European Seminar  Athens: 26-28 November 2009

between: welcome & integration - discrimination & rejection

 HOME Invitation Sem 2009 Right - Legistation - Crime Migrants & Homeless Life Dignity Health Detention Camps Preliminary Program Info Schedule

INVISIBLE  WOUNDS

DIGNITY  and  VULNERABILITY

SMES-Europa propose to deepen the topic “Migration: dignity and health” of the 2nd  session of the 10th European conference SMES (Rome 23-25/01/08), dedicating to it a specific seminar that will be organised in Malta on the 26-28 November 2009, concerning especially mental health of undocumented migrants.

Due to lack of far-sighted and courageous European and National migration policies - our cities are seeing increasing numbers of migrants, who - lost every hope -  survives on detention camps or on the streets in situations of extreme poverty, discrimination and exclusion, with dramatic consequences for health and mental health. This worsening situation has also negative consequences for those who works with migrants, and for local population that lives in permanent contact with them.  
Congolese fleeing into Goma

Detention camps in Europe, 2005

  Migrants are coming from many traumatic experiences and circumstances in their
   native country, including

•   extreme poverty,
•   exposure to war,                

•   natural disasters

   new slavery !  cf please 

  Migrants  in order to support their families are forced to

 
•   submit to all the kinds of pressures and exploitation ,               
•   accept all kinds of jobs, even though they may have the training and education for much better ones.

  The exploitation of migrant seasonal workers without work permits is a new form
   of colonialism and slavery.

  Exposure to traumatic conditions in one's own country, coupled with new & local difficulties:
   acculturation – integration  …. (in many instances it means: abandonment of one's own identity
   in order to be acceptable) can lead to serious and long-lasting psychological and behavioural
   problems, including :

  • depression,

  • anxiety,
  • post-traumatic stress disorder,
  • high risk -  unfortunately not only risk - of suicide.

Join us in preparing & realising the ATHENS SEMINAR 26-28 Nov. 2009
  where we would to propose a mutual learning :

  • sharing juridical, ethical principles and humanistic vision for a new culture of migration, for a  common and global progress in social cohesion for real well-being

  • exchanging efficient daily practices  for welcome, supporting, orienting and accompanying ,

  • evaluating in migration policy and action plan the coherence between programs - resources - practices and the real impact in promoting dignity, health and active participation/integration,

  • proposing together some absolute priorities in respect of human right for to live in Dignity and Health and for real and sustainable participative integration.

  • If you would like to participate directly in our initiative, as partners  and/or participants, in preparing the topics - workshops - visits; in organising the seminar, please contact us:

smeseu@smes-europa.org

 proposals for seminars   

   

THEME    INVISIBLE  WOUNDS & VULNERABILITY  of

                  -  migrants :  especially the undocumented
                  -  workers  :  working with and in favour of them
                  -  citizens   :  living in the city together with them

     STREETS - SHELTERS - AMBULATORIES : where the invisible becomes visible  

In European countries in the last years the phenomenon of homeless migrants on the streets become numerically more important.
Shelters, medical centres, mobile dispensaries are the places where the invisible wounds become visible.  

SHELTERS for homeless, publics and privates, exists from many time in almost all European metropolis, especially where more important is the presence of the homeless.
But, today, because the phenomenon of migrants homeless increasing, also in these shelters the number of migrants become more important, creating often divers problems with local homeless.

AMBULATORIES : public health services are frequently not adapted to offer health services, interposing barriers to the access of homeless to the services.  For this reason many private health centres are created especially for offer the quality health services for homeless and migrants.

OUTREACH mobile units: not all who are in the need request help ! and often the need is urgent.
Divers kinds of mobile teams, conncted with shelters and dispensary are created in order to offer services also to people who for many reasons don't request or reject any kind of services & help.

 

     MAIN AIM of SEMINAR

        To promote Dignity & Health for migrants  (undocumented - homeless)
 

     OBJECTIVES

  1. To prepare the seminar through 3 paths / workshops in 3-5 cities  (5 if the seminar will be organise in September) where this problem is particularly urgent.

  2. In the Paths to

    • sharing knowledge, experiences and daily practices between workers with and for Migrants
      undocumented.

    • identify, analyse and evaluate NEEDS  and especially health / mental health needs in relation with
      PROGRAMS & RESOURCES, to underline contradictions and inadequate answers, and to denounce,
      if exists, non respect of human right.

  3. In the Seminar to

    • make visible the invisible wounds and sufferings, so that nobody can say: I did not known

    • propose absolute priorities for DIGNITY (right) and for HEALTH / mental health programs and action plans.

     

     Expected achievements

  1. To facilitate transnational exchange between +/-100 Practitioners, Administrator and Policy makers working in the Health and Mental Health and Migrants sector

  2. To collect information on the legislation  “HEALTH RIGHT FOR ALL” in divers European Member States and compare it with the practical and concrete access to health for migrants.

  3. To collected some data on the cure and in the taking care, in prevention of illness and of chronification of illness, at last the health promotion is at the level of prevention, of diagnosis and cure and becomes more and more a real preoccupation and priority for the various states members like of the European Institutions.

  4. To collect some researches and exchange knowledge and information concerning the Health/Mental Health needs and difficulties and barriers for these people to access quality's & regular services.

  5. To compare the NEEDS of the NATIONAL health users with the needs of the MIGRANTS users (without distinction between undocumented)
     

     Outcomes/Deliverables

  1. Facilitate networking, promoting new networks also if informal.

  2. Collect in proceedings the received information about Health/mental health legislation in order to permit application of human rights & facilitate the access to all people and also for undocumented migrants.

  3. LOBBY: for Eu Declaration in Eu Parliament of ACCESS TO HEALTH FOR ALL, so means also for undocumented migrants

  4. Collect all kind of researches concerning the most frequent diagnosis, diseases, treatment and care for this marginalized & excluded people.

  5. Propose the elaboration of a common grid to collect these information.

  6. Collect any good practices and method in order to be more efficient in diagnosis & care.

  7. Publication: proceedings online about all received documents

  8. Press conference: Invite in conference the press and in press conference disseminate the information.

  9. Present conclusions & recommendations to Administrators and Political bodies.

  10. Create a small ‘evaluating team’ who must supervise the development & continuation of ideas & proposals

Contact : 0032.2.5385887     smeseu@smes-europa.org