Evidently

Praxis needs theory

Networking with researchers

A World of Neighbours is developing a research network which will conduct research in close collaboration with the practitioners network. Regular communication between the two will result in the production of high-quality studies based on the current needs of practitioners. The studies will be disseminated rapidly, thus guaranteeing high level of applicability. The research board, led by dr. Ulrich Schmiedel, lecturer in theology, politics and ethics at the University of Edinburgh, is currently developing a pilot project based on interviews and feedback from the first group of practitioners. The board plans to recruit at least one researcher from each of the 22 countries involved in the practitioners network. Each of these researchers will regularly offer short summaries of the current state of migration research in their respective countries.

Developing an online platform

Due to its international nature, the practitioners’ network is primarily operating online. Because of that, it requires a well-adapted digital tool to meet all of its requirements and needs, and allow for active, ongoing collaboration. A World of Neighbours is collaborating with the Lund University Innovation hub to secure funding and develop an online platform based on the principles of community of practice and collaborative learning, to streamline remote work, offer means of communication and networking, and provide framework for development of collaborative courses offered within and outside of the network.

Are you alright?

As mentioned before, practitioners operate in conditions of high stress, huge emotional load, and low resources. Because of that, as recent reports suggest, they are at a higher risk of compassion fatigue, the subject which remains understudied. Peer support that lies at the core of the Network may lower the risk of compassion fatigue in the short term, and burnout in the long term.

Dr. Katarzyna Bobrowicz, post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Psychology, Lund University, is responsible for a wellbeing inquiry, which consists of two short surveys that allow for evaluating whether active participation in the network improves practitioners’ well-being. The inquiry focuses specifically on the risk of compassion fatigue, its predictors and influence on everyday behaviours. Recent reports suggest that working with migration is associated with a higher risk of compassion fatigue, but this remains understudied. Understanding which factors increase the risk of compassion fatigue will allow better prevention and more efficient intervention whenever practitioners’ well-being is plummeting. This requires further in-depth studies in psychology and public health.

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