CERI Eye: Meeting on Inclusive contexts and pathways in a knowledge society

Serge Ebersold reports back from the:

"Inclusive contexts and pathways in a knowledge society” meeting, held in Lisbon, 17-20 May, 2006

On invitation of the ISPA (Instituto Superior de Psicologia Applicada) and the ADFA (national Portuguese NGO dealing with war injury), I attended a meeting called “inclusive contexts and pathways in a knowledge society” that took Place in Lisbon. Participants came mainly from Portugal and France.

My presentation described some challenges a knowledge society has to face to improve inclusive opportunities and transition to active life. I specifically highlighted the principles of social justice underlying the knowledge society, their impact in the way considering roles and missions of institutions, the requirements made to professionals and institutions. I also highlighted some practical conditions enabling inclusive education, pathways to mainstream employment and, more generally, to a full inclusive society.

Some presentations related inclusive practices to the specific situation that special needs individuals have to face, those that are particular to prisoners, HIV ill; others insisted on the importance of e learning and the use of new communication and information technologies. Finally, some presentations described inclusive strategies developed and their enabling effect on the individuals regarding their social and professional skills.