Purpose:
The project “Bizilagunak: La Familia de al lado” gathers migrant families and Basque families together. The project operates on a local area, focusing on building relations among families within the same neighbourhood. The ultimate purpose is to build a net of connections that will strengthen the feeling of belongings, encouraging acceptance and social cohesion.
The main objective is to involve people in reducing social prejudices and stereotypes and to build an inclusive neighbourhood with the normalised coexistence of people from diverse backgrounds. This is achieved through three general objectives:
- Fight existing prejudices towards people of foreign origin that coexist in neighbourhoods, towns, and municipalities in the Basque Country.
- Favour a normalised coexistence in these contexts.
- Promote and strengthen the role of volunteering as an agent of social change.
Each general objective is achieved through a series of specific objectives such as:
- increasing mutual knowledge between natives and immigrants;
- promoting social recognition of foreign people and their fundamental role in the construction of a plural citizenship;
- introducing a new concept of inclusive neighbourhood that promotes respect and acceptance of the customs, practices, opinions, and beliefs of the "different";
- promoting the creation of networks of mutual support and solidarity between native people and foreigners.
Stimulus/Rationale:
The project conveys the idea that we are all Basque citizens. These intercultural connections fight prejudices and stereotypes, while bridging the gaps between foreign-born people and natives. Simultaneously, this project fosters social inclusion among neighbours, leading towards a harmonic cohabitation. In a word: equality.
“The Next Door Family” project offers a perfect excuse to gather together around a meal, in one of family´s house, in their private area; an incredible opportunity to exchange stories, experiences and get to know each other in a relaxed environment.
Process:
Coordination and support
It is a project that has been organised by SOS Racismo since the beginning. In Donostia, the City Council gives to the organisation an annual grant and supports in the dissemination of the activity. In 2023 they received additional funding from the Basque Government and the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council.
How it works
Anyone can take part in the project, not just the traditional family unit. In the enrolment process, households state whether they want to host or to visit, the language spoken, food preferences, if they have allergies, pets etc. After the enrolment process, households are paired, and mediators inform the families about each other.
On the ‘lunch/dinner’ day, the host household will cook a meal and will welcome the guests. A mediator will be present and will coordinate the session until everyone feels at ease. Once the ice is broken, children will play together while parents will get to know each other’s culture and habits. However, the mediator will monitor the gathering, possibly giving language support in case of misunderstandings.
Afterwards a public acknowledgement event is carried out at the Victoria Eugenia Theatre of San Sebastian, with the objective of increasing the project’s visibility through a multiplier effect and thus encouraging new meeting spaces, mutual recognition, and solidarity among people with equal rights. However since the COVID-19 pandemic, this public event was replaced by a video showing the experiences of the participants and it has not been held again.
Impact:
The project has grown in popularity throughout the years; for instance, in 2012, 65 meals took place, whereas in 2014 more than 230. In 2022 there were 70 meals.
More importantly, families continue to see each other even after the meal, this willingness to keep the relationship going is the witness of the success of this project.
Key reference documents:
