On 3 July 2024, the Council of Europe officially launched the piloting of its “Education in Times of Emergencies and Crisis Toolkit – EDURES” in Tirana. This toolkit was developed to support the implementation of the Resolution adopted by the Council of Europe Standing Conference of the European Ministers responsible for Education in September 2023.

The EDURES toolkit promotes a comprehensive understanding of the role of education in enhancing community resilience and robustness. The Council of Europe’s approach focuses on strengthening the role of education in community resilience through six principles for building resilient educational ecosystems. The toolkit is designed to be adaptable to different contexts and types of emergencies and crises.

Piloting and Participation

The piloting of the toolkit is led by the Council of Europe’s Education Department and includes schools participating in the “Strengthening Democratic Citizenship Education in Albania” project. The launch event in Tirana brought together high-level officials, educational stakeholders, and representatives from various Albanian municipalities (Durrës, Tirana, Kavaja), the Albanian Red Cross, the National Civil Protection Agency, higher education institutions, and international organizations such as the EU Delegation, UNDP, and UNICEF.

Dr. Daniele Del Bianco, Director of the International Institute of Sociology in Gorizia (ISIG), Italy, presented the piloting initiative. The concept of “resilience competence,” similar to democratic competences, was emphasized, highlighting the ability of learning environments to deploy resources effectively during emergencies and crises.

Support and Commitment

Albania’s involvement in the EDURES implementation was endorsed by the Head of the Council of Europe in Tirana and the Council of Europe’s Education Department. Vice Minister Guga reiterated Albania’s commitment to strengthening democratic citizenship and competences, including building a more resilient education system. Albanian Ombudsman, Erinda Ballanca, emphasized the importance of education as a fundamental human right and a tool for individual development and social well-being. Emiriana Sako, the mayor of Durrës, expressed interest in Durrës being the first pilot city, with the exercise extending to selected pilot schools.

Broader Impact

The Council of Europe’s work with the EDURES toolkit aligns with the political orientations from the 2022 UN Transforming Education Summit, including the Youth Declaration on Transforming Education. It also supports the Council of Europe’s and its Member States’ contributions to the implementation of the Common Agenda and the specific initiative “Education in Crisis Situations: A Commitment to Action”.

Following the launch, an enlarged working group meeting was held in Durrës on 4 July, followed by a session at Sami Frashëri high school in Tirana, one of the Council of Europe project’s high schools.

The piloting will continue throughout autumn 2024, with expectations to present relevant results by the end of the year.

Source: https://www.coe.int/en/web/education/-/education-in-times-of-emergencies-and-crisis-edures-piloting-officially-launched-in-albania