Workshop exploring policies of inclusion held in Brussels

A workshop exploring policies of inclusion, in jurisdictions around the world, was hosted in Brussels by academics from Kent Law School and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG).

It was the final workshop for Inclusionary Practices, a three-year research project exploring social and economic inclusion policies in Europe, Latin America and the digital domain. The project, funded by a £26k grant from the British Academy’s International Partnership and Mobility Scheme, is led by Kent Law School Professor Toni Williams (pictured) and Professor Fabricio Polido from the UFMG in Brazil.

The workshop, ‘Constituting Inclusion through Law and Regulation: What do we now know? And where do we go from here?’, critically examined the methodologies, legal and regulatory techniques and theoretical debates involved in the implementation of social and economic inclusion policies.

Workshop papers explored how inclusionary practices in different jurisdictions and different social and economic domains made use of particular forms of law and regulation and considered the implications of these differences and particularities for social justice, equalities and diversities and development. Through systematic and critical analysis and comparison of selected case studies, the workshop sought to create additional knowledge about the meanings of inclusionary practices in different contexts. It also considered how and to what effect law and regulation are implicated and instrumentalised to advance policies of inclusion.

Workshop case studies explored the roles of domestic and transnational regulation in respect of social exclusion and inclusionary practices in the fields of housing, security, work, education, finance and digital economies and political engagement.

The workshop was held at Kent’s Brussels School of International Studies on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 September.