Open up and reach out - developing diverse communities
▶Summary
The objectives of the project were: 1. to empower immigrants and marginalized people to become active members of the society, 2. to find new ways to develop diverse communities in small towns and...
▶Objectives
The objectives of the project were: 1. to empower immigrants and marginalized people to become active members of the society, 2. to find new ways to develop diverse communities in small towns and help immigrants to settle in rural areas, 3. to shift from workerled organizations towards volunteer-based communities, 4. to share good practises on adult education and volunteer management in multi-cultural contexts and 5. to find ways to reach the Roma parents in Medgidia.
▶Activities
The project was organised around 4 on-site workshops for observing each others' work and peer learning. The first seminar was a kick off meeting in Kalajoki on 9.-11.2.2024. The second meeting took place in Romania on 18.-21.5.2025 and the third in Sweden on 9.-11.2.2025. The final meeting with a public dissemination seminar was organised in Oulu and Kalajoki on 24.-27.8.2025. In each meeting there were 10+ participants from Finland and 5 from each Romania and Sweden. The participants were staff members, students and volunteers of each organisation. Between the on-site meetings there were remote meetings for sharing experiences and preparing for the next steps.
▶Impact
The main results were the gained knowledge and understanding on how to improve the work in each organisation for a bigger impact. In Kalajoki Christian College new activities were established to promote volunteering and inclusion. "Let's do good together" -afternoon was organised twice during the project, in September 2023 and 2024 and after the project's end in September 2025. In this event the students helped local elderly and other who needed help in different tasks. The event was organised in co-operation with the Kalajoki parish. The students have also regularily volunteered at the local elderly and mental health recoverers' homes to play games, music sessions etc. The Romanian partner Pas cu pas impreuna has developed the work of for example the "Mothers' school" to improve the basic skills of the Roma parents whose children attend the community center. The Swedish partner Santa Clara Church has been able to improve the quality of their everyday activities throught the commitment of the volunteers who participated in the project. On a personal level the project has been very important for every participant, giving inspiration for promoting inclusion and equality in their everyday life.