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Description
Young refugees in Croatia face numerous challenges when it comes to their inclusion in the community and don’t have adequate support through integration policies. On the other hand, the local community is not inclined to civic engagement through volunteering and there is a need to educate it in the context of human rights. The project aims to develop civic awareness and engagement of the local community and increase solidarity and their knowledge of human rights in the context of migration and refugees. On the other hand, through increased engagement we want to contribute to the social inclusion of young refugees through the development and implementation of social mentoring programs. The project we are proposing is essentially a volunteer program through which local volunteers are educated to become mentors to young refugees, and the competencies of both groups are strengthened in terms of human rights of young refugees. The methodology we are developing builds on the existing program we are implementing, and the whole model is an innovative way of including young refugees by activating local citizens to volunteer in youth work with young refugees and as such serves as an alternative to existing classic integration models that are not tailored to this specific group. The program we are developing will be possible to use after the end of the program because we will share the results, and the main result is the development of a methodology that can be used by other organizations, with relevant organizations and actors. The results are applicable to other target groups, such as young people from alternative care and other local communities outside Croatia, as all EU countries face the same challenge of integrating young refugees into society.
Summary of project results
Young people aged 18-30 make up more than half of the refugee population in Europe and also in HR (Eurostat). In 2019, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe sent a recommendation to member states expressing their deepest concern that "after legal age/maturity, since they are no longer under the protection of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, young refugees no longer have access to the same rights and opportunities as they had as children and that many of them will face a change in their ability to access services and support in many sectors: education, health care, psychosocial. support, free time, accommodation, etc." and, at the same time, recommended guidelines aimed at "ensuring that young refugees receive additional temporary support after the age of 18 to enable them to exercise their rights." However, there are currently no specialized support programs adapted to this population in Croatia. Inadequate language courses, underdeveloped life and professional skills, difficult access to education and interruptions in education, and consequently limited participation in the labor market, make this population exposed to additional risks of exclusion and poverty.
In the EU Action Plan for Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027. it was pointed out that young migrants are a much larger part of the population that is not in education, employment or training, and thus they need additional high-quality and individualized support. On the other hand, the local community has very limited opportunities in the local community to get in touch with young asylum seekers. Additionally, the same is not inclined to civic engagement through volunteering, and research points to a worrying level of civic education. In 2013, the British Charity Foundation ranked the Republic of Croatia at last place among 135 countries with only 6% of the population volunteering. Recent research on the attitudes of young people shows that it is necessary to introduce civic engagement and upbringing into education and to educate young people about human rights, given the worrying attitudes expressed by part of that population. With regard to the problems of the target population in the EU, not that there is a possibility of multiplying the effect only within the Republic of Croatia, but also in the area of the entire EU in favor of young asylum seekers, which the association is already actively working on through EU projects and partnerships. Additionally, the effect of the results is applicable to other populations, especially youth from alternative care.
Social mentoring for young refugees and asylum seekers: A social mentoring program empowered 16 young refugees and asylum seekers, providing them with support in their inclusion in Croatian society. This program enabled users to achieve personal goals such as finding a job, learning the Croatian language and expanding social networks. This activity has resulted in improved independence, security and access to resources and opportunities necessary for the inclusion of young refugees.
Education and empowerment of local volunteers: 11 local volunteers were educated through various workshops, which offer them the skills and knowledge necessary to mentor effectively young refugees. Through the project, they gained new skills and experiences, as well as a sense of excellence and contribution to society. The project also contributed to the development of civic awareness and engagement in the local community. In our final survey, 30% of participants confirmed that, after participating in the program, they began to participate more often in various leisure and cultural activities. In addition, we have noticed that some of our mentored users have started to become actively involved in volunteering within the community.
Development and application of innovative methodology: The developed methodology of social mentoring can be applied to other vulnerable groups, which extends the impact of the project to a wider social context.
Organizations such as the Rehabilitation Center for Stress and Trauma and the Fice association involved in the project benefited through the exchange of knowledge and experience and the establishment of long-term cooperation.
Spreading knowledge and awareness about the issue of young refugees: Through workshops at faculties, the project raised awareness and imparted knowledge to students about the challenges faced by young refugees. Students and academic experts involved in the project expanded their knowledge about the problems of young refugees and social mentoring.
The impact of the implementation of the "Get Together" project on the target group, the sub-sector and the civil society sector as a whole was multi-layered and significant. The project achieved the following changes:
Changes for young refugees and asylum seekers: The project had a direct positive impact on young refugees and asylum seekers. Through social mentoring, this target group received the necessary support for integration into Croatian society, including help in finding a job, enrolling in college, acquiring the Croatian language and expanding social networks.
Sustainability and capacities of civil society: The project increased the sustainability and capacities of civil society by developing an innovative model of social mentoring. This model, which can be used by other organizations, strengthens human resources and provides an efficient framework for working with young refugees and other vulnerable groups.
New partnerships and collaborations: New collaborations have been established with academic institutions such as the Faculty of Law, the Study Center for Social Work and the Faculty of Teachers at the University of Zagreb. This collaboration enabled the project to rely on the expertise and resources of these institutions, which contributed to the exchange of knowledge and experience between the academic sector and civil society.
Organizations such as the Rehabilitation Center for Stress and Trauma and the Fice association involved in the project benefited through the exchange of knowledge and experience and the establishment of long-term cooperation.
Spreading knowledge and awareness about the issue of young refugees: Through workshops at colleges, the project raised awareness and imparted knowledge to students about the challenges faced by young refugees. Students and academic experts involved in the project expanded their knowledge about the problems of young refugees and social mentoring.