#BeTheOne is a public awareness campaign addressed at the city of Palermo, and in particular at young migrants hosted by first and second reception institutions. The objectives are:
- To raise young people awareness about the importance of being engaged in training, exchange and integration with the territory;
- To circulate information regarding the rights and duties of the “new young citizens”;
- To stimulate mutual curiosity among foreign citizens and the local community, contributing to the creation of a multicultural society where diversity can be seen as a resource and really be embraced and respected by all;
- To give value to the skills and experience gained by young migrants in their home countries to facilitate their inclusion and create a syncretism with the host society.
In a complex and difficult historic worldwide moment, Italy, Sicily and the city of Palermo are increasingly become not only the destination of many young migrants but also a symbol of the contradictions of Europe and of welcome examples.
The data for the European Agency – Frontex – in 2016 reveal that in July the total number of irregular arrivals in Europe amounted to 387,484 persons, of which 96,435 only in Italy through the route of the Mediterranean[1]. This qualifies Italy as the second European country (after Greece), by number of arrivals, despite it often represents only a transit country.
The main countries of origin of the young people who leave Libya and face the sea are Nigeria, Eritrea and The Gambia, while in general, the UNHCR reports that the ‘84% of migrants who arrives irregularly in Europe comes from Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia and Iraq.
In any case these are countries characterized by conflict, widespread violence, socio-economic uncertainty or highly repressive governments.
The “Action Plan on the integration of third country nationals” of the European Commission emphasizes the large exposure to the risk of social exclusion of these young people once they arrive in Europe (i.e 49% compared to 22% of the local population in 2014), and thus defines the active participation of these citizens as a key priority that all countries should pay attention to.[2]
In this social context, the months immediately following the arrival are sensitive and delicate moments in which asylum seekers face problems such as the vulnerability caused by eventual traumas suffered, cultural and language barriers and the often inactive wait for asylum request. , . This procedure is often very long and this has the effect of a decline in the motivation and commitment of young people, who can develop forms of depression, apathy, laziness, frustration etc.
In order to avoid this, it is important to recognize and promote a profitable use of this time to attend training activities, understand the customs and habits of the host country, learn the language, know the local people and learn skills and knowledge that allow facing the job’s World.
#BeTheOne campaign includes a calendar – of duration of four months – with workshops, training activities, educational, recreational, public meetings and outreach events etc., proposed and implemented by a group of 15 international volunteers of CESIE in collaboration with several residential communities for unaccompanied minors and SPRARs for adults.
We will announce initiatives proposed by local associations working in Palermo and with the same target and the ones proposed by local communities and young people (locals and migrants) will be welcomed under the campaign which will allow them to become from beneficiaries to promoters of new activities.
In occasion of the twentieth anniversary celebration of EVS, a part of the afternoon will be dedicated to the presentation of European Voluntary Service and mobility learning opportunities abroad addressed to both young locals and foreigners residing in the Italian territory.
#BeTheOne will try to stimulate in the young guests a greater desire to learn and deal with the host culture; awareness of the importance to invest their time in useful activities for the development of new skills or enhancing the existing ones in order to facilitate their social and labor inclusion.
Examples of current initiatives carried out by CESIE that will be re- launched in the coming months are:
Career guidance/ employability courses, English courses, computer science, French, Geography and European culture, sports, orientation in the city etc.
Peer education and non-formal education will be the main methods used since the CESIE considers them among the excellent methods for local and foreign young people, even with low levels of literacy.
#BeTheOne campaign will be publicly presented on Friday – 23th September at 16:00, at Moltivolti, via Mario Puglia n.21.
Stay tuned and follow us!
Please contact: migration@cesie.org.
[1] For more information on different routes and countries of origin: http://frontex.europa.eu/trends-and-routes/migratory-routes-map/
[2] European Commission, “Action Plan on the integration of third country nationals”: https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/legal-migration/integration/action-plan-integration-third-country-nationals_en
