Elcra Project
THE PROJECT CONTEXT
In recent years, activism movements related to environmental sustainability issues and the fight against climate change have spread especially among young people.
These contemporary movements engage in a wide range of collective actions, differing in the extremity of their actions with some being more normative and accepted by observers (e.g., organizing marches) and others being less normative and potentially illegal (e.g., blocking roads or property destruction). Although there is currently no concrete threat of violent radicalization in the environmental movement, strategies that would prevent violent radicalization and at the same time would keep high the involvement of individuals in the fight against climate change seem necessary. Thus, this project aims at preventing violent radicalisation and increasing collective engagement in climate change fight by increasing environmental literacy in youth.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE
The project aims to increase students’ environmental literacy, particularly university students, by involving them in their communities and transforming them into actors of change.
To achive this, the project consists of several actions:
- Study the phenomena at the heart of the project.
- Provide knowledge and skills to participants.
- Develop communities of practice.
- Promote environmental literacy through awareness-raising campaigns and advocacy activities.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
- To understand the phenomenon of violent radicalisation linked to environmental and climate challenges through qualitative and quantitative research on emblematic cases, attitudes and opinions of university students on environmental sustainability and factors that may favour violent radicalisation in environmental movements and to identify strategies for its prevention.
- To provide university students with knowledge and skills on the issues related to the project through developing a competence framework on “Prevention of Violent Radicalisation of Environmental Activism through Environmental Literacy.
- To develop a community of practice on the topic of “Preventing Violent Radicalisation in Environmental Activism” to create a network of professionals and researchers working on these issues both in the academic and professional spheres and in civil society, to promote good practices, research and on the topics at the centre of the project.
- Promoting Environmental Literacy in European university contexts and preventing violent radicalisation in environmental activism through awareness-raising campaigns for university students and advocacy activities for universities and other educational institutions.
PROJECT RESULTS
- A research on young people’s attitudes towards the climate crisis, environmental activism and risk factors for violent radicalisation.
- A Competence framework on the prevention of violent radicalisation of environmental activism through environmental literacy.
- An online platform, as a European reference point on the prevention of violent radicalisation of environmental activism through environmental literacy, containing materials, events, research and all content developed by the project consortium.
- A multidisciplinary MOOC course on environmental literacy, climate change, environmental sustainability, innovative problem-solving strategies, systemic thinking and systemic change. 10 workshops with students on preventing violent radicalisation in environmental activism through environmental literacy.
- A cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary community of practice between academia and other stakeholders in sustainability and environmental activism.
- Awareness-raising measures and advocacy activities on project topics are always targeted at university students and higher education organisations.
- A document containing recommendations from the research and community of practice. Improvement of university students’ knowledge and skills in environmental sustainability.
