structural level. That’s why the project is accompanied by academic and power-critical support. The goal is to include well-founded insights on topics such as racism, discrimination, power dynamics, and participation. This helps us to identify blind spots in the project design and make our activities as sensitive to discrimination as possible.
These accompanying processes not only improve the quality of the project activities but also support reflection on institutional structures and promote fair and conscious collaboration between the international partner organizations involved.
We are supported by two external teams:
Scientific accompaniment
The scientific accompaniment provided by Prof. Dr. Susanne Spindler and Dr. Sara Madjlessi-Roudi from Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences ensures that key questions are addressed systematically and in a theory-based manner. Their process accompaniment supports continuous quality assurance and further development of the project. The focus lies on questions such as:
- Which civic education programs are attractive to young refugees?
- How can these programs be designed in such a way that they enable self-efficacy and real political participation?
- What structural conditions (e.g. at an organizational or societal level) are needed to make self-empowerment possible for young refugees?
- To what extent are the political, historical and social contexts of the participating countries considered? Which topics and perspectives may be underrepresented?
- Which networks and alliances are necessary to be able to work with young refugees in the long term – and how can access to these structures be created?
To explore these questions, the researchers use different methods and look at relevant studies. The results are shared and discussed with the project team to keep improving the project step by step.
Power-critical support
The power-critical support by Dorsa Billstein and Teresa Merz from the Cologne team of breitblick GmbH adds a practical, discrimination-sensitive perspective to the scientific accompaniment. The aim is to make power dynamics within the project visible and to help change them towards more discrimination-sensitive structures.
They focus on topics such as:
- designing public communication in a power-sensitive way,
- addressing and supporting young people without reproducing discrimination,
- creating real opportunities for young refugees to take part in shaping the project on equal terms,
- and dealing with power imbalances between project partners – for example, when it comes to access to funding, knowledge or staff.
They support the project through individual counselling, trainings and workshops – both at the national and international level.
Sharing knowledge – growing together
All findings from the scientific accompaniment and power-critical support will be published in a brochure and made available on this website. Our goal is to share what we have learned with other organizations and professionals working with young refugees – so they can benefit from these experiences and developments too.
