Press Release 1 - Care: Social Death Awareness Initiative

The CARE Project Takes Strides to Combat Social Death Across Europe

The EU funded project CARE is an innovative initiative aimed at empowering adult educators and SME representatives to address the pressing issue of social death. By raising awareness, fostering empathy, and providing guidance, the project equips stakeholders with the tools to prevent social deprivation, promote inclusion, and support a tolerant society. Indirectly, it also benefits adult learners by contributing to their well-being and career resilience.

In April 2024, CARE launched its mission with a transnational project meeting in Cyprus (April 23–25). Partners aligned on strategies to strengthen the capacity of educators and employers, focusing on empathy and shared values to prevent social death. A Learning Lab on April 24 in Nicosia brought together 16 participants to explore the phenomenon in depth, laying the foundation for impactful interventions.

In June 2024, a pilot survey was conducted to assess baseline knowledge among educators, SME representatives, and adult learners. Concluding on June 25, this phase helped refine the survey, ensuring it accurately identifies knowledge gaps and challenges.

Key Insights from the Baseline Mapping Report

Released in October 2024, the CARE Baseline Mapping Report analysed responses from 148 participants in Latvia, Cyprus, and Slovenia, uncovering critical insights into social death:

• Awareness Gap: 64% of respondents were unfamiliar with the term “social death.”

  
  

• Hope for Prevention: 95% expressed optimism about preventing it.

  
  

• Shared Responsibility: 70% emphasized community-based solutions.

  
  

• Knowledge Gaps: Many lacked practical strategies to combat social death.

Next Steps: Empowering Communities to Act - The CARE project is addressing these gaps through a targeted awareness campaign to:

• Educate communities about social death’s causes and impacts.

• Equip educators and employers with tools to reduce risks.

• Foster inclusion with accessible, multilingual resources.

• Build resilience through collaboration and empathy-building initiatives.

Additionally, the development of the Digital Guide: Social Isolation Schema is underway. This resource will provide actionable strategies to understand and address social isolation, including:

1. Breaking cycles of isolation through schema analysis.

   
   

2. Exploring social deprivation pathways in work and education.

   
   

3. Enhancing empathy, communication, and observation skills.

   
   

4. Offering evidence-based strategies to foster connection.

The CARE project is committed to empowering communities to build a more empathetic and inclusive society.

For more information, contact us here.