PROJECT DESCRIPTION
From 2015, migration has become one of the dominant topics of public debate in both the European Union and Slovakia. However, the public, as well as many political and other leaders, have found this subject unprepared, because it has not received much attention at all. At the same time, many refugees and aliens do not live in Slovakia compared to other EU countries, so many people do not have a personal experience with them. The public would thus predominantly take information mainly from the media and are subject to various conspiracy or distorted information, as well as the possibility of believing the ideas spread by various extremist parties. Those who have professional knowledge about migration issue and leaders among the society should address it to people.
The migration and asylum seekers issue and integration are, therefore, a public policy that should be built on the principles of public policy-making at both state and EU level. When it comes to the necessary prerequisite, a sufficient amount of expertise and facts to formulate legitimate requirements in relation to public leaders is needed and thus shape policy-making in this area. However, the creation of these policies should also be the voice of those who are primarily concerned with this policy - foreigners, and refugees themselves. That is why we want to implement activities which increase people's awareness of these topics, as well as the opportunities to engage in policymaking.
PROJECT TARGET GROUPS
- The public
- Experts
Experts also need to improve information on migration, which is a new topic for many of them. At the regional level, we want to focus on better dissemination and access to professional information for people who need them to do their jobs. This will contribute to better public policies in this area. To this end, we will organize a series of educational and informational meetings and prepare expert articles, blogs and video blogs on the most frequent issues (Dublin, expulsion and reinsurance, etc.), including practical exercises and examples.
- Foreigners and refugees
Foreigners and refugees themselves have very little opportunity to engage in public debate and policymaking. We want to improve this by implementing the project and to support their participation. At the same time, they themselves need to acquire the skills and knowledge that will enable them to succeed in public debate and effectively promote their legitimate interests. We want to focus on the information campaign on migration and integration as well because they are often a very important source of information for other members of their community
THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES
1. Supporting tools to increase citizens' participation in public policy-making and support for informed decision-making by citizens on migration
2. Public debates, engaging citizens in public debates and improving the quality of professional discussion on the topic of migration
3. Strengthening cooperation with regional self-governments and public authorities, as well as raising awareness of people about migration and building local partnerships between NGOs and regional self-governments
IMPACT OF THE PROJECT
It is expected that our project can raise people's awareness of migration, social integration and asylum at the regional level and improve decision-making on these issues, especially by making policies much more participatory than they have been so far. We also want to try to ensure that people are able to make decisions based on good and objective information and not subject to prejudice and disinformation. This is also important in relation to the forthcoming European Parliament elections, where migration will certainly be one of the issues, as well as the development of important legislation in this area that is currently underway (reform of the EU asylum system, refugee integration program SR) or is waiting for us (preparation of the new Migration Policy).
As we want to contribute to improving people's awareness of these topics and to enhance their participation in creating these specific public policies, the project's results will have a long-term impact. From the point of view of the capacity of our organization, in 12 years of existence, we have shown that we have sufficient capacity to sustain the project's results. Within the project, we do not plan outputs that would require costly sustainability. Most material outputs will continue to be used or updated (articles, expert materials, videos, etc.). The analysis we are preparing will be of value to experts who will be preparing new policies in this area. The partnerships that we will create with businesses, landlords, and self-government will focus on long-term collaboration that will not later need a facilitator, so the project's outputs are very easy to do in this direction.
PROJECT OUTPUTS
Watch the following videos with foreign experts on migration and refugees:
Helge Lunde, Exectutive Director of ICORN - International Cities of Refuge Network invites Bratislava and other Slovak cities to become members of the ICORN network and to provide a safe place to the persecuted writers and artists:
Timo Rinke from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung introduces a new study "Looking Behind the Culture of Fear" about the reasons why people are afraid of the migration:
Richard Kaniewski, an integration specialist and a politician of SPD Saxony speaks about integration of refugees in Saxony as well as in Slovakia:
Watch more videos of Migration Compass, namely series "Migration and Slovakia" and "Hoaxes versus facts."
First roundtable with foreigners, 13.09.2018, 18:00, Open Gallery, Baštová 5: Event Summary
Discussion "Do the NGOs cooperate with the smugglers? ,10.10.2018, 18:00, Open Gallery, Baštová 5: Live stream
Second roundtable with foreigners, 06.12.2018, 18:00, Open Gallery, Baštová 5: Event Summary
Discussion "Migrant entrepreneurs in V4 countries: regional dimensions of start-up cooperation", 12.12.2018, 19:00, Open Gallery, Baštová 5: Event Summary
Election rights of foreigners - video and FAQs in Slovak Spectator
Term of the day - educational series introducing terms in the field of migration and asylum that we publish through our social media and in the Asylum vocabulary section
Blog at The Slovak Spectator "Blog: Bratislava - the story of an open city", published on 28.8.2018
Explaining article and infographics about the impact of the free movement in EU on same-sex couples when one of the partners is a foreigner and about the judgement of Court of Justice of the European Union in Coman case
Explaining article and infographics about Global Compact for Migration
Explanatory infographics about migration with a story
Article Climate migrants - facts and terms
Radio Devín 14. 1. 2019: Katarína Fajnorová and Katarína Marinová introduce the book and the project Uletenci in the interview with Tomáš Bartonek - listen to the podcast
Discussion with the authors and heroes of the comic book Uletenci, 30.1.2019, 18:00, Goethe Institute, Panenská 33: Event Summary
Discussion with the authors and heroes of the comic book Uletenci, 19.3.2019, 18:00, Martinus bookstore, Obchodná 26: Event summary
Third roundtable with foreigners, 28.3.2019, 18:30, Open Gallery, Baštová 5: Event Summary
Workshop for children with Uletenci comic book, 11.5.2019, 13:00, Arts Books Coffee, Baštová 6: Event
Sunday Parade, World Refugee Day, 16.6.2019, 12:00, Old Market Hall, SNP Square 25: Event Summary
Explaining article and infographics on World Refugee Day
Climate change, its impact on world & climate refugees, 27.6.2019, 19:00, Lab.cafe, SNP Square 25: Event Summary
Workshop for children with a comic book Uletenci at Dobry trh, 15.9.2019, 12:00, fjúžn zóna, Dobrý trh, Podjavorinskej 1: Event
You can find the Z314011M020 non-refundable contribution here. The non-repayable financial grant is EUR 109 786,08. The project will be implemented in the Bratislava region. Information on the Effective Public Administration Operational Program can be found at www.opevs.eu.
