Action research on various living areas with 20 households of Ukrainian newcomers
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, which marked the start of the war between Ukraine and Russia, we at OpenEmbassy immediately deployed OpenEmbassy methods we had developed in recent years to support newcomers to the Netherlands for this new group of people who were forced to seek refuge in the Netherlands.
By jumping right in during these first few months, we were able to gain a good understanding of the initial experiences of people who fled the war in Ukraine as they found their way in the Netherlands. We recorded these insights in the report The Power of Communities – Final Report on Action Research with People from Ukraine – OpenEmbassy.
Between April 2022 and October 2022, OpenEmbassy the action research method OpenEmbassy provide direct support to around 20 people (and indirect support to 80 people). Together with them, we identified the most urgent obstacles to their stay in the Netherlands and achieved breakthroughs using the culturally sensitive version of the Breakthrough Method.
Supporting a diverse composition of people provided a lot of knowledge about how to set up the system to make it better for many. You can read more about our methodology in the report.
Several insights followed from the action research, which we have chronicled in the report below:
1. Long-term: From emergency solutions to a long-term vision, knowledge retention and recognition of the role of community initiatives and civic engagement is essential.
2. Shelter: Small-scale shelter and community building within the shelter and with the local community. Also as a lesson for redesigning the asylum system.
3. Mental: Growing need for mental support in own language.
4. Language: Growing need for adult language education.
5. Work: Importance of using best practices more widely when it comes to starting work without Dutch and English language skills and the importance of sustainable work.
6. Child care: child care as an important condition for employment and the use of newcomers as pedagogical professionals.
7. Temporary Protection Directive: importance of perspective for people no longer under Temporary Protection as of July 19, 2022.
8. Education: leverage best practices from education for Ukrainian children to improve overall newcomer education.
You can read more comprehensive insights and suggested solutions in the report.
At the end of 2022, OpenEmbassy a large-scale action research project with Ukrainian newcomers. The results are expected at the end of 2023.
If you have any questions about this report, please contact openembassy
Photo by Daniil Lebedev on Unsplash
The power of communities
Final report of action research
