Conference: The role of culture and civil society as arenas for integration, Helsinki 7–8 December
Can museums mean something to young asylum seekers? Can shared cultural experiences build bridges across cultural divides? What can voluntary culture and civil society do for integration that other concepts cannot?
Refugee flows into the Nordic Region and Europe are the biggest seen since the Second World War. This puts pressure on our Nordic and European societies. It is therefore vital that the expertise and knowledge available in the Nordic countries are leveraged as part of integration processes. This includes sharing such knowledge and creating networks to better utilize existing positive experiences.
The role of culture and civil society as arenas for integration has already been identified by the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation as an early first initiative, and this conference in Helsinki during Finland’s presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers is a first step towards achieving this.
The seminar will be held in the National Museum (Mannerheimintie 34, Helsinki) from 7 to 8 December 2016.
The seminar is aimed at decisionmakers and officials in the cultural sector, who also manage integration projects or have political responsibility for integration issues. Staff and volunteers at organisations that deal with these issues, such as staff at museums, libraries, cultural schools, and the like, are also invited.
