The interdisciplinary network “Transnational Family Dynamics in Europe” (TraFaDy), founded on 3 October in the framework of the European COST Action programme, met for the first time for a general meeting to which all participants had been invited. In the course of the in person meeting that was held from 22 to 24 February, numerous meetings of the different groups took place in Durrës, Albania. The meeting was hosted by the “Aleksandër Moisiu” University.
The hybrid meetings began with meetings of the Management Committee and the Core Group, in which, in addition to the action chairs, particularly the working group leaders are present and which is responsible for operational steering. On Thursday and Friday, the working groups met in several meetings spread over the two days. They discussed their contents and agreed on the work plan for the upcoming months. Important topics of discussion included the different existing definitions of “transnational families” and current political projects at the European level that have a particular relevance to transnational families.
The meeting in Durrës was the first face-to-face meeting for the working groups after various online meetings. The members of the Management Committee, in which the participating countries are represented by members and in which the fundamental decisions are made, had already met for the first time at the official start in October in Brussels.
The network’s website is currently under construction and will soon be available at https://transnational-families.eu.
Background
The COST network “Transnational Family Dynamics in Europe” (TraFaDy aims to deepen the knowledge of the growing, rapidly changing phenomenon and dynamics of transnational families by bringing together researchers and stakeholders from different disciplines and countries to address the need for transnational insights and to formulate policy and practice-oriented recommendations with an impact on international, national, sub-local and local practices.
COFACE Families Europe and AGF are active partners within the network. Prof. Mieke Schrooten from Odisee University is chair of the action and AGF director and COFACE Vice President Sven Iversen has been elected Vice chair.
The website https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA21143/ provides more information. Here you will also find possibilities to show your interest in particpating and joining the network and the working groups.
The working groups
1 Kinkeeping within transnational families in a global and digital era
2 Integrating the perspective of vulnerable children and youth in welfare and policy
3 Social rights and social protection of transnational families
4 Health and well-being of transnational families
5 Talking across disciplines: Methodological issues in TNF research and data collection
6 Practises and policy impact group