"A NEW HOPE A NEtWork to figHt against irregular migratiOn through awareness-raising and information camPaigns in Côte d’IvoirE" is the 18 month-long project implemented both in Ivory Coast and in Italy. The general objective is to contribute to the change of perceptions and behaviour of the people in Abidjan, Daloa and Bouaké in order to reduce irregular migration.
The action is composed of two parts, the first one (8 months) is based on a field research to identify the beneficiairies and the content of the material that will be used for this awareness campaign; the second one is the actual production of the communication instruments used, such as documentaries, tv and radio spots, video testimonies, and 1 comic strip.
This second part will be focused on the field activities done in collaboration with six local CSOs : information and awareness-raising sessions in communities, schools and universities, mini football tournaments, music and arts competitions for youth, awareness-raising sessions specific for key decision makers, broadcasting of the informative material produced, and 7 events of 3 hours each in 7 Italian cities (Varese, Milan, Cremona, Parma, Rome, Naples and Udine).
The relevant aspects of this project:
- AVSI is not the first organization working on awareness campaigns in Ivory Coast against illegal migration, so through the initial field research we will try to learn from previous experiences to improve the impact of our message;
- the implication of the Ivorian diaspora members living in Italy is something innovative. They will play a very important role in communicating their real-life experiences and hardships in living in Europe, in order to avoid creating a fallacy that pushes young people to illegally migrate.
- thanks to our lasting presence in the country and the network we've created, in the framework of this project we have the possibility to really orientate to concrete alternatives like professional training and employment in the home country. At the same time our strong relationship with local authorities is an added value that will help to reach the results of the action;
- in other projects we are working with people who have returned in Ivory Coast with the assisted voluntary repatriation from Tunisia, Libya and Italy, so we have the possibility to communicate in a convincing way also through their testimonies.
In general the project A NEW HOPE contributes to the construction of a new narrative of migrations, breaking the current stereotypes, introducing a new look on the topic, showing the risks and alternatives, but also sharing success stories of people who have decided to invest in their country rather than to migrate illegally.
About the event
Each year DG HOME selects directly projects for EU funding under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), the Internal Security Fund - Borders & Visa (ISF-BV), the Internal Security Fund-Police (ISF-P), and the Drugs strand under the Justice Programme. Under the 2017 Annual work programmes of HOME funds, about 170 projects were selected this year for a total amount of 140 Million €. The projects cover various topics such as integration of migrants, prevention of radicalization, fight against organized crime, prevention of cybercrime, corruption and border surveillance, among others.
The kick-off meeting brought together 350 coordinators of the selected projects and DG Home officials to present the EU policy priorities relevant to the projects, to share good practices on project management, to inform the organizations in detail on the terms and conditions of the grant agreement, and to agree on how to work at the best with the Commission throughout the life cycle of the project. These meetings help ensuring a fruitful start of the implementation of the projects on the basis of a common understanding of mutual expectations between the Commission and the project's beneficiaries and they can also foster networking among individual beneficiaries.