ASSOCIATION OF KNOWLEDGE ACTIVISTS

Les Militants des Savoirs (MDS) is a French non-governmental organisation based in Toulouse, dedicated to social innovation, education, and the protection and rights of children and young people. Combining academic research with field practice, MDS designs, tests and transfers evidence-based governance models, prevention tools and inclusive practices that strengthen public systems and frontline services.

Affiliated with the UNESCO Chair on the Prevention of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism and rooted in university research in Educational Sciences, MDS brings together researchers, practitioners and public stakeholders. Our work spans child protection and safeguarding, prevention of violence and gender-based violence, digital risks and media literacy, and social and educational inclusion.

MDS has extensive experience in European project engineering and implementation, as coordinator and partner, across ESF+, Erasmus+, CERV, AMIF, ISF and Horizon Europe programmes. We work through participatory co-design, multi-agency cooperation and cross-sector governance, with a constant focus on reaching those who too often remain invisible to institutions.

We are currently coordinating "The Empty Chair" (ESF+ Social Innovation Plus), a project strengthening the national governance of the European Child Guarantee. In this context, we are actively seeking institutional partners with a mandate on children's rights — public authorities, Child Guarantee National Coordinators, ministries, regional and municipal authorities, education inspectorates, child protection and social services, and ombudspersons for children.