BRIDGES – Building Relationships and Integration by Developing local Groups and Enhancing Solidarity

ended

The project BRIDGES with a partnership of 9 organisations from 5 Countries (Italy, Spain, Austria, Croatia and Greece) has the aim to experiment collaborative cohesion practices at local level, so to strengthen the community as a whole, through the encouragement of dialogue and mutual enrichment between third-country and host-country nationals. Through sports practices, cultural activities and community services, co-designed and implemented by all community members in a participatory and inclusive process, the project allows to promote the European Union values of inclusion of migrants and solidarity among citizens, providing innovative solutions to address common needs. Integration initiatives will be co-designed and developed at local level so to create 8 cohesive “local networking communities” A preliminary needs assessment will be carried out, to identify existing experiences and organisations at local level. Using a specific methodology on participatory processes, transnational Guidelines on how to read the local context and its needs and how to build a inclusive community will be drafted. Beneficiaries: 400 people involved in local networks and participatory meetings8 people trained on methodology At least 48 integration initiatives, will be based on voluntary work and addressed to both third-country and host-country nationals as mixed target groups to promote interactions under 3 fields: sport; cultural and educational events; voluntary activities for community services. Beneficiary: 960 people involved in integration activitiesThe dissemination strategy at national and European level is based on 8 local meetings and 1 final conference, on spreading of brochures and European Handbook and 5 videos, online communication tools and the creation of an active network of organizations (including migrants' organizations) Beneficiaries: 3500 people reached from printed materials, 500 people reached from the public events, 130.000 reached by videos and online campaign