MedMSE results show the positive impact of mediation in schools

On 12 December, a meeting was held at Lusófona University – Porto University Centre, with the aim of presenting the results of the project “Mediação para a Melhoria Socioeducativa Escolar (MedMSE)”. This project was supported by the Municipality of Porto and covered three school clusters over the course of one year. In addition to the presentation of results, the conference also aimed to reflect on the current and future challenges of school mediation in promoting a culture of peaceful coexistence.

The opening session included representatives from the Porto City Council, from the Pro-Rectorate for Lifelong Learning and Pedagogical Innovation of Lusófona University, represented by Professor Elisabete Pinto da Costa, as well as representatives from the management teams of the partner School Clusters involved in the project, namely Alexandre Herculano, António Nobre and Cerco do Porto. This moment framed MedMSE as a socio-educational intervention initiative developed in a school context, based on mediation as a strategy for promoting coexistence, inclusion and participation.

The first panel, entitled “School Mediation and a Culture of Peace: challenges and pathways for the future”, was dedicated to the conceptual and pedagogical discussion of mediation in the school environment. Juan Carlos Torrego, from the University of Alcalá, presented the framework of school mediation in the Spanish context, sharing research experiences and the evaluation of projects developed at national and European levels. Subsequently, the Scientific–Pedagogical Coordinator of the Project, Elisabete Pinto da Costa, developed a reflection on the articulation between school coexistence, education and mediation, arguing that “a culture of peace in schools does not presuppose the absence of conflict, but rather the ability to understand, manage and transform it in a socially fair and pedagogically responsible way”.  Mediation was presented as an educational tool that translates values such as dialogue, social justice and shared responsibility into concrete practices of everyday school life.

The second panel was dedicated to the practical dimension of the project, in which the results of the MedMSE Project were effectively presented, through the sharing of good practices and local impacts in the school clusters involved. Ana Costa and Heloisa Botelho – from the Agrupamento de Escolas Alexandre Herculano –, Marisa Cunha and Olívia Teixeira – from the Agrupamento de Escolas António Nobre – and Joana Gomes and Susana Martins – from the Agrupamento de Escolas do Cerco do Porto – presented the experiences developed, highlighting the contribution of mediation to conflict management, the improvement of the school climate and the strengthening of relationships between the different actors within the educational community.

The conference also included the Round Table “Voices of Change at School”, which brought together testimonies from teachers, non-teaching staff and students, providing a space for dialogue on the effects of mediation in everyday school life.

It is also worth highlighting that there was an exhibition of scientific and pedagogical materials produced within the scope of school mediation, promoting the sharing of experiences and networking among participants.

The closing of the conference marked the conclusion of a project that sought to affirm school mediation as a structuring tool for the construction of more inclusive and participatory educational communities, oriented towards civic and peaceful coexistence. The results showed, according to Elisabete Pinto da Costa, that mediation is, in fact, “a methodology for change and social improvement”.

Text
Bruna Pereira

Video
Gabriel Motta