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Description
In a climate of political conservatism, anti-migrant public opinion and economic hardships, women often bear the brunt. Fear and worry contribute to losing well-being and connectivity.
Local women suffer from a patriarchal climate, financial difficulties and scars of the 90s war.
For migrant women the situation is often compounded by uncertainty and past traumas. Many have less mobility, linguistic training and job opportunities than men.
Meanwhile the state cuts funds for programs related to culture, integration and psychological support.
We answer to the challenges by creating a community, supporting individual well-being and empowerment, and reclaiming integration as more than a two-way process for all into an ever-changing society. Project goals are to build knowledge and skills of refugees and asylum seekers as particularly vulnerable groups, improve agency and involve locals in the integration process. Project activities include regular workshops in ceramics, glass, product design, legislative theater and peer-to-peer skills exchange. Traveling exhibitions and interactive workshops, cooking workshops, a manual and website are for public outreach with an intended multiplier effect. Echoing the EC Action Plan and UNHCR Global Appeal’s applicable outcome areas, Živi Atelje DK’s situational analysis recognises that continuity of support to migrants is key to achieve integration opportunities. Hence, including some members of marginalized groups through participatory approach and as project staff contributes to project sustainability. This is aligned with the UNHCR''s Strategic Directions 2017-2021 report calling for engagement of all actors as necessary to navigate new challenges and improve integration of all.
Summary of project results
The community that is at the center of the activities of this project is the community of migrant women (including asylum seekers) who want to make Zagreb their home, and local women dedicated to integration (which we understand as a multi-directional process). Since 2016, when the first large number of refugees arrived at Croatia''s borders via the Balkan route, the so-called "migrant issue", as the official dehumanizing narrative calls it, has become a first-rate topic for collecting political points, while people who have requested or received asylum in Croatia are not provides sufficient support in integration processes. At the same time, due to the growing political conservatism, anti-immigrant public opinion, economic problems, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and earthquakes, women often bear most of the burden. Fear, worry and helplessness contribute to the loss of a sense of well-being, connection and fulfillment. For migrant women, the situation is multifaceted, since some of them also face long-term traumas from the past, from traveling to Europe and the uncertainty they are experiencing here. Due to the lack of organized care for children, many of them are less mobile and have fewer opportunities for language and other education and fewer job opportunities than men have. Current political tendencies are marked by a lack of state support for programs related to culture, art, integration, community development and psychological support.
3 educational ceramics workshops were held under the guidance of female artists. 15 people from the target group acquired knowledge and skills in making ceramic objects through 61 practical ceramics workshops; 3 educational glass workshops were held under the guidance of female artists. 5 people from the target group acquired knowledge and skills in making glass objects through 15 practical glass workshops; 3 product design workshops were held. 15 people from the target group acquired knowledge and skills in product design of ceramic objects.
A specific problem in the thematic area of the project is defined, ideas for problem solving strategies from the community itself are defined. 10 asylum seekers and asylum seekers, empowered for public speaking and active participation in the public sphere. Prepared and performed 1 performance of the legislative theater. Prepared and distributed to the general public and local authorities a document with a description of the problem and suggested strategies resulting from the workshop.
2 interactive ceramics exhibitions were held in Sisak and Belišće. 50 people from the domicile population met and were acquainted with different cultural patterns through a direct meeting with asylum seekers and asylum seekers. 15 participants, including 10 female migrants, asylum seekers were empowered to take leadership and speak publicly.
2 cooking workshops were held. 50 people from the domicile population met and got acquainted with different cultural patterns through a direct encounter with migrant women and asylum seekers. 10 of them (migrant women, asylum seekers and asylum seekers) were empowered to assume leadership and public speaking.
48 workshops were held for the horizontal exchange of knowledge and skills, and the participants improved their set of skills that they can directly apply to the project, but also to other parts of their professional and family life.
21 women (migrants, asylum seekers, asylum seekers) participated in the project''s activities, mostly in several aspects/activities. Beside these, 29 women of a different status were involved in the project activities.
The project has contributed to changes at the level of the individuals involved, the overall organization and, as far as it is measurable, the overall perception of the public.
Through conversations and observations, it became clear that among the people who were most involved in the project, there is a growing sense of action and the ability to influence positive changes in their environment, starting with changes in their own lives.
People''s attitudes and perceptions have changed in relation to accepting their own role and participation in community building (from one extreme, which they are only recipients of services, to having a great influence on the direction and daily work of the organization).
The way we communicate with each other has changed so that more attention is paid to ways that are more inclusive, sensitive and caring. Participants understand better the role of communication in achieving the goals of the organization that are identified together, such as, for example, horizontal and participatory, active participation.
The project contributed to improving the knowledge and skills of women in ceramics, glass blowing, needle art, in pedagogy, in organizing workshops, exhibitions and public events, in communication - including languages, computers and communication with the public.
The project contributed to the process of acceptance of the multidirectional roles of the participants. Project participants with the status of asylum seekers or refugees are often delegated only as beneficiaries, recipients of aid and services. In this project, all women (newcomers and locals) were encouraged to participate in as many aspects of the project as possible, and they were enabled to lead their own initiatives.