A new project MAGnituDe "Migration, Affective Geopolitcs and European Democracy in Times of Military Conflicts" funded by Horizon Europe.

The MAGnituDe project investigates the social and political consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, focusing on how forced displacement impacts European democracies. It addresses challenges such as intensified polarization, fragmented identities, and social tensions resulting from the war.

MAGnituDe examines the interrelations between social, cultural, and political identities through innovative methodologies and provides evidence-based strategies to prevent discrimination, marginalization, and exclusion of forcibly displaced people (FDPs) and other migrants. The project spans multiple levels of analysis—migrant-state, migrant-migrant, and migrant-host society interactions—focusing on how these relationships shape belonging and democratic engagement. A diverse array of deliverables aimed at achieving its objectives and fostering significant academic, societal, and policy impacts, is foreseen, among others a methodological toolkit, a documentary movie, policy recommendations, a theatre play and final exhibition.

GRITIM-UPF teamed up with Apis Institute (Slovenia), serves as the methodological core of MAGnituDe, establishing a foundation for the entire project by designing and piloting SensArticulate methods. These methods incorporate art-based exploration (e.g., drama, photography, and forum theatre), sensory and embodied experiences, and participatory approaches to investigate identity and trauma in the context of forced displacement. Contribution by the GRITIM-UPF team includes tools to equip researchers and practitioners in navigating and addressing sensitive issues in volatile contexts effectively.

GRITIM-UPF team consists of Nena Mocnik and Ricard Zapata-Barrero as project coordinators.

Project information:

• Project Coordinator: Olga Sasunkevich, Associate Professor in Gender studies at the department of Cultural Sciences
• Partner Insitutions: Unviersitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Catalonia), University of Gothenburg (Sweden), University of Eastern Finland (Finland), Lithuanian Social Research Centre (Lithuania), University of Granada, (Spain), ZAVOD APIS, (Slovenia)
• Duration: 4 years (February 1, 2025 to January 31, 2029)
• Budget: 3,000,000 EUR
• Funding source: “Horizon Europe” programme (No. 101178269)

The GRITIM-UPF contribution to the MAGnituDe project focuses on leading the development and implementation of innovative methodologies (WP1: SensArticulate methods) for fostering democratic participation, particularly using affect-centered, art-based, and embodied techniques.

GRITIM-UPF is responsible for:

1. Reviewing Methodologies: Identifying gaps and challenges in existing research methodologies for analyzing identities and trauma in the context of forced displacement and military conflicts.

2. Training and Capacity Building: (1) Designing and delivering training sessions for researchers on SensArticulate methods (a piloting novel concept developed by PI Dr. Nena Mocnik), including techniques such as embodied methods, sensorial analysis, and experiential ethnography; (2) Organizing a follow-up session to refine the methods based on fieldwork experiences.

3. Toolkit and Knowledge Dissemination: (1) Producing a toolkit with guidelines and strategies for implementing SensArticulate methods; (2) Preparing an open-access book proposal summarizing the methods and their application.

4. Field Research: Supporting the application of these methods in other work packages (WP2–WP4) through fieldwork (in Germany, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden) and ongoing mentorship to other researchers.