chapter 5Empowering youngpeople through ICTwithin a social riskcontextTwo case-studies of good practice in Catalonia

1. Introduction This chapter concerns the role

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young people in socially deprived areas. The selected social

context was the metropolitan area of Barcelona, since some

cases of good practice were to be found here.

The study has been carried out by ERDISC, a research team

from the Autonomous University of Barcelona that pro-

motes research on the relation between diversity and inclu-

sion within complex societies. An extended team of ten

people has taken part in this project: two main researchers,

four assistant researchers responsible for the field work,

and four advisors with expertise in this area.

The aim of our research project consisted of finding the

keys that make some good practices involving young people

and ICT successful. Based on a qualitative methodology,

using ethnographic skills, we have joined in two rich and

recognized scenarios.

One of them is the institution TEB. TEB is located in Raval,

in the heart of Barcelona, one of the best-known deprived

neighbourhoods of the city because of the recent influx of

a very large number of foreign immigrants in a very short

time. TEB is an association, created and led by youngsters

since the very start, in the early 90’s. They always considered

that ICT can play in the empowerment of

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ICT a good tool to develop their goals of promoting healthy

fun among young people, as well as social cohesion.

The second scenario is the project Shere Rom. This is an ini-

tiative of a research team from the Department of

Psychology and Education at UAB and the association of

gipsy people at Sant Roc, a seriously deprived neighbour-

hood within the city of Badalona, ten kilometres from

Barcelona. This project hopes to set up a symbolic game

world based on Shere Rom, a character from gipsy tales and

gipsy oral tradition. Shere Rom is a master that communi-

cates with teenagers by computer, asking them to play

some games and carry out some tasks in order to improve

and achieve goals related to their personal development.

The structure of this paper will reflect the aims and content

that we have just introduced. First of all, we provide further

information about both social contexts in which our field

work has taken place. Secondly, we explore the characteris-

tics of young people within these social areas and we

define the key elements of each project. Finally, we will

summarize some of the main ideas to be taken away from

these two case studies.

We expect this document to be useful for everyone who

thinks ICT may become an extraordinary and powerful tool

to facilitate the education and empowerment of those

youngsters suffering from a lack of opportunities to reach

their full potential as citizens, especially in a global eco-

nomic crisis like the one that we are facing today.

The association TEB, one of our two case studies, is located

in Raval, in the district of Ciutat Vella, in the south of the

city of Barcelona. In Ciutat Vella, according to the adminis-

trative division of the City Council, there are three other

neighbourhoods apart from Raval: Barceloneta, Casc Antic

and Gòtic.

In the last few years, approximately since 2000, there has

been an important increase in the population of Ciutat

Vella and El Raval. El Raval has an area of 1.09 km2 and is

currently the area of Barcelona with the highest population

density, with 45,283 inhabitants per square kilometre in

2005. This population increase is mainly due to the various

migration flows1 that have occurred in the neighbourhood.

These have given it a special composition, characterized by

a series of indicators like population concentration, a high

relational complexity due to the great multiculturality

found in the area, high rate of unemployment, low levels of

education and income, old buildings, etc. (found in El

Raval2).

Because of the last migration flows, which have led to an

excessive population density, there are houses for sale or for

rent which are not equipped with basic necessities such as

water or electricity. Town planning is complex and public

spaces are lacking.

1.1. Raval, the heart of Barcelona

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This contextual framework makes El Raval a neighbourhood

with great social and economic inequality, which is con-

stantly evolving and characterized by a significant presence

of social networks and numerous social policies and proj-

ects. It is also an area of contrasts, because we can find peo-

ple both from higher and lower classes there, and even if

most buildings are old and many are dilapidated, it is also

one of the most expensive areas of the city when it comes

to housing.

The birth rate in El Raval is 44% among immigrant parents

and 35.6% among natives, while in the city of Barcelona

these percentages remain balanced. It is important to note

that the immigrant population in Barcelona has remained

stable, while in Ciutat Vella and El Raval it has increased

considerably, reaching 44% in the district and 47.6% in the

neighbourhood in 2005. However, none of the immigrant

groups in El Raval represents more than 11% of the total

immigration rate. The biggest group3 comes from Asia,

with 24%, and then America with 12%, Europe and Africa

with 6%. The other groups are much smaller. Among the

immigrant population, men account for 64% and women

only 36%.

With regard to youth population rates, from the year 2000

there has been an important increase in Barcelona, even

higher in Ciutat Vella and El Raval,4 reaching 5,601 of

youngsters from 0 to 16 years old in 2005 (47% girls and

53% boys).

In 2001, the population over 16 which was illiterate and

had not completed primary education, was 19% in Ciutat

Vella, higher than the 12% of Barcelona and the 3% of

other wealthy neighbourhoods. However, it is important to

note that this situation has improved since then, thanks to

the efforts of the administration and society in general.

In 2006, the percentage of the population which had not

completed primary school was the same in El Raval as in the

rest of the city (12%). Illiteracy has also gone down,

accounting for 0.2% of the total population in 2006.

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The other case study, the Shere Rom Project, is in Sant Roc

in Badalona, a city in the region of Barcelona. It is located

10 kilometres from Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia.5

The city of Badalona covers 21.17 km2 and it has 35 dis-

tricts, grouped into 8 larger areas. According

to the census of 2007, there are 216,201

inhabitants, which makes it the third biggest

city of Catalonia (a region with 7 million

inhabitants).

In 2006, the “Consorci Badalona Sud” appears

in Sant Roc. It is an institution born from the

agreement between the Generalitat (Catalan

Government) and the Local Government of

Badalona. The complexity and the needs of

Sant Roc and 3 other districts of Badalona,

were the main reasons to create this institu-

tion. Its objective was to guarantee the coor-

dination and execution of the integration

plans and also the transformation of these

districts. At the same time, it is supposed to

help improve the quality of life of the people.

To summarize, the “Consorci Badalona Sud”

was intended to be the best way to coordi-

nate the two other institutions (the

Autonomic Goverment and the Mayor) and all its responsi-

bilities. According to the main articles of association of

Consorci Badalona Sud,6 its field of action and its functions

are: activities in the social, labour, cultural, educational,

public health and security fields, for the inhabitants of the

target area, and to achieve economic development in coor-

1.2 Sant Roc, the edge of Badalona

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dination with all the activities of the mayor of Badalona,

and be the link and contact between other public institu-

tions, organizations and associations.

The importance of the Consorci is clear in the good practice,

because it is the embodiment of the desire on the part of

the public institutions to improve the situation and satisfy

the needs of the people who live in Sant Roc.

If we compare the data on immigration and population

movements in Badalona in 2000 and 2006, we see a signifi-

cant increase in the immigrant population of the city. It has

gone from 1.43% to a 9.33%. Most of the cities in Catalonia

and the rest of Spain show the same trend. The biggest

nationality groups in the city are: Moroccan (2.6% of inhab-

itants), Pakistani (2.47% of inhabitants), Chinese (2.12% of

inhabitants) and Ecuadorian (1.48% of inhabitants). The

ethnic gipsy community represents 2.31% of the total popu-

lation of the city.

With regards to young people and their level of education,

we find that in Badalona, 70.9% of the population is

between 15 and 64 years old, almost 15% is older than 65

and 14% are children (0 to 14 years of age). The most rele-

vant data about the level of education in Badalona is as fol-

lows: 19% of the population has not received any educa-

tion at all, 28.5% has finished primary school, 45% of the

population has received secondary education, and 7.5% has

a university degree. It is important to emphasize that the

rate of absenteeism in primary education is 60% for the

entire city of Badalona and 50% in secondary schools.

11.7% of the population over 15 cannot read or write.

2. Youth, empowerment and the role of ICT

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based on recent literature about the importance of ICT in a

global world and the challenge to face and eradicate so-

called “digital illiteracy”.

Manuel Castells has written about the transformation of

the Modern State into a brand new Network State. From

now on, social relations will not only be face-to-face but

also virtual, and the relationship between citizens and social

institutions will be developed through computers, mobiles

and other ICT tools.

In essence, this means that whoever does not master ICT,

will potentially be excluded from mainstream society.

Therefore, if we look at those socially deprived areas, the

urgent need for “digital literacy” becomes a fundamental

goal of a public policy against inequality and discrimination.

This is the case for our two neighbourhoods: Raval and Sant

Roc. Both areas, as we have already underlined, reveal a

strong need for basic literacy, so educational policies must

double their efforts in that field. In this situation, young

people become a priority target group to be reckoned with.

During the first years, a preventive policy can be imple-

The theory underpinning this research is

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mented in order to avoid this digital illiteracy and subse-

quent social exclusion of young generations. However, this

cannot be treated as a traditional literacy process within

the school system. It has to be done using creative method-

ologies and in a wider context which involves the communi-

ty.

Therefore, youngsters must learn and use ICT in creative

ways. This is a way to provide the children with work tools

that can help them in their everyday lives and their educa-

tional processes in school. This empowerment of youngsters

is promoted and achieved, since they are able to decide for

themselves, finding arguments, solutions, and answers and

being critical of their context and society in general. They

are able to find and use public resources, and to adopt a

critical attitude towards ICT. Society has to offer them a safe

and comfortable place where they can learn to understand

the culture and the system that surrounds them.

But digital literacy must not be the only aim, otherwise we

risk excluding other relevant dimensions, which would

mean we would not be providing opportunities for imple-

menting the digital competence that has been acquired. So

digital learning must comprise a series of competences

which enables youngsters to respond to any daily or conflic-

tive situation, either educational or social, in a responsible

The framework in the research

Youngsters mustuse ICT in creative ways

Empowerment

Youth at social riskICT

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and autonomous way, enabling them to find for themselves

the necessary tools to manage those situations with a criti-

cal eye. We talk about a context for continuous learning,

not only about ICT, but also about personal, social and cul-

tural aspects, through significant relationships which enable

the youngsters to build their own significance codes about

themselves and their context, and giving them more

resources and skills to face their lives.

The ICT learning must also provide a digital socialization,

which will be an important tool for their education and

socio-cultural inclusion. It is characterized by a critical

knowledge and use of ICT, in selecting information and

resources.

To sum up, it is necessary that the ICT experiences offered

to youngsters include a space for socialization, and positive

and enriching dialogue for the youngsters, who feel

respected, valued and understood, improving their own

perception and position in society. This is very positive for

their cognitive development, especially during adolescence,

a stage characterized by great changes, doubts, insecurities,

and a search for answers.

The educational action, then, is always linked to other

aspects of the youngsters’ lives and this implies having and

being able to use or find other information and resources,

in order to help them with more external problems, like

legal or formal education matters. This is important

because these factors can affect their participation and

involvement in the association and their process of empow-

erment.

3. TEB and Shere Rom. Two case-studies of

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viding a socializing and a meeting place for young people.

They work to prevent socio-digital exclusion and build alter-

natives to traditional mass media, and they are working to

develop an educational and a socializing task based on digi-

tal literacy, training, and the social use of mass media.

This open centre not only offers activities for young people,

they also carry out projects for adults. Their main indicators

or values in developing their task are promoting autonomy,

positive coexistence, respect for one’s self and others, com-

mitment, responsibility, critical thinking, creativity and ini-

tiative.

good practice

The association TEB started as an educational project in

1992, in the streets of El Raval, after a group of educators

found a lack of leisure and free time activities for young

people in the neighbourhood. The name TEB comes from a

graffiti signature which stands for “The Ecological Boys”. In

1995, they went on as a non-profit association of leisure,

free time and ICT learning. Their main goal is to contribute

to the empowerment of young people by meeting their

social and cultural needs through the use of ICT, and pro-

3.1 The association TEB in Raval

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More specifically their main goals are:

- The empowerment of the participants

- Developing the youngsters’ autonomy for continuous

learning.

- Giving the youngsters tools and resources so they can

become critical of their context and ICT (selection of

information and materials etc.), for them to see ICT as a

tool and not as a purpose in and of itself.

- Offering a space for continuous learning and training for

everyone.

- Offering a place for socializing and dialogue.

- To pass on values of respect for one’s self and others.

They work on a project basis and are organised in three dif-

ferent teams: educational, training and technical. The proj-

ects can be developed by one or more teams, and they usu-

ally try to work in a transversal and interdisciplinary way.

Each employee is in charge of specific tasks according to

their professional profile, but they are flexible and try to

switch sometimes, in order to share the knowledge and to

spread it.

A very important part of their work is based on networking

with other local7 or even external organisations.8 Some of

the networks in Raval are of great cultural and social impor-

tance in the neighbourhood and in the city. This is very ben-

eficial and appreciated by TEB. They work with all kinds of

organisations, ranging from secondary schools or work

placement centres, to other organisations with more similar

goals.

Without any doubt, the association focuses on a construc-

tivist perspective, since it is built around youngsters, their

experiences, wishes and interests. During our observations,

we have been able to ascertain that they get the youngsters

to interact with the knowledge object, ICT in this case, since

they have to build their knowledge and, as an educator

said, “sort themselves out so the activities in which they

take part are successful and involve more youngsters,

always with our guidance and support”. And they do it in

such a way that they have to interact with other people,

either with their peers, with the educators or with other

technical professionals. And finally, all the activities they

develop spring from the youngsters’ interests, arrived at

through a democratic process in the meetings.

The working methodology is based in a pedagogy focused

on interests, since the youngsters choose what they want to

do, in a democratic, autonomous and responsible way and

from a position of equality at the meetings, because every-

one has a vote and the youngsters are not obliged to par-

ticipate, so their participation depends on their own moti-

vation and commitment.

The TEB-professionals never try to instruct or indoctrinate

the youngsters. Rather, they try to offer guidance. At the

association, the atmosphere is warm and friendly, as well as

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active and dynamic. They try to involve the youngsters in

the tasks, to get them to be the ones who propose goals

and activities, and to interact and explore and find solu-

tions or mechanisms in order to achieve those goals.

The kind of work they do is mainly collaborative, in order

to promote interaction between the youngsters, who have

to discuss problems, resolve doubts and share ideas to suc-

cessfully achieve their goals; going from being able to

express and explain their opinions and ideas at the meet-

ings, to being able to attract more participants and to reach

an agreement on what they will do and how they will do

it.9 Throughout the entire process, one or more profession-

als are on hand to overcome difficulties. They can mediate

in conflicts, help in case of doubts, etc.

They try to present a positive, constructive and reflective

vision of the tasks developed at TEB, as well as of the prob-

lems that can arise, either between the youngsters,

between them and the educators, the association or society

in general. This helps the youngsters to construct their own

ideas and opinions about themselves, about others, about

society and about ICT-related knowledge, which they can

acquire through a real and significant contextualization.

Although this is TEB’s main pedagogic base, they are flexi-

ble in the way they develop and monitor the processes and

activities. The methods and tools that are used to guide the

youngsters’ learning and discovering processes depend on

the characteristics of the participants, on the activity itself,

the place, the timing, etc. It is important to note that the

professionals at TEB are aware of the economic and family

situation and the cultural context of each youngster, as well

as of the complexity of the concept of diversity in its purest

meaning, so they try to give all the activities an educational

purpose so the youngsters can learn as well as have fun.

On the other hand, networking is a very good way for them

to share resources, exchange experiences or information or

develop common projects. It is a way to gain a broader

knowledge of what is being done for the neighbourhood

youth, as well as the city youth, in order to intervene more

globally and effectively, in different aspects of young peo-

ple’s lives.

3.2. The Shere Rom project in Sant Roc

The Shere Rom project, officially called “The House of Shere

Rom” (HSR from now on), started in 1998 as a local project,

with the involvement of the Gipsy’s Association of

Badalona. At the same time, it was part of an international

network of learning communities focused on cooperative

learning supported by the use of computers. This project

was called the 5th Dimension and countries such as

Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, the United States,

Mexico and Brazil participated. From April 2001 until May

2004, the HSR was part of a project of the European Union,

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in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen and the

Technology Institute of Blekinge in Sweden. That project

was aimed at developing innovative educational tools on

the Internet.

The Autonomous University of Barcelona brought profes-

sors and researchers into contact with one another, who

had been developing the activity as a platform to study

some aspects of intercultural education,10 the use of ICT in

education, and as a way to start learning communities,

improve the skills of their students and their social experi-

ences.

The model is flexible enough to be able to adapt itself to

different contexts. But adapting this activity to the school

context must be discussed with the coordinators and the

users, in order to define the local objectives and the most

appropriate tools for each context. That was what hap-

pened in 2003 when the HSR was established in four

schools. At this moment, there are four different versions of

the House of Shere Rom, all part of a project called: Shere

Rom in the School.

This project provides a space with several computers and an

Internet connection, where the children of the community

collaborate with university students and educators in order

to complete different tasks, (usually, but not exclusively) in

front of the computers.

When a child does the activity for the first time, a student

helps them to write a letter for the Shere Rom, a mysterious

character that has not been seen by anybody, but who

keeps in touch with them and interacts with them via the

computers.

In the classroom, there is a picture of a maze with several

corridors. In each corridor, there are two possibilities for

action, usually computer games. Each activity comes with

written instructions for the game and there are three levels:

beginner, intermediate and expert. When the two first lev-

els have been completed, it becomes possible to go into

another room and to start a new game. The student can

help the child with the task, giving them tricks, advice, and

emotional support or providing the right language

resources when needed.

At the end, the students write a journal in which they share

all the details of their progress and difficulties of their

experiences with the professors.

Once the child is skilled enough with a computer, they can

participate in group activities that have more to do with

the creative use of ICT.

Some examples of these activities are: the publication a

digital newspaper (Blog),11 the construction of a written

history using a digital support12 or the use of online educa-

tional contexts.

The structure of the Shere Rom is flexible and allows for the

possibility of evolution, or adapting to the context. This

project can be adapted to any local culture because there is

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no closed curriculum and the participants themselves define

the activities and the content. At same time, it is also adapt-

able to different educational scenes (schools, leisure time

associations, libraries, cultural associations).

The general aspects are:

- A context that, in spite of its voluntary and ludic nature,

promotes the involvement of girls and boys.

- The activities are focused on learning and promote a

communicational and more instrumental use of the

reading process.

- The practices include language codes that are supposed

to be used only in the school context.

- Computer use and contact with ICT become a part of

every-day life.

- There are some rules and they are clear but flexible, and

they apply to all participants.

- It offers an open space for intergenerational interaction.

The relation between the participants is based on coopera-

tion. All participants, with all their opinions and own abili-

ties, are considered as subjects with the power of decision

within the group. This philosophy is reflected in the struc-

ture of the maze, where several routes can be taken,

depending on the personal motivation and the relationship

between experts and beginners.

The activity is governed by several rules. For example, each

space of the maze has a guide that can clarify the objectives

of each level. The participant has a passport and a diary in

which all their achievements are registered.

When school starts, the children go to the association to

apply for a place in the Shere Rom. Everyone who wants to

be a part of the activity has to write a letter to the Shere

Rom, telling him of their desire to come and introducing

themselves. Later, the Shere Rom answers the letter with an

explanation of the places and reasons.

There are a limited number of places (20 children, 10 in

each group), but there is a waiting list which is open to

everybody throughout the school year.

To summarize: the project focuses on children and young

people and provides them with a selection of leisure activi-

ties that have the following strengths:

- They offer easier access to skills that are also offered in

the school context, but in an environment that is

perceived as part of their own community.

- They promote the development of several instrumental

and communicative skills that they need in order to fully

participate at school.

- They avoid the separation between academic knowledge

and cultural heritage. Schools are no longer seen as a

place of enculturation.

4. What TEB and Shere Rom teach us Both case

- 243 -

tant, with free and high quality communication, where peo-

ple can express themselves in mutual respect, and can think,

say or do whatever they need or want to.

The organisational atmosphere is also a strong point, for its

personal and informal nature allows the professionals to

build good relationships, and to deal with matters at any

time, in an informal way. This facilitates their task, through

a permanent exchange of information and a shared knowl-

edge of the different projects, thus speeding up the formal

meetings, since all the smaller issues have already been

dealt with. In that sense, there is a very good balance

Atmosphere

With young people, the use of ICT should not just be about

tools. The existence of an open atmosphere is very impor-

studies are rich in strategies and ideas that can be translated to and implemented in other contexts.

Therefore, we have selected the most relevant ones and

structured them in two different dimensions:

• Interpersonal relationships dimension

• Educational dimension

4.1 Interpersonal relationships dimension

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between formal and informal interaction among the pro-

fessionals, which facilitates coordination.

So before developing ICT-activities for young people, pro-

fessionals must create a good atmosphere among the staff,

and they have to prepare some ice-breaking activities for

the young people, so they will feel comfortable and safe.

This also means that we can use ICT to develop activities

that involve virtual social networks like Facebook, MySpace

and others, where professionals and participants are all reg-

istered.

Professionals team-working

On top of the aforementioned strengths, another impor-

tant factor is the involvement of and support among the

professionals, which facilitates decision-making, conflict-res-

olution, team work and mutual understanding, as well as

promoting co-responsibility, and creating a positive and

friendly atmosphere which sets an example for the young-

sters. Another very important key to success is the active

participation and involvement of both the professionals and

the participants, which is crucial for goals to be achieved.

The profile of the professionals is a key factor, as they have

to be open, positive, communicative, participative and ver-

satile, in order to motivate the youngsters in the develop-

ment of the tasks and activities, giving the project a young

and active element which contributes to the continuous

renovation and development of the organisation.

ICT expertise of professionals

From our field observations we arrived at another relevant

conclusion in our research concerning educators. These are

by no means the only ones, but we are going to mention

several key factors in the development of good ICT practice

in social risk areas. Obviously, it is important that these pro-

fessionals have an extensive knowledge of ICT, but it is even

more important that they are able to relate to the social sit-

uation; they have to be able to learn from anybody, to be

participative, versatile; they must be good and positive com-

municators, willing to discover new and alternative ways of

developing projects and willing to keep on learning. The

use of ICT tools can easily be learnt by them; however,

openness, participation and/or good communication are

much harder to learn.

Rules and agreements for living together

There must be some basic and clear rules and instructions;

otherwise the programme might not be followed properly.

The use of ICT can be considered a game, and that is good,

but if it is ONLY a game, then its educational potential may

be lost. There must be a consensus among the young partic-

ipants about the development and implementation of rules

and agreements, so they know what can be expected of

them. Then there is coherence between what they try to do

and what they really do. This running framework takes

shape in meetings and informal conversations. We should

- 245 -

ensure that rules are created in a joint process, which

includes all youngsters and professionals.

Conflict resolution

The use of ICT sometimes leads to conflict. Sometimes

young participants want to play the same game at the same

time. At other times, there are more participants than com-

puters, and they have to share. Experience shows that most

of the conflicts are resolved in-group. And, as we have seen

before, it is important to point out the fact that when there

is any trouble with one of the youngsters, the others have a

responsibility towards him or her. This contributes to team-

work and solidarity.

These features help give the project a young and dynamic

nature, which facilitates its constant reinvention so there

are no dead ends, and no resistance to change. Problems

are seen as something positive and enriching: the content,

activities and processes have a transversal vision and imple-

mentation.

This positive method of conflict resolution must be intro-

duced from the very start of the activity.

Volunteers

Both projects, TEB and Shere Rom, are dependent on volun-

teers, people who come from outside the neighbourhood

just to spend their time with these youngsters. Some of

these volunteers are very good at ICT, and then the young-

sters enjoy their involvement very much, because they can

learn a lot from them.

It is significant that the volunteer attendance works as an

inner motivation for the kids. They feel responsible for their

attitude in the project and have a clear idea of the reasons

why they want to come and participate in it. Even if the

group is an important aspect of the project, individual

attention is always there. Especially with the computer

work, each volunteer partners up with a child to follow and

join him or her in his activities.

Especially in the case of Shere Rom, the combination of uni-

versity students and youngsters is considered a benefit. As

the cultural (educational) level of the adults in this district is

very low, these students can act as role models for the chil-

dren. They can represent other contexts, backgrounds and

futures for these children. It is a way to show them the pos-

sibilities for women (as all the students and coordinators

are women) in the real world.

They have a big impact on the children in the group, on

their attitude and feelings. It is true that for the group of

children that is currently participating in the project, the

volunteers are like family, or friends, or they just inspire

strong feelings of empathy.

Relation between theory and practice among the staff

To work with young people and ICT is not easy for profes-

sionals. Little work has been done in this field, and most of

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the professionals received no specific training for it during

their initial university studies.

The task they develop is so complex and big, that it makes

great demands on the professionals’ time. They need to

develop various activities and projects, not only with the

direct involvement of the participants, but also with the

coordination between the professionals, through network-

ing and meetings. They have to invest a lot of their time

and energy in the practical side of their work, and may for-

get the theoretical side of it.

This means the professionals do not have the time to reflect

deeply about their practice, or to write about it, though

these internal documents could be useful for their own con-

tinuous evaluation and to share their knowledge with other

organisations or with society in general. Nowadays, their

practice is based on a hidden curriculum which has not

been theoretically developed in a structured, knowledge-

based way. This may mean less social prestige, which makes

it difficult for them to expand their practice.

To summarize, the theory is important and the creation of

theoretical documents is necessary. Knowledge, processes

and structures are usually implicit in their daily functioning.

The professionals usually do not have the time and energy

left to develop the theoretical background of their inter-

vention.

Networking

Networking is another very important strength for TEB and

Shere Rom, since both projects try to open themselves up to

the neighbourhood and their cities. For instance, thanks to

its long history, TEB is very influential in the Raval, and

works with a large number of institutions, which enrich it in

many ways: economically, socially, culturally, etc. Thanks to

networking and the ties with other organisations, they are

able to carry out a larger number, or more complex and

global, activities and projects, through the exchange and

sharing of knowledge, information and resources.

In the case of Shere Rom, things look different. Even

though this gipsy community is used to living among the

“paios”,13 they are not really comfortable among the new

immigrants coming from abroad. In Shere Rom, networking

is very necessary to strengthen the bonds among several

communities. It gives the gipsy community the opportunity

to meet the “newcomers”. Therefore, Shere Rom is promot-

ing a sort of “networking” that indirectly improves the situ-

ation of segregation that this ethnic community has lived in

for years. That is why it is also important to foster relations

between the rest of the communities, to avoid this rejection

on their part. And it is of the utmost importance to open

up new spaces or build bridges to the rest of the disctrict, in

order to make a real participation of all the groups possi-

ble.

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Competence development

At this point, it is clear that the ICT activities that TEB and

Shere Rom carry out are not only leisure activities. They also

have an important educational significance, in that they

offer young people a variety of perspectives, content and

knowledge. The professionals have to find and justify those

competences, so the youngsters can learn while having fun.

This could represent a problem if there is a lack of motiva-

tion, so the learning aspect of the proposals should never

be more important than the youngsters’ proposals, but they

should be completed, if necessary, and presented in an

interesting and motivating way.

Offering a space for socialization and dialogue is necessary

to develop a beneficial practice, since it is based on consen-

sus and participation, giving everybody the chance to be

heard. But to achieve this, it is necessary to promote both

respect and a feeling of self-worth among everyone in the

organisation, both professionals and youngsters. This facili-

tates the improvement of their self-perception and their

position in society, because they are part of a group of

equals working together. The ICT projects are helping them

to develop basics skills, such as comprehensive reading,

writing, creativity, communication, group cooperation, and

others.

The empowerment of the youngsters comes from a series of

features or competences which are developed, like autono-

my. In order to become autonomous, the youngsters decide

what they want to do, how they want to do it and when

they want to do something related to ICT, which helps them

to identify with the ICT activities in which they take part,

and gives them a feeling of security and confidence in

themselves. And apart from being given support and free

choice, they also have responsibilities which contribute to

their individual growth.

Self-management and rules

The establishment of self-management through democratic

meetings as a tool for decision-making is necessary to pro-

mote empowerment, autonomy and dialogue. That way,

everyone has the opportunity to express their own ideas,

needs or interests, and has the right to propose activities,

within a flexible framework, which helps to boost their

powers of decision and their interest in the project. In the

case of TEB, the presence of the educators in the meetings

could be a problem in conditioning the youngsters, as they

have to express themselves in front of everyone. But this

possible threat is counteracted by the promotion of diversi-

ty, whereby everybody is seen as unique, important and

equal. The youngsters feel at home. This feeling of belong-

ing to the project removes their inhibitions when talking or

voting.

4.2. Learning dimension

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So the ICT activities are freely chosen and depend on the

interests and involvement of the participants. Each activity

has its internal running structure, conceived as rules for liv-

ing together, so order can be maintained, mechanisms for

the boys and girls to know what they can or have to do are

in place, and the limits of mutual respect are clearly

defined. Most of these rules are arrived at through the par-

ticipation of the youngsters. For example, in one activity

the use of headphones is not allowed and there is only one

computer for listening to music with a time limit for using

it. They have to take turns and respect each others’ musical

taste in this shared learning and communication space.

Another rule is that they can not play computer games

with violent or sexual content. This is also a way of pro-

moting values education.

Giving all the activities an educational purpose could be a

reason for the youngsters no to participate that actively,

because it could be seen as an obligation, which might not

be accepted among teenagers. Modifying the activities the

youngsters have chosen in order to give them an educa-

tional purpose could mean that they do not identify with

them anymore. If a balance in the youngsters’ and educa-

tors’ objectives is not found, this could lead to a failure in

the self-management mechanism, and the youngsters

might not see the point to the democratic meetings any-

more. Finally, the free use of computers with different

timetables - for example, one for the youngsters and

another for adults – makes living together easier and pro-

motes a feeling of belonging to the space in the young-

sters. It also instils feelings of autonomy and respect.

Symbolic appropriation of space

The youngsters have a huge respect for both TEB and Shere

Rom ICT projects, and they definitely value the opportunity

to be part of them. That is one of the strengths of the proj-

ects and it is because of the volunteer attendance, the feel-

ings transmitted by the coordinators and the way the asso-

ciation and the project see the families and the community

in general.

In all ICT activities, the youngsters learn that they may

appropriate “digital frameworks”, so they develop a feeling

of “normalization” in this sort of context. This is extremely

relevant for their social inclusion when becoming active

adults in their communities as well as in their cities.

Intercultural education development

Both Raval and Sant Roc are real multicultural neighbour-

hoods due to their demographic structure. Apart from the

aforementioned benefits of the integration that TEB and

Shere Rom promote among the population, these ICT activi-

ties can also connect youngsters to other communities that

are abroad, far from their town. They may discover things

about the countries of origin of their neighbours, and learn

to appreciate some of their cultural features.

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The ICT projects are an open window to the world for those

who do not often leave their own neighbourhood because

of a lack of economic resources. These people may be

encouraged by discovering new cultural realities here and

there. ICT can help to shape their minds and offer an inter-

cultural perspective. We also stress the value of these ICT

activities because they make possible the use of new lin-

guistic codes that usually are a cause of segregation and

exclusion. This new “professional” vocabulary produced an

atmosphere that the youngsters valued very highly.

Innovative methodology and ICT

The most important strength is that these projects proposed

an innovation of the ICT-methodologies in education.

Educational intervention has been transformed by the

introduction of ICT tools, and for that reason, it also has an

impact on the learning process of the youngsters. The use

of ICT became an opportunity in and of itself: it is a way to

change the traditional conception of learning as a process

of pure transmission of knowledge. This activity promotes

the active participation of the young people by involving

them in conflict resolution and assignments.

More specifically, in this particular context, it is also impor-

tant to emphasize that the schools have been sidelined as a

place of enculturation. In Shere Rom, the fact that all the

students maintain contact with the association even after

they finish their time in the project is also a good sign. It

can be explained by the strong feelings of belonging that

the association inspires in this community. The House of

Shere Rom has become a space where the gipsies have

found a certain vocabulary, certain tools and certain people,

who provide them with a new vision of their lives. The ICT

games and computer programmes are now more widely

used and known than before within the gipsy community.

The process of making a film, writing a script, shooting with

a digital camera, acting, decorating a room, looking for a

soundtrack is no longer outside of their expectations and

they are probably more confident when faced with certain

situations in their everyday lives.

On the other hand, another unique feature of the project is

the fact that TEB was the first organisation in the Raval to

offer a free ICT service to the community, and nowadays it

is the association with the largest number of activities

offered throughout the year. This project puts special

emphasis on the educational aspects of the activities they

offer, so the professionals try to give them an educational

purpose, promoting values and relating to the context and

the situation of the youngsters. Taking part in the activities

is a personal and leisure choice for the participants, so the

educational objectives depend on the individual and group

needs and interests, giving the intervention a personal

touch. The approach to ICT is transversal and diverse, draw-

ing on a wide range of resources, timetables, spaces, profes-

sionals and activities, which makes the project very flexible.

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For the ERDISC UAB-team, it has been really enriching to

develop this research on youngsters, ICT and empowerment

within social risk frameworks. It has been an opportunity to

set up the systematization and visualization of a kind of

project that is not much known in Spanish society.

Now it is time to bring all the data and knowledge to the

international UCAY network in order to contrast the various

results. It is clear that one cannot transfer projects to other

contexts without adaptation, but there is enough potential

in every local project (Amsterdam, Antwerp, Potsdam,

Ostrava and Barcelona) to create some practical guidelines

on the fight against exclusion among youngsters by means

of several innovative tools.

A social Europe needs new approaches and urgent decisions

to prevent youngster exclusion in a context of economic cri-

sis, and we hope that our contribution may help bring

about social inclusion and cohesion for all.

4.3 Some final words

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Notes1. Coming from other Catalan and Spanish regions in the 1970s and

mainly from Morocco, South America and Asia in the 1990s.

2. The following information is based on “Diagnostic: infància,

adolescència i families al El Raval” (2007) by Fundació Tot El Raval.

(Diagnosis: infancy, adolescence and families in El Raval).

3. It is important to note that the United States, Canada and Japan are

also included in the data for America and Asia.

4. Going from 5,418 inhabitants aged 0 to 19 in 2000 to 6,697 in 2005.

5. In Catalonia, the official languages are Catalan and Spanish.

6. DOGC (Official Newspaper of Catalan Government) 17 May 2006

7. It is necessary to stress the importance of the social and cultural task

of working networks in El Raval, due to the long tradition of non-

profit associations and cultural dynamics in the neighbourhood.

8. They think it’s very important for young people in the neighbourhood

to know that there is a world beyond TEB and El Raval. There’s a very

strong link between TEB and El Raval.

9. As happened, for example, with the project of El Ravalgames, a computer

game developed by the youngsters and contextualized in El Raval.

10. In 1996, the UNESCO International Commission on Education for the

21st Century defined one of the major objectives of education as

follows: ”to learn to live together, to learn to live with the others”.

The general objective of intercultural education would be to prepare

students for life in an intercultural society.

11. http://cat.bloctum.com/shererom/

12. www.5d.org/postnuke/index.php?func=view&module=

MoxiecodeContent&path=5d_startup_toolkit

13. Name that is used by the gipsies to call the people who are from Spain, but

not from their gipsy community.