Wymiana dobrych praktyk na rzecz integracji międzykulturowej migrantów ze społeczeństwem przyjmującym

"<< Background >>The project was a response to the urgent needs resulting from the sudden increase in the number of refugees in Poland, mainly women from Ukraine who arrived in our country in 2022 due to the armed conflict. Poland, with little prior experience in providing systemic support to refugees, faced significant social, educational, and integration challenges.The Stella Virium Foundation, as an experienced adult education organization, recognized the need to complement its knowledge and practices through an exchange of experiences with organizations from countries with a longer tradition of working with migrants. Additionally, an internal analysis revealed a lack of experience in working with refugees, which posed a barrier to the effectiveness of its activities. The project was designed to address these needs.Through the establishment of a partnership with the Italian organization GRUPPO HESED, which has many years of experience in working with migrants and refugees in the northern region of Italy, it became possible to exchange practical solutions, approaches, and methods that support the effective social and professional integration of migrants.<< Objectives >>The project had three main objectives:1. To strengthen the competencies of staff and volunteers from both organizations in working with migrants, through the exchange of experiences and best practices between organizations from Poland and Italy.2. To inspire people with refugee and migration experience by collecting and disseminating their success stories – presenting real, motivating examples of how rebuilding one’s life and career in a new country is possible.3. To develop recommendations that support the integration of migrants, with a particular focus on the role of adult education, lifelong learning, and skills development as key tools for empowerment and activation.<< Implementation >>1. Online kick-off meeting, during which the objectives, division of responsibilities, action plan, and collaboration tools were agreed upon.2. Creation of the e-book “Success Stories – Guidebook”, featuring 21 authentic stories of migrants – 11 from Poland and 10 from Italy. The publication was based on interviews and surveys conducted by both partner teams.3. Study visit to Italy, during which a 9-person delegation from Poland learned about the Italian partner’s methods of supporting migrants. The visit included meetings with migrants themselves and local institutions. A 10-minute film with subtitles in three languages (PL, ENG, IT) and a podcast were produced, documenting the visit, showcasing good practices, as well as the perspectives of migrants and reflections of participants.4. THINK TANK in Kraków (08.04.2025) – an expert meeting with the participation of project partners, representatives of public administration, NGOs, the business sector, and migrants. The outcome was a set of practical recommendations.5. Dissemination conference (10.04.2025, Kraków) – an in-person event where the project results were presented: migrant stories, the guidebook, the film from the study visit, and recommendations from the THINK TANK.<< Results >>Tangible project results:1. Integra project subpage on the Stella Virium Foundation’s website:https://stellavirium.org/projekty-miedzynarodowe/integra2. E-book ""Success Stories. Guidebook"" featuring 21 authentic migrant stories – available for download on the above website.3. 10-minute film and podcast – showcasing good practices of the Italian partner and reflections from participants of the study visit; available online and disseminated by both partner organizations:https://youtu.be/6BPbc4S4MAM4. THINK TANK report: https://stellavirium.org/raport-koncowy-think-tank5. Recording of the final conference: https://youtu.be/yC8aDkdtsbIIntangible project results:1. Expanded knowledge and skills of project participants – staff and volunteers from both organizations gained insights into integration methods used in Italy and Poland.2. Initiation of new cross-sector relationships and partnerships, which may lead to future joint projects and activities related to migrant integration.3. Strengthened position of the Foundation as an expert in adult migrant education and integration.4. Increased engagement of volunteers and migrants by involving them as co-creators of the project outcomes."