Study Session Budapest

on tackling barriers to social inclusion

Our Mila, Claudius and Cassie attended a study session on tackling barriers to social inclusion for young migrants and refugees at the European Youth Center of the Council of Europe in Budapest. The aim was to develop a toolkit to aid integration of young migrants and refugees. We curated their individual experiences below:

Cassie

Facilitating and observing the Study Session in Budapest on tackling barriers to social inclusion for young migrants and refugees was nothing like I imagined. That is, it was even better than what my imagination conjured up in the months leading up to it. One can do as much homework and readings as they want but when it comes down to real-world experience and dialogue, some preparations fail to compare. During the Study Session, topics that seem heavy on paper came down like a wrecking ball in the most real and honest of ways. Sitting in a room with individuals who come from different climates, continents, alphabets, etc. and discussing something that is ever-pressing in all of our daily lives (admittedly some more than others) was incredibly beautiful and downright difficult. I say this in acknowledgment that the knowledge brought to the proverbial table was vast and diverse and assuming one's understanding of what you are trying to convey or what someone else is sharing, is a great risk. Regardless, the means laid an incredible pathway to an open-ended closing. This Session was not, to me, a singular event but rather a door opening to a world of people and organizations who share a common goal that could change the way the world interacts and maybe even reacts. This is just the beginning. And that is something much much bigger than myself, something I am incredibly grateful to have been a part of, something that has lit a fire within me and I hope those who participated feel it too.

Claudius

Kalunba had a housing program that was EU- funded until June 30th, 2018. The Hungarian government is not allowing any organisations reapply for more EU funds. The workers at Kalunba do not know what will happen to the families they are currently housing. What a trivial setting to create and what a challenge to take on; developing a toolkit of interdisciplinary practices for social inclusion of young migrants and refugees in Europe. The chosen stage was Budapest, Hungary! Yes, Hungary. Not so much of a ‘neutral’ ground for such pursuits. As we all know, the political rhetoric in Hungary is not refugee-friendly to say the least. However, the venue and institution that hosted us was the European Youth Centre of the Council of Europe. One must accredit the Council of Europe for its core values and pursuit of justice. Even in a more toughening political climate the organisation pushes out more programs advocating for an inclusive Europe.

Thus, my first ever visit to Hungary left me amazed and horrified at all the challenges facing workers in the field of refugee integration in Hungary. With over twenty participants from more than five different countries and probably more than twelve ethnicity/nationality, we managed to create our own mini society. You could call it a safe space where everyone could freely be themselves and express themselves accordingly. We had to go through the process of challenging perceptions and understanding group dynamics. On a small scale, it surely felt like going through the societal process of moving from separation, isolation to 2 social inclusion. We managed to overcome our differences and achieve success by creating a toolkit.

There is a reason why this article carries the title of the Hungarian based foundation Kalunba. They are real heroes and making a difference in people’s life. All of us are part of the equation of trying to make the world a better place, but while we were able to overcome our struggles as a group and achieve harmony in seven days in a safe environment. The workers at Kalunba don’t have that privilege. They’re facing and battling hard external (governmental) forces. A lot of (legislative) obstacles is forming a stumbling block for their mission. Their number of volunteers has dropped from 18 to 4 people and without the (church) donors from largely outside of the country (even as far as America) their vision of making a difference in the lives of those in need faces a serious threat. Despite the struggles, the ladies of the organisation spoke boldly and with hope. Their demeanour and countenance was strong, like they were saying :” we believe in the strength of doing good, always, under all circumstances”.

These are the real heroes to me, because as we all sat their and heard the stories we got new hope as young people seeking change. We got reassured of one truth: in our similarities as humans we have comfort, but our differences decide our greatness or value. In my opinion, that’s at the core of social inclusion; celebrating our differences means recognizing the values of others. We should always keep fighting for justice and rights for all.

MILA

Upon arrival at the European Youth Center of the Council of Europe in Budapest I was worried. Spending 24/7 (literally) with a group of people you don’t know and discussing topics that are as complex as integration can be exhausting and intense. My fears where unwarranted. I mean it was exhausting but it was also joyful, productive, heartwarming, pure and mind-changing. I still get a warm feeling when I think about this, it seems almost like a dream or a parallel universe in which you meet a group of people that could not be any more different from each and find so much common ground and learn from each other in a progressive and healthy way. Within hours we developed a safe space where everyone could speak their mind. In a moment where complex issues like race and privilege were discussed, our facilitators guided us through difficult waters and we resolved differences and came out stronger together. I am still in awe of the young people that I met, everyone so full of fire and willing to change our society for the better. I saw a fire burning in everyone of them and I am happy mine could contribute to the light. Thanks to the great facilitation of Cassie, Zlatka, Laurence and Krizta we developed a toolkit to aid the integration of young migrants and refugees not in spite of our different backgrounds but because of the diversity in our group. In the evenings we danced and laughed our hearts out. It was a week I will surely never forget. Within a week I made friends for life and learned so much. I will be forever grateful for every single soul involved In this project.