Seminar: “Inclusive policies from the experience of young refugees: experiences, impact and challenges”
For whom: Policy makers, youth workers, young people, other interested parties
Where: BOOST Amsterdam (Danie Theronstraat 2, 1091 XX Amsterdam)
When: Thursday, October 6, 2022, 14:00 – 17:00
Cost: Free
Language: Dutch
Info: https://www.resilience-institute.nl/expertise-labs/refugee-academy/
Decades of policy development and implementation to make Dutch society more inclusive for young refugees have often not led to the desired results – despite the often good intentions of policymakers. Research shows that a deep connection to the experiences of young refugees is often lacking in policy. The Refugee Academy is therefore organizing the seminar “Inclusive policy from the perceptions of young refugees: experiences, impact and challenges” following two recently completed doctoral studies. Safoura Ghaeminia wrote the dissertation: Growing up between conflicting borderlines. Opportunities and obstacles in the life course of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers. Moos Pozzo wrote the dissertation: Language Playfulness of contextual navigators: Young Refugees’ language strategies for Inclusion in the Netherlands. Both offer us rich insights from the experience of young people who have fled to the Netherlands.
During the seminar, we want to discuss how (refugee) policy can be made more inclusive. In particular, we are interested in initiatives that have succeeded in making a meaningful connection with the lives of young refugees by taking their perspective seriously in making policy more inclusive. For the meeting, we have invited several speakers to share their experiences on developing inclusive policies. What initiatives have been taken to shape policies from the perspective of young people? What have been the successes and challenges in the process? What impact has this policy had? In addition, together we will look at where the next (practical) steps can be taken to make Dutch society more inclusive for young refugees.
Program:
14:00 – Opening, Kay Mars/Elena Ponzoni (Refugee Academy, VU)
14:05 – Presentation, Safoura Ghaeminia (Saxion/VU)
14:15 – Presentation, Moos Pozzo (VU/Foundation de Vrolijkheid)
14:25 – Panel, Julien Oomen (Meeting Point/Foundation de Vrolijkheid), Eefje Blankevoort (Shadow Game), Maria Verkade (SAMAH Foundation)
15:25 – Break
15:40 – Reflections, Monique Kremer (Chairman Advisory Committee on Immigration)
16:00 – Plenary assignment
16:45 – Closing reflection, Halleh Ghorashi (Refugee Academy, VU)
17:00 – Drinks
The seminar will take place at BOOST Amsterdam (Danie Theronstraat 2, 1091 XX Amsterdam).
Sign up:
You can sign up for the seminar using the registration form. The deadline for registration is Friday, Sept. 30. If you have specific needs regarding accessibility or if there are specific food allergies or dietary requirements that we can take into account, please indicate this in the registration form.
Researchers:
Safoura Ghaeminia is a lecturer in the Social Work program at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. On June 3, 2022 she defended her dissertation ‘Growing up between conflicting borderlines. Opportunities and obstacles in the life course of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers. For this research, she conducted biographical interviews with nineteen people who came to the Netherlands as unaccompanied minor asylum seekers between 1995 and 2005. She also came to the Netherlands herself as a minor without parents. This position provided opportunities and challenges to shape her research from the perspective of young refugees.
Moos Pozzo defended her dissertation entitled “Language Playfulness of contextual navigators: Young Refugees’ language strategies for Inclusion in the Netherlands” at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on May 24, 2022. Her research focuses on the experiences and (language) strategies of these young people during their participation and integration journeys. It follows the young people from their stay in the AZC to their participation in society. In addition to her PhD program, Moos Pozzo works as a trainer, peer mentor and program coordinator in AZC Heerlen for Stichting de Vrolijkheid. De Vrolijkheid (the Happiness) organizes activities in the field of art and culture for and with children and youth in AZCs (www.vrolijkheid.nl). Moos was also the principal investigator of a nationwide study on the living conditions of children in AZCs and Family Sites, the report of which was published in 2018.