Purpose:
To improve the welcoming and social integration of migrants and refugees through education and art. This was done through the elaboration of a Guide, providing key information and advice that cannot be found on the internet.
Stimulus/Rationale:
The Welcome guide ¡Hola! was created between April 2016 and February 2019. Following the Council of Europe advice through ICC, the Children’s Participation Working Group ‘Amiguitos y Amiguitas’ which is part of Juntos En la misma dirección (Together in the same direction) moved to create a Welcome guide for all starting a new life in Tenerife.
Process:
Initially cooperation was sought within the working groups of ‘Together in the same direction’, and the project was then shared in the Intercultural Open Space, where others joined. Through this means it was suggested to use art as a key aspect and communication channel.
The elaboration process took three years, during which 300 persons and 17 organisations participated. Finally, the welcome guide ¡HOLA! was presented in the Tenerife’s Auditorium Adán Martín on February 10th 2019.
The launch of the welcome guide brought together 1,200 assistants to an event of dance, theatre and music. There, the pocket version of the guide was handed out.
The “Welcome Guide ¡Hola!” received a warm welcome and the guide will be under continuous work. Many official actors and private persons have also requested a copy. As the guide brought together a large portion of the civil society actors it has succeeded in creating a collective feeling.
One of the major achievements of the project is the participatory process. Though this, four commissions were created: an art commission, a design commission, a dissemination commission, and a drafting commission. As a result of the wide-spread participation in the creation of the guide, a culture of welcoming migrants has spread in new sectors of society.
The Hola Guide is currently available in four languages: Spanish, Arabic, English and German. It also has a pocket version and an extensive version, as well as an APP.
Impact:
To follow-up, data on the geographical implementation of the guide is being collected. Further, a previous evaluation has shown an increase in positive attitudes towards welcoming migrants, as well as increased communication and capacities of participants in the Children Participation Group during the process. Additionally, it is worth highlighting that the creation process brought together a large number of actors who do not normally work directly with interculturalism.
Key reference documents:
