The fourth meeting of the LLP project “Face to Success” – Grundtvig Learning Partnership, has been held between the 4th and the 8th of November, in Erfurt (Germany).
During the fourth mobility of the project, the participants analyzed in detail the theme of migrants and Roma people’s integration in East Germany, where alarming percentages of xenophobia among the population have been estimated, when the Soviet world closed itself off after the Cold War. This mobility in the most important city of Thuringia allowed also a visit to the Buchenwald concentration camp, in Weimar, a scene of deportations during the Nazi Germany. From 1938 to 1945, the camp was a place of an unthinkable violence and atrocities for a lot of migrants and Roma people, as well as hundreds of thousands of people entering there.
This fourth meeting was relevant to deepen the phenomenon of xenophobia, and it showed concretely what human irrationality is able to arouse. Therefore, this occasion was useful for all the migrant participants living in European countries, to ponder on their condition and the integration process into the hosting societies. Furthermore, they could focus on their own personal path. As far as the partner organizations’ staff is concerned, the meeting was a moment to share good practices with the local German organizations about the fight against xenophobia and the other forms of discrimination which too frequently impede the achievement of the equal rights.
The participants were invited to introduce themselves through a non formal approach, by singing a song belonging to their own cultural background. Although they did not speak the same language, thanks to the music, they were able to share their stories and emotions, overcoming the linguistic barriers dividing them.
Before this German mobility, a previous meeting took place in Bulgaria, from June 24-28, 2013. In that occasion, the partners examined the themes of education and integration of the different migrant communities. They learnt new easy-fitting teaching methods as an alternative for the local organizations which sometimes cannot fulfill education needs for young people having a non European background.
The “Face to Success” project aims to:
- Personal development of immigrants’ competencies, helping them to enter the labour market and to reach a better social inclusion;
- sharing experiences and good practices among the involved organizations’ staff, including benefits for the local communities and institutions;
- building a stable partner network for an effective adult education and a support for the acknowledgement of skills and competencies acquired through volunteering.
The next stage of the educational itinerary is scheduled for March 2014, in Romania.
For further information about the project, please contact Alberto Biondo alberto.biondo@cesie.org
