The BRIDGE project officially began with an international meeting in Murcia, Spain, bringing together project partners, volunteers, and people with migration experience from Czechia, Germany and Spain.
Over several working days, we planned the first phase of the project and discussed how to develop local activities that strengthen communities and promote alternative narratives in response to hate speech and racism.
A significant part of the programme focused on sharing the expertise of each partner organisation. Our Spanish partner, Fundación Al Fanar, introduced its long-standing work in combating Islamophobia, stereotypes and hate speech. Together, we explored how storytelling, community-based approaches and the active involvement of local communities can contribute to greater understanding between people.
One of the core principles of BRIDGE is learning from one another. That is why the meeting brought together not only representatives of the partner organisations, but also volunteers and people with migration experience who will play an active role throughout the project. Bringing together different perspectives and lived experiences is at the heart of BRIDGE.
We would like to thank Fundación Al Fanar for hosting such an inspiring meeting and all participants for openly sharing their experiences and ideas. We are looking forward to the next steps of the project and to launching the first local activities in our three partner countries.
The BRIDGE project is funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme.
