Hidden Diamonds

THE HIDDEN DIAMONDS PROJECT

In Norway, Croatia and Germany, populations with migration background are not socially visible in the same proportion as people without a migration background. With regard to women, the result is even worse, even though they represent a great potential for societies, because with their special know-how as well as language and cultural skills, they have special qualifications from which politics, business and science can benefit. Women with a migration background are hardly represented in politics, public service, the media and in leadership positions in working life and thus do not serve as role models for young women with culturally diverse backgrounds. On the other hand, there are women with a migration background in all three countries who are successful professionally and/or socio-politically and can serve as inspiration and role models for other women, thus contributing to an improvement of women's rights.

The "Hidden Diamonds" project combines the efforts of 3 partners and provides various interventions to address the current challenges in the field of adult education, gender equality and engagement of young women with migrant and minority backgrounds from different regions of Europe - Southeast (Croatia), Central (Germany) and northern (Norway).

OBJECTIVES

AIM

The aim of the project is to promote opportunities for young women, aged 16+, with a migration background - that we call "hidden diamonds" - to participate in society and to encourage them to stand up for their own interests so that their interests are also represented in the societies.

The project will network successful women with a migration background /e.g. sports trainers, female executives, politicians, socially committed women, women from the public sector - police officers, teachers, civil servants) and encourage them to act as role models for young women with a migration background (="hidden diamonds"). They will be engaged as trainers who will support young women to use their own life experience in developing methods and tools for women empowerment. With the support of role models, young women develop starting points for their own political or civil society engagement by new knowledge about political contexts in the EU and career engagement opportunities as well as increased self-esteem and self-efficacy. In this way, the project also emphasizes and promotes inclusion, diversity and equality.

The main activities are as follows:

form a women network of positive role models
develop tools for trainings for empowerment of young women with migration background and piloting
creation a handbook for trainer and society
sensitization of trainers and dissemination of project results
promotion of EU values such as inclusion, diversity & equality.

ACTIVITIES

SEP

2022

JAN

2023

FEB

2023

JUN

2023

JUN

2023

JUN

2023

NOV

2023

DEC

2023

JAN

2024

MAR

2024

MAR

2024

APR

2024

KICK OFF MEETING

The first partner meeting in Norway on the new Erasmus+ project "Hidden diamonds" was held in Skien, Norway.

Through the development of innovative tools for education and support, connection and exchange, we want to contribute to the empowerment of women and promote social inclusion, respect for diversity and equal opportunities for all.

INTERVIEWS - WOMAN WITH MIGRATION AND MINORITY BACKGROUNDS

One work package of our Erasmus KA 2 project Hidden Diamonds are interviews with women who succeeded with their integration in a new country and who are rolemodels.

INTERVIEWS - WOMAN WITH MIGRATION AND MINORITY BACKGROUNDS

Talking, discussing, sharing new ideas, thoughts and implementing them...

Women with a migration background are hardly represented in politics, public service, the media and in leadership positions in working life and thus do not serve as role models for young women with culturally diverse backgrounds.

HIDDEN DIAMONDS WORKSHOPS IN NORWAY

During June we have been doing workshops with the women, in which we presented the results of the interviews and discussed further ideas on how to support young migrant women.

HIDDEN DIAMONDS WORKSHOPS IN CROATIA

We held a workshop with our diamonds where we discussed the results of our research, what success means and how we can support young women with migrant and minority backgrounds.

HIDDEN DIAMONDS WORKSHOPS IN GERMANY

Under the motto “Time to shine,” a workshop with the women took place in the Alte Druckerei in Rosenheim, in which concrete ideas were developed. From the participants' point of view, role models were important in their own biographies who encouraged them to pursue their own concerns and go their own way. The meaning of language was also discussed very controversially.

HIDDEN DIAMONDS HANDBOOK

For several months now, we have been investing a lot of time in creating a handbook for the empowerment of women with migrant and minority heritage. Of course, our diamonds play a key role in the whole process.

PILOT WORKSHOPS

The workshops we designed to empower women with migrant and minority backgrounds are ready to be tested with our diamonds. Every feedback, conversation, brainstorming is of great importance to us in order to create perfect workshops that will be helpful to the next generations of women.

TRANSNATIONAL MEETING IN ROSENHEIM

Last transnational partner meeting for our Hidden Diamonds project at the Startklar Soziale Arbeit venue in Rosenheim. We are slowly bringing the creation of the handbook to an end, and we also discussed how to make our outputs more visible and how to present them to the public and important stakeholders dealing with women's rights and integration.

FINAL HIDDEN DIAMONDS EVENT IN NORWAY

On March 7th, LoPe had the privilege of presenting our Erasmus Plus project for women, "Hidden Diamonds," at the Telemark Fylkeskommune office. We shared our project with a wonderful group of supportive women in Skien, who stand by each other and strive to ensure everyone's well-being. A big thank you to our fantastic audience for their valuable feedback during the group activities.

FINAL HIDDEN DIAMONDS EVENT IN GERMANY

Our "Women, migration and flight" symposium in Germany was filled with many interesting presentations and workshops. Over 50 participants from all professional backgrounds were able to gain insights into the topics of empowerment at work and in everyday life, pigeonholing and anger and oppression.

FINAL HIDDEN DIAMONDS EVENT IN CROATIA

We celebrated the end of the Hidden Diamonds project with an empowering event that brought together 20 extraordinary women from diverse backgrounds. Although each woman brought her own unique experiences and perspectives, they all shared a common desire for personal growth, development, and a sincere commitment to building mutual support.

OUR DIAMONDS

JULIJANA MLADENOVSKA-TEŠIJA

MTh/drs
Vice Dean for Teaching, Evangelical Theological Seminary, Osijek

First, success lies in becoming aware of who we really are...a state in which you realize that your gift has been sharpened; that it has grown into a visible and integrated part of your life; that it fulfils you

ESTELLE ALLALI

IN VIA München e.V. Youth Migration Service

Successful integration requires learning the language, openness towards the new culture and the willingness to overcome existing prejudices.

CATHARINE ELISABETH STRIMAS

Senior Lecturer for the University of South-Eastern Norway

My idea of success is to experience a sense of contentment in the life that I and those who are closest to me live. It doesn’t mean that I have reached all of my goals – or ever will. It doesn’t mean that I don’t make mistakes - or never will. It doesn’t mean that I don’t have concerns - or never will. It is a feeling that life is good enough just as it is.

LAILO MERGANOVA

Counsellor-Team adult education, Education and public health at Vestfold and Telemark County Municipality

My life is my responsibility and I have no special expectations from others around me. Everything comes naturally and depends on the situation. Lack of knowledge is the cause of bad choices. Education throughout life is an important support.

MARTHA NOHEMI ACOSTA MONTALVO

Electrical engineer

Success for me is a combination of both personal and professional factors. Professional factor is working in a place where I can do what I like or what I love. In terms of personal factors, I think being with people I love, knowing that my family is doing well!

TUNDE ŠIPOŠ ŽIVČIĆ

Curator

Ethnology is my vocation, and work with children is my motivation. It is important for me to teach them something, to convey some values to them; it is important to be connected to the community, because that's how they can give and get a lot.

SAMANTHA FLORES CASTILLO

Electronic and Automation Engineer

My advice for young women is if you have a dream, an idea, if you want to do something, you should real grab that dream inside of you and life would open the arms on and find the right way or the right path.

DAWN MARIE FREUND

Advisor to the Department for Climate, Environment and Internationalisation of Vestfold and Telemark County

As an immigrant, I have encountered many difficult challenges.

Even though I came to Norway on my own free will, I still had many challenges integrating into culture.

RASHA AL-SAADI

Business manager at Blue Cross Children's Centre Skien

I overcame challenges by being wise and smart, by not letting anything limit me but rather looking at it as opportunities. I managed to overcome learning the language, studying to get higher education, being an engaged citizen in society. Showing what I can do and what I am good at, being proud of myself.

JELENA DODIG

President of the Association of Active Pensioners Osijek

You need to find a motive that will push you further. My motive was a better life, to pull myself out of poverty... and later I was driven by the desire to save my family from the war and to secure better conditions for the normal life in the future.

I feel very lucky to be here in Storgata with mybusiness and I feel part of a community. It's a small community where I'm in business, where people pass through every day and I already have my regularcustomers, so it's a success. You start to feel like you belong somewhere.

LINDA SORENSEN

Florist and the owner of the flower shop

We owe it toourselves to do our best and not give up. Success for me now is that, althoughI am an immigrant, I have a rewarding job, financial security, my family isclose to me, and we enjoy every day together.

ELENA MINESCU

Consultant at LOPE

GABRIELA LOZANO VRANIĆ

mag. Ing. HTL

It's always good for a young woman to have a role model, a mentor who helps or advises, to have a place where women are welcome and where they can do something. Young women should be encouraged to be fighters and to know how to present themselves.

HODOO IBRAHIM

Geriatric nurse and activist

Don't stay at home alone. Go out, learn the language, get involved. It gives me strength and hope when I meet people who get involved!

MARINA NEKIĆ

Assoc. Prof. Ph.D.Sc.

University of Zadar

Personally, I never thought that I would work at the university, it was not my ambition, but life writes novels. There are difficult moments in life, but you should never give up... even if there is no one to take your hand... and when it seems that things will not go smoothly….that is no reason to give up...

JAIRA O. PEDERSEN

The Agency for Labor and Welfare Administration

I want young women to think for themselves

and not what society expects from them.

In Norway, they have the opportunity to

to think about themselves, what

I want. To take risks! Don't stay with the idea that

culture and traditions prevent them from

chasing their dreams.

HAIFA AL-EGLY

Special Education Services;

Municipality of Skien

I was forced to come here, and could have chosen to give up, but decided to fight. What other alternative is there? I think it’s easier for migrants today than it was for me. For me, my job, breaking social codes and a good network have been important.

NINETTE SEILMAR

Owner of the Skin Garden shop

Success is not about being rich. Success is the joy of giving back to people what I myself have received in desperate situations.

NEJRA KADIĆ MEŠKIĆ

Executive Director of The Centre for Cultural Dialogue

Women and men should be equal and have equal opportunities, fair opportunities. So when I think about women support, it is particularly important to educate women about gender equality, women's rights and discrimination.

MARINA STOJNOVIĆ

mag.iur.

It is important to know that we should not feel responsible for some things that our ancestors did or members of our national identity. We have nothing to do with what was in the past.

My parents supported my half-Russian identity. My mother encouraged me to travel and explore. My father encouraged my independency. Then, my teachers...when we had some school events or when we discussed about Russian writers, they encouraged me to present and speak in Russian.

TATJANA TOPALOVA

mag. educ. philol. croat.

NADICA BALOG

President of the Roma women's association "Roma Heart"

As hard as my life was, it was so beautiful. I succeeded in everything, from the desire to have a warm home, not to be dependent on others, to secure a pension and a good life in old age. I succeeded in what I wanted, to live with dignity.

"I think success, has to do with being happy, with your life and Iwould say so, success feeling like you’re able to support yourself and havingfriends and job, I think those are thing to a kind means success.

LAURIE LILLEFJÆRE

Study advisor at Folkeuniversitetet

PUBLICATIONS

HIDDEN DIAMONDS HANDBOOK: EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN WITH MIGRANT AND MINORITY BACKGROUNDS

HIDDEN DIAMONDS PRIRUČNIK: OSNAŽIVANJE ŽENA S MIGRATSKIM I MANJINSKIM PODRIJETLOM

HIDDEN DIAMONDS HANDBOK: STYRKING AV KVINNER MED MIGRANT- OG MINORITETSBACGRUNN

HIDDEN DIAMONDS HANDBUCH:EMPOWERMENT IN DER ARBEIT MIT FRAUEN MIT MIGRATIONSHINTERGRUD

OUR TEAM

SUSANNE

Startklar Soziale Arbeit/ project coordinator Germany

SABINE

Startklar Soziale Arbeit/ team member

Germany

SUSIE

Startklar Soziale Arbeit/ team member

Germany

NIKOLETA

DKolektiv/ project coordinator Croatia

MIRNA

DKolektiv/ dissemination officer Croatia

PERI

CEO LoPe/ project manager Hidden Diamonds

ELENA

LoPe/ trainer in the project Hidden Diamonds

PARTNERS

Startklar Soziale Arbeit is a non-profit welfare organization which works for children,adolescents,

young adults and families in difficult life situations in Southeast Bavaria for over 30 years. Organization cooperates with the youth welfare offices and offers residential care for children and young people in difficult situations, socio-educational help for families, juvenile delinquency prevention and intervention ect.

Visit website

Dkolektiv – organization for social development is a Croatian non-profit association that supports democratic culture, civil society and volunteering development, equal opportunities and active participation in order to build a human, solidary, sustainable and inclusive society.

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LoPe is an association that aims to raise awareness of core values such as charity and human dignity and contributes to peace building activities and understanding of democracy. The organisation puts emphasis on inclusion and tolerance, as well as on the prevention of attitudes and behavior that endanger community life.

Visit website