Zasavje Regional Development Agency was honoured to host a kick off meeting of ALL IN project, which was held from 28 – 30 March 2019 in Zasavje Region, Slovenia.
The main goal of the first meeting was to establish the foundations of the project and made acquaintances among project participants.
The participants visited all three municipalities in Zasavje region. The activities were aimed to strengthen intercultural dialogue, tolerance and to exchange good practices.
We spent the 1st day of the meeting in Youth Center Hrastnik.
The programme was mainly covered by Association for developing Voluntary Work Novo mesto (also a partner in ALL IN project). Not only that they presented migrations and its challenges, and give a theoretical framework to Slovenian experiences with recent migrations, but they also organised a workshop, using World Cafe Methodology and encourage participants to think and to exchange good practices of integration in their countries. They’ve all agreed that migrants in their countries face poor living conditions, cultural differentiation, stereotypes and language barriers. On the other hand, they also expose good practices, which enable high level of integration within the frame of social inclusion, including learning of the language and culture of the hosting countries and different skills as a part of lifelong learning process. Additionally, they also have an opportunity to organise or to take part in voluntary activities, e.g. in the fields of music and sport.
Friday morning was booked for Trbovlje Youth Center. Participants were presented a Safe Haven project, which ended on 31 January 2019 and was co-financed by Erasmus + Programme.
One of the most attractive results of the Safe Haven project is the Suitcase game.
The participants were divided into 4 groups. Each of them was placed into the simulation of current situations around the globe, which force people to leave their country. After the discussion of the situation, each group selected up to 15 items and went on a trip.
Participants were confronted with different situations, which are actually a part of migrants’ every day. Participants had to think and choose which items to leave behind, sell or simply get rid of them. At the very end of the game, when they reached their final destination, what was left to them was (almost) nothing.
What the consortium appreciated the most and brought an added value to the meeting, was a real-life story of one of our participants – Yossi. He is from Afghanistan and has come to Italy 12 years ago. His path to Italy was full of difficulties and obstacles. A story, which can be usually heard on the screen or seems distant, suddenly became close, real and intimate.
An important aspect of the project is the variety, which can also be addressed through culinary. Zagorje Secondary School’s students made a delicious lunch, which was more than just another culinary experience. The whole meal, was accompanied by cultural programme which enable the guests to travel through variety of tastes (Zasavje and Slovene Cuisine, jointly with the food of foreign cultures that can be founded in Zasavje Region), foklore and recitals.
On Friday evening, we went back to the Youth Center Hrastnik. Dinner was hosted by Serbian Cultural Association Sava Hrastnik. The participants can enjoy Serbian food jointly with a cultural programme, dance Užičko kolo (Serbian folk dance) and Sirtaki.
On Saturday we visited 4th Dritl, the Virtual Museum of Coal Mining. We entered into the world of mining, life of miners and rich cultural heritage. The meeting was conlcuded with a look into the past and the future and we all look forward to the 2nd meeting in Kosovska Mitrovica in June 2019.
Pathways to belonging: From intercultural dialogue to social inclusion 