Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly employed by businesses, governments, and other organizations to make decisions with far-reaching impacts on individuals and society. This offers big opportunities for automation in different sectors and daily life, but at the same time it brings risks for discrimination of minority and marginal population groups on the basis of the so-called protected attributes, like gender, race, and age. Despite the large body of research to date, the proposed methods work in limited settings, under very constrained assumptions, and do not reflect the complexity and requirements of real world applications. To this end, the MAMMOth project focuses on multi-discrimination mitigation for tabular, network and multimodal data. Through its computer science and AI experts, MAMMOth aims at addressing the associated scientific challenges by developing an innovative fairness-aware AI-data driven foundation that provides the necessary tools and techniques for the discovery and mitigation of (multi-)discrimination and ensures the accountability of AI-systems with respect to multiple protected attributes and for traditional tabular data and more complex network and visual data. The project will actively engage with numerous communities of vulnerable and/or underrepresented groups in AI research right from the start, adopting a co-creation approach, to make sure that actual user needs and pains are at the centre of the research agenda and act as guidance to the project’s activities. A social science-driven approach supported by social science and ethics experts will guide project research, and a science communication approach will increase the outreach of the outcomes. The project aims to demonstrate through pilots the developed solutions into three relevant sectors of interest: a) finance/loan applications, b) identity verification systems, and c) academic evaluation.

"IDPBC was a transnational effort to compile international picture book collections, approaches and activities that address three issues of great importance to contemporary students and teachers across the globe: Inclusion, Diversity and Identity. Picture books have been proved to be extremely valuable educational tools, bringing multiple learning benefits to diverse groups of learners. Educationalists have repeatedly shown how reading visual narratives can enhance children’s understanding of their own identities and celebrating difference. IDPBC strived to empower children from disadvantaged backgrounds to see themselves in the curriculum, enable all children to function within diverse/multicultural educational environments, and prepare teachers to teach diverse learners. More than 10,000 individuals were directly or indirectly reached by the project, including children and parents, teachers and teacher trainers, curriculum developers and policy makers.IDPBC was built on the approaches developed in the projects that preceded it, while also breaked new ground. Like the projects that have already been carried out, this new project was capitalized on the educational affordances of powerful visual narratives, by compiling a collection of carefully selected picture books and designing relevant educational material. At the same instance, IDPBC differed in that, unlike EPBC or EPBC II, the new project did not collect stories that represent specific EU states, cultures or languages. While these early projects are valuable, and are still being utilized by educators, the IDPBC project was innovative in the sense that it asks children and educators to be inspired by powerful visual stories in order to reflect on their own experiences and ideas about identity, inclusion and diversity. The central objectives of IDPBC were:- To compile a collection of international picture books in a range of languages, which can be used in classrooms for exploration and negotiation of identity, inclusion and diversity;- To develop, test and disseminate a series of picture-book-based approaches and activities that will support inclusion and diversity and ultimately reduce disparities in learning outcomes of disadvantaged learners; - To publish and disseminate a guide that supports practitioners in integrating IDPBC picture books in the curriculum, forming their own picture book collections and activities and engaging diverse students, parents and the community; - To provide training and professional development to pre- and in-service educators, equipping them with the necessary knowledge, attitudes and competences to successfully manage and support diversity through visual stories;- To provide an OER platform that enables pre- and in-service educators to develop networks of practitioners who integrate picture books in the curriculum to make teaching and learning more inclusive and accommodating.Main outputs developed:- Collection of international picture books ""IDPBC Annotated Bibliographic Catalogue""- Picture-book-based approaches and activities ""IDPBC Didactic Units"" (5 Didactic Units)- Implementation guide for practitioners ""IDPBC Guide for Enhancing Inclusive Practices""- Training to pre- and in-service educators ""Online Courses"" (5 Modules)- Open Educational Resources platformChildren, teachers, student teachers and parents were educated and guided through activities that value diversity, combat racism and xenophobia and enhance the child’s self-image and self–efficacy. As the IDPBC project aimed to affect in a positive manner pre-primary and primary school pupils who feel or are considered to be “different,” in addition to migrant children, other categories of children will also benefit from IDPBC. These categories include: Romas and children with minority backgrounds; children at risk; children in care; children with same sex parents; adopted children; displaced children; and others. Finally, since learning to function in diverse environments and reflecting on one’s identity and stances towards difference is essential for every child growing up in a contemporary society, all pre-primary and primary school pupils in Europe and elsewhere could and still can potentially benefit from the IDPBC stories, activities and educational approaches.Coordinator: Diversity Development Group. Partners: CENTRE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY LTD-CARDET, Cyprus; UNIVERSITATEA DIN PITESTI, Romania; DOUKAS SCHOOL, Greece; INNOVADE LTD, Cyprus; INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO DE CASTELO BRANCO, Portugal.Project web site: http://diversitytales.com/en/"

Due to the demographic, social and economic changes in Europe labour force is becoming more and more diverse. With such workforce diversity, it becomes important for various type of organizations to put in place policies and practices to build an inclusive and harmonious workplace, to adopt working environment where each employee would feel dignified regardless of the person’s age, gender, disability, race, ethnic origin or nationality, sexual orientation and gender identity, and religious beliefs, to ensuring equal opportunities at the workplace, strengthening diversity management, and creating a friendly and inclusive working environment for all. The central aim of the DIMAIN project is to promote diversity management and social inclusion, and ensure equal opportunities for all in the workplace through fostering diversity thinking and implementation of inclusive practices in the organizations. Objectives: • To launch, host, and manage National Diversity Charter (DC) in partner countries, which will create awareness, make progress in managing diversity and promote inclusion • To develop and disseminate a Practical Guide, approaches and activities that will support inclusion and diversity and ultimately reduce discrimination and social inequality within the workplace and wider society • To provide training and professional development to managers, HR, personnel specialist and adult educators, equipping them with the necessary knowledge, attitudes and competences to successfully manage and support diversity and inclusion in the workplace; • To provide an OER platform that enables target group and stakeholders to develop networks of practitioners who implement diversity management and inclusion practices, measures and / or policiesLaunch and further maintenance of the DCs at national level in partner countries was one of the most important activities undertaken as well as outcomes of the project. Partners went much why beyond project objectives by launching the Charters, and had joined the EU Platform for Diversity Charters. In this terms project not only met, but mightily exceeded both, objectives and results – in total 129 organizations has joint the DCs, the community continues to grow. The quality of the project results also reflects in the DCs signees list in all partners’ countries: state institutions (ministries, municipalities), worldwide known international companies, local SMEs, media organizations and etc. Both, result and impact is more than clear - progress in managing diversity and promotion of inclusive culture are getting stronger and more established every day. Developed in a high quality, professional design and localized IO1/A2 Practical Guide (4 versions in English and national languages, both digital and printed) was accomplished with good practices and testimonials from partner countries, thus reached target group and met primarily aim to raise awareness on diversity and its management enhancing organizations to join the Charter community and support inclusion and diversity at workplace, thus ultimately reduce discrimination and social inequality within the wider society.IO2/A1 ‘Diversity & Inclusion’ Training program developed in a participatory approach both within consortium and target audience through piloting, is innovative, relevant and needed to managers, HR, personnel specialist and adult educators. Chosen blended learning approach will ensure it remain available for practitioners both for online and self-learning, F2F trainings will continue to be implemented by partners due to the need of equipping growing network of organizations with the necessary knowledge, attitudes and competences to successfully manage and support diversity and inclusion in the workplace. During the implementation phase 84 participants were trained and became multipliers. Due to the hard partners’ work and efforts to promote outputs of the project and relevance of the topic, number of additional dissemination events both for the DCs’ members and wider society took place reaching significant number (2130) persons of target group and stakeholders participated in implementation activities, which were widely spread at national media in all partners countries reaching hundreds of thousands society members.After the compilation of the project, DIMIAN partners are committed much why beyond the project and Erasmus+ program framework to sustain and exploit developed outputs. The processes has started, number of DC signees as well as potential members are willing either to start or to continue implement diversity management and inclusion practices, measures and / or policies, and thus contribute to ultimate goal of this project – enhance social inclusion, which is seen both as long-term benefit and impact.

<< Background >>The project VRIN was developed to provide innovative targeted training to both actors involved in TCNs’ (Third Country Nationals) integration and TCNs themselves as a two-way method to enhance integration in local communities. This two-way method is selected given that integration does not only depend on TCNs’ willingness to adapt to the new context by acquiring key skills (namely: communication with the local authorities, useful/everyday vocabulary, knowledge of labour access, bureaucratic and financial procedures, housing and health system hints). It also aims on the capacity building of key professionals (namely: interpreters, cultural mediators and all type of integration assistants) working in this field. The management of the massive TCN influx of 2015-2016, despite the current periodic decrease due to COVID related restrictions and concerns, has proven that it is not enough to just open borders, but also, to be ready to apply effective management after the settlement. On the other hand, the project underlines the need for innovative training tools, beyond the mainstream and traditional ones, as a means of making the process of acquaintance with the local context more interactive, interesting and attractive. Thus, the project will create VR scenarios and Gamified environments to be used in innovative training sessions with both target groups (TCNs and actors).Given the continuity of refugee crisis and the endless massive migrant influx in the European Union, the partnership of the project strongly believes that along with the traditional integration skills development methodologies (ex. language lessons, face to face assistance and cultural mediation etc.), a new approach of TCNs’ integration in the local societies must be developed. The parallel rising problem within the EU, next to the increasing numbers, is the non-mutual integration approach which is summarized in the next scheme: most countries accept an influx and then they impose a list of qualitative requirement (e.g. papers, work contract, paperwork etc.) while neglecting or degrading the quantitative procedures (e.g. healing from trauma, targeted language skill development, betterment of everyday life etc.). This is what the project names “two-way integration methodology” which is expected to become the game changer in the field. Since 2015-2016, so much attention has been given on how much TCNs want/ can adapt to the local society, but the same does not happen with how much the EU actors are ready and capable of hosting TCNs’ efforts and multiply their positive results. In brief, the project envisions an economization of time and resources related to TCNs’ integration through a parallel provision of the opportunity for TCNs and actors/ stakeholders to engage with the digital skills needed towards the 4th Industrial Revolution.<< Objectives >>The project is designed to achieve specific objectives, which will work toward the effective integration of TCNs in the partner countries and in the EU at large.In the first steps of the project, the partners will conduct a thorough field research to identify needs and gaps in TCNs’ integration and in integration assistants’ skill development gaps. All these will be included in the interactive training Curriculum (Project Result 1). The objective of the Curriculum is to provide the local communities, authorities, operators, stakeholders and training centers, among others, with a state-of-the-art tool which is aligned with the latest trends of digital evolution (VR and Gamified Environment). Next, partners will establish a “two-way” integration process through innovative and interactive training of which the ulterior goal is to smoothen up TCNs’ access to basic services and integration skills development. The objective is to develop innovative approaches to facilitate access to basic services that can be adapted to, local contexts; improved access to comprehensive health care services, social security benefits for TCNs, as well as to services facilitating labour market integration, financial services, housing and helping to provide them with affordable accommodation based on their needs. The “two-way” methodology aims at bringing not only the TCNs’ to the local context’s conditions, but also familiarising the integration actors to TCNs’ diversity. Apart from the above, the inclusion of targeted language skills in the Curriculum and the training sessions aims to open a window to TCNs’ life-long learning, in order to facilitate their integration in society and the labour market. The learning material will also be available and open to the public on the Online Platform (Project Result 2), with the objective to be used as a valuable tool for TCN’s learning and integration. Furthermore, one of the objectives of the project is to bring local and international stakeholders closer as a means of multiplying the project’s impact but also spreading its benefits. More specifically, integration assistants and stakeholders will be given the floor to express their views and, as a result, participate actively in the evolution of a project that is of their direct interest. Their views and general contribution will be included in the Interactive Guidebook (Project Result 3), which will also be disseminated to the broader public. In this way, the project partners aim to change the game in the integration of TCNs through the involvement of organisations, integration actors, stakeholders and the general public.<< Implementation >>The project includes various activities which aim at serving its purposes and facilitating the achievement of its objectives. First of all, it includes the mapping of the current situation regarding TCNs’ integration in the EU and the development of relevant strategies and training activities for TCNs and relevant actors. Such activities are expected to facilitate the development of skills and competences among both target groups and promote their mutual cooperation for integration. Secondly, the project will offer further opportunities for TCNs’ networking and integration through their involvement in the Multiplier Events and Final Conference, which will bring them together with stakeholders and local agents and give them the chance to explore possibilities for employment and further involvement in the society. What is more, the project is an excellent opportunity for partner organisations to exchange good practices and experiences and also upskill their members by participating in the relevant training activity, during which they will gain valuable knowledge and acquire new competences. Finally, the project will offer valuable tools, such as the Curriculum, the Online Platform and the Guidebook, which will be tested and used by the project consortium during the training activities, and will be disseminated to the general public during the Multiplier Events and the Final Conference.<< Results >>The project will be initiated through a state-of-the-art research to identify the gaps and the best practices regarding TCNs’ skill development procedures in the examined areas (communication with the local authorities, useful/everyday vocabulary, knowledge of bureaucratic and financial procedures, housing and health system hints) and regarding interpreters, cultural mediators and all type of integration assistants’ skills. The research will result in a consolidated, comparative EU report which will consist of the respective national reports. The project will then move on with creating a pioneer, innovative and interactive training Curriculum (Project Result 1) consisting of Virtual Reality scenarios and Gamified Environment which will address in an inclusive and amusing way the information and the skills that a TCN and a professional must possess to integrate and assist TCN integrate respectively. Workshops will be conducted using those techniques with both target groups. On the one hand, the innovative Curriculum will constitute a sustainable a replicable asset without limitations. It will be able to be transferred in any context as each scenario will contain specific info for every single context of each country (example: the avatar integration officer of a VR scenario will give different info to the TCN user depending on the partner country he/she resides in). Also, towards the end of the project an Online Platform (Project Result 2) will be developed, which will include all those scenarios in a gamified form. Furthermore, an Interactive Guidebook (Project Result 3) will be written with the contribution of all partners, which will help actors in the partner countries and beyond on how to use the project’s outputs while adapting them to their context. Through the Guidebook which will be widely disseminated to various stakeholders within and out of the partner countries but also through the Final Conference which will be organized at the end of the project, stakeholders from different countries will come closer and exchange views towards a firmer cooperation. The overall dissemination of the project will attempt to reach to all the social areas which play a key role in TCNs’ social integration but also the competent agencies and policy makers. The advantage of the digitized toolkit and the alignment of the project with the latest trends in digital training are expected to boost this effort. This is expected to raise awareness regarding obstacles faced by TCNs to access those services and the possible solutions by relevant actors across the EU.

At a critical point in Europe when youth unemployment continues to rise, IARS decided to put together a strategic partnership of familiar and no so familiar to Erasmus organisations to run PROMYSE as a youth-led, transnational project that developed a new, innovate and youth-led course for young prospective social entrepreneurs (with an emphasis on NEETS).The objective of PROMYSE was to promote social entrepreneurship in the social care sector as an alternative pathway to youth self-sustainability, by developing the social entrepreneurship and business skills of unemployed youth and raising awareness on the benefits and added value of social enterprises to the community as a whole.In particular, PROMYSE aimed to develop social entrepreneurship models and transfer expertise from successful social entrepreneurship models identified in various countries, and used this knowledge to build an integrated online tool and a successful methodology for youth capacity building, and highlight bottom-up approaches in addressing healthcare service needs. Similarly, the project improved, assessed, and certified the skills (social, basic and business-oriented) of youth to bridge the gap between non-formal education and labour market demands, and promoted social entrepreneurship as an alternative path for self-sustainability while boosting young beneficiaries’ self-confidence.Ultimately, Promyse achieved the following outcomes at the end of the project: A better positioning of prospective youth entrepreneurs to access sustainable employment in the third sector, an improved capacity of partner organisations to promote youth employment in the social enterprise field and an enhanced integration of social entrepreneurship learning in the non-formal education and training system. Finally, Promyse implemented better networking for prospective young entrepreneurs within the business sector, increased public awareness on youth participation in society, and boosted awareness among young people of the needs of the social and healthcare fields in the third sector.