2022

The Human Rights Academy is partner in the Czech project  "InBáze"– a platform for civic participation of migrants". Our contribution is to share best practices and inspiration on how to provide better opportunities for the migrant population to get involved.

The duration of the project is from 1. 4. 2022 to 30. 9. 2023.

The project is a response to the low level of civic and political participation of migrants and Czech citizens with migrant backgrounds, residing in Prague.

Migrants comprise approximately one fifth of the city’s population, yet nobody represents them at the political level, and they have very limited opportunities to get civically and politically engaged (voting rights are accessible only to EU citizens.) In order to improve this situation, the partners will work closely with Prague City Hall. Together they will create a platform where migrants will be able to voice their needs and ideas, build social capital,and work together with local communities, NGOs, and civic initiatives.

The platform will provide a space for dialogue, networking, and capacity building. They will further support grassroot initiatives via an acceleration program. They will focus on strengthening the civic competencies of the target group by providing individual counseling and mentoring (e.g. building self-confidence, social capital, finding out more information about Czech civil society). Since there is very little research and data available on the topic, the partners will conduct a survey among migrants on how they view their engagement, focusing on what opportunities they find, and obstacles they face in their path to civic engagement. At the end of the project there will be a public conference under the auspices of the Prague City Hall. The conference will address the outcomes of the project as well as other relevant issues, thus boosting the public discourse on the topic.

Funding

The project is being supported by the Committee of Good Will – the Olga Havel Foundation from the Active Citizens Fund.The programme promotes citizens’ active participation in the public life and decision making and empowerment of vulnerable groups.The Active Citizens Fund is financed from EEA and Norway Grants.