SO-CLOSE

There are around a million recognised refugees living within the European Union. The majority of these come from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Eritrea, and Albania. The flee from armed conflicts, violence, oppression, and/or the vulneration of human rights. They are usually groups at high risk of social exclusion as a consequence of the trauma and loss of identity that they suffer.

To help combat this exclusion, the European project SO-CLOSE wants to contribute to social cohesion and integration throught the mutual comprehension between refugees and the European societies that welcome them. The project uses co-creative design methodologies and innovative digital and artistic tools to bring together the vital expriences of refugees with the memories of survivors of European conflicts, such as the Bosnian wars, the Spanish Civil Wars, or the Holocaust, preserved in the centres of historic heritage.

Participants

The project is coordinated by Javier Rodrigo Sánchez, professor at the UAB's Departament d'Història Moderna i Contemporània, and has the participation of the UAB Research Park, the Consorci del Museu Memorial de l'Exili, the Swedish University of Lund, the Villa Decisus Association, the Escola de Pau Monte Sole Foundation, the Greek Centre of Research and Technologies CERTH, the Greek Forum of Refugees, and tech companies Tempesta Media and Engineering.

Period

Start date: January 1st, 2020
End date: December 21st, 2022

Funding

The project has been funded with 3M€ by the Horizon 2020 of the European Union.