This interactive presentation explores a climate justice–focused virtual exchange between students across Europe and the Middle East, implemented as part of the broader Erasmus+-funded CliVEx project. Implemented during Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza—described by the UN Special Rapporteur as genocide and scholasticide—this VE unfolded in a moment of profound crisis, revealing how students in conflict-affected areas engage in learning under siege, and how VE can serve as a space of resistance, empathy, and epistemic rebalancing.

Drawing on qualitative data from student reflections and interviews, we share how Palestinian students used dialogue to assert presence and resilience through sumud pedagogy—a decolonial educational framework rooted in steadfastness. Simultaneously, European students confronted their positionality, privilege, and historical complicity, especially as they engaged with peers navigating occupation and erasure. Together, participants interrogated how climate (in)justice is deeply entangled with colonial and geopolitical violence.

Framing the session around epistemic and existential sustainability (Bagga-Gupta, 2023), we challenge participants to consider how intercultural competence can be fostered through dialogic, justice-centered exchange.

The session will begin with a brief overview of findings and methods, followed by an interactive brainstorming segment inviting attendees to share how VE might be leveraged in their own institutions to confront injustice and center silenced voices.

Attendees will engage with two key discussion prompts:

What roles can VE play in advancing climate justice in conflict-affected regions?

How can educators navigate and mitigate geopolitical asymmetries in intercultural learning?

عنوان المؤتمر

UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Competences Conference

دولة المؤتمر

المغرب

تاريخ المؤتمر

29 سبتمبر، 2025 - 2 أكتوبر، 2025

راعي المؤتمر

UNESCO Chair

معلومات إضافية

موقع المؤتمر الإلكتروني