Project
What is LIAISON about?
LIAISON is a project co-funded by the European Union, aiming at promoting intercultural understanding among different groups and communities by involving them in a shared effort to identify and tackle the root causes of racism and xenophobia through mutual learning and strengthening coalition between local Civil Society Organisations, Migrant Associations, community leaders and local authorities, fostering together a culture of tolerance, mutual respect and a sense of ownership and belonging to Europe.
Our Goals & Objectives
LIAISON will promote better understanding and dialogue between the Civil Society Organisations, Migrant Associations, Muslim Communities, local population (both native and migrant) and local authorities in a community-based participatory study. Our first aim is to create a mapping of the coexisting cultures and skills to investigate on existing prejudices and stereotypes which lead to episodes of intolerance, hate crimes and hate speech. This inclusive approach will ensure that multi-faceted and unbiased information is gathered and shared, encouraging from the very beginning mutual knowledge and understanding among cultures. Our ambition is to create synergies between different segments of local communities.
What we do
LIAISON will...
 ... promote intercultural understanding among different groups (locals, migrant communities, Muslim communities) by involving them in a shared effort to identify and tackle the root causes of societal polarisation and intolerance
 ... build the capacity of local Civil Society organisations, Migrant Associations and Muslim communities to work together to promote the sharing of skills fostering cross-cultural mutual knowledge & tolerance
 ... strengthen cooperation between CSOs, MAs, Muslim communities, community leaders & local authorities empowering them to work together to improve dialogue and mutual understanding
 ... actively involve the aforementioned groups in the promotion of joint initiatives aimed at scaling up the mutual learning methodology & at raising awareness on its potential to prevent hatred
Campaign & Events
The campaign around LIAISON functions as point of intersection for cultural exchange, that brings up the advantages of being divers and that cleans up with prejudices. The claim "diversity connects" sums up the main point of this campaign: In being different we are similar to other people who are different as well. During the next months, the LIAISON partners will organise a series of public events to share the outcomes and results of our activities. Check this page regularly to stay updated!
Our Methodology
LIAISON is built on the belief that actions to prevent racism and xenophobia can only be successful if the approach is based on a process of participatory knowledge gathering, transmission and eventually diffusion among the local communities, including young people.
Actions and Activities
Check our LIAISON VLOG!
Meet our participants to the Local Capacity Building programme and learn more about:
Through these short videos, the members of the Civil Society Organisations and Migrant Associations who are taking part in the LIAISON Organisational Empowerment Programme have had the opportunity to speak about the local workshops in their local languages (Italian, German, Danish and Greek).
Who better than them can share the great experience that the local workshops have been?Â
Intercultural City Committee
The project has created an Intercultural City Committee (ICC) in each partner city. Each ICC is composed of at least 6 members from relevant stakeholders, representing civil society organisations, migrant associations, local authorities, community members and leaders, thus ensuring the presence of a combination of major stakeholders able to support the LIAISON’s action throughout and beyond its duration.
Organizational Empowerment Project Report
Intercultural City Cooperation Model
Compendium of Best Practices
The SKILLS MAPS
During the first months of the LIAISON project, we asked people with a migration background in our communities to talk to us about their competences: the ones possessed, the ones they lacked and the ones they were looking to acquire. We asked them where and how they acquired their educational, professional and personal abilities, and whether they found them useful to better integrate within their communities. Their responses are summarised in the LIAISON’s Skills Maps the graphic visualization of a community-based analysis that tried to understand the level and nature of participants’ skills in order to design activities that are truly tailored to their needs.
This material will form the basis of our future activities, namely the implementation of the Organizational Empowerment Program (OEP) in the Local Capacity Building and Shadowing phases, in order to allow for the transfer of those skills that are truly relevant for the people involved.
You can now explore the different responses we collected in each LIAISON country.
We hope you’ll enjoy it!
#diversityconnects
Visit our Facebook page and stay up to date with our LIAISON events, news and activities. @liaisondiversityconnects
Participation & Partners
CESIE - ITALY
CESIE is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation based in Palermo (Italy) and established in 2001. CESIE is committed to promote the cultural, social, educational and economic development at local, national, European and international levels. CESIE contributes to growth and development through the active participation of people, civil society and institutions, always valuing diversity. Inspired by the work of Italian sociologist Danilo Dolci, we focus our work on the research of social needs and challenges and the use of innovative learning approaches. In this way, CESIE actively connects research with action through the use of formal and non-formal learning methodologies.
Contact: Erica Caredda
E-Mail: erica.caredda@cesie.org
FOUR ELEMENTS
Four ELEMENTS is a Non-Profit, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), certified by both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health. It is an innovative and pioneering Greek organization that focuses on issues pertaining to:
Social inclusion, gender equality, employability and equal opportunities, scientific research and the development of know-how in social policy issues, education and capacity building, scientific research and the development of know-how in social policy issues.
Four ELEMENTS mission is to contribute towards sustainable development and efficient utilisation of all available resources in society for creating better living environments.
LANDKREIS KASSEL - GERMANY
The Landkreis Kassel is one of the five districts in northern Hessen. It is both responsible administrative authority as well as policy and decision maker. The Landkreis Kassel is responsible for all tasks regarding the care for and integration of refugees in their region. In this role it runs over 45 homes for refugees in the region. The Landkreis Kassel is the only district in the federal state of Hessen which decided to organize the care for refugees in-house and not to commission enterprises with this task. The Landkreis Kassel is also provider of the official German integration courses for refugees (through the adult education center VHS region Kassel which is a division of the Landkreis Kassel).
COMPASS GMBH
COMPASS is a non-profit private company with an intercultural focus in order to promote the professional and social integration and inclusion of migrants and refugees and create positive impact in promoting their social inclusion into the local community. Our programs provide support to people who suffer under economic, social and cultural obstacles. By developing strong cooperation with local stakeholders and implementing innovative approaches in our projects, our long-term aim is to call the society’s attention to the needs and obstacles of disadvantaged groups and to cooperate with policy makers to find preventive and permanent solutions.
FO-Aarhus
FO-Aarhus is a non-governmental, non-profit association and self-owned with an elected board of governors coming from private companies, public administration, and the formal and vocational education sector. FO-Aarhus basic expertise lies in Non-formal adult education for the general public and specialization in programs that help disadvantaged groups – e.g. immigrants, unemployed people, people with learning disabilities, dyslectics, people with mental issues – to enhance their quality of life and to integrate (or re-integrate) into society and the work force. The aim is to strengthen the participants’ personal, social and vocational competences as a stepping-stone to re-education, re-inclusion into the job market or further education.
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