Description
The project aims at preparing public institutions, local communities, NGOs and specialist staff in 4 counties in the vicinity of the Centre for Refugees in Grotniki for arrival and integration of new groups of refugees, including refugees from the Middle East. Planned information and training activities are intended to prevent conflicts through intensive trainings and workshops for refugee mentors, local government workers, social assistance and uniformed service workers, teachers and school youth and through activities aimed at integrating majority community with refugees, including Nansen workshops, open days and meetings with refugees. Estimated number of participants of trainings and integration activities is 4860 persons.
Summary of project results
"Łódzkie voivodeship is not prepared to receive foreigners, as witnessed by intensified activities of the right-wing National and Radical Party (ONR), including so-called ""street patrols to secure order"" near the Refugee Centre in Ustronie or Łódź. Even people living close to the Centre began to be fearful of refugees - muslims who are unconditionally identified with terrorists. The aim of the project was to prepare public institutions, local community, non-governmental organisations and specialists in four counties of Łódzkie voivodeship neighbouring the Refugee Centre in Ustronie to receive and integrate new groups of refugees, including refugees from the Middle East. The project was implemented in the counties of Pabianice, Piotrków, Zgierz and in the city of Łódź. During the project, trainings, workshops, seminars and a series of meetings with local communities were organised, in order to prevent conflicts, alleviate race- and religion-based prejudices, and above all to support uniformed services, social assistance workers, teachers, and municipal government representatives in their work with refugees. In all, 5606 persons participated in the training meetings and workshops, including approx. 4800 schoolchildren. The meetings with refugees organised for local communities gathered 300 persons; 336 uniformed services workers, social assistance workers and teachers, and 10 refugee mentors took part in workshops and seminars. Dialogue workshops between foreigners applying for refugee status and local community, meetings of parents of refugee children and integration carnival party for children gathered 160 persons. As a result of the activities implemented under the project, attitudes of local community towards refugees residing in the Centre in Ustronie improved, and competencies of persons responsible for receiving and integrating refugees were enhanced. The Counseling and Information Centre for the Roma People in Poland conducted workshops in schools for children and youth on the issues of multiculturalism and refugees, as well as workshops for parents of foreign and Polish children from Grotniki, Ustronie and Jedlicze. The Foundation for Tolerance through Intercultural Understanding conducted dialogue workshops using Nansen method with participation of foreigners applying for refugee status and local community."
Summary of bilateral results