ALTERNATIVE:
the set-up
Inge Vanfraechem – Project Manager
Overview of the presentation
• The partners
• Framework of the project
• Objectives
• Structure
• Workpackages’ objectives
• Current points of attention
The partners
• KU Leuven (Belgium)
• European Forum (Belgium)
• Norwegian Social Research Institute (NOVA,
Norway)
• Institute for the Sociology of Law and
Criminology (IRKS, Austria)
• Foresee research group (Hungary)
• Victimology Society of Serbia (VDS, Serbia)
• University of Ulster (Northern Ireland)
Framework of the project
• 7th Framework programme (EC):
Collaborative Project - small or medium-scale focused
research project (CP-FP); Work programme topic: Topic
SEC-2011.6.5-1 Conflict resolution and mediation
• Aim of the project: To provide alternative and
deepened understanding, based on empirical evidence of
how to handle conflicts in intercultural contexts within
democratic societies, in order to set up security solutions
for citizens and communities, which will be carried by the
active participation of the citizens involved
• Duration of the project: 4 years
• Partners in the project: KU Leuven
(coordinator), NOVA, EFRJ, IRKS, Foresee, VDS, UU
Objectives
• To develop a coherent theoretical framework for an
alternative understanding of security and justice;
• To develop empirically applicable knowledge on conflict
and conflict transformation in intercultural settings;
• To design, apply and evaluate concrete action models in
four different intercultural conflict settings, based on an
alternative understanding of justice and security and on
existing RJ models. The sites under study cover the
different levels of conflict (micro-meso-macro);
• To analyse the findings from the four pilot settings in a
comparative way and to advance knowledge by
integrating the empirical results into theoretical insights
and by adapting the latter where appropriate.
Structure
• ALTERNATIVE has at its core four intensive case studies
(which mainly take the form of action research activities)
built around, supported by and mutually feeding into
three theoretically oriented work packages.
• A comparative and dissemination work package have
been incorporated into the research to make the flow of
information and action possible in all directions.
• These different parts together are to produce a spectrum
of theoretically grounded and empirically tested models
of dealing with conflicts in intercultural settings by RJ
oriented processes.
Sites of action research
The case studies are located at four different sites. The action
research in each of these sites is dedicated to different levels of
intercultural conflicts in a few selected security sensitive areas:
• 1) at the micro-level - everyday conflicts between local
residents and residents with migrant background in
public/social housing (Vienna);
• 2) at the meso-level - conflicts in a small town with Roma and
non-Roma inhabitants (Hungary);
• 3) at the meso/macro-level - interethnic conflicts within three
multiethnic and multicultural regions: conflicts between Serbs,
Albanians, Muslims and Croats (Serbia);
• 4) at the meso/macro-level - civil conflicts at three sites:
conflicts between a local community and gangs of youths;
between long term residents and recent immigrants; and intercommunity sectarian conflict (Northern Ireland).
WP 1 – Alternative epistemologies of
justice and security
• Critically analyse the existing epistemologies of thinking,
talking about and doing justice in current democratic societies,
especially in relation to the discourse on human security;
• Challenge current risk and insecurity perceptions especially
related to intercultural or multicultural settings by questioning
the ontology and ethics of ‘self’ and ‘other’ and their relation;
• Offer a better theoretical understanding based on alternative
epistemologies of doing justice and enhancing security in
democratic societies on how to tackle conflict, especially in
multicultural settings in a constructive way;
• Pursue and argue for RJ as an alternative academic discourse
to the current dominant discourses on justice and human
security.
WP 2 – Conflict transformation
analysis
• To analyse ‘conflict’ in intercultural contexts (types
of conflict, characteristics, actors, worldviews);
• To analyse conflict transformation and security
perceptions in intercultural contexts;
• To investigate the role of dialogical processes and
contribution from civil society in conflict
transformation at individual and societal level;
• To investigate the role of gender and age in conflict
perception and transformation.
WP 3 – RJ models
• Study existing RJ models and their potential
application to conflicts in an intercultural context;
• Analyse the relevance of RJ in intercultural settings
and possible implications for EU policies.
WP 4 - 7 Action research
• Carry out action research:
• Identify the conditions and circumstances required for the
successful application of the restorative justice approach
and practices;
• Assess how the restorative practices and approach can be
aligned with other intervention methods;
• Involve citizens from multi-ethnic communities;
• To provide alternative understandings of conflict and its
resolution;
• To develop and design appropriate RJ strategies and
interventions that strengthen social inclusion, active
citizenship and social cohesion in a variety of social
contexts.
WP 8 – Comparative research
• To make theoretical concepts and insights from WPs 1- 3
operational on behalf of action research WPs 4-7;
• To offer support to WPs 4-7 in adopting a comparable
action research methodology and to follow-up;
• To develop a comparative methodological framework, so
that findings in the four pilot studies can be recorded in a
similar way and common analysis, evaluation and
discussion will be made possible;
• To analyse, interpret and orient empirical developments
in WPs 4-7 against the background of theoretical
frameworks as developing in WPs 1-3;
• To analyse comparatively the final results of the four
pilot studies and to feed them back into the theoretical
frameworks.
WP 9 - Dissemination
• Gain attention of all target groups (mediation services,
municipalities, policymakers (social sector), intercultural
organisations, scientific community, and professional SMEs)
on the application of RJ in settings of intercultural conflict;
• Inform and increase public knowledge about the benefits of
mediation, especially in areas of conflict or potential areas of
conflict in multicultural settings;
• Confront and compare findings with other projects and
practices in the field throughout Europe;
• Stimulate and support implementation by contributing to the
development of models of alternative RJ-oriented models of
conflict resolution in different European countries ;
• Plan further cooperation and discuss further research agenda.
WP 10 - Management
• Ensure the scientific coordination between the
consortium partners and the Work Packages;
• Establish an efficient communication and cooperation
structure and environment among partners;
• Ensure timely deliverables and project execution by
monitoring the quality and the progress of the project;
• Provide an efficient and effective management of the
project.
Current points of attention
• Developing the concepts
• Difference security – RJ discourse
• Ethics: research and film
More information?
• www.alternativeproject.eu
• inge.vanfraechem@law.kuleuven.be