The project
The recent occurrence of many different adversities – financial, environmental, health and migration crises, among others – showed the urgent need to strengthen the preparation of countries and regions for prompt response. While some of these disasters are likely unavoidable, we can limit the potential threat and impact of some others if we are prepared and have sufficient knowledge and skills on crises and instability management. However, this process is not complete and important shortcomings undermine the stability of the European economy and society as a whole.
“The term “resilience” defines the ability to cope, adapt and recover from shocks, while reducing overall vulnerability to similar events in the long term. It also means transforming past occurrences in a lesson to improve future reactions.
United Nations University: https://i.unu.edu/media/cpr.unu.edu/attachment/2232/Assessing-Fragility-Risk-and-Resilience-Frameworks.pdf
How to ensure the adaptability of regions and their resilience in order to thrive despite adversities and crises?
The Erasmus+ project “ReFace – Regions facing shocks: building resilient community” aims to improve regional adaptability and resilience by providing innovative ways of learning and guidance to policymakers and stakeholders involved in the formulation of regional policies and measures. ReFace will support and improve the possibility to achieve relevant and high-level transversal knowledge and competences in a lifelong learning perspective, through education and training for VET learners.
The creation of resilient communities requires the participation of a wide range of actors. Particular attention is given to public administration at the regional and local levels as they first can influence and adjust the processes connected to resilient region-building. The long-term target group is represented by the wider audience of policymakers at various levels of governance (i.e. local, national and European).
The students of higher-educational programs dealing with regional development and public administration are targeted as well, together with NGOs active in regional development. In a broader sense, ReFace has an impact on all inhabitants as they all are strongly affected by the regional vulnerability.
Thus, ReFace will bring together a group of experts to investigate what regions matter now, what constitutes resilience in the face of challenges, and what factors help to build and sustain strong regions. The project will create an arena where the business sector, academia, municipalities and government agencies meet to solve regional challenges. Together they can build a more resilient society with robust functions and flows to be able to overcome and recover from different pressures, while assuring the security of its inhabitants.
The crises do not have borders; neither have the knowledge needed for their overcoming. That is the main reason why the ReFace project has to be solved trans-nationally. The project partnership is diverse and consists of 6 partners from 4 countries:
- Obcianske zdruzenie MAS LEV, o.z., Coordinator, Slovakia
- ASTRA – ZDRUZENIE PRE INOVACIE A ROZVOJ, Slovakia
- ENTRE, s.r.o., Slovakia
- CESIE, Italy
- Université Côte d’Azur, France
- FONDO FORMACION EUSKADI SLL, Spain
How to ensure the adaptability of regions and their resilience in order to thrive despite adversities and crises?
Start/Completion dates: 01/11/2020 – 31/10/2022