The Link IOM in Central and South-Eastern Europe

Transcription

1 The Link International Organization For Migration Regional Office in Budapest Newsletter Issue No 9 September 2009 I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Children of the World at the Cross-Culture in Warsaw National Training on Labour Migration Policy and Practice in Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia IOM Tirana supporting the Implementation of the National Strategy on Migration Czech Summer School on Migration Studies Promoting young Roma employment in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia NATO/PfP Trust Fund in Bosnia & Herzegovina Migrant Service Centre on the EXIT 2009 music festival in Novi Sad, Serbia Children of the World at the Cross-Culture in Warsaw Before the Congress Hall in Warsaw was filled with artists and spectators of the 5 th Warsaw Cross-Culture Festival, the stage had been given to Polish and African children. The children participated in the concert Children of the World at the Cross-Culture, which took place in Lalka Theater in Warsaw on 13 September Children of the World at Cross-Culture was aimed to familiarize the young Warsaw audience with Polish and African rhythms; thus, the organizers of the event wanted to show that dancing and spending time together a vital element of African culture can be introduced successfully in Poland. The originator of the concert Maria Pomianowska, a musician, ethnomusicologist and pedagogue organized the event based on the need to teach children by the means of artistic activity. She believes that the audience, if it is to understand the complexity of the reality, should be shaped from early childhood. Moreover, through the early interest in arts, including music, dance and theater, children are being equipped with the ability to shape the surrounding world. They learn how to be creative and how to sensitively perceive the complex society around us. These skills prove to be useful as kids inspired to creative activity can use these skills towards future endeavours in business, science or parenthood. Joint Polish-African project was in fact comprised of simple communicates on and in the universal language of music. It is an attempt to meet and find common joy of creation and breaking the inter-cultural barriers. Kids learnt to be open to other systems of thought; and, not being burdened with racial prejudice, they don t seem to have problems with interacting with other people, including those from other, often remote, cultures, stated Pomianowska. The guests from Burkina Faso presented their own songs and dances, and they played on the instruments such as balaphones, koras, and djambe drums. A professional Burkinese musician had chosen a group of talented schoolaged kids and was also accompanying the group this time. Their Polish peers from various folk groups also performed, presenting their own artistic programme. The poster awarded Grand Prix by Aleksandra Mazurek (5th grade, primary school in Zaloskow) Stop racial discrimination. We are all one. Continued on page 2

2 Page 2 The Link Part of the photo-report Family Author: Ahd Bahar (6th grade) Children of the World... continued from page 1 During the concert, IOM mission in Warsaw organized the final event of the competition So different, and so similar foreigners in Poland. This competition was organized within the framework of the project Multicultural School in Multicultural City, co-funded by the European Integration Fund for Third Country Nationals. Anna Rostocka, Chief of IOM Mission in Poland explained that despite the hectic time in schools connected with the end of the school year and exams, many exceptionally interesting and diverse works had been received. We are even more pleased that projects were often prepared by groups of children coming from different countries but attending the same school, added Rostocka. After the announcement of the competition winners and handing out of the prizes, the awarded works paintings, photo-reports, computer animations were exhibited in the Lalka Theater premises. For more information, see National Training on Labour Migration Policy and Practice in Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia laboration in the Western Balkans held in Tirana, Albania on 9-10 February Further training events are planned to follow in Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo under UNSCR 1244 and Albania. Participants in Zagreb training Opening session in Skopje Two of the planned seven national-level training courses on labour migration policy and practice, organized by IOM in cooperation with ILO, were carried out in Croatia in May 2009 and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in June The course curriculum targets policy makers from Ministries of Labour, Interior, Foreign Affairs, social partners such as trade unions and employers organizations, as well as nongovernmental organizations active in the migration field. It is based on the OSCE-IOM- ILO Handbook on Establishing Effective Labour Migration Policies in Countries of Origin and Destination and constitutes an integral part of the project Capacity Building, Information and Awareness Raising towards Promoting Orderly Migration in the Western Balkans. The national training events are a follow-up to the Regional Workshop on Establishing Labour Migration Policies in Countries of Origin and Destination and International Col- The training sessions are delivered by IOM and ILO senior migration specialists. Additional modules were provided by local and international experts, including the German Federal Employment Service, University of Zagreb, Croatian Employment Service, Croatian Ministry of Interior, the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) and the Macedonian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. The events were inaugurated by government representatives from the ministries of interior and labour and national employment services, as well as IOM and ILO.

3 The Link Page 3 IOM Tirana supporting the Implementation of the National Strategy on Migration Albanian migrants abroad constitute approximately 25% of the Albanian population and are estimated to generate 13% of country s GDP. Migration issues, therefore, feature highly on the policy-makers agenda. Albania has adopted the National Strategy on Migration together with the accompanying Action Plan for the years IOM in Albania has been actively supporting the implementation of the National Strategy and the corresponding Action Plan. IOM in Albania has been actively involved in capacity building for the Implementation of the National Action Plan on Migration. This included development and piloting the Coordination/Monitoring System for the implementation of the National Strategy on Migration. Legal advice was provided to the Directorate for Migration Policies, Return and Reintegration. Three training sessions on migration legislation for government officials were carried out, while a manual on the application of migration legislation was developed to provide information on the laws and bylaws enforced for government officials dealing with foreign citizens and migrants. grants. A survey on opportunities for vocational training for returning migrants and especially gaps in such services was published. In addition, staff training and equipment were provided to enhance the Regional Employment Offices (REOs) capacity in providing reintegration services. Finally, the National Institute of Diaspora was assisted with establishing contacts with Albanian migrant/diaspora associations abroad, and a database was created on the Albanian associations abroad. For the first time, with IOM s technical assistance, a Policy Document on Information and Communication on Migration Issues targeting migrants and their families was prepared. Based on this strategy, the Government of Albania, with the support of IOM, conducted a pilot Information Campaign on such issues as migrant s rights, return migration, and migration and development. The campaign included with a talk show on migration issues organized on the occasion of the International Migrants Day and an advertisement published by the main Albanian dailies. In addition, two round tables to exchange information and cooperation among the Ombudsman Offices in Albania, Greece and Italy were held. The third vital component of the project was an assessment of the Albanian experience in the implementation of the readmission agreement between Albania and the European Community. The project was carried out between February 2007 and July 2009 and was funded by the European Commission (CARDS 2004) and the Italian Government. IOM in Albania has been actively involved in capacity building for the implementation of the National Action Plan on Migration. Other actions included research, staff training, providing technical equipment and facilitating contact with Albanian Diaspora. A research was carried out with the aim to identify the areas most affected by migration and return in Albania and to profile returning mi- The campaign poster in Albania

4 Page 4 The Link Czech Summer School on Migration Studies Between 31 August and 4 September 2009, IOM organized the Summer School on Migration Studies for Czech in the historical town of Jindřichův Hradec. For one week, students had an opportunity to attend lectures of internationally renowned experts on migration. The seminar with prof. Ronald Skeldon from the University of Sussex During lectures, seminars and panel discussions, experts from academia, IOM, NGOs, as well as state administration covered the economic, political, legislative, sociological, demographic and cultural aspects of migration. Representatives of Mongolian and Ukrainian communities gave account of issues facing their communities in the Czech Republic. Among highlights of the program were the presentation of professor Ronald Skeldon from University of Sussex, who focused on migration and development, as well as the lecture on EU migration legislation, given by professor Phillipe de Bruycker from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. In addition, the introduction of migration essentials by IOM Special Policy Adviser to the Director General Gervais Appave and workshop by IOM labour migration policy expert Elisabeth Warn met with an especially warm reception from participating students. The project was funded by the Czech Ministry of Interior and implemented in cooperation with the Faculty of Management of the University of Economics. The program and summary of the Summer School is available at Promoting young Roma employment in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia In June 2009, IOM Skopje launched a new project, Institutional Building and Direct Labour Promotion Measures to Prevent Irregular Migration and Human Trafficking among Young Roma in Skopje and Tetovo. The project, funded by On-the-job training in textile confection manufacturing, Bitola 2008 the Government of Norway, aims to prevent human trafficking and smuggling in the Roma Communities of Skopje and Tetovo. This will be achieved by addressing the main contributing factors such as poverty, unemployment, but also lack of hopes and youth dissatisfaction. Thus, the main activity will be provision of tailored vocational training courses for 75 young Roma. The training courses were designed to respond to the local labour demand. In addition, the project s beneficiaries will have an opportunity to develop their qualifications by attending business skills training courses and on-thejob training at selected local companies. The project envisages a series of tailored technical trainings for local institutions, including Ministry of Labour, municipal authorities and NGOs. The training will focus on EU accession and the implementation of the National Roma Strategy. A high-level interinstitutional roundtable for the Elaboration of the Action Plan on Employment for the Roma Municipality of Suto Orizari will also take place in Mavrovo, on 7-8 October The project builds on two previous projects carried out in 2006 and 2007 in other Macedonian municipalities with high density of Roma residents.

5 The Link Page 5 NATO/PfP Trust Fund in Bosnia & Herzegovina The NATO/PfP Trust Fund is set up by NATO Member States and other donors to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina with the reintegration of personnel made redundant through the Defence Reform process. The NATO Trust Fund for BiH aims to contribute to the overall objectives of BiH to maintain peace and stability, foster economic recovery, reduce unemployment and generate income by facilitating the resettlement into civilian and economic life of persons discharged in the course of the BiH defence reform process. As at 30 June 2009 a total of 2,894 redundant MoD personnel have registered with IOM. (Figure on the right illustrates the types of assistance requested by the redundant personnel after counseling with NTF staff for all approved projects.) Stories from the field: Sarajevo Business Expansion Jusuf gradua ted f ro m secondary school as a metalworker and dedicated his working life to this trade, including during his service in the Army. Presently, he lives with his wife and three children in Doboj. After discharge in 2004, Jusuf invested part of his severance pay to start a small welding business offering customers metal fences, gates, banisters and balconies. One of his most popular products is painted decorative fencing. Jusuf s reputation and client base grew quickly, but he was limited due to the lack of equipment. NTF provided him with a compressor, painting tools, drills and other welding tools. As a result, Jusuf s income doubled and he The graph shows the activities supported by NATO/PfP Trust Fund immediately invested his profits to build a workshop in his backyard. He can now work throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions, ensuring a steady income for his family. Banja Luka - Agriculture Drasko, his wife and two teenage children live in Prijedor. The family is engaged in farming on some five hectares of land, including grains production and livestock b ree d ing. Before NT F intervention, Drasko owned a tractor, but his production and profits were limited due to the lack of connection to harvest grains. NTF assistance supported Drasko with financial contribution for procurement of a fertilizer and a corn-sheller. Since receiving the support, Drasko s corn production has increased by 20%, while his overall costs have been reduced by 15%. Drasko also supplements his household income with some 450 BAM (230 EUR) per season by providing fertilizing services to his neighbors. The NATO Trust Fund for BiH aims to contribute to the overall objectives of BiH to maintain peace and stability, foster economic recovery, reduce unemployment and generate income by facilitating the resettlement into civilian and economic life of persons discharged in the course of the BiH defence reform process. Jusuf in his workshop in Doboj Drasko in front of his farm in Prije-

6 The International Organization for Migration is the principal intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. Committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to assist in meeting the growing operational challenges of migration management, advance understanding on migration issues, encourage social and economic development through migration and uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants. IOM Budapest Regional Mission for Central and South Eastern Europe Révay u. 12 Budapest 1065 Hungary Tel.: Fax: IOM Regional Office for Central and South-Eastern Europe provides support to IOM missions and offices in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Montenegro, Poland, Romania, the Republic of Serbia, Kosovo under UNSCR no 1244, Slovakia and Slovenia. For more information about IOM activities in the region or to subscribe to this newsletter go to To provide comments to this edition, please contact Migrant Service Centre on the EXIT 2009 music festival in Novi Sad, Serbia information in the form of printed materials, workshops and educational quizzes. MSC stand at EXIT 2009, Novi Sad The Migrant Service Centre (MSC) in Belgrade was promoted at the international music festival EXIT 2009, which was held in Novi Sad from 9-12 July and had 180,000 visitors this year. The MSC in Belgrade is part of the network of Migrant Service Centres providing information, advice and referral services to migrants and potential migrants in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo under UNSCR No 1244, Montenegro and Serbia, funded by the European Union, the Swiss Federal Office for Migration, the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, the Government of Liechtenstein and the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs/Italian Cooperation. For more information see: The IOM mission to Serbia, in cooperation with the National Employment Service (NES) presented the service to visitors who stopped by the NES stand at the festival. Visitors could pick up leaflets and posters of the MSC as well as additional information on possibilities and procedures for working and studying abroad as well as those for return to Serbia. Visitors also had access to NES electronic databases, where they could get information about employment opportunities, vocational training and other useful