Cohesion through resilient democratic communities
New EU project ‘We-ID’ starts at Göttingen University in February 2025
A new EU joint research project led by the University of Göttingen will explore how migration, demographic change and current crises are affecting social cohesion and democratic structures in Europe. A key objective is to find out how resilient democratic structures can strengthen local communities in times of profound demographic change. The project “Identities - Migration - Democracy (We-ID)” has been awarded funding of around three million euros over three years by the European Union.
European societies are undergoing a profound demographic transformation: falling birth rates, rising life expectancy and migration are increasingly shaping the proportion of people in different age groups, ethnic diversity and cultural identities. At the same time, challenges such as climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic along with the associated economic crisis, the war in Ukraine and the crisis of the rule of law are putting pressure on Europe’s integration processes. These crises are exacerbating lines of conflict that often run along issues of identity and democracy.
“We plan to research how to lay the foundations for long-term strategies to give European communities the resilience they need to meet current challenges and strengthen democratic values,” explains project leader Claudia Neu, Professor of Rural Sociology at the Universities of Göttingen and Kassel. “The cohesion of our society will depend crucially on how well we can utilise the potential of a diverse population while promoting stable, democratic structures locally. This is the only way to prevent these changes from becoming a threat to democracy in Europe.”
The research takes into account both the effects of migration on the host communities and the changes in the identity of migrants and their descendants. In addition to comprehensive data analyses on migration and political participation, case studies are being conducted in the participating countries to better understand the conditions for resilient democratic communities. The project will create a new platform – called the Policy, Advocacy and Research Lab – to facilitate exchange between academia, politics and society. In addition, a toolbox with practical recommendations for local stakeholders and practitioners is being developed.
The project partners are the University of St Andrews in Scotland, the Bocconi University in Italy, the Institute for the Study of Population and Human Studies (Bulgaria), and the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar (Croatia), as well as Population Europe (Max Planck Society), the Council of the Baltic Sea States, and the non-governmental organisation The Civics Innovation Hub. Further information can be found here: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101177925
Contact:
Professor Claudia Neu
University of Göttingen
Rural Sociology
Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5
37073 Göttingen, Germany
Tel: +49 (0)551 39-24804
Email: claudia.neu@uni-goettingen.de
www.uni-goettingen.de/en/148839.html
A new EU joint research project led by the University of Göttingen will explore how migration, demographic change and current crises are affecting social cohesion and democratic structures in Europe. A key objective is to find out how resilient democratic structures can strengthen local communities in times of profound demographic change. The project “Identities - Migration - Democracy (We-ID)” has been awarded funding of around three million euros over three years by the European Union.
European societies are undergoing a profound demographic transformation: falling birth rates, rising life expectancy and migration are increasingly shaping the proportion of people in different age groups, ethnic diversity and cultural identities. At the same time, challenges such as climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic along with the associated economic crisis, the war in Ukraine and the crisis of the rule of law are putting pressure on Europe’s integration processes. These crises are exacerbating lines of conflict that often run along issues of identity and democracy.
“We plan to research how to lay the foundations for long-term strategies to give European communities the resilience they need to meet current challenges and strengthen democratic values,” explains project leader Claudia Neu, Professor of Rural Sociology at the Universities of Göttingen and Kassel. “The cohesion of our society will depend crucially on how well we can utilise the potential of a diverse population while promoting stable, democratic structures locally. This is the only way to prevent these changes from becoming a threat to democracy in Europe.”
The research takes into account both the effects of migration on the host communities and the changes in the identity of migrants and their descendants. In addition to comprehensive data analyses on migration and political participation, case studies are being conducted in the participating countries to better understand the conditions for resilient democratic communities. The project will create a new platform – called the Policy, Advocacy and Research Lab – to facilitate exchange between academia, politics and society. In addition, a toolbox with practical recommendations for local stakeholders and practitioners is being developed.
The project partners are the University of St Andrews in Scotland, the Bocconi University in Italy, the Institute for the Study of Population and Human Studies (Bulgaria), and the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar (Croatia), as well as Population Europe (Max Planck Society), the Council of the Baltic Sea States, and the non-governmental organisation The Civics Innovation Hub. Further information can be found here: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101177925
Contact:
Professor Claudia Neu
University of Göttingen
Rural Sociology
Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5
37073 Göttingen, Germany
Tel: +49 (0)551 39-24804
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