Branching out: (re)connecting ideas

January - December 2018

The idea

Branching out: (re)connecting ideas was a project that focused on collecting and sharing best practices when it comes to working with refugees and asylum seekers. The project gave an example of successful cooperation between SCI branches and their local groups while working together for a greater cause – including the marginalized ones in their communities and trying to make the world a better place – at least locally. The project was developed under the Building Bridges Campaign.

The project aimed to:

1

Create learning opportunities for young people and volunteer-based organisations to increase their capacities to act as change makers.

2

Systematically engage the target groups into volunteer-based activities in Europe.

3

Give young people and organisations a voice in formulating their vision for SCI’s work in this area by co-shaping the SCI’s Strategic plan 2019-22 and beyond.

The activities

The project was divided into three activities:

The Community Forum

Antwerp (Belgium), June 2018
It was a unique platform where SCI branches, other organizations and volunteer groups came together, exchanged experiences and were inspired for their future work.

Local Actions

All over Europe, June – September 2018
Local activities connected the local communities and target groups, while promoting peace through cooperation, using volunteer work as a medium, and with each done according to their local context. During the project branches and volunteers hosted 19 different Local Activities all over Europe to celebrate together diversity and solidarity.

Strategic Planning Workshop

Anjalankoski (Kouvola, Finland), 14-18 October 2018
The workshop allowed SCI branches and other organizations to discuss future strategies on working with young refugees/migrants and evaluate their past actions.

Resources

Diverse communities: Visual Method Cards

The Branching Out team proudly presented the Diverse Communities: Visual Method Cards, an interactive and easy-to-use tool that can help when looking for ways to cherish diversity and to encourage intercultural dialogue among different groups or individuals in a local community or during international activity. Behind this method are months of hard work and planning and because of that, the team did a workshop on how to use these cards and to collect feedback from participants on whether or not they find this method relevant, useful and inspirational.

Diverse Communities: Visual method cards are available online [48.9 MB] – you can find the cards and the instructions on how to use them.

Supporters

The Branching Out project was supported by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe.