Exchange Programme / Good Practice Booklet

I. Exchange Programme

II. Good Practice Booklet

I. Good-Practice Exchange Programme "Active Ageing of Migrant Elders across Europe" for Voluntary Organisations

1. Objectives of the AAMEE Good-Practice Exchange Programme

2. Hosts of the Exchange Programme

3. Participants of the Exchange Programme

4. Programmes of the Workshops of the Exchange Programme

5. Results and Perspectives

1. Objectives of the AAMEE Good-Practice Exchange are to

• initiate and promote the work of voluntary organisations in the field of migrant elders,
• sensitise the political and societal surroundings for voluntary work with and for migrant elders,
• set up a good practice platform / network for the exchange of experience between voluntary organisations,
• compile and publish a checklist for voluntary work with and for migrant elders as well as a good practice booklet with examples from all over Europe,
• develop principles and recommendations for the EU aiming at and promoting voluntary work with and for migrant elders in Europe.
  
  

2. Hosts of the Exchange Programme

On 02 October 2008 at the AAMEE project's international conference "New Face for Europe. Migrant Elders across Europe – from Challenges to Opportunities" at the World Conference Centre Bonn, Germany, the three voluntary organisations described below were awarded for their special engagement for migrant elders. They should become the hosts for the Exchange Programme.

First prize: Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO) Region Hannover e.V., Germany (Workers' Welfare Association Hanover Region), Project: "Intercultural Work with Older People"

Migrant elders from different countries of origin are offered a broad spectrum of offers for multilingual counselling and culturally sensitive leisure time activities. With the aim to integrate migrant elders culturally nearby access activities have been developed and the general public has been sensitised about them. The project originated from to a job creation scheme in 1994. In 1999 a permanent job position was created and in 2000 an intercultural meeting place was set up for migrant elders from all in all ten countries, especially from Turkey, the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia in the Northern part of Hannover. The core offers are: open and multilingual counselling, hobby groups, cultural offers like e.g. painting and chess, offers designed for all groups as well as meetings in different parts of Hannover for older Russian and Arabic speaking migrants. Since 2006 the project is part of the Department for Work with Older People and no longer part of the Department for Migration Work. All groups are conducted on a voluntary and bilingual basis. Public relations and awareness rising is done by full-time staff e.g. via the roundtable "Ageing and Migration" in which representatives of the City of Hannover, migrant self-help organisations, welfare institutions, care providers and others cooperate as well as via district neighbourhood networks. The aim is the sensitisation of the public and the development of information offers which are also aimed at migrant elders by the City of Hannover. The participation is promoted by the self-responsible development of offers, by regular meetings among the participants, by meetings of the group leaders and by joint planning of (city district) activities.

Second Prize: Caritas-Verband Paderborn e.V., Germany (Caritas-Association Paderborn) - Project: "Agency for Integration, International Visitation Service"

The Caritas-Verband Paderborn e.V. employs about 750 members of staff and is active in the field of social welfare including issues of migration and integration. In the intergenerational project women with Aramaic and Philippine migration background engage in taking care of the residents of a nursing home by visiting them regularly, joint free time activities and support concerning different problem areas. Care for senior citizens and integration are merged. The women engage in the International Visitation Service for the (indigenous) residents of the nursing home St. Veronika since 2007. Offered are talks, readings, walks and periodic breakfasts with residents every two weeks. By now the volunteers have set up a monthly senior meeting in the Syrian-Orthodox Parish which offers leisure activities, educational field trips and concrete support concerning problems. The residents of the nursing home therefore get into contact with immigrants and make new social experiences - socio-cultural learning processes are also possible in older age and desirable. The project forms part of the Integration Agency working in the field of civic engagement of and for migrants. The visitation service volunteers are supported by expert advisers. At the end of 2008 an evaluation was planned. The project's sustainability is secured although the project officially ended at the end of 2008.

Third Prize: Caritasverband Mannheim e.V., Germany (Caritas Association Mannheim), Project: Intergenerational and intercultural "Holiday Breakfast with Teens"

The Caritas Association Mannheim`s  so-called "Unit 30" is responsible for issues of integration, social and civic participation. In the project teenagers and older late repatriates, i.e. ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe, meet up once a week during school holidays for a joint breakfast, learn from one another and engage in joint leisure activities. The aim is to promote activities of migrant elders with teenagers and therefore to prevent loneliness in older age via activation of competences, to preserve migrant elders´ abilities and to convey values to adolescents at the same time. The project emerged in 2000. The services for migrant elders, migrant teenagers and a youth meeting place of the Bund der Deutschen Katholischen Jugend (Association of the German Catholic Youth) cooperate closely in a city district of Mannheim with a high proportion of migrants. At the youth meeting place migrant elders have the opportunity to enjoy a common breakfast, share free time activities and use support offers for problems in their daily life once a week from 9 to 11 am. After a coincidental meeting between the teenagers and the seniors during school holidays as well as due to mutual interest and sympathy, regular meetings were organised. All questions of every day life can be addressed here (to the point of table manners) and e.g. joint cooking and baking, dance and singing performances take place. Therefore this intergenerational project promotes not only social and cultural activities and skills but also voluntary engagement. The aim is to extend the offers beyond the time of school holidays.

3. Participants of the Exchange Programme

Migrant self help organisations, welfare associations, religious institutions, foundations and organisations as well as associations of the voluntary sector that (wish to) engage in activities for migrant elders were able to participate. Wanted were voluntary organisations from all member states of the European Union. Voluntary organisations from the new EU member states were particularly encouraged to apply for the exchange.

At the workshop in Hannover ten international participants from Great Britain, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Bulgaria and Germany as well as the organisational teams of the AWO Region Hannover e.V. and the AAMEE project, four persons from the municipality of Hannover and the volunteers of the project "Intercultural Work with Older People" took part.

Besides the representatives of the Caritasverband Mannheim e.V., the volunteers in the project described above and the organisational team of the AAMEE project eleven international participants from the following countries took part in the workshop in Mannheim: Switzerland (as non EU citizens these participants had to pay for their travel and accommodation costs themselves), Finland, Belgium, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Germany.

The workshops were held in German and English by the means of consecutive interpretation. The participants' costs for travel and accommodation were paid for by the AAMEE project.

4. Programmes of the Workshops in Hannover and Mannheim

From May to June 2009 the Exchange Programme was carried out in the form of workshops with a duration of two and a half days each at the winner organisations of the first and the third prize of the AAMEE Good Practice Competition for the Voluntary Sector. Due to an eventually lasting illness among a staff member of the AAMEE project the workshop at the Caritas-Verband Paderborn e.V., the winner of the second prize of the Good Practice Competition for the Voluntary Sector, which had been planned for April 2009 had to be cancelled.

The content and programme of the workshops have been developed on the ground of a common model programme. Yet it was individually adjusted to the two host organisations and their projects. The workshops were concertedly organised by the AAMEE project team and the respective host organisations.

The documentation of the Exchange Programme will grow in the future. Apart from the incorporation of further speeches and presentations which were held at the workshops it is also planned to e.g. include the translations of the documents online. Therefore it will be worthwhile for you to visit our website several times.

Agenda for the Workshop in Hannover

06 to 08 May 2009

Wednesday, 06 May 2009

Venue: AWO Conference Centre, Martha Wissmann Platz 2

Thursday, 07 May 2009

Venue: AWO Conference Centre, Martha Wissmann Platz 2

Friday, 08 May 2009

Venue: Meeting Place for Senior Citizens, Horst Fitjer Weg 5

Agenda for the Workshop in Mannheim

15 to 17 June 2009

Monday, 15 June 2009, House of the Caritas

Tuesday, 16 June 2009, House of the Caritas

Wednesday, 17 June 2009, House of the Caritas

5. Results and Perspectives

In the long term, the AAMEE project aims at setting up a European Good Practice Network of Voluntary Organisations. This idea was enthusiastically supported by the participants of the workshops of the AAMEE Exchange Programme. They have expressed their interest to participate in such a network.

The AAMEE project's Checklist for Strengthening and Encouraging Voluntary Work for and by Migrant Elders across Europe was presented to the workshops` participants, then discussed and successfully developed further.

II. Booklet "Active Ageing of Migrant Elders - Good Practice in Europe"

Within the AAMEE project  the booklet "Active Ageing of Migrant Elders - Good Practice in Europe" has been published. It focuses on European models of good practice in the field of active ageing of migrant elders. The booklet`s aim is to present to the public the variety of already existing projects, initiatives and services for and by migrant elders across Europe and to promote the engagement for and of migrant elders to sensitise political and societal spheres for their life circumstances. It will hopefully give impulses to the development of sucessful projects in the future.

Please find the booklet as a downloadable pdf document below.