National seminar “Metodo autobiografico per l’inclusione di migranti e minoranze”
The seminar aimed to promote the project and first three intellectual outputs in Sweden, having the following objectives:
1. inform participants about the project and the intellectual outputs IO1, IO2 and IO3
2. make participants more familiar with using autobiography in social inclusion of different vulnerable groups – particularly low skilled/qualified adults from migrants/minorities
3. identify possible follow-up activities at local, regional and national level
The event – organised by Italian partner – Storie di Mondi Possibili gathered 50 participants and it draw a particular attention to the promotion of the participants to local activities, in making their stories known at a wider level.
The agenda included 3 working sessions as follows:
Session I – focused on project description, intellectual outputs presentation and using autobiography in vulnerable adults’ (particularly low skilled/qualified migrants/minorities) education, also on presentation of the 4 Italian participants at the LTT in Rome
– participants’ welcoming (Mr. Andrea Ciantar, president of Storie di Mondi Possibili), presentation of the project – aim, objectives, activities, partners
– presentation of the intellectual outputs IO1, IO2 and IO3
– short introduction of autobiographical method
– presentation of 4 Italian participants at the LTT from Rome, short statement about their impressions
Session II – focused on working groups (moderated by the 4 Italian participants at the LTT in Rome) aiming to find follow up activities and projects ideas
– 4 working groups moderated by the 4 participants at the LTT from Rome – possible application of autobiographical method – particularly using IO1
– presenting the results of the working groups
Session III – focused on promoting the life stories of the participants to local activities based on autobiographical method for migrants’ and minorities’ inclusion
– reading of the stories narrated by the participants (read both by the participants themselves and by actresses, the reading was accompanied by a musician who played the Arabic lute)
– conclusions, future plans, final Q&A session
Storie di Mondi Possibii also created an email list and Whatsapp group with participants’ contact details – in order to disseminate the project and follow up activities. Three days after the seminar they sent to participants them an e-mail to thank for their participation and kindly ask them to fill the evaluation questionnaire.
There were very interesting ideas about future projects and activities, particularly coming from Binario 15, the organisation that supported iItalian partner in organising the activity with Afghan and Iranian women (SMP addressed particular thanks once again, with this occasion). After the success of the activities developed with these women (and the high appreciation from their part) SMP and Binario 15 decided to develop more educational activities based on autobiographical method on two different groups: refugees (particularly from conflict zones as Afghanistan, Ira, Syria etc.) and women in general (particularly single mothers
After processing the evaluation questionnaire Storie di Mondi Possibili concluded that all participants appreciated the events in terms of content (topics, covered, speakers, the quality of intellectual outputs, logistic etc.) – al participants gave scores ”excellent” or ”very good”. All participants gave the highest score to the Session III – with the migrants and minorities stories. Also all participants agree (31 participants ”strongly” agreed) that the stories of migrants and minorities represents important life lessons for anyone and could be used as a tool for diminish racism and xenophobia and also for increasing inclusion of these groups.
Autobiographical Method for Migrants' and Minorities' Inclusion in Communities they are living In 