The CUIDAR Project ‘Dives into Science’ with the Open University of Catalonia

“Children and young people do not identify with the current paternalist approach to civil defence. Today, they ask to be fully empowered citizens: to participate, be active, cooperate…”

 

So begins the account of a powerful interaction between children and young people, practitioners and policy makers in disaster management and risk reduction held for the CUIDAR project in Barcelona. The quote is from a leading expert in civil protection from the Catalan Government. The Open University of Catalonia has published a number of articles in English, Spanish and Catalan by researchers, science communicators and academic staff aimed at bringing people in closer contact with science.  Israel Rodriguez Giralt, a member of the CUIDAR team, writes about the project and the importance of participation as a tool for building resilience in children and young people in disaster situations. You can read the English version of his article here.