Learning To Live In A New Country Everyday Social Integration Civil Society And Integration Nordic Rural Perspective

Online publication: https://pub.norden.org/nord2020-036/ Abstract [en] In this paper we focus on three of the main ways civil society can play a role in the integration of refugees and immigrants. The leading question we seek to answer is as follows. Are the ways in which civil society engages different in rural areas and in smaller communities around the Nordic Region, as compared with urban areas and large cities? We use evidence from interviews and transcripts with migration workers as our starting point. We then focus on the role of a) religious communities and aid organisations, b) sport organisations and clubs, c) pop-up activism and mentorship programmes from available literature and from Nordic seminars and dialogue. We will also focus on partnerships and forms of coordination between civil society organisations, municipalities and regions.