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Description
A 2019 study entitled Migrant-led advocacy across Europe. Challenges and opportunities shows that the problems encountered by people with experience of migration in self-advocacy are: having no opportunity to network and for sharing of know-how between initiatives and self-advocates, limited access to funding, limited resources as regards for instance communication tools and forms, and knowledge of legal issues.The project addresses the challenges faced by foreigners and refugees: limited opportunities to create their own civic and social and cultural activities, and exclusion from devising of solutions intended for them.Measures are envisaged in three areas:UNITING - leadership skills training for twelve refugees (storytelling, communication, management, public appearances), after which they will plan and conduct six awareness-raising and cooking workshops, in teams of two, for 150 people.SHARING - an online platform on which volunteers can connect, enabling communication to be initiated at refugee level, concerning their priorities and perspective, promotion of their activities, sale of goods and services, self-advocate networking, and greater access to resources (volunteers, people providing funding);UNITING THROUGH SHARING - sixteen initiatives in this project, on self-advocacy or empowerment, proposed by immigrants. A 50% immigrant panel will choose the initiatives. We will provide the essential mentoring support for the leaders.The project will improve the competencies of twelve immigrants, strengthen self-advocacy measures, make them more noticeable in local communities, and create a forum for exchanging information and networking for people, including self-advocates from various regions in Poland,113 people with immigration experience will participate, 53 in self-advocacy measures.
Summary of project results
The project responded to the challenges faced by migrants and refugees in Poland. 60 per cent of Poles are against Poland receiving refugees (CBOS, 2018). Meanwhile, Poland has recently received the largest number of migrants in the entire European Union (Eurostat). These people have limited opportunities to initiate their own civic and socio-cultural activities or to engage in self-advocacy. They experience economic exclusion, have difficult access to professional and personal development, and face numerous barriers in taking up the vocational courses offered by the Public Employment Service. In addition, people with a migrant background are often deprived of the possibility to decide what kind of initiatives they can participate in, even though they know best what they need.
As part of the project, a networking platform ''Migrants - We Support Each Other'' was launched to connect volunteers and enable refugees to share their perspectives, promote their activities and network. Following an open call for ideas from people with migration experience, 18 initiatives were selected, of which 17 were eventually implemented. The idea creators received mentoring support and activity vouchers of up to PLN 3,000 each. The support included help in drawing up a project plan, clarification of financial issues, assistance in finding a venue for the event, and advice and guidance. Ideas realised included a documentary photo exhibition, an animation about Iranian women, an Afghan cooking workshop, a mutual support group for migrant women, a series of activation and integration meetings for migrant women, a series of podcasts about refugee life in Poland, a Ukrainian film club, a Caucasian cooking workshop, a series of craft and DIY workshops, and an integration workshop for migrant youth.
As a result of the project, migrant people participating in the project - especially the competition winners - have improved their self-advocacy and leadership skills, as well as their ability to initiate and animate local activities, and have regained their agency. An important outcome is the networking of the migrant community. A space has been created for the exchange of information, knowledge and experience and for self-help among migrants. The platform has gathered more than 700 members. People with migration and refugee experience have implemented 17 initiatives to promote multiculturalism.