Exhibiting Inclusion- A world refugee day event

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Kate Jackson
PROJECT MANAGER — PHOEBUS

In honour of this World Refugee Day, the Phoebus Project, an initiative of the Brussels International Center for Research and Human Rights, hosted an interactive event at Piano Fabriek, in Brussels, to explore the principles and practices of refugee inclusion within Europe.

The event’s opening remarks were given by Ms. Kate Jackson, Phoebus Project Manager, who said in reference to the various European media scandals surrounding refugees that “we cannot continue to be taken surprise by these events”. She continued to outline the goals of the Phoebus Project, as an initiative that creates groups of people with similar skills and professional interests for the betterment of society.

The event gave a platform for various Brussels-based organizations working with refugees to outline their work whilst having an opportunity to network and collaborate. Organizations represented included Convivial, an organization that provides assistance to recognized refugees in Belgium, Cinemaximilian, a pop-up cinema, creative projects and event-hosting organization that works with local and newcomer artists, Duo for a Job, an organization linking young unemployed jobseekers to older mentors with work experience within Belgium, and We Can, an organization established by refugees and asylum seekers to defend the legislative and social rights of refugees.

Following the project presentations, there was an expert panel that discussed the differing concepts of inclusion and integration in terms of refugee community engagement. Joining Ms. Jackson of the BIC was MEP Dr. Dietmar Köster, a member of the S&D Party at the European Parliament, and Sergio Roberto Gratteri, the founder of a community project Homeland, Places of Belonging, that aims to engage with refugee artists throughout the Brussels community.

Dr. Köster, who jointly-hosted the event with the BIC, remarked that while integration implied making something “fit a whole”, in turn suggesting that the refugee groups need to conform to the host community, inclusion recognizes that value that these newer groups can bring to their host communities. He stated that this “emancipatory concept must be based on human rights, and must not be arbitrary”.

Mr. Gratteri agreed, saying that everyone has some sort of beneficial skills, and that “inclusion means… how can we use those existing skills… and give them back to society”. The challenge he suggested is identifying those skills and channeling them into the European context, with an aim towards employment and social belonging.

The Center will prepare a final report on the event, summarizing the interventions of keynote speakers and incorporating the final recommendations.