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Successful conclusion of intercultural training within the PITCH Project

As part of the international PITCH Project (Model for Gender-Sensitive Integration Strategies Based on Personalised, Participatory, Local, and Multi-Stakeholder Approaches, No. 101038534), the Institute for Social Studies ZRS Koper, in cooperation with the Municipality of Koper, organised a four-part training for professionals in the field of integration of migrants into the local context.

The training took place at the Rotunda Centre in Koper, where thematic meetings were held every Wednesday morning in September and October with the aim of connecting local stakeholders, exchanging good practices and disseminating the results of the project.

The four meeting modules focused on different aspects of migrant integration:

Module 1: Creating an intercultural local environment, with Dr Marina Lukšič Hacin (ZRC SAZU) and Dr Marijanca Ajša Vižintin (ZRC SAZU).

Module 2: Practical advice for the integration of migrants into the local environment, with Sandra Končan (ZRS Koper), Nada Čupkovič and Mateja Balogalj (People’s University of Koper) and mag. Sergeja Brglez (Coastal Vocational Centre).

Module 3: Managing interculturality – designing local action plans, with Sandra Končan (ZRS Koper), Mirna Buić, Maja Drobne and Jasna Ratoša (PiNA).

Module 4: Cultural sensitivity in working with migrants, with Sandra Končan and Dr Mateja Sedmak (ZRS Koper), Dr Sanja Cukut Krilić (ZRC SAZU).

The meetings were designed to be interactive and included presentations, discussions and workshops during which participants developed action plans to address key challenges such as the lack of intercultural mediators, physical meeting spaces and targeted information for migrants:

– Lack of intercultural mediators and systemic shortcomings of this profession,

– Lack of physical spaces for informal gatherings, such as an intercultural centre,

– lack of targeted information and lack of a single access point.

The training was attended by 20 representatives from different institutions: Coastal Social Work Centre, Crisis Management Centre, Association for Nonviolent Communication, Istrian Counselling Centre, Cultural and Educational Association PiNA, Education Centre for Adult People Koper, Coastal Vocational Centre, Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Education, Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Government Office for Care and Integration of Migrants and Central Library Srečko Vilhar Koper.