What.
What.
CONSPIRE proposes a training programme aimed at students in social science courses on healthrelated conspiracism to provide them with concepts and tools to (a) learn about conspiracy theories, analyse arguments for and against them; (b) understand the radicalisation processes associated with these theories. These objectives aim to promote active citizenship and participation in democratic debates; critical thinking to evaluate health-related information; an anti-radicalisation attitude. These two objectives aim to promote active citizenship among students, fostering conscious participation in democratic debates, the ability to assess the reliability of health-related information disseminated by the media, and an attitude of opposition to potential outcomes of radicalisation and violent extremism perpetuated by conspiracy thinking.
Our priorities.
Addressing digital transformation: The training programme involves a dual use of digital tools. Educational modules will be delivered online and asynchronously through video lectures prepared by academic teachers and professionals (journalists, scientists, religious leaders, activists) collaborating with the partners of the Project. The objective is to develop students’ digital competences and soft skills to critically process the flow of data from the infosphere, while equipping them with the necessary tools to enhance digital citizenship; In order to communicate and give visibility to the issues addressed in the training programme, the e-learning platform will host the educational modules and audiovisual material, alongside the documentary produced in the mobility phase.
Fostering, civic engagement and participation: CONSPIRE promotes forms of active citizenship of students and their participation in public debate, in line with the democratic values of the European Union. To this end, it encourages the development of critical thinking and the ability to evaluate the reliability of information disseminated by the media regarding health risks. The development of these competencies constitutes a crucial resource to counter the potential outcomes of radicalisation and violent extremism conveyed by conspiracy discourse. It also promotes forms of civic engagement and democratic participation through "community organising", where students will make contact with citizens to export the experience to civic society. It aims at reenergising civic society by networking and empowering the groups already on the field. Created in the US in the 1940s by S. Alinsky, it was later adopted in other parts of the world, in fields such as housing, minimum wage, immigrants integration, and urban renewal.
Stimulating innovative learning: The Project stimulates innovative learning and teaching techniques regarding the three following aspects:
It is the first international training programme dedicated to conspiracy theories about health risks, counteracting the resulting processes of radicalisation and potential outcomes of violent extremism. The training programme is characterised by a multidisciplinary approach including sociology, political sciences, communication studies and linguistics;
The training programme employs a participatory pedagogical approach that involves not only academic practitioners but also professionals. It also engages students through innovative and creative classroom techniques, like narrative gaming;
It promotes civic engagement through community organising, enabling students to connect and engage actively with the public sphere. Enhanced connection between the Project team and non-specialist audiences is guaranteed by the web platform, disseminating CONSPIRE’s results through social media, and creating a documentary that will be showcased in both academic and mainstream settings.
What makes CONSPIRE innovative?
CONSPIRE dialogues with the recent attention dedicated to the theme of conspiracy thinking and its associated risks from the EU. Academics, journalists and media specialists, next to students and the broader civic societies, are impacted by the diffusion of conspiracy thinking and necessitate the design of innovative methods, both in terms of conveying information and enhancing proficiency in data analysis. Our Project aims to respond to these needs. The innovativeness of CONSPIRE within the European context is evident in three key areas: theoretical, didactic, and practical.
The theoretical innovation lies in its being the first training programme dedicated to conspiracy theories related to health risks, combating resulting processes of radicalisation and potential outcomes of violent extremism. The training programme is characterised by a multidisciplinary approach including sociology, political sciences, communication studies and linguistics;
Regarding teaching, it employs a participatory approach involving not only academics but also professionals, such as journalists, scientists, religious leaders, and activists. It engages students through creative classroom techniques, like roleplaying based on group storytelling; it contributes to training students in new professional roles, increasingly requested by the job market, regarding the critical analysis of fake news and fact-checking;
On a practical level, it promotes civic engagement through community organising, enabling students to engage with the public, elevating the issues addressed in the training programme to the public sphere for greater visibility. Enhanced connection between the Project team and non-specialist audiences is guaranteed by the web platform, dissemination through social media, and the creation of a documentary that will be showcased in both academic and mainstream settings.