(Tisková zpráva v češtině k dispozici ZDE)

Prague – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Czechia is dedicated to training community workers in intercultural competencies in order to professionally strengthen its work with refugees from Ukraine. In addition to building a regional network of cooperation, the training programme is also designed to map the current needs of community workers and motivate participants to pass the intercultural worker retraining exam. The courses run from April to October 2023 in Karlovy Vary, Ústí nad Labem, Prague and Brno. The training programme is implemented with the support of the Japanese government, which is a major donor in the international humanitarian aid environment.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) emphasizes the importance of the professional development of community workers in the field of intercultural competencies. "Key objectives include the consolidation and professionalization of support from community workers and building a network of collaborating individuals and organizations in each region," says IOM's programme manager Markéta Fišarová. She says that training in intercultural competencies enables community workers to better understand the needs of refugees and help them integrate more effectively into their new environment.

The training takes the form of seven full-day sessions, each session lasting 8 hours. The group consists of 20-30 participants who are also provided with self-study materials during the training. As part of the training, community workers are provided with mandatory activities that include attending the training sessions in person, reporting on direct work with clients, and collecting feedback from clients.

"We have gained contacts for subsequent cooperation in providing information and services following on from the social counselling we provide," comments Alžběta Poláková from the Romodrom organisation, a participant in the course. Building a regional network of cooperating persons and organisations is one of the mentioned objectives of the programme. Another participant, Darina Greschko from KOTEC in Mariánské Lázně, says: "The course is a great opportunity for me to deepen my knowledge and broaden my professional interests. I would also like to thank the organizers for the community that forms among us during the training."

The course also looks at regional differences in the problems faced by workers. These are then used to create a database of resources on the most common assistance provided to clients. Online interactive workshops will also be offered during 2023 based on current topics related to changes in legislation or specific issues that are emerging in refugee communities.

Project support is provided to community centres and organisations as well as individuals. Community centres and organisations can receive financial support of 75,000 CZK for up to two staff members. Participants are required to regularly report on their activities with refugees every month.

The training courses take place from the end of April to October 2023 and are held in four cities – Karlovy Vary, Ústí nad Labem, Prague and Brno.

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For more information please contact: fstowasser@iom.int

 The project was generously supported by the Government of Japan.