As the internet has become accessible to most citizens, it is justified to consider the social media paradigm as a potential instrument of supporting citizens’ more effective social, political and cultural participation in the society. Many obstacles still remain on the way of harnessing new possibilities for inclusion and participation of marginalized groups. Obstacles such as outdated administrative practices and incompatible technologies.

The project IIeP improves social, political and cultural inclusion of immigrants in Estonia, Finland and Sweden. The project integrates tools, activities and concepts of citizen communities and the governments’ top-down participation practices and technologies.

The outcomes of the project include recommendations for the integration of participatory activities of citizen communities with participation-facilitating approaches of governments. The project also produce a manual to advice immigrant communities and authorities in the best practices for applying ICT to promote better social, political and cultural inclusion.

Programme: Central Baltic Programme
Priority: Attractive and dynamic societies
Direction of support:  Improving living conditions and social inclusion

Lead Partner
University of Helsinki, Palmenia Centre of Continuing Education, Finland (Helsinki)

Other partners
Tallinn University, Institute of Informatics, Estonia (Tallinn)
Ministry of Justice, Finland (Helsinki)
University of Helsinki, Communication Department, Finland (Helsinki)
Södertörn University, Sweden (Handen)

Duration: 31 months 10/2009-04/2012

Partners: TEKES ja Teknologiateollisuus

Project leader at CRC: Sinikka Sassi
http://iiep-project.eu/