DEAR transforming Education, Narratives and Active Citizenship

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The EU DEAR Programme has been helping to change the way people teach and learn - both in and outside of the classroom. Through campaigns, public debates and schools, DEAR projects encourage people in Europe to understand how their actions affect the rest of the world. They highlight, yet also clarify, the complexity of global connections that affect international issues such as climate change, gender equality, financial justice, migration, and environmental degradation, all addressed in the Sustainable Development Goals (including SDGs 4, 5, 11, 13 & 16).

Transforming Education

With the support of DEAR toolkits and trainings, teachers, students, communities in Europe are encouraged to think critically, act creatively, and become agents of positive change - locally and/or globally. Global citizenship education (GCE) - a core component of DEAR – also explores the interconnections among global issues: between climate change and gender issues; global production chains and inequalities; migrations and environmental degradation; as well as the food on our tables. The DEAR tools help turn complex issues into bit-size chunks, to enable active citizens to find creative solutions to existing challenges, as well as imagining sustainable futures. 

“CULPEER: Culture for Peer Learning” connected students in Europe with their peers and artists in the Global South. They exchanged about their experiences and views of climate change, poverty and causes of conflict. Around 140 high schools across Europe integrated this approach to learning. The work of the project continued in Germany, with the German UNESCO Commission working with the Ministry of Education to integrate the methodology and workshops into more schools in the country. Watch the video introducing the DEAR project and the “students teach students” approach.  

The current project “It’s Global Education Time!” builds on past DEAR projects, including “Get up and Goals”. It continues to develop and update didactic materials to help teachers incorporate topics like climate justice and sustainable consumption into their lessons. With new tools, they continue to inspire students and educators to explore the root causes of global challenges, to think critically, get curious and creative, and to act responsibly.

“DCYDE!” leverages digital education and intercultural cooperation to deepen the understanding of global interdependencies. “YOU(th) CARE for CHANGE” follows the Global CARE Manifesto, which highlights the interdependencies and needed care between people and their natural environments. 

Changing Narratives 

Narrative shifts can counter discriminatory bias, stereotypical interpretations of reality, and ultimately the polarisation of public debate. EU DEAR projects equip people with tools to debunk stereotypes, understand the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and related global challenges holistically and communicate resulting fresh narratives. 

Working with border towns in 11 European countries, “Snapshots from the Border” humanised the narrative around migration. “We heard screams, but at first I thought they were seagulls. They were people.” A fisherman, Vito, describes how he and others helped to save 155 people from a sinking boat off the coast of Lampedusa in October 2013. More than 360 however unfortunately died. “They were slipping away from our hands. I could no longer look at the sea with the same eyes after that night.” Personal and human stories of migration and active citizenship inspired the direct involvement of local authorities and small communities on migration issues. At the same time, the project highlighted accurate data - countering the trend to overestimate the number of migrants in one’s country. 

EU DEAR projects continue to redefine narratives around migration and social injustice. “SUBLIME SDGs” builds on the work of “Snapshots from the Borders” to empower young people, marginalised groups, women, as well as local authorities in border towns, to become SDG “ambassadors”. 

“Tackle” also addresses migrant and refugee rights and advocates for anti-discriminatory policies. Shifting narratives and stereotypes by simply giving refugees and migrants a voice to tell their own story, can already have influence. Listen to Abu Christian, from Nigeria, who has become an advocate against racism and the president of the foreign committee representing foreigners in Padua, Italy. “To approach people who do not believe that racism exists, … to convince them, you need to show them the facts,” Abu Christian describes his work to connect the local bureaucracy with migrants, who often struggle to get official papers. 

These DEAR projects address migration, and the increasingly polarised narratives around it. They simultaneously foster local ownership and global citizenship through community-based international partnerships. 

Strengthening Citizenship and Democracy

Active participation in civic life strengthens the foundations of democracy. It is about taking an active social, political and cultural role in a community - providing a practical experience of democracy. DEAR projects provide opportunities for citizens to be involved in democratic processes, while strengthening civil society organisations (CSOs) and local institutions.

“Recognise & Change” trained young educators to work with 11-19 year olds to help combat discrimination and violence against migrants and women. The local advocacy in the city of Turin led to an official resolution declaring anti-racism as a “common good” - a first among Italian cities. 

Today, a new generation of DEAR projects continue to foster active citizenship and democratic solidarity. Building on another previous DEAR project, “NOPLANETB” works with small civil society projects to counter biodiversity loss and environmental degradation. 

“Ecoality” connects local authorities with young people and educators in ten European countries - to tackle climate change and gender justice through an ecofeminist lens. Concretely, they jointly develop innovative campaigns and solutions in collaborative spaces called “eco-polis labs”. 

Stories of Change around Global Challenges

Addressing global challenges requires a multifaceted approach - fostering active citizenship, transforming education and sometimes shifting public narratives, in addition to behaviour and policy change.  EU DEAR projects attempt to build spaces - for young and old alike - in which every voice counts a bit more tomorrow than today. Through these combined educational, communication and public outreach efforts, everyone can contribute to a more sustainable, democratic and equitable world. 

To find out what DEAR is doing in your country of interest, explore the DEAR project map. If you and/or your partner organisations want to get active, check out and share the DEAR Calendar with its calls to support grassroots initiatives - and other Global Citizenship Education (GCE) opportunities. 

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