Migration has ever been and will remain in Europe. No fences, walls or other regulations will change that. But still refugees are one of the most vulnerable segments in Europe’s society. In case that there is not sufficient or adequate institutional support from the public, volunteer work can be an import contribution in supporting refugees. On the other hand in many cases refugees themselves have resources and skills to contribute to the society and may use volunteering to contribute something to the society – especially if they can’t enjoy access to the labour market.
The way how countries or cities are affected and deal with refugees differ strongly across Europe. Therefore, European Alternatives in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung organizes an event in Lisbon on the 9th of June (14h00-18h30) in order to show different examples in Europe concerning the topic.
Different situations – such as in Lisbon and Berlin – will be reflected. The discussion will be about the role of cities in volunteering work, about the current challenges in different cities, about the role of volunteering initiatives about bottom-up strategies to empower refugees. Further, the debate will discuss possible paths from humanitarian help to integration. At the event there will be a space where the participants can discuss throughout a creative method different aspects of the topic and their own experiences and concerns.
We are glad to have this transnational space and the possibility to exchange different experiences in the field of volunteering for and with refugees with the aim to learn from different perspectives across Europe.