COmmunity work, Participation and Empowerment

ended

COPE focuses on the problem of anti-Muslim hatred in Europe and aims at fostering a better understanding and improved dialogue between non-Muslim and Muslim communities in the project regions. The main objectives are increased social cohesion, prevention of and awareness about anti-Muslim hatred, empowerment of victims and groups at risk of anti-Muslim hatred and sustainable learnings about how to raise the level of social cohesion. Persons benefiting from the project (min. 50% women) will be 2.107 Muslim victims/groups at risk; 20 perpetrators; 19 representatives of NGO´s/CSO´s, 12 community leaders; 12 local authorities; 4 probations staff; 6 anti discrimination experts, 90 teachers; 10 representatives of museums; 17.881 general public (1.377 by events, and by 16.500 awareness raising campaign). The planned activities will encourage the beneficiaries to a constructive handling of differences, and to build trust and understanding for each other. Activities include encounter activities for Muslims and non-Muslims; participatory workshops and trainings; an awareness raising campaign. Through various formats with integrative and preventative principles, difficult topics like anti Muslim discrimination will be discussable and negotiable in a safe environment. Thus the project contributes to mutual learning experiences and more tolerance of the involved communities towards each other. Direct outputs will be a toolkit for NGO´s, a manual for victim empowerment trainings, a publication of art dialogue groups, a podcast series, visual educational material. Outcomes are the building of sustainable bonds and empathy between ethnic and religious groups; the ability to handle their differences constructively; raised public awareness and less prejudices against Muslims in the project region. When these long-term outcomes are achieved, COPE will have made an important contribution to achieving the ultimate vision of putting an end to the drifting apart of societies in Europe.