Social Integration Through Informal Dialogue: A Journey Towards Community Connection

The “Social Integration Through Informal Dialogue” project builds on INPRO’s local initiative, Open Café, which originated from the Open Rzeszów project in 2016, funded by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe. This initiative emerged in response to the growing number of immigrants arriving in Rzeszów, Poland, for studies and work.

Open Café is more than just a meeting space; it’s an informal and welcoming environment for everyone. It serves as a hub where people can come together, challenge stereotypes, and engage in meaningful discussions. Here, individuals learn the art of active listening, respect, and the clear expression of opinions. The project’s mission is to foster new cultural spaces where people can interact as equals, with flexible rules of engagement. This creates a foundation for mutual understanding, which can extend to broader community interactions.

Importantly, this initiative aims not only to involve newcomers, refugees, and migrants but also to promote interaction and dialogue with the wider European society. In a time when far-right ideologies are gaining ground in many parts of Europe, the creation of open and accessible cultural spaces is essential. These spaces allow migrants, refugees, and the local community to engage in constructive dialogue.

www.open-cafe.eu

To inspire local communities to host their own Open Café events, we developed a publication titled “How to Organize Open Café.” This guide provides detailed information on event preparation and management, along with outlines of various event editions. It highlights how the character of these gatherings can differ based on local contexts. We also produced videos that illustrate four different Open Café formats included in the publication.

You can explore the English version of the publication below, with materials also available in Greek, Italian, Polish, and Swedish.

For more insights into the project, check out our Open Café YouTube playlist, which features participant impressions, reflections, and various activities.

You can explore the English version of the publication below, with materials also available in Greek, Italian, Polish and Swedish languages.

For more insights into the project, check out our Open Cafe Youtube playlist, which features participant impressions, reflections, and various activities.

As part of the project, partners created the following videos:

• How to make Open Cafe Charade my Rights by INPRO from Rzeszow
• How to make Open Cafe There is no Planet B by Mobilizing Expertise from Sweden
• How to make Open Cafe Let’s Race by Young Effect Association from Italy
• How to make Open Cafe EU citizenship by Intermediakt from Greece
• Video about the project
• Videos produced through the project from the playlist