CVEK

The project is based on CVEK’s knowledge and experience in the field of integration of foreigners and refugees at the local level. Within its previous activities, CVEK has mapped the situation and needs of foreigners/refugees through quantitative and qualitative research. Under this project, we established cooperation with four municipalities (Trenčín, Trnava, Senec, ŽIlina) in which we also involved local actors from among refugees/foreigners living in the city.

The project consisted of two components: 1) the development of intercultural skills of stakeholders at the local level and 2) the development of skills in the collection and analysis of statistical data on foreigners and refugees at the local level.

Under both components, we conducted a series of training workshops for all four cities. In addition, in the data component, we researched existing sources of statistical data on foreigners and refugees and prepared a manual on how to collect these data for local governments.

The project connects young people from diverse backgrounds in the Bratislava region. We focus specifically on strengthening the involvement of young people from vulnerable groups such as migrants, Roma, young people with disabilities, LGBTI young people, and young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. Young people from vulnerable groups face several barriers to participation (lack of skills, information, self-confidence). In the framework of the project we work directly and intensively with about 15 young people from different groups in the framework of an action group. The action group has been created together with them on the basis of the research on their situation and needs that was carried out in the initial phase of the project. The aim is to strengthen their competences and skills for better participation at local level. Together with them, we will also design a youth strategy for the local government.

Our project partner from Germany, YES Forum, will provide valuable advice and consultation during the project.

The main objective of the project is to create a “roadmap” for the integration of the refugees from Ukraine and a supportive consultation mechanism for local governments to help them to cope effectively and in the long term with the current unprecedented situation. The roadmap describes all the steps that need to be taken to support the integration of refugees. It includes measures in different areas of integration, such as data collection, a first response system upon the arrival of refugees, the provision of information, the provision of services, etc. Our aim was to make this ‘roadmap’ available in the form of a website www.integration.sk and a consultation mechanism to all municipalities hosting refugees.

The target group of the project were municipalities, their elected representatives, as well as their organizational units (education, service providers, community organizers, cultural departments, etc.) and other actors at local level (e.g. NGOs, communities, etc.).

Minorities in Slovakia are often perceived as sources of various threats which also affects policy making (e.g. strict migration policy, refusal to adopt registered partnerships for same sex couples, impossibility for new religious communities to be officially registered, proposals to curb Roma birth rate). Our main goal is to contribute to a change of the current discourse through minority policy monitoring, evaluation and analysis. We also aim to provide feedback to policy makers and point out how minority policies can be made all the while respecting human rights principles and human dignity. As part of the project we will publish two issues of our critical magazine Minority Policy in Slovakia.

The two-year international project Social Inclusion of Learners (SoIL) project focuses on promoting inclusive education across several EU countries. The aim of the project is to share proven methods of inclusive education and individualized teaching. CVEK is it the project´s partner in Slovakia and organizes events to share know-how from abroad to teachers and educational stakeholders in Slovakia. In October 2017, the SoIL conference in Bratislava took place. In February, 22nd-24th, 2018, a multidisciplinary seminar for teachers will take place. Other project activities are planned for 2018. 

The project is coordinated by the Austrian organization atempo. Other partners include Schule im Aufbruch from Germany, RIX Reasearch and Media University East London from the UK, Gemeente Maastricht – Maastricht from the Netherlands and Casa Corpului Didactic – a teaching center at the Romanian Ministry of Education

Current project information is also available at: https://http://www.soil-project.eu/

The labour intensive industrial and agriculture sectors in the V4 have experienced a significant increase in labour migration from Ukraine as well as from other European states. Labour migration (both non-EU and EU) poses a number of challenges for the regulation of labour markets (e.g. undeclared work), particular localities and for migrant workers with little knowledge of their rights (labour exploitation). Whereas labour mobility increasingly reaches transnational aspects, regulatory bodies (labour inspectorates, NGOs, trade unions usually) work mostly at the national levels. In spite of the incentives for more transnational cooperation (e.g. Enforcement of Posting Directive), there has been an insufficient support network in cross-border cases involving “extreme” labour rights violations.

The project will first analyse patterns of labour migration and rights violations of immigrant workers in the V4 with special regard to Ukraine as a sending country. Country-specific reports will fill gaps in providing up-to-date information on labour rights violations and possible remedies, also focusing on the shady role of intermediary practices in recruiting, leading to the exploitation of migrant workers. Second, on the national levels, the project will strengthen incentives for cooperation among labour inspections, NGOs and other actors providing assistance to migrant workers. In Ukraine, the involvement of new actors in the support of migrant workers will be sought. On the international level, the project would create fora for experience sharing of good practices and joint action.

Labour migration from Ukraine into the V4 states has had a growing importance in public debates. Many V4-based employer associations have been calling for migration liberalization to offset the lack of workers. Liberalisation of labour migration for non-EU migration from Ukraine and other countries, however, remains controversial in the V4 states while less so for EU mobility. There is a pressing need for international exchange in order to find regional, socially and legally acceptable solutions, institutionalizing the cooperation and regular exchange of labour inspections and other important actors. There is an interest in such cooperation on the part of V4 labour inspections due to such cases as the posting of temporary Ukrainian workers by Polish companies to Czechia.

refugee integration. Current refugee crisis and following reactions of political representatives show that municipalities in Slovakia are not ready to accept migrants; nor are they ready to adopt inclusive policies ensuring social cohesion that could prevent migrants and refugees from being refused and excluded by the host populations. The project aims to encourage municipalities and build their capacities in the field of migrant and refugees’ inclusion, use good practices from Norway as an inspiration for municipalities in Slovakia and raise awareness of various stakeholders about the importance of inclusion of various population groups (including migrants and refugees) in the life of the local communities.

The project is implemented in a partnership with Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research.

The project aims to cultivate public debate and to reduce negative attitudes towards refugees and help municipalities better understand current refugee situation. It also sets out to build capacities of local authorities in  these topics by training and further cooperating with local leaders in 7 municipalities in Slovakia. We will hold two intensive workshops for municipality workers and local activists aimed at awareness raising and sensitization to the refugee issues. One will involve participation of a U.S. expert on refugee issues. Aftewards we will hold a public event and a school outreach event in each participating municipality to target broader audience. Whenever possible, all activities will involve active participation of local refugees.

The project is conducted in cooperation with Romanian (FRCCF), Argentinian (CIPPEC) and Mexican (Vía Educación) partners and its main aim is to identify good practices in primary school education in the respective countries. The project focuses on the schools that are attempting to put inclusive education principles into practice. Based on the project methodology three primary schools per each country were selected. With the help of qualitative research methods the overall philosophy of the schools, their capacity to accommodate difference, their attitude towards children, teaching methods and school’s communication towards parents and wider community is examined. Project outputs are three case studies per each country that are to be seen on the project website  www.schoolforeveryone.org.

ZMOS in cooperation with CVEK experts provides assistance to five selected municipalities in the field of migrant integration. 

The project’s main objective is to improve local actors’ know-how and attitudes when implementing integration policies on the local level. 

Furthermore, the project facilitates drafting and implementation of local integration strategies in five selected municipalities.  

Main activities include

– information days, public discussions, short films, conference; 

– education: trainings of municipalities’ representatives, publication of a guidebook for drafting local integration strategies;

–  pilot implementation of local integration policies in five selected municipalities;

– support and coordination of ativities of municipalities in the field of migrant integration. 

More information about the project and activities is available on www.projektbuk.sk. 

The project is funded by the European Union from the   European Fund for Integration of Third-Country National for  2007 – 2013. Solidarity and Management of Migration    Flows.