From the editors
Connecting Practice, Research & Policy
Nearly 1 in 3 women and girls in the WHO European Region will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime (see). And despite this and a steep rise in cyberbullying and AI-driven deepfakes, 1.8 billion women and girls have no legal protection about digital violence (see). Toxic policies and behaviors are still a strong part of global reality – and affecting public health, requiring courage from public health stakeholders (see report).
Recent engagements – from May to October – across Nordic, EU, and UN platforms have reaffirmed the need for joined-up approaches linking health, education, and justice. The momentum around prevention, inclusion, and digital wellbeing continues to grow across Europe. From community sport and rehabilitation to AI ethics and social identity, each event provided valuable insight into how policy, research, and practice can converge to build a wellbeing-centred Europe.
Shaun Charles Small, Unlocking Minds
Dr. Yvonne Prinzellner, University of Applied Science, St. Pölten
Tackling violence against women – WHO Europe / Madrid
(November 2025)
Themes: violence against women and girls, leadership, training of public health workforce
Insights: New report emphasizes the need for a survivor-centered, rights-based approach, positioning the health sector as a crucial leader in wider, multisectoral efforts to end violence against women.
Relevance to EHFF members: It represents a clear call to action for EHFF members, who are involved in health policy and practice, to advocate for and implement systemic improvements
Youth Criminality in the Nordics – Hanaholmen, Espoo
(October 2025)
Themes: cross-sector collaboration, trauma-informed practice, and youth engagement.
Insights: The conference highlighted how early intervention, relational pedagogy, and integrated community partnerships can reduce vulnerability and promote belonging. Discussions underscored the importance of evidence-based education and mentoring models in Nordic prevention strategies.
Relevance to EHFF members: Demonstrates how health and education actors across the Nordics are embedding wellbeing principles into justice and youth policy.
SHARE 2.0 Community of Practice – European Commission
(October 2025)
Themes: AI adoption, grassroots sport, and digital transformation.
Insights: The session explored responsible uses of artificial intelligence to increase inclusion, participation, and learning outcomes in community sport. It emphasised co-creation and digital access as levers for social innovation.
Relevance to EHFF: Highlights the role of technology in advancing European wellbeing and prevention agendas through sport and physical activity.
EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation Training – AI in the Prevention of Violent Extremism
(September 2025)
Themes: ethical AI, digital resilience, and education-based prevention.
Insights: The EU Knowledge Hub (DG HOME) brought together practitioners to discuss how AI tools can be used responsibly in prevention efforts. Contributions centred on transparency, youth trust, and safeguarding digital spaces.
Relevance to EHFF: Reinforces the network’s commitment to ethical innovation and the role of education in preventing extremism and digital harm.
HEUNI & GI-TOC Side Event – UN CCPCJ, Vienna (May 2025)
Themes: rehabilitation, reintegration, and innovation.
Insights: The event examined how education, sport, and mentoring contribute to reducing re-offending and supporting reintegration. Global participants shared restorative approaches connecting justice reform to community health and inclusion.
Relevance to EHFF: Aligns with EHFF’s broader work on systemic health and wellbeing, demonstrating global synergies between justice, education, and social care.
WHO Regions for Health Network in St. Pölten:
Fireside Chat on gender responsive health systems
During the RHN conference in St. Pölten, Dr. Yvonne Prinzellner participated in Fireside Chat on Gender Reponsive Health Systems with Melanie Hyde from WHO/Europe. The chat explored gender related advancement in gender medicine (!), violence against women, and gender-related health inequities. Great to see this topic moving at all levels of WHO – and hopefully soon in more MS policies (and regional initiatives) too.
New book by EHFF member Liza Collins:
The Phsysiology of Bullying
In The Physiology of Bullying, Liza Collins exposes the hidden science of workplace harm: how it rewires the brain, floods the body with stress hormones and traps entire organisations in chronic cycles of fear, burnout, and collapse.
Drawing on over three decades in NHS and global healthcare leadership, a Master’s in organisational sociology, and deep trauma science expertise, Liza reveals why traditional policies fail, why culture efforts fall short and what must truly shift if we’re serious about protecting people.
MEPs suggest minimum age of 16 to access social media
Members of the European Parliament say that 16 should also be the standard minimum age for video platforms and AI companion chatbots, while 13- to 16-year-olds could have access with their parents’ consent.
They also want stronger EU action to tackle addictive design practices like infinite scrolling, auto-play and loot boxes.
MEPs called on the Commission to protect children by prohibiting platforms from monetising content with minors acting as influencers (kidfluencing), and introducing more safeguards to protect children when using AI agents and companion chatbots.
Collaborative Outlook – Gender, Identity & Digital Wellbeing
The editors – Shaun Charles Small and Dr Yvonne Prinzellner – have jointly explored the intersections of gender identity, trauma, and digital wellbeing within practitioner-led rehabilitation and youth development. Building on her expertise in digital community care and my practitioner experience in offender education and the Unlocking Minds programme, we have discussed the potential for future joint research—possibly a meta-analysis or journal collaboration—examining gender resilience and identity formation through lived-experience case studies. These exploratory dialogues highlight many promising grounds for future EHFF initiatives and research into gender, digital inclusion, and social reintegration.
Two recent academic outputs emerging from Ascendium Group’s applied research and practitioner development work, led by Shaun Charles Small, contribute to EHFF’s expanding knowledge base on wellbeing, prevention, and innovation:
– Accepted Chapter (Alternative Provision Research Network, UWE Bristol, 2025): explores practitioner-led innovation in Alternative Provision through hybrid physical–digital ecosystems and strengths-based approaches.
– Accepted Abstract (Cogent Social Sciences, Taylor & Francis Special Collection, 2025): examines resilience and rehabilitation through sport and social transformation frameworks.
Two publications from Dr Yvonne Prinzellner supplement these; From looking at the media coverage of femicides in German language media and the study of barriers and facilitators used for mental health for the (predominantly female) healthcare workers from the XR2esilience Horizon Europe project – with a joint conclusion that a key issue is the individualization of these challenges rather than being seen as systemic design features.
These contributions form part of the wider dialogue between EHFF members on education, justice, and wellbeing innovation, complementing some of our ongoing Erasmus+ consortium collaborations – or of course as part of other national or cross-border programmes.
ICYMI – Recent EHFF webinars:
Storytelling for Futures and The Menopause Mission
Three upcoming events with EHFF
December 4, 2025 – Women’s Health in St. Pölten
January 19-21, 2026 – Radical Health in Helsinki
February 6-7, 2026 – Future Forward in Cologne
Time for women’s health?
Women’s health is headed for transformation. For too long forgotten or pushed aside, and high time for change. Collaborating with Women in Global Health Austria, Nordic Women’s Health Hub and the Women’s Health Charter 2040, and University of Applied Science St. Pölten, we are gathering to discuss strategic pathways and collaborations to connect the power of initiatives and visions to transform the future of health for women. And thus the wellbeing of everyone else too(!)
Reach out to Nina Sønderberg for more information.
Time to be Radical?
We’re collaborating with the Radical Health Festival in Helsinki to explore and advocate for radical solutions for better health. The programme is still under development, but already confirmed is a workshop joining hands with Nordic Wellbeing Academy and Nordic Women’s Health Hub on women’s health – and that Nina Sønderberg will be the later debate panel on menopause and women’s health.
And you can join too! We have two free tickets to hand out – and also a discount on the early bird before December 1st (so act fast!) – use code RHF2628 – or write Lars Münter to learn more.
Time for Democracy?
The European Health Futures Forum, the Nordic Wellbeing Academy and the Healthcare Futurists invite you to a network meeting and ‘Prequel Workshop’.
We will bring interdisciplinary academic experts and young professionals together to identify core challenges that need to be mastered to strengthen trust and empowerment in healthcare and education, and thus would strengthen trust in our democracies.
Read more here – or contact Edoardo Montin for more information.
Cyprus Center of EU
Great gathering of EHFF members in Cyprus November 6-8 – with series of policy debates, networking (locally and globally) – something absolutely to repeat when the Cypriot EU Presidency transfers to Ireland summer of 2026. Read more about the event here.
Interesting new Futures Tools from Horizon project
The FutuResilience Horizon project has built and launched a new toolbox, supporting policy and decision makers to set up participatory processes for designing societal resilience policies and practices in co-creation, while adding value to existing knowledge and tools.
The toolbox was codeveloped by Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI with contributions from European Future Innovation System (EFIS), Centre, NTNU Samfunnsforskning AS, Regional Development Institute of Panteion University, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies, Arenguseire Keskus / Foresight Centre Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena.
Meet New Members
New Comms Group and Newsletter Design Coming Up
– want to join?
Our Domain Experts continue to shine – and our Comms Group are expanding too. Want to join? Write Edoardo Montin to learn more about plans for newsletters, podcasts, webinars, and interviews – plenty of plans!
You are welcome to join this dedicated group – or just share you tips or insights from previous or coming events that you think we should include in coming newsletters.
SCS & YP 29.11.25