ESOP is an empowerment program for EU interns/ volunteers and refugees that we implement in the framework of an European volunteering project from September ‘20 to August ‘21. 

The perception of migration is often very negative and is mostly seen as a burden or a danger. This creates space for migrants to get discriminated and isolated from active participation in their hosting societies. To counteract this development, the project promotes and supports activities that favour the integration of migrants into active citizenship and construct a harmonious living together. At the same time, the project wants to promote an Active European Citizenship and exchange between young European. To do so, following activities are realized:

• Literacy and Italian language classes
• Integration into the job market (IT classes, writing a CV, classes of advanced professional formation, general trainings of job application)
• Consultancy on the importance of legal residence
• Support and realisation of interculturally sensitive initiatives regarding identity stabilisation
• Urban regeneration and requalification projects
• diverse offers to support exchange between migrants and their host societies

The project takes place in Bologna, Italy, together with our local partner Associazione Interculturale Universo with migration_miteinander training and guiding five young volunteers from Spain, Germany and France in this experience.