Final Report Summary - MEDCHANGE (Mediterranean changing relationships: global change, networks and border openings)
SEVENTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME. THE PEOPLE PROGRAMME MEDCHANGe – Mediterranean Changing Relationships https://sites.google.com/7fpmedchange/project
The Coordinator, Professor Maria Paradiso University of Sannio – ITALY paradiso@unisannio.it
FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IRSES Mediterranean Changing Relationships: Global Change, Networks and Border Openings (MEDCHANGe) ( PIRSES-GA-2013 n.612639) ACRONYM: MEDCHANGE
(prepared by the Coordinator, Professor Maria PARADISO, UNISANNIO).
The emergence of globalizing forces connecting, more than ever in the past, distant places and stimulating international flows across boundaries set new challenges for people in the region. Such challenges relate to a wide range of spheres of life in the region. North Africa, the Middle East and Europe have been affected in multiple ways by globalization leading to intensification of unequal relations and in some cases the disruption of local markets and traditional settlements. Enhanced regional interactions run the risk of increasing regional disruption and tension. Even though the Mediterranean space is known as one arena where the themes of mobility and justice require urgent answers, this space has been often interpreted using ‘Orientalistic’ and colonial interpretative frameworks and, as a consequence, it has been reduced to a marginal and problematic space to be normalized through the application of ‘good practices'. This IRSES aims at defining thresholds of reflections allowing the emergence of alternative academic knowledge and operational practices concerning on going processes of Euro-Mediterranean transformations and changing relationships. This research project aims to specifically reinterpret the key-concepts which are at the core of MEDCHANGE and applying them to the IRSES mobilities activities and dissemination.
MEDCHANGe focuses on the analysis of the relationships between global networks (Internet), flows (virtual and spatial mobilities of individuals, information i.e. migration also in light of gender issues such those of Moroccan female migrants; climate change migrants; tourism, local development and geographical localities in terms of local development and marginalisation/segregation. MEDCHANGe will shed lights on changing relationships at the spatial scales of some Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain) due to the dialectics of global flows, borders crossing and local structural changes. Our network of scholars work in synergy and complementarities through joint field research, workshops and seminars by investigating both the spatial and behavioral origins and development of our topics and their contemporary changing dynamics in selected territorial cases (Tel Aviv, Algier, Lisbon, Marrakesh, Casablanca, Naples, Caserta, Benevento, Zaragoza, Genoa). In order to achieve its goals, MEDCHANGe activities are structured into three main levels: 1) a theoretical-methodological level; 2) an empirical analysis of case studies in different countries; 3) an operational level. Theoretically we will contribute to the redefinition of the concepts that denote the field of investigation, ‘Mediterranean changing relationships’ namely ‘mobility’, ‘connectivity’, gender, ‘heritage’, spatial justice, entrepreneurship, inclusion, climate migration, and the idea of the ‘Mediterranean integration' in a frame of uneven development. Empirically, we aims to exchange skills, knowledge, expertise, mobilities to document the different ways in which transformations of the Mediterranean cities and villages take place, and grasp the implications of the so-called ‘virtual spatial mobilities’ in terms of inclusion, citizenship, security, intercultural dialogue. At the operational level, we look forward for studying successful stories and practices of cooperation.
MEDCHANGe website on Googlesites. https://sites.google.com/7fpmedchange/project.
We set out the following key questions for theoretical and empirical scrutiny: To what extent are countries in the region integrating in the new global flows of capital, individuals, merchandize, money, and information? How do they manage their boundaries in three main spheres of flows (individuals, information and employment activity)? How do the new Internet mobile communications affect changes for an inclusive society in Mediterranean Arab countries and European and Israeli ethnic migrant settlements and communities? How does daily life change in response to globalization flows? What patterns of immigration impact in the region, and how do states and communities respond to these migration flows etc.? How does immigration change the receiving countries in the region and what processes underpin the integration of immigrants into host societies? What are the principal dimensions of change (climate, resources, segregation and inclusions, tensions, integrations, new local entrepreneurship)? What are the most effective strategies for mitigating the negative impacts resulting from greater globalizing interactions? What successful stories and practices have emerged from these interactions?
MEDCHANGe team fulfilled all planned objectives. It achieved the following results in terms of scientific achievements as new knowledge, data, information, universities and NGOs linkages across shores, improved skills and knowledge of international research requirements for ESR and some Southern Colleagues.
We carried out fieldwork (questionnaires, interviews, workhops) in Europe and North Africa, on issues of mobilities, climate change and mobilities, understanding of Europe and the Mediterranean Basin by non elites groups and implications for European relationships based on problems and opportunities which have been generated by mobilities. Our research findings have been discussed primarily within premises of the International Geographical Union Congresses and own Conferences which have been sponsored by international scientific organizations.We developed links for dissemination with UN Barcelona University on Mobility amd Globalization, Academia Europea (London) and several European research centres on mobilities (Italy CNr, EMN-European mIgration network, Poitiers, Osnabruek, Academia Europaea Mediterranean Knowledge Hub).
Firstly, in terms of new knowledge we discovered and surveyed migration for economic reasons from Europe in particularly from Italy, Spain, Portugal. This is a different phenomenon vis à vis entrepreneurships par example in the touristic sector in Morocco medinas. The Italian team of UNISANNIO explored the Italian community and achieved motivations, characteristics and issues of ‘integration’ in hosting society: findings are extremely relevant and showed interesting profiles for benchmarking similar situation, conditions, treatment in Europe; they eventually provide a crossed comparison for future project on mobilities and encountering in different cultural contexts.
Secondly we found and proved that economic crisis fuelled a return migration to Morocco especially from Southern Europe. The issue of return migration and the profile of having double citizenships (citizen both of Morocco and an European country), with years of exposure and practice of European countries should be considered as an important issue for European cooperation policies and a real opportunity for developments in sending countries. Dimensions of return mobility integration on country of origing are multi-facets: reinsertion of children in local school system, improved opportunities for women, new and improved services, cultural and other urban facilities to foster level of social stimuli for families and individuals; altogether can turns out in opportunities in terms of human capabilities for investment from and to Europe.
Thirdly we are able now to track and interpret encounters with otherness, obstacles and enabling factors in our renovated paradigm of mobilities occurring in the coupled space of residential and virtual mobilities, on the basis of our exploratory cases.
Fourth we deepened an initial understanding of environmental change and impacts on mobilities as an additional relevant perspective of pushing factors to mobilities to North.
Fifth, last but not least, we developed non elites view and understanding of the Mediterranean area not as the malleable geopolitical courtyard of Europe but as a global mobile reality and driver of change for Europe in the world.
In addition to the scientific achievements mentioned above, the MEDCHNGE project opened up possibilities for future collaboration both in tertiary education training and research. MEDCHANGe accumulated knowledge on 1. Islam organisation in Europe and migrants' associations for religious and community services, 2. non elite understanding of so called integration in Europe as well of Europeans in South 3. climate changes and mobilities. These topics may prove of interest for intercultural and interreligious cooperation as well for European well informed real situations and path of integration and empowerment in order to refining policies perspectives on so called integration and interculturalism. New knowledge will be available for teaching purposes and interested relevant stakeholders. Maria Paradiso wishes to express a special concern is about situation of female migrants from North Africa, first generation of migrants, low skills and literacy, in Europe. Policies for empowerment and inclusion are needed in Europe.
The Coordinator, Professor Maria Paradiso University of Sannio – ITALY paradiso@unisannio.it
FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IRSES Mediterranean Changing Relationships: Global Change, Networks and Border Openings (MEDCHANGe) ( PIRSES-GA-2013 n.612639) ACRONYM: MEDCHANGE
(prepared by the Coordinator, Professor Maria PARADISO, UNISANNIO).
The emergence of globalizing forces connecting, more than ever in the past, distant places and stimulating international flows across boundaries set new challenges for people in the region. Such challenges relate to a wide range of spheres of life in the region. North Africa, the Middle East and Europe have been affected in multiple ways by globalization leading to intensification of unequal relations and in some cases the disruption of local markets and traditional settlements. Enhanced regional interactions run the risk of increasing regional disruption and tension. Even though the Mediterranean space is known as one arena where the themes of mobility and justice require urgent answers, this space has been often interpreted using ‘Orientalistic’ and colonial interpretative frameworks and, as a consequence, it has been reduced to a marginal and problematic space to be normalized through the application of ‘good practices'. This IRSES aims at defining thresholds of reflections allowing the emergence of alternative academic knowledge and operational practices concerning on going processes of Euro-Mediterranean transformations and changing relationships. This research project aims to specifically reinterpret the key-concepts which are at the core of MEDCHANGE and applying them to the IRSES mobilities activities and dissemination.
MEDCHANGe focuses on the analysis of the relationships between global networks (Internet), flows (virtual and spatial mobilities of individuals, information i.e. migration also in light of gender issues such those of Moroccan female migrants; climate change migrants; tourism, local development and geographical localities in terms of local development and marginalisation/segregation. MEDCHANGe will shed lights on changing relationships at the spatial scales of some Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain) due to the dialectics of global flows, borders crossing and local structural changes. Our network of scholars work in synergy and complementarities through joint field research, workshops and seminars by investigating both the spatial and behavioral origins and development of our topics and their contemporary changing dynamics in selected territorial cases (Tel Aviv, Algier, Lisbon, Marrakesh, Casablanca, Naples, Caserta, Benevento, Zaragoza, Genoa). In order to achieve its goals, MEDCHANGe activities are structured into three main levels: 1) a theoretical-methodological level; 2) an empirical analysis of case studies in different countries; 3) an operational level. Theoretically we will contribute to the redefinition of the concepts that denote the field of investigation, ‘Mediterranean changing relationships’ namely ‘mobility’, ‘connectivity’, gender, ‘heritage’, spatial justice, entrepreneurship, inclusion, climate migration, and the idea of the ‘Mediterranean integration' in a frame of uneven development. Empirically, we aims to exchange skills, knowledge, expertise, mobilities to document the different ways in which transformations of the Mediterranean cities and villages take place, and grasp the implications of the so-called ‘virtual spatial mobilities’ in terms of inclusion, citizenship, security, intercultural dialogue. At the operational level, we look forward for studying successful stories and practices of cooperation.
MEDCHANGe website on Googlesites. https://sites.google.com/7fpmedchange/project.
We set out the following key questions for theoretical and empirical scrutiny: To what extent are countries in the region integrating in the new global flows of capital, individuals, merchandize, money, and information? How do they manage their boundaries in three main spheres of flows (individuals, information and employment activity)? How do the new Internet mobile communications affect changes for an inclusive society in Mediterranean Arab countries and European and Israeli ethnic migrant settlements and communities? How does daily life change in response to globalization flows? What patterns of immigration impact in the region, and how do states and communities respond to these migration flows etc.? How does immigration change the receiving countries in the region and what processes underpin the integration of immigrants into host societies? What are the principal dimensions of change (climate, resources, segregation and inclusions, tensions, integrations, new local entrepreneurship)? What are the most effective strategies for mitigating the negative impacts resulting from greater globalizing interactions? What successful stories and practices have emerged from these interactions?
MEDCHANGe team fulfilled all planned objectives. It achieved the following results in terms of scientific achievements as new knowledge, data, information, universities and NGOs linkages across shores, improved skills and knowledge of international research requirements for ESR and some Southern Colleagues.
We carried out fieldwork (questionnaires, interviews, workhops) in Europe and North Africa, on issues of mobilities, climate change and mobilities, understanding of Europe and the Mediterranean Basin by non elites groups and implications for European relationships based on problems and opportunities which have been generated by mobilities. Our research findings have been discussed primarily within premises of the International Geographical Union Congresses and own Conferences which have been sponsored by international scientific organizations.We developed links for dissemination with UN Barcelona University on Mobility amd Globalization, Academia Europea (London) and several European research centres on mobilities (Italy CNr, EMN-European mIgration network, Poitiers, Osnabruek, Academia Europaea Mediterranean Knowledge Hub).
Firstly, in terms of new knowledge we discovered and surveyed migration for economic reasons from Europe in particularly from Italy, Spain, Portugal. This is a different phenomenon vis à vis entrepreneurships par example in the touristic sector in Morocco medinas. The Italian team of UNISANNIO explored the Italian community and achieved motivations, characteristics and issues of ‘integration’ in hosting society: findings are extremely relevant and showed interesting profiles for benchmarking similar situation, conditions, treatment in Europe; they eventually provide a crossed comparison for future project on mobilities and encountering in different cultural contexts.
Secondly we found and proved that economic crisis fuelled a return migration to Morocco especially from Southern Europe. The issue of return migration and the profile of having double citizenships (citizen both of Morocco and an European country), with years of exposure and practice of European countries should be considered as an important issue for European cooperation policies and a real opportunity for developments in sending countries. Dimensions of return mobility integration on country of origing are multi-facets: reinsertion of children in local school system, improved opportunities for women, new and improved services, cultural and other urban facilities to foster level of social stimuli for families and individuals; altogether can turns out in opportunities in terms of human capabilities for investment from and to Europe.
Thirdly we are able now to track and interpret encounters with otherness, obstacles and enabling factors in our renovated paradigm of mobilities occurring in the coupled space of residential and virtual mobilities, on the basis of our exploratory cases.
Fourth we deepened an initial understanding of environmental change and impacts on mobilities as an additional relevant perspective of pushing factors to mobilities to North.
Fifth, last but not least, we developed non elites view and understanding of the Mediterranean area not as the malleable geopolitical courtyard of Europe but as a global mobile reality and driver of change for Europe in the world.
In addition to the scientific achievements mentioned above, the MEDCHNGE project opened up possibilities for future collaboration both in tertiary education training and research. MEDCHANGe accumulated knowledge on 1. Islam organisation in Europe and migrants' associations for religious and community services, 2. non elite understanding of so called integration in Europe as well of Europeans in South 3. climate changes and mobilities. These topics may prove of interest for intercultural and interreligious cooperation as well for European well informed real situations and path of integration and empowerment in order to refining policies perspectives on so called integration and interculturalism. New knowledge will be available for teaching purposes and interested relevant stakeholders. Maria Paradiso wishes to express a special concern is about situation of female migrants from North Africa, first generation of migrants, low skills and literacy, in Europe. Policies for empowerment and inclusion are needed in Europe.