1. Starting Position
Around 35,000 Africans from over 50 different countries live and work in Switzerland. Most of them have been living in Switzerland for years. About 1,400 Africans were living in Lucerne at the beginning of 2003. 660 of them have their residence permit and 741 are refugees.
The Situation of the African men and women in Switzerland is characterised by different problems:
• As immigrants with refugee status and temporal permit, they belong to the lowest people in the Swiss society when it comes to legal and social matters.
• Drugs, prostitution, crime, abuse of asylum rights and joblessness s very common among the Africans in Switzerland. For women and young men especially, this poses a big problem and they continue to isolate themselves.
• Opinions of politicians and the mass media has put them in discriminating and racist head lines without differentiation.
• The increasing number of unaccompanied youth, who come to Lucerne in recent years are in a sensitive age. They do not have any family support and are mostly from war stricken areas. Apart from puberty difficulties they also face migration problems.
• WelI integrated Africans also live in Lucerne. They have a lot of intellectual and artistic resources and they want to pass on this potential to the youth.
2. Objective
Create a meeting place for Africans
Encourage the ability to reintegrate
A lot of Africans will (have to) return to their home lands when the political
situation quietens. In order not to be lost on their return, it is important
to know their languages and culture. After a long stay in Switzerland there
is the danger especially for children and the youth of forgetting their
language and culture. The meeting place gives them the chance to continue
to practice
their culture, religion and languages.
Strengthen the cultural identity
Through strengthening of cultural identity at the meeting place the Africans
can in the long run find their way about in Switzerland. It helps to keep
understanding between parents and children and reduce tension in the family.
Encourage self help ability
The programs of the meeting place will be organised by the African men and
women.
These programs should meet the needs of their people.
Meaningful free time arrangement
The meeting place helps to reduce isolation. Waywardness amongst the youth
and young adults especially can be counteracted to an extend.
Giving of Information
The Africans receive legal and day to day information in order for them to
find their way about better in Switzerland.
Encouraging dialogue and reducing prejudice
The meeting place should create an instrument for structured and regular discussions
about standing integration problems. The contact to Swiss partners plays
an important rail in this situation. The project should help the Swiss public
to get a differentiated view about the various sides of the African continent.
3. Concept
3.1 Main Contents
School and Education
Native language lessons for children and youths
Extra classes
Courses in different African languages when necessary
Culture
The different cultures of the African continent will be offered in different
courses.
Music, dance courses, concerts in groups, lectures on writers. Exhibition of
African
artists
Library for African literature, news papers and magazines.
Social Information
Basic information about health, apartments, work, school, family planning,
raising up of children and the political situation in Switzerland should
be given to parents and the youth. Qualified persons from Africa or Swiss
will be involved depending on the situation.
Personal questions could also be discussed with the help of qualified persons
in small groups. Such courses can create a relationship of trust and the participants
will receive useful information and exchange experiences. In this way the Africans
can support each other morally and give concrete help to each other when solving
problems.