Promoting migrant inclusion through environmental awareness and the development of eco-friendly educational materials for adult trainers.
Context
Environmental awareness is at the core of at least 7 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and social inclusion of migrants and migration are inherent in all of them. In a context of rising awareness on both subjects, and with the stereotyped image of environmental action being an exclusive type of activism for privileged groups, we found it essential to explore how it interacts with interculturality and what role it can play in integration paths of adult migrants.
According to the need analysis in partner countries (France-Paris, Italy, Spain and France-Martinique) adult migrants and adult trainers show a strong curiosity towards environmental awareness and social inclusion and a desire to build social link upon it. There is a need for innovative ways to value migrants’ experience and motivation by facilitating intercultural dialogue with host society members based on this topic.
Objectives
- To foster inclusion of adult migrants by developing language skills, increasing networking, integrating the new environmental context and valuing their knowledge and experiences.
- To provide adult trainers with educational tools in order for them to be able to implement inclusion workshops related to environmental awareness.
Activities
- Desk research on the intersectionality between nature and interculturality as well as best practices concerning the environment as a powerful tool to promote the integration of adult migrants in the host society.
- Field research through focus groups on environmental awareness of both adult migrants and social workers/educators.
- Co-construction theatre workshops with adult migrants and host society members to reflect on their relationship with the environment, develop network, improve language skills and use forum-theatre.
- Co-construction language workshops with adult migrants aimed at stimulating the acquisition of language, environmental and intercultural skills through.
- Co-construction art-therapy workshops to create an eco-friendly map of the area’s eco-friendly places to appropriate the physical space for a better integration.
- Joint Staff Training enabling partners to acquire the necessary methods to develop the products.
- Blended Mobility for adult trainers to integrate innovative methodologies and environmental practices into their services.
Resources
- Foundation Bricks – Qualitative research on the intersectionality between the environment and the concept of interculturality
- Three different Toolkits:
– Handbook for trainers: forum theatre as a tool to promote migrant inclusion
– Guide: language learning activities related to nature and ecology
– Guide for community eco-mapping
Impact
Adult trainers involved in the project are now able to:
- foster the inclusion of adult migrants (acquisition of local language, physical appropriation of new areas, building of a network) while developing behaviors that promote environmental awareness and action;
- facilitate peer-education through mixed groups of people.
Adult migrants involved in the project are now able to:
- develop a network and improve their social and language skills;
- valorize their knowledge and experiences.
Members of the host society and stakeholders involved in the project are now able to:
- participate in the inclusion process of migrants and spread a positive message about migration;
- widen their knowledge and practice about eco-friendly strategies.
Partners
- Elan Interculturel (France, coordinator)
- Associacio La Xixa Teatre (Spain)
- Associaciò Animacciòn Arteterapia (Spain)
- D’Antilles et D’Ailleurs (Martinique)
- CESIE (Italy)
