In the last couple of years, since refugees began fleeing to Europe in large numbers, American Refugee Committee has been looking for ways to help. We’re proud to say we’ve recently partnered with Communitere to create a dynamic and sustainable recovery response in Greece.
Communitere engages communities in a kind of DIY humanitarian relief. They create opportunities for communities to think about and plan for their own futures, and then they help them choose from a variety of tools and models that will help them get where they want to go. And one of the places they can choose from these tools is what Communitere calls a “Resource Center”.
The folks at Communitere are anxious to get a Mobile Resource Center (MRC) up and running for refugees in Greece to use, but they also recognize that the resource center won’t be valuable to the community unless they are a part of shaping it. So, on Day 214, our partners at Communitere did the doable and got a group of people together to talk. They hosted their first design workshop to create a space that fosters mutual understanding, empathy and partnership for the future.
The first design workshop was held at Space Lab in Thessaloniki and asked stakeholders: what should we do? how can we help? The Communitere team wanted to reveal community needs to inform the design of the resource centers accordingly. Greek nationals, NGOs and grassroots organizations all were in attendance.
Participants talked in small groups about five core ideas: innovation, self-Sufficiency, wellness, infrastructure, and participation. And their opinions and key insights will be crucial in shaping these community resource centers. One participant said “I think it’s a great initiative to welcome our feedback in what are the needs that we have starting from the people that work on the ground, inviting people from the refugee community, and the host community. I think it’s a very good step to the right direction.”
Communitere’s goal is to create a mobile resource center that allows people to take ownership of their lives and communities, both refugees and local Greeks.
Stay tuned the next couple of days as Communitere continues reaching out to the community and the mobile resource centers begin taking shape.
