As part of the Erasmus+ project “Intercultural Competences and Innovative Approaches to Working with Refugees and Migrants”, jointly implemented by Zemljani – Are You Syrious? from Croatia and the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights from Serbia, a digital handbook has been developed to strengthen the capacities of people working with refugees and migrants.
The handbook is the result of the partner organisations’ long-standing experience in providing support to refugees, migrants, asylum seekers and persons granted international protection. It is intended for employees, volunteers and members of civil society organisations, as well as professionals from the public and private sectors who, through their work, come into contact with people of different cultural, linguistic, religious and social backgrounds.
The aim of the handbook is to contribute to the development of intercultural competences — knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable high-quality, empathetic and adapted communication with people from different cultural backgrounds. Special focus is placed on understanding cultural differences, overcoming language barriers, building trust, preserving human dignity and applying innovative approaches in everyday work.
The handbook covers topics such as migration, intercultural competences, practical challenges in working with refugees and migrants, overcoming language barriers, organising language courses, access to rights, economic and financial inclusion, as well as programmes based on peer and community support, such as the Refugees for Refugees programme. Through examples of good practice from Croatia and Serbia, the handbook shows how an intercultural approach can contribute to better support, greater trust and more successful integration.
The development of the digital handbook is one of the key activities of the project, whose general objective is to build an intercultural society that nurtures openness, tolerance and solidarity, and in which refugees and migrants feel safe and welcome. The specific objective of the project is to improve the intercultural competences of employees and volunteers working with refugees and migrants.
The handbook will be available in Croatian, Serbian and English, and will also serve as a basis for the development of educational presentations, workshops, a digital platform and other project results intended for organisations, professionals and volunteers in the field of support to refugees and migrants.
The handbook in English is available HERE.
Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes. Neither the European Union nor the grant-awarding body can be held responsible for them.
