The Social Work Department of the Hellenic Mediterranean University and the International Relations Office participated in the CONFLICTS, RESILIENCE, AND PEACE course organized by Dr. Koutra Kleio and Wendy Derynck of the Social Work Program of the VIVES University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with the Protestant university of Applied Sciences Ludwigburg (Germany), ISL Institute social de Lille (France) and Centria University of Applied Sciences, Kokkola (Finland). The program took place at Kortrijk, Belgium 13th-19th of November 2022.
This ‘Blended Intensive Program’ (BIP) is an English course of the Social Work curriculum zoom in on some of the world’s conflicts, conflicts within community’s and the topic of conflict as a whole. We try to capture the complexity of conflicts and we ask ourselves the question how social workers in various countries are confronted with this theme and work with it. Just think of the social workers who are engaged peacebuilding, but also the social workers who are working with refugees from war, who are engaged in community building in neighborhoods where living together is not always obvious.
In dialogue with each other and inspired by various forms of input (workshops, field visits…), we continue to look for methodologies that social workers can use to work with conflict, and the effects of these conflicts, and we even focus on peacebuilding. Resilience is highlighted as an important concept in relation to the topic of conflict and will thus receive special attention.
Special thanks to our students Glykeria Koti, Gkertza Katerina, Argyraki Valentina, Vasiliki Natflouka that took advantage of this opportunity, and my colleagues Gloria Vega Aragon, Nikoleta Ratsika and Pelekidou Lina who actively participated to this program.
