UNIVERSITAT RAMON LLULL FUNDACIO (URL). SPAIN
The Ramon Lull University is made up of 11 institutions of higher education and 1 affiliated centre. URL is one of the most innovative universities in Catalonia and Spain, which promotes academic and research training of excellence. URL has a tradition of supporting programmes for research, knowledge transferral and innovation.
It is a private, not-for-profit university that promotes public service. Its main aim is to provide quality, personalised education to respond to society's needs. Within the URL, the Blanquerna Faculty, represented in this project proposal, has a solid track record in applied and fundamental research in the fields of Education, Inclusion and Social Well-being, Cultural and International Relations, Sustainability, Well-being, Sports. As such, it is integrated into the multidisciplinary nature of the federative structure of the University, which offers its community of researcher’s ample opportunities for synergy, collaboration and high-level training, in addition to guaranteeing guidance for open access to the results of the investigation. Additionally, Blanquerna Faculty comes with a Research and Innovation strategy oriented to support R+I activities, while maximizing access to funding, providing close assistance to current and incoming research staff, and supervising pre- and post-award administrative and financial flows.
Blanquerna R+I structure is also devoted to facilitating a collaborative research environment based on the model of innovation, intended to boost cooperation by bringing together relevant actors across fields (government, industry, academia, and civil society). This ecosystem allows us to encourage knowledge transfer activities to meet the needs of society at large, including current social and economic challenges.
JUDO ASSIST IRELAND (JAI. IRELAND
Established in 2009, Judo Assist Ireland is a national and international organization dedicated to the promotion and development of inclusive judo, sport and physical activity programs for people with autism and other life challenges. Our special needs/autism activity and inclusion programs are specifically designed to encourage physical activity, inclusion, competitiveness, education and wellbeing to a wide cross-section of people with a diverse range of abilities and disabilities.
Our three main focuses are,
Community & Social Inclusion - local based centres, school activity programs, child services collaborations, special education school programs and community projects
Inclusive Participation Opportunities - National and International inclusion events such as competitive opportunities, national inclusion days and seminars & webinars
Education, Research & Development - Erasmus+ projects, collaborations with national/international disability organisations, educational seminars and trainer & coach development programs
We currently work with over 500 people with additional needs on a weekly basis!
We work with a large number of inclusion groups & organisations both in Ireland and the wider European community. We have a close working relationship with Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia (SOEE) as our chairman is an international sports advisor for SOEE.
Our school programs allow us to take our knowledge, skills and expertise directly to the heart of the community in schools & colleges, special education schools/institutions and specialised autism classes across the length and breadth of Ireland and beyond.
We have to date established a large number of inclusive activity programs throughout Ireland and beyond. We have a team of dedicated, well-trained professionals who continue to up-skill their knowledge and skillset to help develop and push our programs forward.
We are currently involved in a number of Erasmus+ projects that focus on the development of programs for people with autism and other life challenges. Our expertise in areas such as inclusion & diversity, project development, education & research, game & activity creation, communications, social media marketing, event management and development of educational material allow us to be an effective and valued partner on a variety of different project types.
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVA (UniGe). ITALY
The University of Genoa, founded in 1481, is one of the oldest and largest universities in Europe. Today, it offers 280 educational paths at its headquarters in Genoa and other venues located in five other cities in the Liguria region (Imperia, Savona, La Spezia, Chiavari and Pietra Ligure). The University has more than 1300 faculty members in its 23 departments, all organised into five Schools (Natural Sciences, Medical Sciences, Engineering, Social Sciences, Humanities). UniGe offers 120-degree courses, more than 45 Postgraduate Degrees, 25 Masters (I and II level) and 29 PhDs to more than 30.000 students.
The Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology and Maternal-Foetal Medicine (DINOGMI) of UniGe also manages research and teaching in the field of Sport Science and Health. The Sport Science and Health path currently educates over 600 students in three different programmes: one undergraduate programme and two Master’s degree programmes. Sport Science and Health offers a rich and highly developed program on health, oriented toward physical activity and sport. The researchers also have a lot of experience in physical activity to prevent and treat pathologies, new teaching models, effective fitness and sport training methodologies and sport performance analysis. The main purposes of the research in Health and Sport Science are to improve health and wellness, enhance performance and prevent injuries, all in order to allow the practitioners a long active life.
SWISS ADAPTIVE JUDO. SWITZELAND
The purpose of Swiss Adaptive Judo association is to promote judo for children, young people and adults with disabilities. It may also promote other sports (e.g., self-defence). The association promotes friendship, solidarity, inclusion and equality of people with disabilities in society through supported activities. In addition, it promotes social inclusion, equal opportunities and health. In particular, training, competitions, education, camps and events can be supported and organised to fulfil the purpose. In addition, the association can carry out all activities which appear necessary for the fulfilment of the purpose. The association is politically and denominationally neutral.
Swiss Adaptive Judo supports the Swiss Judo federation with their knowledge about Judo for people with disabilities and organize all Judo Tournaments, in cooperation with Special Olympics Switzerland, for people with intellectual disabilities during years. These are 4-6 Tournaments each year.
Swiss Adaptive Judo organized the great Swiss Judo Festival in October 2022 in Poschiavo with over 250 participants and the program includes a tournament, an education for judo coaches, a conference about autism and Judo, as well as local excursions to teach social skills on and next to the judo mats.
Next to all Judo Competitions, Swiss Adaptive Judo organizes Social Events for Judoka with intellectual disabilities to improve social skills in the Sport Judo on the judo mats and next to the judo mats. The Team from Swiss Adaptive Judo is active in all educations for Trainers about adaptive Judo for the Swiss Judo Federation, Special Olympics Switzerland, as well as the National Federation of Sport for People with Disabilities in Switzerland (PluSport).
INCLUDE. GREECE
The Interdisciplinary Network of Special and Intercultural Education, i.e. “Include”, is a scientific association. It was founded in 2011 to investigate and promote inclusive practices in formal and non-formal education per the principles of the UN Convention against Discrimination in Education.
The inclusive practices that are being promoted by “Include” improve the quality of life of children and families facing the risk of exclusion from the education and community as a result of disability and xenophobia, change social attitudes and perceptions towards diversity, and contribute actively and effectively to the creation of a school and society for all.
The association members number almost 170, including parents of children with disabilities, educators, and mental health professionals. The members of the scientific committee of “Include” are scientists from different fields (education, psychology, sociology, artificial intelligence, engineering, media, robotics, arts etc) cooperating toward the foundation's goals voluntarily.
“Include” has great experience in investigating, planning and implementing Inclusive practices in Judo and collaborates with local and international social, educational or academic organisations. It is a member of the World Judo Federation, WJF of Taffisa to promote judo for all, it is a sister club with Daishin Judo in Osaka Japan. In order to promote education for all, it is one of the 30 organisations in Scientix Europe specialising in special education. As it is a recognised organisation concerning social innovation it is a member of the Thes INTEC (Thessaloniki Innovation & Technology Centre) network and its’ inclusive policy advisor.
SPORT EVOLUTION ALLIANCE (SEA). PORTUGAL
Sport Evolution Alliance (SEA) is a Portuguese non-governmental organization formed in the Lisbon Metropolitan Region at the initiative of a group of sports managers with extensive experience in the management and implementation of European projects. Its main purpose is to provide services seeking a differentiating intervention and advanced solutions for the development of policies in the field of health, education and culture, with a special focus on sport. Sport Evolution Alliance assumes the following mission, vision and values: Mission: Contribute to the development of the community through the linkage, assistance and application of initiatives associated with sports. Vision: To become a European benchmark in the field of community financing in the field of sport, locally promoting the most innovative community trends. Values:
- Sustainability: Sport Evolution Alliance believes that only through sustainable solutions will we introduce the necessary changes.
- Excellence - Sport Evolution Alliance seeks excellence, promoting the overcoming of the realities in which it intervenes.
- Ambition - Sport Evolution Alliance is driven by the constant ambition to practice and generate social development.
The main activities of SEA are sports management, project planning and control, courses and training, educational and sports programs, market studies, consulting in the areas of sports, analysis and treatment of data and sporting events. We are also members of the International Sports and Culture Association - ISCA. SEA brings innovation, knowledge and access to the most relevant stakeholders, groups and public bodies in Portugal. Our experience allows us to make a significant impact on each project we are involved in.
SEA has a partnership with a very experienced Judo Sport Club that has a lot of experience with persons with mental disability to implement the project and to have the participation of the responsible coach on the staff team from SEA on this Project. We pass on the values of Judo and the values of social inclusion and sustainability. In achieving this goal, we touch all social fringes by promoting inclusion of people with special needs, both physical and mental and those with less means. We have a vast experience with the mentally disabled in judo with educational approaches, methodology and tools to support equal opportunities and inclusive educations.
SO EUROPE EURASIA FOUNDATION (Special Olympics). IRELAND
The SO Europe Eurasia Foundation is a registered European not-for-profit entity that supports the activities of Special Olympics Europe Eurasia (SOEE). The Foundation was established in 2009. Its primary role is to source funding for SOEE’s annual activities that provide high quality international, national and local sporting opportunities to enhance and improve the health of people with intellectual disabilities (ID), whilst also reducing health inequalities among this most vulnerable group in society. SOEE is one of Europe‘s largest sports programmes, supporting the provision of year-round sports programming for children and adults with ID (officially termed “athletes”) through grassroots sports training and competition in 32 Olympic type sports. SOEE also offers intervention programmes promoting public health and motor skills development in all 58 countries (termed Special Olympics National Programmes) within the region, including the European Union (EU) Member States and eligible Erasmus countries, serving over 500,000 participating athletes and Unified partners (participants who do not have ID) and the role if Unified partners will be explained further on in the application.
SOEE is part of the Special Olympics International (SOI) network, which aims to promote the physical fitness and mental wellbeing of people with ID. SOI has operations in 192 countries across the world and SOEE supports the activities of Special Olympics within the Europe Eurasia region.
A key objective for SOEE is to support our National Programmes that have been accredited by Special Olympics International to conduct official sports and non-sports programming. SOEE is also focused on developing activities that encourage people with ID to participate as citizens in their communities, in public life, in society, in the development and implementation of European cooperation while promoting awareness to the public of the value of social inclusion.
SOEE has extensive experience in operating across a pan-national and multi-lingual territory, with various partners, at varying stages of organisational development, in countries with divergent attitudes to ID with different perceptions around the importance of the work carried out by our Special Olympics National Programs. SOEE’s regional headquarters is based in Dublin, Ireland, with a supporting office in Warsaw (Poland), as well as satellite staff in St. Polten (Austria), Cologne, Berlin (Germany), and Plovdiv (Bulgaria), and Vigo (Spain).
Each of these offices provides technical assistance as well as support to all 58 National Programmes throughout the region. This structure allows for the close coordination of all sports programming and support services including financial management, public relations, government relations and training at local, national and European levels.
SOEE is working closely with its National Programmes in the region on improving participation in Judo sporting programmes. For this project, SOEE will act as an expert in relation to the inclusion of individuals with and intellectual disabilities. Their expertise around coaching people with ID will be invaluable to this project. From the development of the respective resources throughout the project such as coaching guides etc, SOEE has a number of existing resources that can be used by the consortium to ensure that individual with ID can be fully engaged in the project.
REAL FEDERACIÓN ESPAÑOLA DE JUDO Y DEPORTES ASOCIADOS (Spanish Judo Federation). SPAIN
The Spanish Judo Federation is a non-profit sport organization founded in 1965 for the promotion and dissemination of Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, Kendo, Wushu and personal defence. It is part of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, and its most relevant actions are: Development and promotion of judo and associated sports, both as sports and as a means of cross-cutting education in values, cooperation, social integration and fair play.
Specific plans for the development of judo from initiation to high performance, integrating the different concepts of practice, educational, recreational / health and sports. Development of permanent training plans for graduates and practitioners, as well as preparation for access to the various DAN degrees and for the certification of coaches and referees. Specific program for women in judo. Collaboration with universities and training centres for research in our sports. Development of networks and international cooperation within the other member countries of the EJU and the IJF.
The Royal Spanish Judo Federation has 1.024 clubs and 108.145 practitioners. It participates in all international activities organized by the EJU, the IJF and the CIO. There are Olympic and World Medallists among its athletes.
