Saturday, 07.03.2015.
“Migration – modern migration flows and migration-generated social issues”, seminar at the Faculty of Political Sciences
On Thursday and Friday (March 5 and 6, 2015) Group 484 organised a seminar on “Migration – modern migration flows and migration-generated social issues”, at the Faculty of Political Sciences. The seminar participants were students of political sciences, mainly students of social policy and social work. The aim of the seminar was to inform future social workers and social service providers and interest them in the topic of contemporary migration flows and introduce them with the role of social protection systems in the protection of migrants and asylum seekers.
The first day of the seminar was dedicated to the functioning of the asylum system in the Republic of Serbia, with a focus on the role of social service providers in dealing with asylum seekers and migrants. After a brief opening statement of Ana Čekerevac PhD, Vice Dean for the First Cycle Studies, Vladimir Petronijevic, Group 484 Executive Director and Miroslava Jelacic, Group 484 Legal Analyst presented to the students the current challenges in the field of migration. The students learned about the first and second instance asylum procedure through the lecture and conversation with Ana Radovanovic and Katarina Filipovic, from the Asylum Office (Ministry of Internal Affairs of RS) and Jovo Puletić, President of the Commission for Asylum. After that Ivan Gerginov, Assistant Commissioner for Refugees and Migration, lectured on the role of the Commissariat for Refugees, and Migration in the reception and care of asylum seekers and the work of asylum centres in Bogovadja, Banja Koviljaca, Krnjača (Belgrade), Sjenica and Tutin.
In the final part of the first day of the seminar, Danica Ciric, Group 484 Project Coordinator introduced the students with the model of direct work with vulnerable groups.
On the second day of the seminar the students learned about working with children from homes without parental care in Belgrade and Bela Crkva, about the methods of working with marginalised groups through artistic activities to encourage their integration into the local community, as well as about the activities to encourage understanding and empathy of young people and citizens towards asylum seekers and migrants. Ivana Bogicevic Leko, Group 484 Program Associate and Robert Kozma, Group 484 Program Coordinator presented the work of the educational program “We and the Others” with asylum seekers accommodated in the centre in Bogovadja and way of working with high school students to encourage solidarity with asylum seekers. They also introduced the concept of artistic mini-campaigns and events in public space which tend to inform citizens about the personal stories of migrants and asylum seekers and encourage mutual interaction by learning about the culinary and musical culture of the countries the asylum seekers come from.
During the next three months all the seminar participants will gain practical experience in working with marginalised groups through internship that the Faculty of Political Sciences implements in cooperation with Group 484.
Project: Our New Neighbours – strengthening capacity for understanding cultural diversity – one step further
Objective: Contribution to the development of openness and tolerance in our society
Implementers: Group 484 (educational program “We and the Others”, Program of Direct Support and Centre for Migration)
Support: CCFD – Terre solidaire
