Newsletter 1
Preventing and Combating Racism and Xenophobia through Social Orientation of Non-Nationals
Newsletter 1
Welcome to the first issue of the RACCOMBAT newsletter! Through the newsletter we aim to create an alternative communication way for the exchange of information for all those interested in how states use social orientation to combat racism, xenophobia and all other forms of intolerance. Our intention is to provide regular updates on the project progress, important findings and other interesting information, including publications, conferences or other events. A new issue of the newsletter will circulate every semester. In order to receive the newsletter fresh from the press, please subscribe, here!
The RACCOMBAT project
The project is based on a broader view of two-way integration and adaptation efforts, which promote equal opportunities and respect for everyone’s rights and contribute towards better understanding among communities. To this end, best practices, often scattered throughout Member States, should be explored in combatting racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance by promoting the laws, customs and values of society, knowledge about relevant institutions and intercommunal activities throughout the entire process of induction, adaptation and ultimate integration of migrants. Those best practices should be collected and described in a consistent and comparable manner to form an overall conceptual framework for introducing tolerance and non-discrimination topics throughout the whole integration path of non-nationals.
The project started on October 2017 and has a duration of 22 months.
The Partnership
The Center for the Study of Democracy in Bulgaria along with the Centre of European Constitutional Law in Greece, Universiteit Antwerpen in Belgium, European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Austria, Asociatia PRO REFUGIU in Romania and Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS in Latvia is currently implementing the project “Preventing and Combatting Racism and Xenophobia through Social Orientation of Non-Nationals”
Read more on the partnership here.
12 mapping reports
Social orientation encompasses (parts of) courses, modules and other initiatives in which immigrants/non-nationals are taught basic civic knowledge of the host society. The content of social orientation can differ from one Member State to the other although most programmes focus on living and working in the host country, peoples’ rights and duties, norms and values of the host country. Mapping reports of social orientation systems have been conducted and disseminated in close to half of EU Member States.
You can look further in the 12 mapping reports here.
Stakeholder workshop and study visit in Antwerp, Belgium
Around 30 project partners, international and Belgian stakeholders gathered in Antwerp, Belgium on 16-17 April 2018 to discuss the initial findings of the RACCOMBAT project. Country mapping reports from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Latvia and Romania were presented and attracted the keen interest of practitioners who asked a number of questions comparing the different systems of integration and social orientation of non-nationals. Later, participants discussed in four dedicated workshops policies and practices regarding integration and non-discrimination, comparing their experience and exchanging approaches from their national systems.
On the second day of the event, a study visit took place in Atlas, Antwerp. Visiting stakeholders discussed Atlas’ Dutch language courses, social orientation modules on life in Belgium and personal counselling offered to foreigners and the practices and expertise the organisation developed in supporting the target group into integrating in Belgian society. Participants also heard a presentation by the Antwerp unit of Unia, Belgium’s equality body specialised in equal opportunities and non-discrimination policy.
This newsletter was funded by the European’s Union Rights, Equality and Citizenship project (2014-2020). The content of this newsletter represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.
