A World of Neighbours
Cabralstraat 1
128-1
1057 CD Amsterdam
Netherlands
- Human rights
A World of Neighbours Stichting is an European NGO, based in the Netherlands. Led by Network Director Rikko Voorberg (parttime), assisted by a coördinator and communications manager (both parttime), several free-lance workers (video, fundraising, digital platform and Young AWoN). Almost 60 volunteers are part of the AWoN Team investing in vision, mission, mutual support, sharing best practices and more. Main funder is Church of Sweden, assisted by Lutheran World Federation, HIAS and Islamic Relief Worldwide. Our budget is about € 200.000 per year. Projects are: Practitioner support operations, Annual Meeting, Learning & Exchange, Network Expansion & National Networks, Monitoring & Evaluation, Young AWoN and AWoN Connect Platform. We host Montly Learning & Exchange Events, on-call Help My Case Meetings, Research Projects on Practitioner Practices, Annual Summit and more.
Vision
A World of Neighbours envisions convivenz (living together) in a diverse, humane and welcoming Europe. A society which is mutually transformative in its relationship between receiving communities, people on the Move, practitioners and broader society.
Mission
A World of Neighbours’ mission is to empower practitioners through maintaining an interreligious and cross sectoral peer-to-peer support network of practitioners. A World of Neighbours fosters a 'community of practice' among those working on the front lines of accompaniment of people on the move, and social cohesion.
Strategic Goals
1: Provision of mutual support and collaboration amongst practitioners in support of people on the move
2: Enabling influence and advocacy to effect change by and for people on the move and practitioners
Strategic Objectives
1: Build collaboration and partnership between practitioners at both Local and European level
2: Build capacity & skills of practitioners through sharing knowledge and good practice
3: Creating a structure by which practitioners can empower each other and provide mutual care and support
4: Reduce xenophobia amongst receiving communities
5: Improve rights for, and public policy towards people on the move
1. Support for Practitioners
2. Knowledge program (Learning & Exchange)
3. The Annual 'Summit'.
4. Network Expansion and National Networking.
5. Young AWoN
6. Monitoring and Evaluation
7. AWoN Connect Platform
1. Support to Practitioners.
An important element of supporting Practitioners are the Home Groups. A 15 week program with 6 plenary calls and dozens of individual calls where training, peer support, sharing promising practices and exploring collaborations are central. Staff and board support the practitioners in their work and personal challenges. For the future, this includes training practitioners in fundraising and establishing and/or contributing to national networks.
2. Knowledge Program (Learning & Exchange).
A program with monthly webinars, Help-My-Case Meetings and supporting research-based practices. Lectures cover AWoN's Research Team, the vision and work of the Practitioners themselves. There is also room for current topics such as the new Migration Pact, Humanitarian Corridors and the new Rwanda Politics in the UK or how to talk to young people about the situation in Israel and Palestine. Experts from inside and outside the network are requested for this.
3. The Annual Summit.
This is the main meeting of A World of Neighbors, which always takes place in a relevant migration country. 2023 it was Hungary, in 2024 it will be Greece. It is a combination of a retreat, knowledge sharing, set annual program, visit and support to local practitioners and a public event with researchers, politicians, refugees, practitioners and faith leaders. The event results in a joint manifesto on a specific theme and a blueprint on how to conduct these conversations in one's own context with similar stakeholders.
4. Network Expansion and National Networks.
The future vision of A World of Neighbours involves 60 practitioners representing all European countries and relevant border countries on continent, all major religious groups and both refugees and born Europeans. They are under contract with AWoN to work together for a welcoming Europe, to support each other and to be the connecting force between the AWoN network and national networks. Anyone can join AWoN with associated benefits, the 60 practitioners work for the benefit of all those working around migration in Europe.
5.Young AWoN.
A network of young Europeans, with and without refugee history, who unite from various European countries and diverse (faith) backgrounds to support each other in making cross-cultural and multi-religious connections in view of AWoN's vision - a welcoming, diverse Europe.
6. Monitoring and Evaluation.
Together with the AWoN Research Team, AWoN is working on gathering information about the needs and contributions of Practitioners, and on measuring and collecting data on the outcomes and impacts of the work done by AWoN Practitioners. Research shows that reflection on one's own and others' work gets lost due to the high workload, while it is essential for work and for funding.
7. AWoN Connect Platform.
A LinkedIn for Humanitarian Workers, that was the dream that is now starting to take shape in an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Here practitioners in Europe (and beyond) can find each other, gain insight into who is doing what work, share questions and receive information about relevant funds.
A World of Neighbours Practitioners Network (AWoN) is the only multi-faith, cross-sectoral network of migration practitioners of its size in Europe. AWoN aims at building a more tolerant society, rooted in mutual transformation, understanding, and respect. We are guided by a vision of conviviality – living together – in a diverse, humane, and welcoming Europe, with migration practitioners playing a crucial role in achieving this.
AWoN’s primary innovation is the creation of a Network and community of practice to affirm and support migration practitioners. Additionally, AWoN recognises religious communities as receiving communities, engages with both faith-based and non-faith-based organisations, and ensures the presence of practitioners with refugee experience themselves. This means that the entire ecology of migration is in the room, getting a shared sense of reality and creating the best possible outcomes.
1. AWoN is the only multi-faith, cross-sectoral network of migration practitioners in Europe.
2. AWoN is the only network with a clear aim to meet the unmet needs that practitioners have in order to do their work in a productive and healthy way.
3. Actionable research is created through the cooperation of the Practitioners Network and the Academic Research Network.
One of the greatest challenge of the Euro-Mediterranean region and European politics is unable to meet the needs of both host societies and people on the move. Day in, day out Migration Practitioners work tirelessly to do what's necessary on the ground at the borders, in the cities, in politics and wherever relevant. The unique cooperation between researchers and practitioners grounds the work firmly into reality, the mutual support that is created by A World of Neighbours brings resilience to the urgent work that is threatened by compassion fatigue, criminalisation and (secondary) trauma.
To the Network on our Country we bring a unique interfaith diapraxis, a European network of friends and colleagues that are eager to work together towards a diverse Europe with unique skills and dedication in every corner of the ecology of migration.
The growing mistrust and polarisation in society as the ALF Network states on its website is the daily experience of the Migration Practitioners. Even between colleagues in the work across Europe there's the possibility of competition and suspicion. At AWoN we work hard to build trust across borders, religions and cultural backgrounds - and we realise how hard we need every other organisation working towards this cause. Last months many interfaith and intercultural have fallen apart, some of our practitioners said that AWoN was their only interfaith network left. The unique combination of Jewish, Islamic, Christian and non-religious backgrounds working towards one goal: a diverse and welcoming europe, a society of 'convivenz' is helpful and challenging. We could use the wisdom and partnertship of the ALF network to do better what we do and to grow towards a truly beneficial network for all people involved in the work of migration and integration in Europe.