Unveiling misperceptions, enhancing cohesion: the E-MINDFUL project officially launched in Vienna
“The way migration is communicated and perceived is a key pre-condition to create the necessary space for policy-making that can harness the economic potential of migrants. The aim is to foster a socio-economic eco-system where everyone feels welcome and valued, citizens and migrants alike,” said Vuk Žugić, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, at the kick-off meeting of the E-MINDFUL project on 15 June 2021 in Vienna.
The project’s motto “Unveiling misperceptions, enhancing cohesion” wishes to grasp the overall objective of this initiative aimed at analysing the complex factors that shape public attitudes towards migrants as a key contributing factors towards inclusive hosting communities where everyone can feel belonging.
Social cohesion represents an increasing challenge in diverse societies, where individuals of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds live and work side by side. The E-MINDFUL project wishes to provide knowledge and tools on how to communicate effectively about migration across multiple segments of society, offering relevant stakeholders a decision-making tool that will help orient future, effective communication strategies on migration and migrants towards increased social cohesion.
The project will involve six participating States – Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, Italy, North Macedonia and Serbia – and will be implemented with the financial support of the European Commission, Directorate General for Home Affairs and Migration, the Italian Ministry of Labour and the German Foreign Office.
The kick-off meeting gathered the wide array of key actors in the countries involved, together with the Project’s partners, the International Labour Organization and the European University Institute/the Observatory on Public Attitudes to Migration.
The E-MINDFUL project will span over a period of 24 months, involving governmental authorities, mainstream communication services and experts, together with young professionals in the creative industry.