The following activities were organized under the project in order to improve the opportunities to learn and practise Latvian, ensure accessibility of social support and establish social contacts:
Latvian language course for various language skill levels as well as an opportunity to take the state language exam in 6 towns across Latvia – Aluksne, Balvi, Liepaja, Stopini, Olaine, and Riga.
For the purpose of reducing the psychological language barrier of participants the said towns also hosted Latvian conversational language clubs where the participants were given a chance to develop their language skills and go on various trips to get to know Latvian culture, traditions, history, and heritage.
Creative Integration classes – support measures for vulnerable groups of third-country nationals as well as cooperation opportunities in volunteer work for international youth encouraged applying Latvian language skills in daily life and motivated to continue learning Latvian.
Within the framework of the said activities 2 volunteer trainings were organized and separate youth activities were initiated.
On Ricu Racu information day held on June 13 participants of all project activities gathered at the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia. The event was a chance for the participants to meet new people, tell about their region and present the guide Quest for Diversity compiled by them, receive project expert consultations on important issues as well as practise Latvian on trips and at various creative workshops.
Professional consultants helped find individual solutions for various daily, social or legal issues as well as orientate themselves in the resources available in Latvia. Consultations were mostly given on residential permits, employment, family reunion, inheritance issues.
Solutions for problem situations third-country nationals faced were shown on LNT channel as an 8 episode series Find Out Where to Find Out as well as at online TV NVOTV roundtable discussions. Accessibility of information was also ensured by the online resource www.dzivotlatvija.lv.
For the purpose of promoting development of NGOs of active immigrants a mentor programme was piloted to encourage engagement of third-country nationals. Third-country nationals and mentors of recently naturalized Latvian citizens were engaged in an activity organized by the Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS. They improved their leadership capacity, developed an initiative binding to their community and received the necessary support for its implementation. In order to facilitate social awareness of migrants in Latvia an online platform www.voiceofmigrants.eu was developed for the project target group to tell about themselves and their lives in Latvia.
NGO capacity and cooperation matters during the project were solved with the help of improving a Dialogue platform. Within the framework of this platform meeting NGOs active in the area of immigrant integration exchanged topical issues and needs of the third-country nationals as well as discussed the essential political instruments – planning EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund activities in Latvia, legislation and action policy affecting immigrant integration.
The project is co-financed by the European Union. Implementation of the project "Diverse Solutions for Public Education and Integration 3" is co-financed by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (75%) and state budget (25%). This publication is supported by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals. Responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the society “Shelter “Safe House””.
Additional information:
Rasa Saliņa, communication and social media expert, rasa.salina@gmail.com
