About This Project
YOU ARE WELCOME
A European network for integrating refugees at a local level and combating hate speech.
Duration: April 2017 – February 2019
YOU ARE WELCOME arose from recognition of the risks posed by the rise of xenophobia, intolerance and discrimination in Europe. The project brings together 8 countries and 11 partners, all committed to supporting migrant and refugee integration, community development and to promoting evidence–based migration policy-making. The aim of YOU ARE WELCOME is to eradicate the stigmatisation of migrants, by helping the communities affected by migration to overcome stereotypes and by developing counter-narratives that give more accurate insights into the situations of migrants and refugees who arrive in countries participating in this project, especially in the UK, Central Europe and countries along the Balkan-route.
Through project activities in the ‘How We View Each Other’ research phase, YOU ARE WELCOME will assess how, in selected communities, hate speech and propaganda germinate on the fertile ground of economic and security fears, and how they contribute to radicalised behaviours, both from the local communities and from new arrivals. Then, working with representatives from the most affected communities (including third-country nationals legally residing in the EU) during the ‘Otherness Dialogue’ workshop, we will help develop their skills and competencies in order to produce educational videos on this issue and to carry out the ‘You and I – We Are Not So Different’ workshops. These actions, we hope, will help to promote tolerant attitudes through social action.
At the final conference, we will reinforce the foundations laid for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding. The legacy of YOU ARE WELCOME will be a European transnational network of young activists, emerging leaders, communities and municipalities, with the shared ambition of actively combatting the stigmatisation of immigrants and tackling hate speech. It will provide a library of resources such as educational videos and a guidebook to help others initiate their own intercultural dialogues and support the civic participation of third-country nationals. These resources will remain available beyond the life of the project and connect a wider European community.
Partners
- Jugend- & Kulturprojekt e.V. – Dresden, Germany – Coordinator
- Municipality of Dresden – Germany
- Memorare Pacem e.V. – Dresden, Germany
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – Thessaloniki, Greece
- AddArt NGO – Thessaloniki, Greece
- Otherness project, Denmark
- Oldham Council – Oldham, United Kingdom
- Glaser Jakab Foundation – Budapest, Hungary
- Institute pro regionalni rozvoj – Prague, Czech Republic
- ADEL – Stropkov, Slovakia
- Association Center for Intercultural Dialogue – Kumanovo, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
More videos here: YouTube
The Project is co-financed by the Europe for Citizens Programme
The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.