Tirana, Albania, November 2024
The Pyramid of Tirana, built as a museum of the legacy of Enver Hoxha (leader of Albania from 1944 until 1985), gathers over 200 participants from all over the world in the annual conference NECE festival - European Festival of Civic Education. This year's conference has the subtitle "BORDERS". The subject has many dimensions: the borders that divide us; the borders we cross; the borders where we meet; the boundaries of our development as a humankind and the consequences of this development for future generations; the boundaries of tolerance towards different people in our societies; the boundaries of human life (beginning and end) and many more…
Today, the Pyramid has been reconstructed to keep its iconic appearance, but also to take on new life, housing organizations that work to develop the skills of the future. It is symbolic that this forum, rich in ideas and knowledge, is held here, bringing together people of different ages, from different generations.
The morning of November 15 begins with a discussion "Us, Them and Everyday Life in Europe", in which Ofer Waldman (Israel/Germany), Damir Šagolj (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Vlora Rechica (Albania) and Oksana Shamonova (Ukraine) share personal observations of how ongoing military conflicts and those of the recent past impact the daily lives of the affected population and, of course, the most affected by them are ordinary people. The lesson is that instead of dividing, regardless of which side of the conflict we are on, we should all unite in a community of people who are intolerant of war and who would not allow this to happen again.
After this frank conversation, the program continues with thematic discussions in groups, in the so-called Cubes: climate change and green literacy; digital and media literacy; geographical dimensions of division, diversity and community work; migration regimes.
I dive into the topic of migration regimes with interesting presentations from university professors and young innovators. In the first session, Ruud Koopmans, Peter William Walsh and Daphne Büllesbach present short overviews of 7 minutes each, after which each of the three takes on the role of moderator of a round table discussion. In his presentation, Peter William Walsh, a professor at the University of Oxford, says that asylum and migration management systems around the world are under enormous pressure. Many countries resort to restrictive measures, such as externalizing migration (sending refugees and migrants to a third country), building walls along their borders, and violent push-backs of refugees and migrants. Somehow, the balance between the interests of states and the protection of human rights is lost.
According to Ruud Koopmans of the Berlin Center for Social Sciences, Europe's migration and asylum management system is actually one of the most generous in the world. But at the same time, one of the deadliest. The most vulnerable and needy people fail to reach Europe and die on the way. After all, isn't the externalization of asylum and migration the solution, he asks.
Daphne Büllesbach talks about the Re:Match project - needs-based and individualized relocation of asylum seekers using a special mathematical algorithm. The project connects asylum seekers with the municipalities that can offer them infrastructure according to their specific wishes and needs. An algorithm is used that allows taking into account the preferences of both parties - both the asylum seekers and the municipalities themselves. 8 municipalities in Germany participated in the pilot phases of the project, where a total of 137 asylum seekers found the right place to live.
We continue with a round table discussion, in which important topics are raised, such as agreements on the joint management of migration (such as the agreement to transfer migrants from Italy to Albania, which the human rights organization "Amnesty International" in Italy describes as a "cruel experiment") and is it possible for a country to transfer to another country its responsibility for protecting the rights of people who sought asylum on its territory; the populist narratives of "good" migrants (highly qualified in various professional fields who work and contribute to the host society) and "bad" migrants (those who rely entirely on social support) in various countries in Europe; what countries whose citizens migrate lose, in terms of potential, but also the qualities and skills that refugees and migrants can bring to the society.
The program continues with short presentations by young innovators, such as Xiaoji Song from China, who developed the performance "Foreigner without extraordinary abilities"/ Alien without Extraordinary Ability together with her team. In the performance they raise the issues of migration and labor rights using the techniques of science fiction and dystopia in the theater. Viggo Henelius from Finland, creator of Sauva, presents his project that helps people rethink their own existence and connect with their true nature through fishing. Viggo organizes and guides group and individual fishing expeditions on the Kimito Archipelago in Finland.
It is time for our 90-minute presentation - "How does the EU sponsor projects in the field of civil society?", in which I present together with Jeanette Franza and Stefanie Ismaili-Rohleder (Experts at the National Contact Point of the Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program of the EC in Germany) and Oana Băluțescu (Expert at the National Contact Point of the Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program in Romania). Stefanie Ismaili-Rohleder and Oana Băluțescu present the Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program of the EC, sharing detailed information about the application terms and conditions, the thematic areas, the upcoming calls for proposals. 40 representatives of non-governmental organizations and social businesses with different experience in the preparation of project proposals participate in this workshop. I present the SUN Project: Safeguarding Unaccompanied and Separated Children's Rights through the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, coordinated by FAR and funded by the Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program. The presentation transitions into a candid interview led by Jeanette Franza with practical guidelines for the preparation of project proposals, as well as questions from the audience.
November 16 brings me new opportunities to learn in the special workshop on The role of people over 65 years in strengthening the values of civil society. We share projects and ideas aiming to improve the lives of people over 65 in areas such as healthcare and disease prevention; lifelong learning; urban environment; labor rights; social inclusion and prevention of isolation; digital and media literacy; the human rights of people over 65; autonomy and independence and many others.
I return home equipped with new knowledge and ideas and with the belief that civil society organizations have a very important role to play in strengthening democratic values!
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