Project description
Empowering migrant voices through storytelling in the Mediterranean
Using a concept known as epistemic violence, migration studies may dehumanise people by treating them as objects rather than subjects. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SPEAK project aims to explore the approaches adopted by NGOs operating in Catalonia and Sicily in terms of empowering migrants through participatory storytelling. Through the analysis of locations for conducting migration-related activities in the Mediterranean area, SPEAK aims to examine how these approaches impact the political and social empowerment of migrants. Using the concept of participatory action research, the SPEAK project will formulate a set of recommendations designed to inform the activities of these NGOs, as well as develop a digital platform called E-SCAPE.
Objective
SPEAK explores and analyses how non-profit organisations – including non-governmental, civil society, and migrant-led organisations – based in Spain (Catalonia) and Italy (Sicily) empower people with migrant backgrounds to speak for themselves through storytelling and narrative-building initiatives. As critical nodes in Mediterranean migration pathways, these regions offer unique insights into how organisations use various forms of self-narrative and participatory methods to enable migrant empowerment. SPEAK addresses what scholars identify as 'epistemic violence' in migration research, where migrants are treated as objects rather than subjects of knowledge. SPEAK employs an interdisciplinary approach to: (i) Develop a conceptual framework of good organisational practices specific to Mediterranean contexts; (ii) Examine how organisations' storytelling activities enhance and transform migrant agency across narrative, political, social, and epistemic dimensions; (iii) Build E-SCAPE, a novel digital archive of de-centred narratives and counter-storytelling.
The methodology includes multiple case studies of non-profit organisations, using Participatory Action Research with migrants as co-researchers, semi-structured interviews, arts-based methods, and quantitative surveys. E-SCAPE will feature diverse storytelling formats complemented by Relief Maps to visualise intersectional inequalities.
SPEAK contributes to advancing critical migration studies by centring migrant voices in knowledge production and making migration research more inclusive. The project aims to bridge the gap between academic research and practical application, with the potential to significantly influence public discourse and policy debates. Through its innovative methodology and digital humanities approach, SPEAK seeks to foster counter-hegemonic knowledge production, aligning with EU priorities for migrant integration and social cohesion.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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08002 Barcelona
Spain
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