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Migration and Refugees in Youth Work

2020-1-DE04-KA105-0192222020Youth mobilityfinalizedGood practice
Countries: DE|IT|EL|PL|GE|CY|JO|RU|UA|IE · Grant: €21,235
Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)Integration of refugeesMigrants' issues

Objectives

“Migration” and “Flight” are important topic in politics and societies among EU countries. Not only since the so-called “Refugee Crisis”. The EU is divided between moral and legal obligations towards human rights and the right of asylum on the one side and protecting it’s borders and responding to fears in society on the other. A huge influx of migrants can confront a society with new challenges, can lead eventually to the rise of right-wing and populist parties and endanger the socio-political climate. In different countries different approaches are implemented to deal with refugees, migration and integration, which succeed to different extents. Refugees who arrived recently in the respective country might face huge challenges to adapt to the new environment. But also migrant groups who are well integrated, can face different obstacles in the society. This applies not only for refugees from other countries, also internal displaced persons (IDPs) are facing difficulties which need to be addressed. Segregation and ghettoisation are the result of a failed integration policy and bear a huge risk for a society and the opportunities of the migrants themselves. In the worst case especially young refugees and migrants can be an easy prey to radicalisation. When governmental policies are not enough or are not able to address the issue in a sufficient way, it is important that civil society steps up and fills this gap. We think that activities of NGOs, associations, etc. shouldn’t be limited to national level but comprise European cooperation, as well, because “Migration” is a European issue. Exactly as national solo-efforts on political and European governmental level are less effective compared to cooperation and multilateralism, we think that the same applies for the civil society sector. We are convinced that it is useful to team up and to approach this issue in the framework of a European cooperation as it is relevant for all participating countries and organisations. The needs of the organisations are described more detailed below. We identify here different problems and key words connected to Migration which include but are not limited to: “Racism”, “Lack of Tolerance”, “Tolerance Trap”, “Unwillingness to Integrate”, “Stereotypes”, “Fake News and Misinformation”, “Populism”, “Fear of Assimilation”, Fear of the Other”, “Nationalism”, “Ignorance”. The issue of migration is thus crucial, especially, in youth work. With this project we will be able to share and discover together best practices to address this issue in our youth work on local and European level. This will happen with workshops implemented by the participants in which they present their organisations’ activities, approaches and methods. With the finding and results of these workshops we will create a Toolkit for Youth Workers who are working with migrants, refugees and minority groups. This project will also initiate a European networking process and pave the way for common future projects and a platform for exchange in this area. Objectives 1. Exchanging knowledge about the situation in other countries (policies, facts and numbers, challenges, public debates, etc.) 2. Learning about the work of other organisations (activities, target groups, methods, etc.) 3. Peer-Learning: Exchanging Best Practice with Workshops 4. Improving Youth Work on Local and European level (including an intersectional approach) 5. Developing Actions Plans for the local reality of each participating organisation 6. Creating a Toolkit for Youth Workers and Trainers

Project partners (10)