Lack of public knowledge and understanding of specific migrant groups, their needs and rights. Lack of understanding of key discrimination problems that migrants are facing in the integration process. Lack of specific training of key public officials to deal with specific groups of migrants in order to ensure proper access to their rights and prevent discriminatory practices.

The project works in the spirit of partnership with all relevant actors including the relevant ministries and civil society organizations, practitioners in the field of migration and asylum. It comprises of two main components: capacity building of key stakeholders working with migrants and awareness raising activities on migration issues among general public, especially youth.

The main capacity building activities include the training of trainers (including EU experts as facilitators), local trainings in five regions and the final round table, gathering representatives of governmental institutions, Red Cross, CSOs and media. The main awareness raising activity includes production of a theatre play that presents migrants’ experience in a new country and response from the local communities and performances in 5 places in Croatia. The theatre play is followed by discussion forums and debates among youth, migrants and refugees. Using this innovative method it is expected that the positive message would be conveyed to recipients in a much more efficient way than it would be through standard methods. On a local level, antidiscrimination workshops and planning of public awareness actions with youth will be implemented with the aim to enhance their knowledge and awareness on the key issues regarding the refugees, migrants and potential discriminatory practices. Actions will be designed in a participatory way, using creativity of youth and knowledge gathered during the workshop.

The project has been implemented for nine months now. Activities implemented so far include the field assessment targeting youth, undertaken to collect information on knowledge and understanding of migration; theatre play production and performances in five regions followed by discussion forums with youth, design of promotional and educational materials, training of trainers targeting public officials and CSOs enhancing their own knowledge and skills in order to transfer it further to all relevant actors. The project activities, especially the theatre play and the Training of Trainers raised significant media interest which was one of the additional benefits and important opportunity to raise public awareness and encourage positive attitudes of the general population towards asylum seekers and migrants.

So far the project was evaluated as very useful and innovative in its nature by all partners, but the comprehensive evaluation will be carried out at the end of the project.

Youth, general public, key public officials, civil society organisations, Cross Red Cross local centres, asylum seekers, refugees, irregular migrants, migrants, local communities.

EU IPA 2010, CRC Funds