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Europe is facing the biggest migrant crisis since the end of World War II: never before have so many people fled political persecution and war as today. Tens of thousands of desperate people from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia are seeking refuge in Europe, striving for a better life for themselves and their families. At the same time, EU countries encounter the challenge of population aging, with the number of elderly people growing steadily in relation to the working-age population. However, many of the retired Europeans still have potential if not to stay in the workforce, then to contribute to the society in many other ways, such as active citizenship and volunteering, bringing with them their personal qualities of patience, wisdom and understanding, as well as a wealth of life and professional experience. To tackle these critical challenges the project will address two main target groups – elderly people and migrants/ refugees. Representatives of both groups tend to suffer from social isolation and are at a greater risk of social exclusion. With this project we aim to contribute to the successful integration of migrants / refugees into the host societies with the help of seniors and to tackle the social exclusion of older people through volunteering services to migrants. To accomplish the above aim the partnership will undertake the following objectives:-strengthening senior volunteers’ active citizenship and volunteering skills through the piloting training based on the training programme developed by the partnership-enhancing host country language learning and orientation process of migrants/ refugees through the provision of the developed social and civic integration tool–guide for migrants (App) as well as offering teaching/ mentoring support by the trained senior volunteers-raising public awareness on the issues related to migration and aging society using the film developed by the project reflecting on the unique experiences of the project participants - senior volunteers and migrants/refugees.The following participants will be directly involved in the project activities: senior volunteers - 15-20 per partner country, migrants/ refugees - 25 per partner country.During the project the following activities will be implemented / outputs will be produced:-training methodology and training programme for senior volunteers providing support for migrant/ refugee integration developed and tested by trainers in partner counties;-training material for teaching senior volunteers in a user-friendly downloadable format developed and piloting trainings organised in each partner country;-social and civic integration tool-a guide for migrants and refugees (App) developed and tested by migrants/ refugees during the exploitation-contact seminars;-exploitation-contact seminars in all partner countries involving senior volunteers and migrants/ refugees organised in all partner countries; the events will be aimed to present the developed social and civic integration tool and to establish contacts between senior volunteers and migrants/ refugees, as well as representatives of organisations providing services for migrants;-short awareness raising film reflecting on the unique experiences of project participants-senior volunteers and migrants/ refugees and aimed at reducing existing misconceptions, combating stereotypes on migration and aging society issues created;- international dissemination and awareness raising conference in Lithuania organised.The project will have an overall impact on various participating target groups, institutions and organisations, local communities through fostering the development of social, civic, intercultural, volunteering competences by providing representatives of both target groups with unique opportunities to integrate and reintegrate into the society, and at the same time providing mutual support to each other and to the society.The project will also have a siginficant and positive impact on the participating organisations and their staff, including trainers participating in the testing and piloting trainings by improving their personal and professional competencies and thereby enhancing the organisations.The project will create a lasting value for the community and society by raising public awareness about the specific issues of aging society as well as migrant / refugee integration in Europe.
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