Aims and Objectives
- The project purpose is to contribute to the social inclusion of the YLMRA and encourage them to be actors of change by the organisation of capacity building courses, organising multiplier events in each partner country and creating materials in order to face their vulnerable situation.
- The concrete objectives of the project are:
- > To empower, engage, inspire and support young LGBTQI+ migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in European countries.
- > To develop competences and support social and youth workers, educators and community mediators on how to better include intersectionality and LGBTQI+ perspectives in their activities.
- > To generate synergies for networking and cooperation strategies among youth organisations working with YMRA in Europe.
- > To create innovative youth work and intersectional methodological tools that can be disseminated to associated partners and other organisations in order to share the outputs and experiences of the project.
Target Group
- The groups targeted by the program are both young workers, educators, community mediators and social workers in contact with YLMRA, as well as the young LGBTIQ+ migrants, refugees and asylum seekers themselves.
- > Youth workers, educators, community mediators, and social workers in Europe who are working with YMRA and want to become NAE project leaders.
- >Young LGBTIQI+ migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Europe.
Project Phases
Project Phases
- The project includes several activities which will be carried out as follows:
- The Capacity Building course hosted in Sweden in October 2019. Through the extensive experience of RFSL Ungdom, participants work with innovative youth work methodologies and practices, including guidelines, methodological approaches and activity proposals
- The main aim is to prepare attendees for the organisation of subsequent activities in their countries of origin through methods of non-formal education covering the theoretical foundation of LGBTQI+ issues including terminology, human rights issues, legal framework and asylum rights, as well as the issue of how to reach the target group. At the end of the activity, participants are expected to acquire sufficient skills to implement multiplier activities in each of their countries.
- An Intermediate Meeting will take place in Turkey in March 2020 with the attendance of all the organisations involved in the project.
- Multiplier Events: from March till October 2020 each partner organisation implements at least two activities within the framework of the multiplier events.
- In November 2020, the Innovation development meeting will take place in Coma-Ruga (Catalonia), where 22 practitioners and young migrants and refugees representatives of the local group supported by each partner organisation will gather with the objective of exchanging the challenges and best practices found through all the multiplier events. Among the objectives of this event will be to revisit and develop innovative youth work methodologies and practices and also increase the quality and develop strategies of cooperation within the Erasmus + Youth in Action program.
- Finally, in April 2021 the Dissemination Meeting will be held in Italy, where the material method produced will be shared with the collaborating entities and with those interested in conducting the “Not Alone in Europe” project.
Partner Organizations
Solidarity Now - Greece
SolidarityNow (SN) is a non-profit, humanitarian organization founded in 2013, with the initiative of the Open Society Foundations, to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, irrespective of race, religion or ethnicity. SN’s Headquarters are in Athens, with large operations in Thessaloniki and an array of activities across the country. The organization’s vision is to improve people’s lives and to empower them to create a just and inclusive society. SN’s actions fall under three main strategic priorities: a) Safety and protection; b) Catalysing livelihoods opportunities; c) Strengthening the independence of civil society and defending open society values. SN has to date directly reached more than 300,000 beneficiaries through an array of programming including service provision, shelter, education, accessing the labor market, and community engagement, with advocacy effort, closely linked to and strengthening its programmatic interventions.
Jesuit Refugee Service - Serbia
Starting our mission in Serbia in 2016 we explored the need and opportunities to find the best possible way to help those who need it. Working on the field, communicating with other civil society organizations, and with government institutions, we identified a gap in the protection of unaccompanied minors which is why we established “Pedro Arrupe” Integration House back in May 2017. Since then, we provided accommodation to more than 80 children, who were identified as victims of sexual violence, exploitation, smuggling and potential victims of human trafficking or they were just too young to be alone anywhere.
Supported by our donors, in cooperation with Serbian authorities, our experience was being presented as an example of good practice to all actors involved in refugee protection in Serbia in the fields of integration, protection, and promotion of human rights of children. This gives us a good position to advocate for the rights of children in other fields such as education. Community-based services and better legal protection.
Integration House “Pedro Arrupe” is a shelter designed to accommodate vulnerable unaccompanied children who have been separated from their families. The goal of the House is to integration into a new society. To do this, the House provides not only food, shelter, clothing, and basic medical necessities, but gives its beneficiaries the opportunities of education and fun.
Association of Human Rights Educators - Spain
The mission of the Association of Human Rights Educators (AHEAD) is to promote human
rights education (HRE) as a requisite to strengthen the commitment towards a culture of
peace, democracy, and solidarity.
Our projects directly work with educators both from the formal and non-formal education
sectors, children, young people, and adult learners. We combine both the local and
the international dimension of our work and we have therefore projects at the local level (from
schools to Universities, municipalities to regional authorities) and at international level
(Europe, Mediterranean)
Noorteorganisatsioon Trajectorya - Estonia
MTÜ Noorteorganisatsioon Trajectorya is a not-for-profit, non-political and non-
governmental Training Organization. It was established in 2005 with the aim to promote
lifelong learning and non-formal education as tools for intercultural dialogue.
MTÜ Trajectorya implements activities, creates educational materials, and provides training
and consultancy to non-governmental organizations and educational institutions working
with children, young people, and adult learners.
Casero LGBT Center - Italy
Cooming soon
Multiplier Events
Greece
Solidarity Now is organizing its multiplier event on the 18th of September 2020 in Athens, Greece. Their main target group is LGBTQI refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers. The purpose of this event is to inform them about their rights in Greece and available services. This event is done in collaboration with Safe Place International, Praksis, Emantes, and “Not Alone in Europe” project participants.
The program consists of a session on LGBTQI+ terminology and queer history in Greece, a session on refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants’ rights in Greece in relation to the asylum process, access to healthcare, employment, and housing, and a session on available services and safe spaces for the target group. The multiplier event’s program ends with a session where the participants will empower each other by sharing their stories, hopes, and voicing their opinions.
The methodology used for this multiplier event is a form of workshops and info sessions.
Serbia
JRS is holding its multiplier event in a form of one-day training. This event is held on the 9th of January 2020 in Serbia, both in Belgrade and Vranje. Its main target group is the humanitarian workers, social workers, youth workers, asylum lawyers, and workers in Commissariat for Refugees and Migration in Serbia. It is done in collaboration with ATINA: Citizens’ Association against Human Trafficking and Gender-based Violence, CRPC: Crisis Response and Policy Centre, Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, and ERA: LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey.
The multiplier event’s purpose is to strengthen the support system for LGBTQ+ refugees and migrants. At the same time, this is an opportunity for the main target group to connect and make a future collaboration for their organizations and institutions that work with refugees and LGBT persons. The event’s program consists of an introduction in the form of INPUT TEST (test of basic information about LGBTQ+ and experience in work with LGBTQ+ refugees and migrants), and LGBTQ+ Informator (session on the LGBTQ + terminology and establishment of the LGBTQ+ movement in Serbia, as well as their challenges). After that, the case manager at ATINA will have a presentation on their experiences with running a shelter for victims of human trafficking, including LGBTQ+ refugees. The second presentation is focused on the asylum procedure for LGBTQ+ refugees and migrants and it is held by a representative from the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights. The event ends with the Living Library where LGBTQ+ migrants and refugees will share their stories and OUTPUT TEST that has a format of an evaluation form.
The methodology used for this multiplier event is both formal and informal.
Spain
Ahead is organizing a multiplier event on the 2nd of November 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. Its main target group is professionals who work with migrants and refugees. Its purpose is to raise awareness about LGBTIQ+ rights, discrimination, and vulnerability of queer migrants and asylum seekers. The collaborators are SEXus, TransOcupaciò, DebuT*, and Aesco.
The multiplier event’s program consists of a SEXus workshop, a session on identity and sexual orientation, a workshop organized by local migrant group, a round table, a DebuT* trans art group performance, a session on transgender sex workers, and a session on TransOcupaciò ( a program promoted by the city council focused on employment for transgender people).
In terms of methodology, both round tables and workshops will be used.
Estonia
Italy
Bologna
A multiplier event organized by Cassero LGBTI Center is planned to take place in Bologna on the 21st of September 2020. The venue for the event will be the Cassero LGBTI Center. The main target group is the educators and social assistants within their new housing project focused on LGBT asylum seekers. This project will provide the hosting apartments for LGBT asylum seekers in Bologna and its social assistants will have an opportunity to learn what are the important issues for their future clients from both legal and psychological points of view.
This multiplier program consists of a one-day training and it includes a session on the LGBTQ terminology, a legal session focused on relevant Italian and EU laws, as well as a non-formal activity focused on mental health well-being and psychological support.
Modena
In collaboration with Arcigay Modena, Cassero LGBTI Center is organizing its second multiplier event in Modena on the 09th of April 2020. This event will be held at Arcigay Modena’s venue. Its main target group is LGBT migrants and asylum seekers in Italy. This event will be in a form of training meeting done in collaboration between Cassero’s educators and the Migrant LGBT group within Arcigay Modena.
The multiplier event’s purpose is to share knowledge, information, and tools between mentioned parties. Its program consists of two parts. The first part of the meeting is the training held by Cassero’s educators which is focused on sharing information, activities, and tools that the volunteers and members of Migrant LGBT group can use during their individual meetings. The second part is facilitated by Arcigay Modena which members will share their activities and suggestions for the coming multiplier events.
Non-formal educational methods will be used during this event.
Turkey
Istanbul
A multiplier event by Jawid & Sinem will take place on the 14th of September 2020 in Istanbul. Its main target group is LGBTQI+ refugees, asylum seekers, and social workers. The event is focused on access to legal and psychological services for LGBTQI+ refugees and asylum seekers, as well as the information about NGOs which work with this target group.
In terms of the multiplier event’s program, it begins with an introduction where the agenda is presented, continues with energizer activities, and a speech from a representative from SPoD. This is followed by an art therapy activity, a speech by HRDF / ASAM: Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants’ representative on legal and psychological support, and All Equal / All Different activity that reflects on the realities of LGBTQI+ refugees in Turkey.
Sweden
Malmö
RFSL Ungdom’s multiplier event takes place at Pildammsparken in Malmö, Sweden on the 13th of June 2020. Its main target group is LGBTQI+ migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers where some of them are the members of RFSL Newcomers Malmö. This event has two objectives: i) to empower, engage, inspire, and support LGBTQI+ YMRA in Malmö, and ii) to create opportunities for networking and sharing among LGBTQ+ YMRA in Malmö. It is a one-day event and its objectives come from the identified needs related to mental health well-being and community belonging among the target group.
The event’s program consists of:
BACK TO BASICS LGBTQ+: This session offers a brief overview of LGBTQ terminology, identities, and community. Topics covered in this workshop also include information on the LGBTQ rights movement in Sweden.
ASYLUM PROCESS: This workshop aims to inform the participants about the asylum procedure in Sweden, appeal mechanisms, rights, and obligations.
NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION: This workshop offers information on conflict resolution. The aim of this activity is to offer the tools for an empathetic and non-violent communication approach that is applicable both among participants and in their contact with the relevant institutions.
In terms of methodology, it includes educational workshops, as well as formal and non-formal activities.
