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Description
Migration organisations perform a comprehensively positive role in the Polish civic sector and in the society in general, by supporting integrations of migrants and promoting a cross-cultural dialogue, among others, but still they come across some exceptional barriers while operating and growing. Moreover, they represent the group which is specifically exposed to discrimination and exclusion.This project is targeted at supporting migration organisations functioning in Poland - established by the people with migration background and running activities to their benefit. The activities comprise: providing reliable knowledge on migration NGOs operating in Poland today which relies on the research designed and conducted with the participation of the people with the migration background. The project is going to be participated by NGOs and initiatives which join the organisations network created as part of the project which will simultaneously play the role of a platform dedicated to exchanging knowledge and competencies.In the first place, a report on migration organisations is going to be drawn up which will refer to the following questions, among others: how many such organisations operate, what kind of activities they conduct, how they are financed, what their need and problems are. In the next step a strategy for migration NGOs development and assimilating them with the social life mainstream is going to be drawn up which will be tested as part of pilot programmes in two locations. The report and the development strategy are going to be drawn up in a few language versions.The partners are three migration NGOs run by the people with a network of contacts in various migration communities: Wandering Women Foundation, Culture without Borders Foundation and WOT Foundation. This composition guarantees that the research conducted as part of this project will take account of the voice of people being members of different groups representing various migration background.
Summary of project results
The theme and primary target audience of the project''s activities were migrant organizations and initiatives, as the project initiators recognized their highly positive role in integrating migrants into Polish society and promoting awareness of migrants'' situations. However, they also noted that the barriers to the growth of these organizations are greater than those faced by most NGOs established by the host society.
Building on this initial diagnosis, the project initiators undertook the following actions:
Conducting research on the current situation of migrant organizations and initiatives in Poland to identify their key challenges, issues, and needs, culminating in a report;
Developing a strategy for the development of migrant organizations;
Creating a network of migrant organizations and initiatives to help them advocate for shared concerns with a unified voice;
Organizing a series of seminars and training sessions for leaders of migrant organizations and initiatives to enhance their competencies in various aspects of running an NGO.
During the project implementation period, two publications were developed: a report on the current state of migrant organizations and a strategy for their development and inclusion in the mainstream of social life. Both publications were made available (on the lead organization''s website) in four languages: Polish, English, Ukrainian, and Russian. Five training meetings were held, involving participants from various migrant communities, and two dissemination events were organized (in Warsaw and Gdańsk).
As part of the work on the strategy for the development of migrant organizations, collaboration was established with two local government communities (Białystok and Słupsk), promoting the inclusion of migrant community leaders in the development of local integration policies.
The main benefit of the project is the collection and dissemination of information on the current state of migrant organizations, which provides a foundation for further actions in this sector. Approximately 20 organizations and informal movements were involved in training activities.
During the project implementation period, the process of creating local integration policies by various local governments gained new momentum. The primary impetus for this development was the influx of refugees from Ukraine. The project actively promoted the idea of including migrant community leaders in this process.