Platforma – the European voice of local and regional authorities for development - has promoted the Node’s initiative “Migration, turning costs into opportunities” through its network of local authorities, associations and communities. Platforma is now gathering the interest of key-stakeholders in joining the initiative, sharing their solutions in relation to migration and receiving support. In the next weeks further promotion of the initiative will take place through awareness raising activities, engagement of key-players such as international organisations and via dedicated conferences highlighting the solutions and opportunities migration carries.
Local authorities are at the frontline when it comes to receiving and managing the flows of migrants arriving to Europe at local level. Migration brings considerable challenges to local administrations, at social, economic, administrative and political level; but it can also be the source of powerful opportunities, forming a new social renaissance when those challenges are properly managed.
Today, preparing for the efficient management of migration flows on a hosting territory implies a complex and diversified set of professional skills and a high-level of coordination and access to international networks and practices that local authorities do not always have. Failing to understand and accept the interconnected nature of migration and the related challenges for a given community, implies failing to identify the integrated approach, tools and support needed to manage migration successfully.
This is especially true for small and medium realities, in rural and peripheral areas, where communities might not be familiar with this level of complexity. Here, local authorities have the gigantic task to bridge international and central governments’ decisions - affecting also their territories – and the local communities’ legitimate concerns. Often, local communities feel they are not being adequately involved in the decision-making process, lacking also the proper financial and technical support, eventually becoming the victims of the growing anti-migrant narrative, rich in stereotypes and prejudices.
The Node considers local authorities and local administrators’ role central in managing the migration challenges for they can make or break the success of social inclusion, economic growth and peaceful life of the hosting and hosted communities.
This is why the Node offers support to local authorities and their administrators with tailor-made capacity-building trainings. The aim is to provide knowledge, effective tools, access to international support and funding opportunities for a comprehensive and effective management of the pre-arrival, arrival and post-arrival daily life of hosting and hosted communities.
The capacity-building courses are based on the multi-disciplinary methodology of the Node and look at migration as an opportunity rather than a cost, through an equitable, sustainable, inclusive and profitable approach. The trainings are divided in autonomous and independent modules, with a high-level of interaction and role-plays simulating concrete case scenarios, empowering participants in taking decision and see the impact and reactions in the communities.
If you are interested in knowing more about our trainings or have specific expertise and want to partner with us, contact us using the contact form.