Objectives of the project are to: increase empathy and cultural understanding between migrant women and local communities from 3 different countries. Increase accessibility to cultural heritage through understanding, dialogue and engagement. Empower migrant women and give visibility to issues they face and to more active participation in the community. Reduce stereotypes and prejudice in terms of culture and customs by looking for shared values. Create opportunities for mutual understanding, intercultural dialogue, solidarity, civic participation. Develop didactical material to be used by social agents as well as migrant women to replicate the methodology. Improve the quality of the work and practices of the organizations involved.
The inclusion of people facing access barriers or having fewer opportunities in education, training and youth work is a key priority of the Commission’s initiative towards a European Education Area as well as of the EU Youth Strategy and of the European Youth Goals. Issues that refugee women face and which may complicate the process of integration can include low skills/qualifications, cultural characteristics, level of education, role in the family, late or no integration (language learning, social integration), living in closed residential areas. The motivation behind the project was to create what we, as social agents, consider promising non-formal education methods in working with youth migrants and which has the potential to be used further by migrant women themselves in working with other migrant women and also for the participating organizations as a tool in working with youth. The project output is an E-Toolbox, a set of hands-on practical activities which can be used to open and encourage communication and discussion related to our common heritage. We plan to present a follow up project which would focus on the personal stories of the families as well as introduce new cultural mediation techniques.