Handbook on psychosocial support to unaccompanied foreign minors

AENEAS HANDBOOK ON PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT TO UNACCOMPANIED FOREIGN MINORS

The project was implemented by Médecins du Monde France and UNICEF – Refugee & Migrants Response Programme Italy

This Manual was authored by Alberto Polito, with the contribution and coordination by Maria Luisa Rioli Contributions provided by: Federica Amatori Yodit Estifanos Afewerki Sergio Bertolino Roberta Laganà

Photograph credit Nicola Marfisi

TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword Introduction Vocabulary CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL REFERENCES AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH UNACCOMPANIED MIGRANT CHILDREN IN ITALY: THE CHALLENGES OF A “MIGRANT” YOUTH Why to develop psychosocial activities in first-line reception centers?

The Double Absence Psychological aspects of a migrant adolescence Developing identity and personality throughout adolescence Identity and narration Acculturative and transformative processes MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT: TAKING CARE AND RESTORING HUMANITY Social, educational and pedagogical care of unaccompanied foreign minors in reception centers: from trauma to dignity Difficulties and psychological problems in the migration process Trauma in the migration process Stress and Acculturative stress Right to participation Resilience, Flourishing and post-traumatic growth CHAPTER II: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE Psychosocial paradigm, psychosocial activities and group talks Building relationships with unaccompanied foreign minors: individual and group psychological care Managing a group of unaccompanied foreign minors: preventing professional burn-out CHAPTER III: PSYCHOSOCIAL ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES FOR SHORT- TERM RECEPTION Reception, guidance, mutual understanding and group cohesion activities ACTIVITIES FOR MEDIUM- TERM RECEPTION Narrative therapy activities Socio-drama activities ACTIVITIES FOR LONG- TERM RECEPTION Activities to cope with stress Emotional education activities Activities for mother and child Skills development activities ANNEX 1 – MONITORING FORM Glossary Resources Web resources

FOREWORD According to data provided by the Italian authorities, of 119,300 people arrived in Italy in 2017 through the Mediterranean route, 14.7% were children: over 17,500, 15,540 of which were unaccompanied, mostly coming from Nigeria, Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Bangladesh and Eritrea. If we look back to the past few years, we notice that the number of unaccompanied children has increased exponentially since 2014, rising from 13,226 in 2014 to 25,846 in 2016, almost twice compared to just two years before.

What seems to be particularly important is the fact that, while in the years 2014/2015 the proportion of unaccompanied minors out of the total number of migrants stood at 7.8%, in 2016 and 2017 this figure doubled: this means that more and more children and adolescents were forced to flee their country and embark on a journey on their own.

These figures are important because they reveal the extent of the problem, beyond perceptions or interpretations. But behind each figure, there is the story of many children, boys or girls, who left or lost their loved ones, their friends and relatives along the way. These are stories of suffering and resilience at the same time; stories that show how migration is increasing worldwide, as people migrate in search of better opportunities, with tenacity, strength and determination, wishing to make a positive contribution to host communities.

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UNICEF Child Alert Report on the Central Mediterranean Migration Route found that 3 out of 4 migrant children interviewed reported experiences of violence, harassment or abuse and exploitation, also due to the debts incurred to pay for the journey and to their vulnerability to traffickers along the migration routes. They also endure detention and refoulements at the external borders of several European countries. An estimated 34 detention centres have been identified in Libya, that hold between 4,000 and 7,000 detainees, while several armed groups hold migrants in an unknown number of unofficial detention centres. The militia-run detention centres are no more than forced labour camps, farms, warehouses and makeshift prisons run by armed groups. For the thousands of migrant women and children incarcerated, they are living hellholes where people are held for months at a time without any form of due process, in squalid, cramped conditions.

The sea journey to Italy is another dangerous event that may have a devastating impact on the lives of children and adolescents, a battle between life and death, in which many people die, suffer violence by traffickers and are crammed for days into unseaworthy vessels in inhuman conditions.

Although the number of migrants arriving in Italy through the eastern route (coming from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Greece) has diminished noticeably over the recent years, many unaccompanied minors continue to travel this route, especially to escape from conflicts affecting Afghanistan and Syria. These children left their countries – i.e. Afghanistan - at a very young age and it often takes them many years to arrive in a new country. Children and adolescents on the move along the Eastern route contend with high levels of exploitation, and suffer long-term effects of conflicts and persecutions. Globally, UNICEF is calling on the entire international community to embrace a six2 point Agenda for Action, that promote policies to protect all refugee and migrant children and to ensure their wellbeing : 1. Press for action on the causes that uproot children from their homes; 2. Keep all refugee and migrant children learning and give them access to health and other quality services; 3. Keep families together as the best way to protect children and give children legal status; 4. End the detention of children seeking refugee status or migrating, introducing practical alternatives to detention; 5. Promote measures to combat xenophobia, discrimination and marginalization in countries of transit and destination; 6. Protect child refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied children, from exploitation and violence.

In Europe, UNICEF supports countries where migration flows and the number of migrant children are higher, and provides care and protection to children and their families during their journey. UNICEF interventions are implemented taking into account the different national settings and include technical assistance, delivery of aid and services, advocacy, information campaigns and community outreach initiatives, staff training and institutional and partner organizations responsiveness. In all settings, UNICEF works closely with Governments, other UN agencies, partner NGOs and other organizations that provide assistance.

On May 27, 2016, UNICEF and the Italian Government officially signed a cooperation agreement to extend UNICEF technical and operational support to Italy. The agreement is aimed at improving care and protection services for migrant children and adolescents in Italy, through the implementation of specific programmes relating to reception standards and social inclusion of unaccompanied minors. It is essential that these programmes comply with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

There is than the arrival to Italy and the related reception. And, despite the positive developments of the last year, first of all the approval of Law 47/2017 (so-called Zampa Law) to raise reception standards for unaccompanied foreign minors,

1 A Deadly Journey for Children. The Central Mediterranean Migration Route – UNICEF Child Alert Report, 28 Feb 2017 2 For more information on UNICEF Agenda for Action, see https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/childrenonthemove/90514_94936.html

there is still much to be done when migrants arrive in Italy: first of all, ensuring all migrant children protection and safe access to quality services and promoting their social inclusion. The lack of an adequate number of reception facilities, providing protection and referral services, remains a critical issue for the country Children are held for a long period at reception centers, in some cases without receiving clear information on their own rights, opportunities and legal safeguards, or the necessary support from qualified staff. This situation triggers a sense of exclusion and frustration, worsening a psychological condition undermined by past experiences.

For these reasons, psycho-social support is crucial to support unaccompanied children and adolescents to cope with difficult and painful experiences, from both the past and the present. Exposure to violence, disasters, loss of or separation from family members and friends, the deterioration of living conditions, lack of the means to survive and no access to basic services may have immediate and long-term consequences. Therefore it is extremely important to prevent and respond to these risks to avoid or minimize them.

MĂŠdecins du Monde is one of UNICEF partners for the implementation of the protection programme for unaccompanied children in one of the priority regions, Calabria, that has handled a considerable amount of unaccompanied migrant children over the last years, becoming territory of landing and a hosting region at the same time.

MÊdecins du Monde offered its international experience in emergency situations and expertise in medical, mental health and psychosocial support. The approach emphasises the development of staff skills involved in various capacities in the reception system – particularly in the critical province of Reggio Calabria.

This manual is the result of this interventions and collects the numerous psycho-social activities carried out together with reception centres frontline workers that promoted children resilience, their life skills and their active participation in the reception system and, more generally, advocated for inclusion strategies. It is about undertaking measures to ensure that the fundamental principles enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are guaranteed: the right of every child to an adequate standard of living (Article 27), Respect for the views of the child (Article 12), right to Leisure, recreation and cultural activities (Article 31) and right to physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration (Article 39).

The manual is designed as a contribution available to any person interested in developing activities consistent with the aforementioned purposes, to promote the psycho-social wellbeing of unaccompanied children and give them more opportunities to build their walks of life.

Anna Riatti UNICEF Coordinator Refugee & Migrant Response Programme - Italy

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION In recent years, especially since 2011, Italy has become a country of destination and transit of many migrant children 3 who reach Italian shores after hazardous journeys. Nine out of ten are unaccompanied.

When they arrive, they have often endured violence, mourning, deprivation and abuse travelling the migration routes.

During the journey, children lose cultural and social references, feeling lost and disoriented, due to the tragic experiences they lived.

Only providing migrant children specialized support services, child protection staff may be able to support their development and address psychosocial problems that may otherwise exacerbate their vulnerabilities.

It thus seems clear that Unaccompanied Foreign Minors are a particularly at-risk group and need specific support services, starting from the initial reception when they first arrive in Italy. Primary reception systems still seem to be structurally and professionally inadequate, despite recent legislative progress of Law 47/2017, that should standardize and correct failings in the current reception system, which forces migrants to spend long periods in "transit" centers, unsuitable for taking charge of migrant children.

Since 2016 Médecins du Monde, in partnership with Unicef, has implemented a programme to support psychosocial care of migrants and improve access to basic services in the province of Reggio Calabria. The project for Unaccompanied children, that has involved over 2000 Unaccompanied Foreign Minors and about 300 reception centers workers, represents a pilot action aiming at creating an effective and holistic model to meet the needs of unaccompanied children, right from the early stages of reception.

The methodological model adopted and tested focuses on the child's experience, through an integrated psychosocial approach aimed at promoting inclusion, developing support services, fostering coordination between healthcare providers, providing information on the rights of migrants and available services, and improving staff members’ skills.

The “Aeneas. Handbook on psychosocial support of unaccompanied foreign minors” is the result of experiences and programme outcomes, with the dual objective of: sensitising institutions and policy makers to adopt a holistic approach when taking charge of psychophysical wellbeing of unaccompanied minors; improving and facilitating the work of staff members through an innovative and practical operational tool Unlike other publications and guidelines on the subject, this manual is designed in an extremely usable and effective way, thanks to practical and detailed action sheets, and activities easily adaptable to different contexts and type of users. A real tool to foster an inclusive and participatory approach, and encourage an active exchange between staff members and minors involved.

Chiara Lizzi General Coordinator Mission for Italy Médecins du Monde France

VOCABULARY

3 UNHCR Regional Office for Southern Europe, Italy UASC Dashboard – December 2017.

VOCABULARY PSYCHOSOCIAL ‘Psycho’ refers to the psyche or the ‘soul’ of a person. It pertains to the inner world – with feelings, thoughts, desires, beliefs and values and how we perceive the others and ourselves. ‘Social’ refers to the relationships and environment of an individual. It includes not only the material world but also the social and cultural context in which people live, ranging from the intricate network of their relationships to manifold cultural expressions to the community and the state. The inner world (psycho) and the outer world (social) influence each other. In short, ‘psycho-social’ deals with the well-being of individuals in relation to their environment

RESILIENCE In psychology, the term resilience indicates the ability to positively cope and resist without breaks to traumatic events, maintaining and strengthening personal and social resources. The resilience is developed and reinforced thanks to protective factors that can be found in the environment where a person lives or in the relations (ex. Family, social networks, etc.) such as in the personal resources belonging to any person together with his/her own points of strength.

PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT The ICRC defines psychosocial support as “a process aimed at supporting the resilience of individuals, families and communities”. The objective of psychosocial support is therefore to help those social groups and individuals impacted by a crisis to recover and be able to deal with events of this kind using their own resources. — The MdM Emergency unit’s psychosocial support programmes are based on actions concerning the social and psychological needs of individuals, families and communities. These aim to reinforce the social ties or even to restore them where destroyed and also to help individuals to learn to “protect themselves” and to “protect others”. It is therefore with full respect for the methods used by individuals and communities to deal with crises that we must adopt a position aimed at encouraging the restoration of social cohesion and the traditional mechanisms in existence within the community already.

MENTAL HEALTH Since the 1950s, mental health has no longer been restricted to the fields of psychiatry and psychopathology and the way we treat mental health issues has changed, to focus on providing the most appropriate care to those individuals manifesting psychological trouble. Three areas of mental health can now be established: the psychological distress that we, in our work in delivering emergency humanitarian aid, categorise as forming part of psychosocial distress and difficulties (see above) clinical mental or psychopathological problems positive mental health As the WHO emphasises, mental health is a “state of well-being in which an individual realises his own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his community. In this positive sense, mental health is the foundation of an individual’s well-being and of the community’s ability to function correctly”. Positive mental health therefore refers to a positive state of well-being, resilience and self-realisation. Positive mental health is not just the absence of any mental health issues but also the permanent presence of feelings of autonomy and a harmonious balance between the psychological structures of the individual and those of the environment in which he moves.

Chapter 1 THEORETICAL REFERENCES AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH I love what

I love what I see, I love what I feel, I love what I do, life goes on.

I love people who are supportive, I love people who encourage others, I love the right people, I love people who love.

from

Evans, 17 years old, unaccompanied child Nigeria

Evans, 17 years old, unaccompanied child from Nigeria

The story of Aeneas tells us of a "loss" and a "conquest" that may both be summarized in one word: "home". Forced to live as an exile, he broke both physical and material bonds with everything he had: his home, his family, his country. But, despite this, he was not in despair, he did not surrender. Quite the contrary, he embarked on a journey to a new home and each of us knows that Aeneas found it. He did more, indeed: he built his own home, he invented it. And here's the goal, the hope of unaccompanied children, the real protagonists of these pages. They are people on the move too, searching for a land, a place where they can find their sense of belonging and build a better future both for themselves and for others. People who have to travel - as Aeneas did before arriving in Rome. Aeneas, the migrant par excellence, assailed with a thousand doubts and concerns, desires and disillusions, confused and discouraged when facing a new reality.

1.1 UNACCOMPANIED MIGRANT CHILDREN: THE CHALLENGES OF A “MIGRANT” YOUTH

During 2017, 119,369 migrants arrived in Italy by sea, 34.24% less than the previous year. Of the total number of 4 migrants, 15.731 were unaccompanied minors, hosted in reception centres throughout Italy. The great majority of them are boys, over 93% of the total, and more than half declares to be 17 years old. “with unaccompanied minor we mean a minor who does not have Italian or European citizenship, present in the territory of the Italian State for any reason or that is otherwise subject to Italian jurisdiction, lacking assistance and representation by parents or other legally responsible adults, in accordance with the Italian laws in force ".

Zampa Law (47/2017, art.2)

Calabria is the second region for arrivals and Reggio Calabria the fifth port after Augusta, Catania, Pozzallo and Lampedusa, with a total of 7,950 migrants arrived during the year. Calabria, moreover, is currently the fourth region hosting unaccompanied minors after Sicily, Lombardy and Lazio, with 956 children present throughout the regional territory, accounting for 5 6.7% of the total. In addition the total number of unaccompanied minors arrived on Italian shores, an estimated 5,509 minors are untraceable to date. They left reception centres right after registration to continue their journey or to move elsewhere. Some of them became “invisible” in an attempt to cross the borders with neighbouring European countries to reach relatives or friends. Others left reception facilities after spending a few months in Italy (REACH, 2017). Migrants reach the decision to leave after a period during which the reception system has not been able to meet minors’ expectations and to listen and understand their needs and fears. It proves to be a dysfunctional system, rather than a protection mechanism that ensures the best interests of the child, that drives minors to escape.

In this context, a multidisciplinary team work is necessary to ensure an effective psychosocial care of migrants, with a view to putting into effect the right of migrants to a dignified reception, according to the Italian and European regulatory framework, and preventing the risk of becoming a victim of criminal networks and exploitation.

4 Ministry of Labour, Monthly Report on Unaccompanied Foreign Minors in Italy, March, 1, 2018 5 Ibidem

Italian reception system is currently regulated in the following facilities:

First Aid and Reception Centres (CPSA)

They host migrants who arrive in Italy. Migrants receive first aid, identification and may apply for international protection. They are then transferred to other centres. Some CPSA (as of June 2016: Lampedusa, Trapani, Pozzallo and Taranto) are formally operating as "Hotspot".

Temporary Reception Centres (CAS)

Temporary facilities implemented by Prefectures in case of unavailability of places in the first or second accommodation centres

System for the Protection of Asylum Seekers and Refugees (SPRAR)

First-line reception centres (CPA)

Second-line reception is provided under the System for the Protection of Asylum Seekers and Refugees (SPRAR), a network of local institutions that implement ‘integrated reception’ projects for migrants by accessing the National Fund for Asylum Policies and Services, in cooperation with voluntary sector organisations. After staying in first-line reception centres, minors are transferred to SPRAR facilities, responsible for taking charge of children until their legal age. That time limit may be extended for a further period of six months, in accordance with SPRAR guidelines, for refugees and beneficiaries of protection who have come of age, provided that the conditions laid down in Article 32 of Legislative Decree 286/1998 are satisfied.

In First-line reception centres (CPA) accommodation is limited to the time strictly necessary for migrants identification, formalisation of asylum requests and examination of health status

Reception centers for minors managed by public local entities

Reception centers for minors managed by public local entities, as referred to in Law 328/2000

First-line reception centres run by the government and funded by A.M.I.F.

Facilities run by the Ministry of the Interior and funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) that provide continuous accomodation for unaccompanied children within 24 hours, for a period not exceeding thirty days, and host about 60 minors in at least two facilities (up to 30 people/each).

This handbook is the result of the experience gained by Médecins du Monde in Temporary Reception Centres (CAS) for unaccompanied children in Calabria. But it could also be a useful tool for supporting long-term reception system, such as SPRAR

WHY TO DEVELOP PSYCHOSOCIAL ACTIVITIES IN FIRST-LINE RECEPTION CENTERS? Developing psychosocial activities may be an opportunity to create and promote functional and non-conflicting relationships between staff of reception centres and unaccompanied children. It is a useful resource to prevent or mitigate staff’s emotional and professional burden arising from their work.

However, psychosocial activities may not be seen as individual interventions, detached from a wider project whose objective is to support unaccompanied minors in defining and starting an autonomy-oriented path, in particular: • supporting boys and girls in their personal growth; • supporting boys and girls in identifying and implementing an integration path, following their inclinations and expectations

Programming psychosocial interventions will play a central role in promoting a flexible but defined team work, starting from the definition of individual problems and criticalities to be addressed and managed. A triple preliminary analysis of the skills, resources and needs of the minor, together with a mapping of the services available in a specific context, should be performed to define the objectives and the expected results in the different spheres of life (socio-emotional dimension; autonomy and integration; language and communication; etc.). Psychosocial interventions should be a tool to effectively support children and a real opportunity for their personal growth and development: to achieve this, objectives and expected results should be periodically identified, evaluated and adjusted to monitor the progress being made.

Planning psychosocial care implies an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach that includes cultural mediation, legal and administrative assistance, socio-psychological support together with training and mentoring services.

The tools needed to define psychosocial interventions are: •

elaborating a skills assessment;

•

drafting the Individualized Education Programme (I.E.P.);

tutoring, guidance and counselling and monitoring defined intermediate objectives •

These tools can be also considered as useful resources even for the filling of “Cartella Sociale” as foreseen by the new legal framework introduced by the Zampa Law. 6

The skills profile and the I.E.P. will be used by frontline workers to: - collect information about personal and family history of the child, including the reasons/causes of migration and the route taken; - identify any particular risks; - highlight child's motivations, ambitions and expectations; - raise children’s awareness about their skills; - guide children towards goals with an intrinsic or lasting value at social and educational level- provide children with the means to develop the necessary competencies to implement their personal projects; - identify what kind of care UASC need and provide referral to the most appropriate service; - divide medium and long-term objectives into realistic stages; - monitor progress over time to review or adjust the IEP.

THE DOUBLE ABSENCE We are often used to thinking about migrants as a homogeneous and welldefined category, with some precise characteristics. Such reasoning is mainly based on national categories and on the concept of nationality and citizenship.

Therefore, we tend to draw a borderline between "National" and "non-national". As the Algerian sociologist Sayad states (2002), this happens because each individual state delimits and defines itself, building a border between "us" and "them".

The identity of migrants is created on what the migrant "is not" and is hence structured as a "non-identity": the migrant is a "non-national", a "non-social subject". Migrants undergo a process of deprivation of identity, becoming, as defined by sociologist Alessandro Dal Lago (2004), a "non-individual, a human being whose status of person is revoked - in fact or by law, implicitly or explicitly". This definition properly suits the category of migrants: they are referred to only using negations (migrants are non-Europeans, non-citizens, non-EU nationals), not affirming their own characteristics.

Migrants are thus subjected to the situation of a “double absence”, suspended between two worlds at the same time. In fact, they are absent and no more in their country of origin and, at the same time, even not in the country of destination; being excluded from the social order of both places, becoming foreigners everywhere. The society of origin may accuse emigrants of "being escaped", engendering a deep sense of guilt; migrants often choose to be unattainable, either for personal or social reasons. At the same time, migrants are "atopos", ie "persons out of place" (Sayad, 2002), a

6 For more detailed information and for a facsimile of the I.E.P. and the sills profile, see the "Operational Manual for enabling and managing integrated reception services for migrants applying for and beneficiaries of international and humanitarian protection" released by SPRAR system, available in Italian at: http://www.meltingpot.org/IMG/pdf/sprar_-_manuale_ operativo_2015-2.pdf

not classifiable subject who do not become members of the destination society. They are neither citizens, nor foreigners.

Migrants thus suffer a double exclusion and a double isolation. the social and cultural environment they left is often no longer accessible, and the new social space they try to live in is ready to tolerate, but not to make real efforts to welcome them or to start a mutual process of change and adaptation.

The encounter / clash with the new society and the new culture has a strong impact on migrants, who have to face several stressors, such as: • social stressors (forced separation from family and friends and consequent need to recreate a social network); • linguistic and cultural stressors - need to learn a new language (formal and informal), new ways of joking and new habits; risk of self-marginalisation into their community of origin present in the country of arrival; • environmental stressors (climatic differences, transition from a rural to an urban society); • psychological stressors (psychosocial stress and transculturation stress).

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF A MIGRANT ADOLESCENCE SHAPING IDENTITY AND PERSONALITY THROUGHOUT ADOLESCENCE In a society of people on the move (244million migrants all over the world, of which 65.3 million people facing forced migration - UNHCR data, 2016), the idea of an identity based on territorial belonging or nationality seems to be a limiting and misleading idea (see the political debate on Ius Soli - Savino, 2014). Creating barriers, both physical and cultural, between us and the others does not seem to be possible. Barriers are fleeting and borders interchangeable; tracking a dividing line would therefore mean to exclude all resources and potentials arising from the encounter between differences.

Migration flows could give rise to new cultures within societies: migrants carry a new culture, expression of their source country, that deeply changes thanks to the constant contact with new experiences and new people during their journey.

Crossing different territories and different contexts, migrants shape a multiple sense of belonging and identity, undermining the idea of an identity anchored to a single territory and nation.

From this point of view, the discourse on identity appears to be inextricably associated with interpersonal and intercultural differences. Questions such as "Who am I?" "Who are we?" come from the awareness of being different from others and that every identity change is driven by "diversity". What we know about ourselves and our culture is linked to the differences existing between us and other individuals and their cultures.

Identity plays a fundamental role in the human psyche, since it allows us to be recognized, to have a legitimate place in the society and be someone.

Adolescence is a particularly delicate period for shaping one’s identity, since it is when adolescents grow away from their family in search of their own "individuality". This is a progressive process, far from being a linear path, but rather a series of attempts, discoveries, losses and doubts.

According to the results of recent research, brain development does not occur just during the first three years of life, as it was generally supposed – but it continues through childhood and adolescence too. During adolescence, human brain undergoes a series of structural changes that would make it particularly receptive. The most affected areas are those related to emotions and social relationships. Brain maturation during adolescence affects different parts of the brain, that develop at different rates: -

brain areas responsible for strong emotions develop soon, and are activated by the sexual steroids released during puberty; brain areas responsible for controlling emotions and impulses, assessing risk and reward and for complex future planning, develop last.

This means that there is a temporary discrepancy between adolescents in terms of strong emotions, impulsiveness, sensations and physical / sexual development, linked to the development of the neural structures that control and regulate these feelings and impulses.

Anthropologists and historians have broadly shown how experience and the concept of adolescence vary widely according to historical and socio-cultural contexts (Ariès 1968, Cunningham 2017, Honwana and De Boeck 2005).

However, attributing this diversity to a mere difference between cultures would be an understatement: it is necessary to grasp the importance of political, social and economic factors that produce poverty and inequality, unleash wars and shape the experiences of adolescence. If for most Western teenagers it is absolutely normal to choose not to work, to attend school and to be engaged in numerous recreational activities, in other parts of the world things are still very different.

Moreover, adolescence is, in itself, a passage, it means entering in the world of adulthood and being entitled to fully participate to the social dynamics. Various cultures consider adolescence in very different ways, as a phase of transition and change of social status.

Erickson (1998), a psychologist and psychoanalyst, connects adolescence to the "fifth evolutionary stage", when adolescents develop their personal identity. He argues that forming individual identity is a process different from those taking place during childhood: it is only when adolescents are able to select some of their infant sense of identity, in agreement with their own interests, talents and values, that they fully develop their identity. However, if the need to find individual identity turns into a frantic search for different models in which identify, adolescents risk falling into the socalled "role confusion": they may begin to feel confused or insecure about themselves, trying different social roles in a sort of "psychological tourism" without ever being able to create an original alternative. In other words, developing personal identity does not consist only in creating a secure, autonomous and original identity, but it also requires that individuals build an "I", sensitive to their needs and talents and that makes them fit into the surrounding social context.

The further challenge that migrant adolescents have to face is to integrate the different "matrices" of the migration process into their own identity (Terres des Hommes, 2017). The main matrices and the phenomena relating to them, which can often coexist, are: Political and economic and Structural Matrices: they are the result of failed economic policies that generate individual, social and collective desire for redemption. The migrant thus becomes the means by which an entire family or even an entire social group may redeem their economic and social status, Representational Matrices: strongly influenced by mass media and new means of communication, through which destination countries are often misrepresented in the country of origin, regarding living conditions and economic opportunities of emigrated compatriots. Europe is seen as a great power, where everything is possible and where one can easily enrich or become famous and important. This vision of Europe is strongly influenced also by the cultural and identity legacies linked to the colonial and post-colonial period, that promoted western lifestyle and social, economic and cultural model; Generational inversion phenomena and adulthood : unaccompanied foreign minors have become the new source of livelihood for their families of origin, the only breadwinner, thus reversing roles with their parents. They are therefore forced - or chose voluntarily to follow personal ambitions and autonomy, typical of adolescence - to take responsibilities and roles of adulthood precociously, renouncing care and dependency typical of childhood; Journey as a rite of passage: as is the case of the generational inversion, often the migration journey can led to a change of the socio-cultural status

Rites of passage create a bond between the individual and a group (especially when structural matrices are active, in the case of the migration process), and may organise the migrant’s life according to precise stages, which allow the individual to maintain a relationship with its temporariness and its mortality. White (1992) identifies three phases through which the rites of passage develop: separation, liminality, and incorporation. The first phase (of separation) comprises the detachment of the individual from the social structure (context of origin); the second (liminal) phase is the period of transition, a symbolic passage during which one has left one place or state but has not yet entered or joined the next (journey); in the third phase (reaggregation or incorporation), having completed the rite and assumed its "new" identity, one re-enters society with a new status (new identity in a new social context).

The liminal phase, which characterizes the transition phase in a rite of passage (in this case, the migration journey), was analyzed by the Scottish anthropologist Victor Turner (Van Gennep, 1981),that considered the particular camaraderie creating between those who experience this condition. Turner defined "communitas" as an egalitarian social interaction based on mutual empathic adaptation, rather than on a system of rules and interactions established by the normative social structure. In this phase, the individual lives in an ambiguous, transitional condition, characterized by the absence of well-defined social roles. Such condition relegates the individual on the fringes of society, waiting for its entry into a new social status. According to Turner, it assures the "recognition of a generic and essential human bond, without which no society could exist" (ibidem). This is what we observe among the Unaccompanied Foreign Minors hosted in first-line reception centers, especially those who have to stay for a long time in First Aid and Reception Centres, isolated from the rest of the local community and without any integration and autonomy project. In these cases, the liminal phase lasts much longer than expected and, due to the permanent lack of reference points, it may degenerate into discomfort or psychopathological disorders.

IDENTITY AND NARRATION Identities are the result of stories that come into contact with other stories and mutually change, while retaining links with the past. Identity comes from what we choose to tell about ourselves and our experiences (our narrations) and what others choose to tell about themselves and their experiences (their narrations). Therefore, our narrations - what we want to pass on about us and our being and the meaning we give to the world – make up our identity.

According to Hall et al. (2006), "identities are processes that constitute and recreate the subjects that act and speak in the social and cultural universes". They lie on representations and symbols, through which they show to individuals in daily life.

Narration appears to be a useful tool to become aware of our symbolism and our representations and to know, confront and interchange with other people’s symbols and representations. Narration thus plays a fundamental role in our life, especially for those forced to face traumatic and destabilizing situations: telling about oneself is a chance to see with new painful eyes parts of oneself and of individual experiences, to modify them by acquiring new skills, new abilities, new kinds of knowledge and learning to manage emotions and difficult situations.

It would be helpful in this respect the narrative approach proposed by the Australian psychotherapist White (1992). A narrative approach views problems as separate from people, giving the possibility to describe oneself and one's own relationships from a new perspective. Psychological and psychosocial support thus becomes a way to create a ‘new logos’ and discover new meanings that change our vision of life.

Fixing a definition, redefining, changing point of view, allow to detach from problems, as if difficulties and the related symptoms were in no way under the will of the individual. Achieving this change, it is possible to: - reducing unproductive situations of conflict between people; - reducing the sense of failure and opening up new possibilities of taking action; - preparing the ground for cooperation between people; - enabling people to take a more positive, effective and less anxious attitude; - giving more possibilities to have a dialogue, rather than a monologue, about problems and life, through confrontation with other points of view on the problem.

ACCULTURATIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE PROCESSES Migrations change not only immigrants, but also the host societies, determining profound processes of métissage (miscegenation, hybridization), that transform the collective identity (Glissant, 1996). These processes affect migrants, both individually and collectively, since they relate to new ways of thinking, of saying, of doing things that change them.

Their identity changes through a long, sometimes painful, but always creative process.

This process is defined as "process of acculturation" for migrants and "transformation process" for the host societies, although they are two sides of the same process, that generates the métissage of the groups, individuals and cultures that compose them. This concerns those who go through the migration journey and, even more, their children, who experience the resulting context first-hand (Moro, 2002).

Acculturative and transformative processes create a continuum between separated societies, at one extreme, and hybrid, mixed race society at the other. This continuum provides for a fourfold model that categorizes acculturation strategies for both host societies and individuals (Pandolfi, 2005): Cultural distance: lack of interest and distance from other cultures. Cultures do not know each other or mix, knowledge of other people is based on stereotypes and prejudices Multiculturalism: acceptance of other cultures which, however, remain divided into self-contained compartments.

Cultures know and accept each other, but do not mix.

Interculturality: involves a transformation, tolerating each other and adopting some features of the other culture.

Diversities are well integrated and accepted. This is the level of métissage Transculturalism: provides for a hybridization process that takes place after a meaningful encounter between different cultures. We need to rewrite the terms, the concepts, the ways of doing therapy and relating to others. New cultures with new characteristics, different from the existing ones, are created. This is the level of creolization.

In this context, unaccompanied foreign minors may develop four possible identity models (Berry, 1990), such as:

Cosmopolitanism (marginalization): children imagine their future around the world, not in a specific place, without having a place that can be called home and feeling like having few links with the culture of both their country of origin and the host country. The risk arising is isolation and / or social exclusion, perceiving oneself different from others, without any point of contact or roots; Return to roots (separation): individuals preserve the culture and traditions of their country of origin, rejecting the host culture and attending exclusively people belonging to the same community. The risk arising is radicalization, defined as indiscriminate acceptance and exaltation of an idea and / or an identity considered the only possible way Camouflage (assimilation): it is the very opposite of returning to roots. Individuals fully accept and identify with the culture of the host country, they do not speak their native language and do not spend time with compatriots. The risk arising is the loss of a fundamental part of their identity, context of origin and roots; Bicultural model (integration): different aspects of the host culture are successfully integrated. The different cultural, and often contradictory, features that shape our identity (rhizomatic belonging) intersect and develop, allowing individuals to have excellent skills in different cultural universes. This is the model that best produces psychological well-being and healthy evolution.

1.2 MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT: TAKING CARE AND RESTORING HUMANITY SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL AND PEDAGOGICAL CARE OF UNACCOMPANIED FOREIGN MINORS IN RECEPTION CENTERS: FROM TRAUMA TO DIGNITY In Italy, in accordance with Legislative Decree No. 142/2015 and the Zampa Law (47/2017), unaccompanied foreign minors are guaranteed the right to reception in first-line reception centres, where aid workers are called to contribute with a holistic approach to the assessment of the Best Interests of the child, as defined by article 3, paragraph 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), through a "primary consideration with reference to all actions concerning children".

When assessing and determining the Best Interests of the child, specialized operators working in multidisciplinary teams should support educational, pedagogical and psychological professionals in developing individualized plans for each child, to promote the development of their potential and aspirations.

The traumatic experiences that unaccompanied minors face in the countries of origin, during their journey and when arriving in a completely new context, must be taken over by aid workers, who have the responsibility of taking care of unaccompanied minors, helping them to overcome the categorization of "victim" and positively redefine themselves, restoring the dignity of individuals.

Psychosocial care is part of the management of first-line reception centres in a double way: 1. ensuring that children are effectively and functionally listened to determine their best interests; 2. taking charge of children’s traumatic experiences in order to activate their resilience and design a new personal project of life.

First-line reception times, extending beyond the 30-day period provided for by law, require aid workers to redefine their actions, both at operational and emergency level. Starting the necessary legal and basic care procedures, to meet children’s primary psycho-physical needs, thus become the starting point and not the final stage of child protection - as defined by IASC guidelines.

With this shift in perspective, first-line reception centres have become places where children are given heed and psychological support, that represent a first and vital help in the reorganization of their identity, experiences and story.

Providing support and bonding with children is crucial to compare and reconsider their traumatic experiences, even though it may be a complex and painful process.

In this sense, a holistic and systemic approach, combined with community-based actions may become essential features to protect unaccompanied minors from the psychopathological risks deriving from the inability to work through their traumatic experiences (Bastianoni, Taurino, 2008). This kind of approach is equally essential to respond to children’s request to be “considered as adult", based on their experiences and/or the responsibilities assigned by their community of origin.

Reception starts indeed from the principle of child protection, aimed at those who, often, don’t feel like being children, for a variety of reasons. On the one hand, the dividing line between childhood/adolescence and adulthood is determined at cultural and social level, and therefore it is not universally attained at 18 years; on the other hand, after months or years spent travelling alone and taking care of themselves, many boys and girls have difficulty understanding why aid workers are required to protect them. Some systems of care may, however, be perceived as limiting or restrictive, reducing individual responsibility. It is also necessary, in order to work with children in the most appropriate, effective and adequate way, to realise that often, behind their implicit or explicit request of being treated like adults, there is the need to start a small job and provide a little income to their family living in the country of origin.

DIFFICULTIES AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN THE MIGRATION PROCESS An extensive scientific literature (Cantor-Graee E., Selten JP, 162: 12-24, 2005) has highlighted how the experiences faced during the migration process and the perception of those experiences are related to the psycho-physical well-being of migrants. In fact, while migration could provide an opportunity for personal growth, on the other hand it exposes migrants to various risk factors.

In fact, the loss of social and family relationships, linguistic and cultural differences, the possible traumas experienced before and during the migration process, the stress faced for having to constantly relate with a "foreign" context and, frequently, discriminatory and xenophobic attitudes expressed by other people, make migrants be considered as a "fragile social group, with specific needs that can increase their vulnerability and lead to different forms of mental distress" (Aragona M., Pucci D., Mazzetti M., Maisano B., Geraci S., 2013).

Acute reactions from stress disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disease (PTSD), major depression and anxiety disorders seem to be the most frequent psychiatric pathologies. The most frequently encountered symptoms are instead: memories and distressing nightmares about the trauma suffered, and which are associated with emotional and physical reactions, sleep disorders, food disorders, memory disorders, lack of the attention and concentration. There may also be symptoms of depression, irritability and emotional liability.

These data help but to confirm that migrants represent one of the groups who mostly of all are at risk of developing mental disorders and at the same time one of the most deficient in receive treatments and adequate services.

Moreover, some of the previous traumatic symptomatology (memory disorders and attention deficit disorder) could also be responsible for the contradictions or gaps in the narration of one's personal history, which could influence the outcome of the application for international protection. It may happen that individuals can be unsure of themselves and of the experiences lived, or that they have difficulties in reconstructing a spatial and temporal sequence, due to the denial of the violence suffered. Primo Levi in "If this is a Man "(1947, p.110) states: "Today, this true day, when I am sitting at a table and writing, I myself am not sure that these things really happened".

Particularly important seems to be the somatization process, that is the presence of somatic symptoms in the absence of organic pathologies, or the deterioration of physical disorders, beyond a possible physiogenic connection (Kirmayer, 1984). The symptoms are not under the person's conscious control and are a real problem with a strong affective, cognitive and behavioural component. This clinical picture is further stressed by objective difficulties in expressing one's own state of mind in a foreign language, to people with a different culture, in a condition of general mistrust in human beings and humankind, which is often the result of the traumas suffered during and/or after the migration journey.

Furthermore, as pointed out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), having suffered early traumatic experiences, and living in a community with cultural and social norms that stigmatize and belittle psychological suffering compared to physical suffering, may contribute to the onset of somatization processes.

TRAUMA IN THE MIGRATION PROCESS The encyclopaedia of psychoanalysis defines the trauma as “An event in the subject's life defined by its intensity, by the subject's incapacity to respond adequately to it, and by the upheaval and long-lasting effects that it brings about in the psychical organisation. The trauma is characterised by an influx of excitations that is excessive by the standard of the subject's tolerance and capacity to master such excitations and work them out psychically.” (Laplanche J., Pontalis J. B., 2008).The same trauma can therefore affect the life of individuals in different ways, according to their ability to rely on personal solid resources (resilience).

On the other hand, the same individual may suffer more or less serious damage depending on the type of event he/she has to face. When a trauma is due to "natural" events, individuals will have to deal with material consequences such as poverty, mourning and economic problems, but they will still have self-confidence and trust in others (Lalli, 1997).

But when the traumatic event is not due to natural factors, but to human violence, the trauma becomes even more severe and more difficult to bear, since the underlying confidence in the solidarity among human beings collapses. The loss of confidence in other human beings, and in the predictability of external events, creates anguish of death and destruction of one’s own person and personality. The experience of anthropogenic violence - that is violence intentionally perpetrated by a human being on another human being - affects certainties and beliefs that had been taken for granted, and may have a long-lasting and significant effect on the psychophysical health of individuals.

This frequently occurs in migrants who are victims of torture, who easily experience significant changes in their personality (either temporary or long-lasting), such as to change an individual’s way of perceiving, reasoning and attitudes towards itself and others (Aragona et al., 2012).

The concept of "psychosocial trauma" refers to those stressful conditions that generate intense and disturbing emotional reactions, occurring in response to a destructive social process that is excessive by the standard of human tolerance.

According to this definition, we have the possibility to focus not only on individual experiences, but also on the social and cultural characteristics in which the traumatic events occurred, and on the social consequences they have. To this end,

the trauma is the result of the interaction between the social context and the characteristics of each individual (Santone G., Gnolfo F., 2008). Taking the psychosocial perspective into account will help us to define projects that consider the resources and criticalities of individuals, society, community, groups and social fabric.

Psychosocial trauma does not arise from a single traumatic event, but from multiple traumatic episodes that occurred before (violence suffered in the country of origin), after (transculturation stress and risk of rejection, detention or loss of personal freedom) and during the migration process (violence, torture, loss of traveling companions, detention, continuous risk for personal safety).

Starting from the concept of psychosocial trauma allows us to focus not only on individual specific symptoms, but to define the sociocultural coordinates within which traumas develop, since these factors may mitigate or intensify trauma.

According to evidence-based literature (Schweitzer, R., Melville, F., Steel, Z., & Lacherez, P., 2006), the so-called postmigration living difficulties (post-migration existential difficulties), that is, the living conditions that migrants find in the host country, play a key role in determining psychic health, comparable (and, in some cases, even greater) to the trauma experienced during migration and pre-migration processes. Migrants who suffered serious traumas but find good reception conditions, experience greater psychological well-being compared to those who suffered minor traumas but find adverse life conditions in the host country. Indeed, inadequate reception conditions increase the psychological discomfort of migrants (Aragona et al., 2012).

In particular, there are three elements of the Post-Migration Living Difficulties (PMLD) that appear to be particularly retraumatizing (Aragona M., Geraci S., Mazzetti M., 2014): - living in a deculturalizing context, in which migrants are not perceived as individuals with their own culture, but as a passive object whose cultural features are not recognized; - social loneliness and social exclusion processes, often exacerbated by the lack of clear and well defined Individualized Education Projects and Integration Projects; - exposure to trigger events, such as direct or indirect violence, instances of racism (suffered or observed), lack of a familiar and welcoming atmosphere.

In this context, dysfunctional reception systems and inadequate care for unaccompanied foreign minors may also lead to the so-called "secondary victimization". This term refers to the victim-blaming attitudes, behaviours and practices engaged in by service providers, which results in additional trauma. Therefore the person already victim of trauma and violence, becomes a victim for a second time. This process in particular is generated in relation to the negative consequences from the emotional and relational point of view that can arise from the contact between the victim and the system of institutions that would be supposed in theory responsible of his/her protection (Bandini, 1991). It is quite common that, in the Italian reception system, "victims" are forced to recount the traumas suffered several times, to assess their credibility and consistency, even after some time, risking to forget some details and contradict the statements issued at first. This is connected with the system for obtaining international protection, whose current structure depends on the Territorial Commission’s assessment. Meeting the Commission and the whole preparation phase, may cause secondary victimization of minors, since all statements are strictly examined, selected, clarified and reconstructed in an attempt to build an unchallengeable truth.

STRESS AND ACCULTURATIVE STRESS Stress is a psychophysical tension resulting from demanding circumstances and emotional, cognitive or social factors, that the individual perceives as excessive.

Based on observations made during our work in reception centers for unaccompanied foreign minors, we have identified the main stress indicators that affect unaccompanied minors: physical symptoms: tiredness, headache, back pain, indigestion, neck and shoulders tension, stomach ache, tachycardia, sweating hands, sleep-wake cycle disorders, hyperphagia or hypophagia. behavioural symptoms: Compulsive eating behaviour, critical attitude towards others, aggressive behaviour emotional symptoms: tension, anger, nervousness, anxiety, sudden crying, depressed mood, feeling of powerlessness, tendency to get excited or feel upset cognitive symptoms: problems in decision-making, constant worries, loss of sense of humour, lack of creativity, attention/concentration disorders.

Migrants have to face different stressful tasks: they have to learn a new language, adapt to a new socio-cultural context and comply with new rules and social norms, without any important resources available in the source country (social status, role within the community and network of social relations).

Being in a situation of encounter-clash, between different cultural models, puts migrants to a continuous effort to redefine their identity; this effort is even more intense when the migration process involves adolescents and pre-adolescents, who

are in a sensitive phase of their life for the development of their identity. The risk is what Foucault describes (1969): “when the man remains a stranger to what filters in his own language, when he cannot recognize human and vital meanings without perceiving it as a homeland, then he has been living into a culture which determines the pathologies proliferation”.

This situation is defined as transcultural or acculturative stress, a particular condition of psychological stress migrants have to manage in the effort to adapt to the new context. In this phase, the role of reception centres workers is crucial to facilitate the process of social inclusion among people with different cultural backgrounds, acting as a "social buffer", through the recognition of personal and cultural dignity, and the participatory discussion of rules, meanings and ways of relating to others.

Acculturative stress is defined by the Institute of International Education as "a reduction in health status" and "the perception of the host country as a hostile and negative environment". Acculturative stress is therefore a state of mental disorientation, emotional fragility and feeling of social dismay that affects migrants living in a different cultural context, that may question individual’s identity and self-recognition. Those who move to a new country have to struggle to adapt, socially and psychologically, to a new culture; the greater the differences between norms, politics, social customs and standards of training between the country of origin and the host country are, the greater acculturative stress incidence will be. Finally, recent research shows the close correlation between acculturative stress and depressive and/or anxious symptoms (Thoman, L. V., & Su-ris, A., 2004).

RIGHT TO PARTICIPATION Several provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child deals with child’s right to participation. Participation is one of the guiding principles of the Convention, as well as one of its fundamental challenges. Article 12 states that children shall be provided the opportunity to participate in decisions that affect them and encourages adults to listen to the opinions of children and involve them in decision-making, within family, school and community. Children are capable of forming their own views and have the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting them; the views of the child should being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child. Participation is essential for self-development. Adolescents cannot develop if they are relegated to passive roles, reduced to spectators who only have to accept unilateral decisions. Conversely, through participation, young people develop skills, competencies and ambitions, acquire self-confidence and increase their resilience. Active participation allows children to become skilled, competent and confident, and to participate even more effectively.

(UNICEF, 2001). This experience fosters the psychological well-being, increasing the sense of control over one's life.

Furthermore, participation ensures a greater success of life: it is well known that boys and girls who have an active role in defining and managing their projects, not only contribute with significant ideas and inputs, but become co-protagonists and more responsible for their actions and are more motivated to act.

Participation also promotes learning, develops life skills and allows self-protection. Adolescents who are encouraged to express their opinions and be assertive are more likely to have greater self-esteem and self-confidence. They will be able to better manage offensive, threatening or unfair situations, asking for advice to overcome a negative situation or to cope in a creative way provided no alternatives exist. (UNICEF, 1999a: 3.2). In this sense, participation is fundamental for protection, although excessive protection can make teens feel helpless, dependent and unprepared to face the new challenges of life.

RESILIENCE, FLOURISHING E POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH The term resilience, coined by the world of physics and biology is used by psychologists and sociologists to indicate "the ability to successfully cope with adversity and traumatic experiences without breaking down, enhancing one’s personal and social resources" (Oliverio Ferraris, 2003).

Many scholars seem to agree on the definition of resilience as "The capacity of a person or a group to develop positively, to continue to design their own future, in spite of destabilising events, hard conditions of life, severe traumas” (Malaguti, 2005). This definition highlights the close relationship between the individual and the social context, determining the characteristics of resilience. Resilience is the result of the interaction between individual subjectivity, personal experiences and economic, social, political and cultural context.

The concept of resilience is also studied with reference to groups and communities (Community resilience), to indicate a condition that, in emergency situations or collective difficulties, increases the cohesion between the group members and the vital resources of individual participants (Di Blasio, 1995). The development of resilience factors may be negatively influenced by some risk factors such as: a precarious family situation, adverse social and environmental factors (poverty, unemployment, emigration, relational isolation), health problems, life-threatening situations (wars, natural disasters, forced deportations, torture).

Obviously, a single risk factor is not sufficient to determine individual maladjustment: to contrast the negative effects of adverse circumstances, there are many protective factors that can be divided into three main areas (Ius, Milani, 2010):

- Individual protective factors: positive attitude, intelligence, sociability, communication skills, empathy, coherence, optimism (the quality of emphasizing the good parts of a situation), problem-oriented coping, humour, hardiness (tendency to believe and act as if one can influence the events taking place around oneself through one’s own efforts and the belief that change, rather than stability, constitutes motivating opportunities -

- Family protective factors: facilitating family atmosphere (collaboration and sharing of positive experiences), emotional warmth and family cohesion, adequate educational structure (balance between affective and normative aspects), positive bonds, flexible family organizational models, availability of social and economic resources, communicative processes aimed at mutual understanding in times of crisis, encouraging free expression of emotions, and a collaborative approach to problem solving.

- Extra-familial and social protective factors: social support, non-punitive social environment, attentive and appropriate school environment and educational success, presence of adult role models outside the family, good informal and peer relationships, participation in a positive social structure, collective sense of group.

To summarise, we could say, as claimed by Gilligan (1997), that the development of resilience is based on three key features: having a secure base; a good self-esteem; self efficacy.

The concept of resilience also includes flourishing and post-traumatic growth.

Flourishing, a concept coined by the American psychologist Seligman (2012) can be defined as the ability for a person to grow as a human being, acting to increase flourishing, nurturing its own talents and building deep and long-lasting relationships The personal ability to flourish through the contact with others and the environment develops around 5 main features: positive emotions; active engagement; understanding of the meaning and the purpose of one's existence; accomplishment in harmony with oneself and the others; good social relations.

Tedeschi and Calhoun (2004) observed some victims of trauma, their reactions and their psychological state after different experiences. Analysing evidence from observation, they found an unexpected trend of some of these people: they not only coped with circumstances, but also undertook a positive change. Investigating the nature of these processes of change, two authors coined the term “Posttraumatic Growth�, defined as "a positive psychological change that occurs as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life crises" (Tedeschi and Calhoun 2004).

Positive posttraumatic changes generally occur in three main areas: sense of personal strength, interpersonal relationships, and vision of life. Posttraumatic growth may therefore take different forms: changed priorities, an increased appreciation for life, more meaningful interpersonal relationships, richer existential and spiritual life, an increased sense of personal strength.

Chapter 2 FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE I love what from

None educates nobody, nobody is educated alone, people are educated together with the mediation of the world

Evans, 17 years old, unaccompanied child Nigeria

Paulo Freire

2.1 PSYCHOSOCIAL PARADIGM, PSYCHOSOCIAL ACTIVITIES AND GROUP TALKS

When taking care of unaccompanied foreign minors, psychosocial activities are an important therapeutic methodology, focused on the use of imagination, the discovery of one's own resources and potential, and the possibility of discussing individual experiences. The aim is to increase beneficiaries’ knowledge and know-how (knowledge and procedures), giving a central role to individual characteristics (motivations, personality traits, self-image, knowledge and skills).

Psychosocial support is essential to strengthen and encourage the empowerment of migrants in the fulfilment of their migration project, increasing their resilience, promoting the analysis of past experiences and developing plans for the future. Psychosocial activities allow migrants to rediscover, enhance and restore meaning to their culture of origin, symbols and "cosmo-logic" (Coppo, 2008); on the other hand, they reduce acculturative stress, encouraging relations with people and culture of the country of arrival. The adjective “psychosocial” requires us not to focus exclusively on "symptomatology", but to define the socio-cultural elements of the psychic problems experienced.

Furthermore, psychosocial activities appear to be an extremely flexible tool, that allows to overcome many of the limits of the traditional psychological setting occurring in therapies within reception centers (e.g. absence of beneficiaries’ explicit request, the unavailability of a structured standard setting, the inability to arrange long-term therapies), giving unaccompanied foreign minors greater opportunities to meet European mental health professionals (Polito, 2017).

Such activities are therefore indispensable to support migrants in their migration project, enhancing individual, family and social resources at local level, and facing the risks to which minor migrants can be exposed.

The psychosocial paradigm has specific features to differentiate psychosocial activities from recreational and psychological ones.

The main features are: the centrality of interpersonal relationships and their reorganization, a willingness to do together and to recover trust in others and, more generally, the "goodness of man", recognizing – as De Martino (1959) stated - the "common fund of humanity"; The centrality of interpersonal relations, of their restructuring, of doing together and recover confidence in others and, more in general, in "man goodness" recognizing - as De Martino says (1959) - The "common fund of humanity"; The primary importance assigned to individual provisions of the subject (capacity, skills, emerging issues, interests and reasons); Allowing the participants to auto-recognize the capacity to know and to know how to do, through the acquisition of knowledge, interests and new techniques.

The main objectives of the psychosocial paradigm are then: enhancing resilience strategies restoring links with the different positive identity systems (emotional, cultural, religious, etc.); offering spaces for personal and interpersonal debate and spaces for symbolization and resymbolization, allowing migrants to tell their stories and listen to different points of view on important events and situations; reflecting together on expectations and foster projects, providing resources rather than schemes; fixing the identity breach due to the loss of personal bonds and safety.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS W ITH UNACCOMPANIED FOREIGN MINORS: INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP PSYCHOLOGICAL CARE As summarized in "Accogliere rifugiati e richiedenti asilo. Manuale dell’operatore critico” (Faso, Bontempelli, 2017) (Receiving refugees and asylum seekers. Critical operator's manual), many reception actors ascribe migrants’ behaviours to their 'culture', simplistically thought as a national culture. We have often heard statements such as "We know that Nigerians are undisciplined and unmanageable”, or “Everybody knows that people from Bangladesh are mild

and collaborative". These are unfounded stereotypes: not just because they are based on arbitrary and trivializing generalizations (Nigerians are not all the same, just as Italians, Swiss, Germans, etc.), but also because they leave the context in which people live and act out". These generalizations and simplifications may be detrimental when building relationships, especially when such relationships are built with professionals such as psychologists and caseworkers, who provide unaccompanied minors psychosocial support.

The approach to care developed in European and North American countries may face a series of problems if implemented with unaccompanied foreign minors.

The first problem is structuring a "Therapeutic setting". The psychologist is a therapeutic professional that originated in Western contexts, and therefore socially, culturally and historically defined, to which many migrants in reception centres are not familiar. The care procedures developed in many of the migrants source countries rarely provide for the involvement of the patient and the therapist, but often involve the whole family or community of origin. All this contributes to refrain minors from asking for care, even in situations of serious trouble, considering also their typical difficulty in making specific requests for help.

The second problem is the impossibility to plan long-term therapies and establish structured help relationships. The time minors will spend inside reception centres cannot generally be established in advance, and they are often forced to abandon reception projects suddenly. Therefore, individual/group psychosocial intervention must be structured in a climate of cultural sensitivity and knowledge of different worldviews. The therapeutic intervention should focus on individuals and on their personal and cultural identity.

2.2 MANAGING A GROUP OF UNACCOMPANIED FOREIGN MINORS: PREVENTING PROFESSIONAL BURNOUT Many times, meeting and speaking with reception centres workers, especially those who work in the very early stages of reception, we noticed their discomfort and frustration in feeling perceived by unaccompanied minors as responsible for the various shortcomings and delays they have face along their path. Clearly, most of these critical issues do not depend on individual workers, but are faults and problems of care systems, related to long and exhausting bureaucratic procedures, or to institutional delays (e.g. Long lead times needed to obtain necessary documents). In addition to the above, there’s the difficulty of working in contexts where there is not a clear definition of one’s duties and competences, leading to a debasement of professional roles in the eyes of migrants.

Starting from this discomfort, we decided to devote a paragraph to the topic of professional burnout, since the relationship between migrants and professionals is bidirectional, and to be functional must ensure the well-being of both parties.

The American psychologist Maslach (1981) defines burnout as "a reaction to the chronic emotional tension arising from the continuous contact with human beings who have problems or reasons for suffering".

Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur in occupations where employees are more in interaction with other people (nurses, doctors, teachers, social workers, educators, psychologists, etc.) and can often be used as a defence mechanism to counteract the stress caused by an imbalance between work requests and available resources. It becomes pathological when professionals do not respond adequately to excessive loads of stress, and it leads to a decay of psychophysical resources and a significant worsening of professional services. Burnout appears with feelings of exhaustion, a cynical attitude toward the job and people involved in the job and through a reduced personal accomplishment or work efficiency.

As a clinical/medical condition, burnout includes the following symptoms: lack of tone and vital energy (feeling very tired even after waking up, without enthusiasm in dealing with the day, Feelings of apathy, chronic fatigue are the first alarm bell); Forgetfulness/impaired concentration and attention (concentration capacities begin to falter, remembering becomes harder and harder, causing a poor academic/professional performance). There may be other physical problems such as: tachycardia, extra-systoles and heart palpitations, chest pain and hypertension, bronchial asthma and hyperventilation, with rapid and superficial breath, postural problems. Stress is also closely linked to digestive problems (abdominal disorders and poor digestion), sleep disorders and insomnia (the tension of stressful periods does not allow the body, muscles and system to relax completely; this has very negative consequences since it prevents the body to recover and reset during the night, accumulating physical and mental fatigue day by day), skin problems, excessive sweating (of hands and feet), hyperhidrosis that can also affect the endocrine system and the secretory activities of the peripheral glands (adrenal, pancreas, kidneys, thyroid).

We can distinguish 4 stages of burnout (Edelwich, Brodsky, 1980): - Enthusiasm: workers feel motivated about their profession, with expectations of "Omnipotence", success, improvement of their and clients’ status. In this first phase, workers start getting in touch with clients’ needs, and often leave out or neglect their deep needs and motivations

- Stagnation: The second stage is usually accompanied by a lack of enthusiasm towards work. People keep on working but recognize that work does not entirely satisfy them and the results of their efforts begin to be inconsistent.

From a previous feeling of health, goodness, power, workers become victim of the pain, discomfort and needs of their clients, as if it were difficult to distinguish their own identity.

- Frustration: the third stage is usually accompanied by a lack of confidence. Workers are persuaded about their own uselessness. Physical and emotional difficulties can appear with other problems in their social life such as conflicts within relationships, with friends or family, with a superior or in the workplace in general. At this stage, frustrated individuals could show an aggressive attitude, towards themselves or others.

- Fourth stage: it is the gradual disengagement of workers that could lead to a real "professional death", that is exiting the profession.

In order to prevent and treat people from burnout it is necessary to: -

properly organise the workplace; build a positive working atmosphere, which fosters motivation; ensure training and information sharing (e.g. through monitoring processes, meetings with external experts); ensure a rewarding environment, helping workers to manage their personal emotional load and promoting psychophysical wellbeing, to prevent work-related stress

With the premises of these first two chapters, that investigated the struggles and resources of both unaccompanied foreign minors and frontline workers, the next pages aim at offering some ideas and opportunities, to guide professionals working with unaccompanied foreign minors in psychosocial programming, ensuring the effective and central participation of children at every stage.

Chapter 3 PSYCHOSOCIAL ACTIVITIES “there is also someone who educated without concealing the absurdity of our world, and that is open to every kind of development, but, at the same time, he tries to be honest with others as well as with himself, dreaming that other people can be different: everyone grows up only if dreamed” Danilo Dolci The next pages want to represent the reference point for professionals working in reception centers for unaccompanied foreign minors, to develop psychosocial activities. The activities are divided considering the time minors spend within the facilities - short, medium and long term -, from their arrival to their departure/ transfer.

For each activity, we wanted to focus on the purposes and objectives that can be achieved and on the life skills that can be developed and/or strengthened. According to WHO (World Health Organization), life skills are “abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable humans to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of life” and can be divided into three main areas: emotional, relational and cognitive abilities.

As a theoretical reference, speaking of unaccompanied foreign minors and adolescents, it has been decided to refer to the 10 life skills, identified by Unicef in “The Adolescent Toolkit”: Identity and self-esteem: ability to reflect and analyse one’s strengths and weaknesses, roles and responsibilities, the goals achieved; develop respect for others; Learn how to be part of a group; promote common features among different groups

Communication and expression: ability to understand individual strengths and weaknesses, listen to others, express ideas and opinions through writing; express ideas and opinions verbally, ability to communicate effectively and peacefully.

Creativity and innovation: ability to explore ideas and thoughts through writing, music, theatre and other arts; find innovative and creative solutions to problems, take risks and benefit from the opportunities that may arise Coping with stress and managing emotions: ability to express emotions constructively, recognise and understand emotional stress, use functional strategies to reduce stress and manage emotions, recognise how emotions and stress can influence others, react in in a constructive way to other people emotions and stress

Cooperation and teamwork: consider the different abilities as a precious resource for a team, listen to other people's ideas and opinions, find cooperative solutions, be inclusive, find compromises with a group or team, create healthy, respectful and cooperative relationships with others.

Empathy and respect: ability to listen and understand the thoughts and feelings of others, particularly those with different backgrounds and cultures, build positive relationships with family, friends and peers.

Critical thinking and decision making: ability to weigh risks and benefits of possible actions, collect and verify information to make informed choices, support decisions with evidence and arguments, recognize stereotypes (gender, culture, race).

Problem solving and managing conflict: ability to understand the causes of problems and conflicts, explore multiple solutions for conflict management, to motivate others in understanding and respecting different opinions, ability to use negotiation techniques in interpersonal conflicts, consider and respect the different positions within a conflict, disagreement or problem.

At the end of each activity there is a space for notes and comments that facilitators can use for their feedbacks, or to write down possible changes to adapt each activity to the different contexts and groups. The objective is to leave this manual as an open tool, that every trained professional may use.

W HERE IMPLEMENTING ACTIVITIES The following activities are the result of the work carried out by the psycho-social team of MdM within the Temporary Reception Centres in the area of Reggio Calabria. They should not be restricted to first-line reception, but may also be proposed in second-line reception facilities (see medium and long-term sections), such as S.P.R.A.R., or within youth centers that host unaccompanied foreign minors, whose educational plan include the development of life skills.

All activities may be carried out indoor or outdoor, provided that the area is spacious enough to receive all the participants, is not a crossing point and is in a quiet and solitary position, to reduce external distractions.

ACTIVITY FACILITATORS Group activities should always be managed by at least one specialised worker - e.g. educators, social workers, or psychologists - to successfully integrate into the planning of customised strategies for each boy/girl.

Furthermore, to guarantee the effective participation of migrants, it is crucial to involve cultural mediators during the implementation of the activities and the discussion of children’s thoughts. Often, first-line reception centres work without adequate resources, with budget constraints and limited staff, finding it difficult to seek out skilled cultural mediators who can support foreign minors coming from different countries. For this reason, it is possible to carry out the different activities ensuring communication in the majority of the languages spoken in the centre, including Italian when possible.

The main role of cultural mediators will also be to share with educators, social workers and/or psychologist working in the center, specific observations collected during the activities, to identify children’s reactions and/or behaviours that may need a more customised care. The activities, even if carried out in group, may bring out personal experiences and traumatic memories that require adequate individual follow-up of the child by professionals and service providers.

DURATION The majority of the proposed activities have a maximum duration of a couple of hours to guarantee the continuous participation and attention of the children involved. In addition, some cards provide for multi-session activities, developed over several days and lasting longer. In this case, it is important to retain children’s interest and ensure their continuous participation, changing the various sessions to guarantee the effective involvement of the group, where necessary.

A PREMISE Before starting any type of psychosocial support path that foreseen proposing group activities such as those listed below, it is important that the operators and facilitators responsible of the implementation clearly explain the meaning and objectives to minors of what will be done in order to enable minors to deal with the demands and challenges of everyday life. Also, the support from psychosocial activities is like a relational activity aimed at mutual and community support, At the same time, it will be important to invite the minors to guarantee a continuous and active participation as much as possible in order to live the whole journey as a path of personal and relational growth. In order to screen the wellbeing of the minor and to monitor the support implemented, it will be necessary to use tools such as monitoring form and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale FREQUENCY It is recommended to develop the following activities at least twice a week, alternating recreational activities in the remaining days.

Psychosocial activities will be carried out with the aim of developing and strengthening life skills, after an assessment of the different needs of children by aid workers. There are different activities proposed (guidance, cultural exchange and creative activities, management of emotions, etc.) and, for each category, it will be possible to choose a couple of activities and alternate them, in order to implement a psychosocial support programme that meets the needs of a specific group.

3.1

ACTIVITIES FOR UNACCOMPANIED FOREIGN MINORS DURING SHORTTERM RECEPTION

RECEPTION, GUIDANCE, MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND GROUP COHESION ACTIVITIES

WELCOME ON BOARD Life Skills

Communication and expression, Identity and self-confidence, Cooperation and teamwork

Purposes and Presentation of the reception facility and orientation goals Involving guests in the daily life of the center, explaining rules and schedules.

No. of participants

All the beneficiaries in the center

Duration

1 hour 30 minutes

Materials required

Pens, ball, phrasebooks, notebook

Procedure

Life Skills

Purposes and goals No. of participants Duration Materials required Procedure

1.

Start the activity with a brief moment of ice breaker game.

Stand in a circleWHO and, in turn, throw the ball to a partner GUESS saying your name and what kind of activity you really like Creativity expression, Identity to and do. innovation, Once eachCommunication participant has and introduced him/herself, and self-start esteem, and but, respect the Empathy tour again, this time, the person who receives the ball will have to say the name of the person nextthe to him/her.

Introducing minor staying in the centre 2. Describe purposeand of the activity and what it consists Increasing mutualthe knowledge group cohesion of. This is the first activity to be proposed immediately after the arrival of center new boys/girls in the center. Share with All the beneficiaries in the them the objective of this first moment together: introducing yourselves, know each other, understanding theminutes place where they are, understanding the rules of the 1 hour 30 center and the activities proposed 3. Introduce the center and all those working there to each Pens, cards, adhesive tape beneficiary, underlining the various roles held. Rules and timetables, translated into various languages, will be delivered and hung on the wall.

1. Give Start all theguests activity standing in a circle and describing the 4. a small phrasebook, a notebook and a pen purpose and content of the activity to allow them to start learning Italian 2. Conclude Give boysthe andactivity girls a with cardaand a markertoand asks them to to 5. discussion allow children writequestions a word important to them withoutand showing to others. ask about unclear aspects the center they The word arrived in can refer to a place, a loved person, a dream, a desire, or a mood.

3. After everyone has written a word on the card, start in turn to paste the card on the forehead of the person sitting on your right, making sure that the person receiving the card does not read the word.

4. The person with the card on his/her head can start asking questions to other people to guess the word. Questions

5.

can only be answered with "yes" or "no".

Once the word is guessed, the person who wrote it tells others why he/she chose that word and why it is so importan to him/her during this phase of life.

5 “I” FOR 5 FINGERS Life Skills

Identity and self- esteem, Communication and expression, Creativity and innovation, Empathy and respect

Purposes and goals

Knowing the children in the centre better Increasing group cohesion Reflecting on one’s skills and competences

No. of participants

All the beneficiaries in the center

Duration

1 hour 30 minutes

Materials required

Pens, cards

Procedure

1.

2.

3.

4.

Notes

Start the activity standing in a circle and describing the purpose and content of the activity.

Give to each boy/girl a card and a marker and asks them to draw the shape of their hand on the sheet.

Ask them to write or draw on each finger of the hand one of their own characteristics, qualities, or faults Once everyone has finished completing or colouring their own hands, ask to the minors to show their card to others, telling something about themselves. Then cut all hands out and glue them on a poster with a tree drawn, and each hand will be a leaf of the tree.

The same activity can be proposed after the initial reception phase, asking everyone to draw the hand of a companion, writing 5 features that may characterize him/her

THE 3 H (HEAD, HEARTH, HANDS) Life Skills

Identity and self- esteem, Communication and expression, Creativity and innovation, Hope for the future and goal setting, Empathy and respect Purposes and Knowing the children in the centre better goals Increasing group cohesion Reflecting on one’s fears and expectations for the future No. of participants

All the beneficiaries in the centre

Duration

1 hour 30 minutes

Materials required

Large white boards, felt-tip pens, brushes, tempera, pencils

Procedure

1.

2.

3.

4.

Start the activity describing its purpose and content.

Stand in circle and give each person a large white board. Ask minors to work in pairs and to draw their own silhouette on the board. It is crucial to have a board large enough to contain the real shape of at least the bust and the head of each participant.

After finishing drawing the shape of their body, ask children to work individually and draw or write their worries in the area of their head, what they love and like to do near the heart and what they would like to have and hold in their hands.

Once all boys/girls have finished painting themselves on the board, ask them to show their work to the group, explaining what they decided to depict.

INTERCULTURAL ACTIVITY Life Skills

Empathy and respect, Creativity and innovation, Identity and selfesteem, Communication and expression, Leadership and influence

Purposes and goals

Promoting the exchange between the different cultures and traditions of the guests in the center.

Fostering a climate of harmony among children, supporting the idea that diversity generates wealth.

No. of participants

From a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 25

Duration

2 hours

Materials required

Speakers and microphone, sheets and markers, flags of the countries of origin of the participants

Procedure

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose and content (e.g.: "We all come from different countries, let’s get to know each other and the country we come from better ").

Divide participants into different groups, according to different nationalities (about 6/7 people for each group; if necessary, create mixed groups or divide people of the same nationality).

Ask each group to greet each other using 3 different expressions in 3 different local languages spoken in their country of origin.

Afterwards, ask each group to choose and sing a famous song of their country of origin.

Ask each group to draw a traditional house of their country of origin and show it to others.

Finally, each group has to prepare and perform a traditional dance, teaching others.

With the support of cultural mediators, emphasize the importance of knowing each other and other people’s country of origin, as a starting point of a common life within the reception center.

“WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE COME FROM”

Life Skills

Empathy and respect, Hope for the future and goal setting, Creativity and innovation, Identity and self- esteem, Communication and expression

Purposes and goals

Sharing one’s migration experience and knowledge of Italy and Europe Sharing expectations and willingness to stay in Italy or move to other European countries

No. of participants

From a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 25

Duration

2 hours

Materials required

White boards, markers, maps of Italy, Europe, Africa and the World, maps cut for puzzles and no labels maps of Italy and Europe

Procedure

1.

Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose and content (for example: "Today we will understand together where we are, the path we took before arriving here, and what we want to know about Italy, Europe and the city/country where we are").

2. Show a world map in large format and ask participants to draw the route of their journey, starting from their country of origin until arrival in Italy.

3. After this first phase, divide children into two or more groups to start a competition/game about the geographical knowledge they already have: a. Provide each team with the pieces of a map of Europe, some adhesive tape and a card. Ask them to recreate the maps in the shortest time possible. b. Then request each team to elect a spokesperson, who will have to guess the capital cities of the different European states asked by a facilitator. For each correct answer, a point will be awarded to the team. c. Lastly, ask each team to correctly place 10 cards with the names of the main Italian cities on a no labels map of Italy. d. Repeat together the information acquired during the game and analyse the geographical position of the reception centre (region, province and municipality), giving information on the relevant places that may be of interest to children (e.g. free wi-fi, public libraries, schools, nearest bus stop, etc.).

4. At the end of the activity, you may decide to give a small prize to the winning team, to recognize its commitment and participation. If necessary, the facilitator and the mediators will encourage children to share the prize with all the participants.

ART ATTACK Life Skills

Creativity and innovation, Identity and self- esteem, Communication and expression, Hope for the future and goal setting

Purposes and goals

Rediscovering and remembering one’s roots, identity and life path.

Drawing allows people to tell about themselves without words, expressing their emotions and their deepest feelings.

No. of participants

From a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 25

Duration

2 hours

Materials required

Sheets, posters, canvasses, brushes, tempera, pencil colors

Procedure

1. Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose and content (e.g.: "Each one of you has the chance to depict him/herself before and after the migration journey ").

2. Allow minors time to think about their past and present, trying to create a cosy and empathetic environment, possibly by means of adequate background music.

3. Ask each child to autonomously depict two different scenes of his/her life on a sheet/ poster/ canvas, before and after the migration journey.

4. Once everyone has finished, ask boys/girls to re-join the group and show their drawings to others, explaining its meaning. The facilitator, with the help of cultural mediators, will analyse, understand and deal with the different drawings. If necessary, it is possible to continue the activity with individual interviews, in case particular elements of vulnerability emerged during the display and narration phase.

MOVIE CLUB Life Skills

Hope for the future and goal setting, Communication and expression, Empathy and respect, Identity and self- esteem

Purposes and Offering food for thought and positive models, and boosting goals resilience to crises affecting personal life, the migration process, the opportunity for a better future, the differences existing between the contexts of origin and arrival.

No. of participants

Duration

Materials required

From a minimum of 5 to all the guests in the centre

2 hours

Projector, speakers, multilingual films (with subtitles) and a film description

Procedure

1. Start the activity standing in a circle and briefly describing the plot and the reason why you chose that particular film 2. During the film showing, cultural mediators should support minors to make sure that they can understand the dialogues and scenes.

3. After the viewing of the film, stand in a circle and start reflecting on it (what struck children, the emotions unleashed, the message conveyed). This phase can be facilitated, especially in the first sessions, by professionals who can prepare a list of cues on the topics to be addressed

Notes

The films to watch should be chosen according to the subjects of

interest to children and adolescents, such as the journey, the commitment to fulfil one’s dreams, the integration process into new realities, different from their country of origin, etc. Some film titles that may be of particular interest to unaccompanied foreign minors aged 14-18 are: - Queen of Katwe; - Serial (Bad) Weddings; - Samba; - The Intouchables; - Africa United

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP "THE FACES OF THE CITY Life Skills

Purposes and goals

No. of participants Duration

Materials required

Procedure

Communication and expression, Creativity and innovation, Identity and self- esteem, Leadership and influence, Cooperation and teamwork Allowing minors to acquire new skills and raise awareness of their "know how". Increasing knowledge of the host territory.

Developing an introspective path centered on the present

From a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 25

12 hours (4 sessions of 3 hours each)

Disposable cameras, black A4 size cards, black spray cans, rulers, pencils, scissors, black adhesive tape, 33 cl cans, pins, paper, felt pens, photo paper, photographic liquids, bowls, video Projector, scanner for film supports.

The activity is developed in 4 sessions:

Session 1. Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose I and content (e.g.: "Today we will dress the part of a photographer.

Thanks to your shots, we will see the reality and the world around us through your eyes") 2. Give an introductory presentation on photography - historical information, the basics of this profession, description of the instruments used (e.g. camera, camera obscura, camera lucida, pinhole).

3. After the first phase, build a real pinhole camera and try to use it by letting children take snapshots, develop films and process materials.

Session 1. Start the second session by giving each participant a II disposable camera and sharing the project they will have to carry out (e.g. what to photograph, in which space, and for what reason, etc.)

2. Inform all about the time available to make the shots, finish the rolls and return them. Then leave participants free to explore the reception center and the surrounding neighbourhood to take photographs Session III 1. Start the last session with the project editing and share with the and IV entire group a moment to analyse feelings, emotions and

experiences emerged during the work.

2.Print all the shots made and select together the best ones, finalising the work to be shown to the public.

3. Design and organise a small exhibition of the photos made Note

For a successful workshop, it is crucial to involve a professional photographer who will lead the activities, share its knowledge and passion for its work. Based on the interest shown by children and the quality of the photos taken, it may be also possible to contact some local associations or find a public place in the area where the reception center is located, to organize a real exhibition

LETTERS FOR AFRICA Life Skills

Communication and expression, Coping with stress and Managing Emotions, Creativity and innovation, Identity and self- esteem, Empathy and respect

Purposes and Thinking about one’s social ties, both those created in Italy and goals those interrupted due to migration.

Reflecting on life in the country of origin and in Italy, comparing different situations and becoming aware of the positive and negative aspects of each place No. of participants Duration

Materials required Procedure

Note

From a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 25

1 hour

Sheets, pens, colors, colored post-it

1. Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose and content 2. Give each participant 4 post-it, where they should write the best and worst things that, according to them, characterize Italy and their country of origin.

3. Discuss with the group what has been written, the thoughts emerged, and the reasons that led them to write such things.

4. Propose children to write a letter to an important person in their country (e.g. the President), telling what they see every day in Italy. As a result, participants may choose whether to suggest changes in their country or to tell the reasons why they left and if they regret their life before migration.

5. Lastly, create small paper boats with the letters and leave them at sea, as a symbolic journey to a new destination.

You may think of different alternatives to send letters (depending on the location of the center), form boats in the sea, balloons with helium or Chinese lanterns.

PAINT THE WALLS DOWN Life Skills

Creativity

and

innovation,

Communication

and

expression,

Cooperation an teamwork Purposes and By means of drawings, telling without words, expressing one's goals emotions and feelings.

Sharing children’s experiences during their stay in Italy.

Developing one’s manual skills and creativity.

Making the reception center a space to feel like home.

No. of participants

From a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 25

Duration

12 hours (4 sessions of 3 hours each)

Materials required

Wood panels, tempera, enamel, brushes, white spirit, felt-tip pens, A4 sheets

Procedure

The activity is developed in 4 sessions:

Session 1. Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose I and content (e.g : "Each one of you may depict his/her own journey or stay in Italy to collectively create a mural").

2. Allow children time to think about their journey and stay in Italy, trying to create a cozy and empathetic environment. Each one should individually create a draft of what he/she would like to realize.

3. Ask children to rejoin the group and show their drawings to others, explaining its meaning. The facilitator, with the help of cultural mediators, will analyse, understand and deal with the different drawings.

4. Close the session by choosing the works to be painted to create the murals.

Session 1. Collect the drawings and make a pencil sketch of the chosen II one.

2. Trace the drawings on one or more wooden panels (or, if possible, on a wall inside the center) and paint together.

Session III 1. Complete the drawings, taking care to encourage cooperation and IV between children and ensure the active participation of all. Once all the panels/murals have been completed, ask each participant to sign the work.

2.Close the activity with a moment of sharing and group discussion, where each person has the opportunity to tell other people how they felt, if they are satisfied with the work done, if the drawing represents him/her and why. Finally, decide together where to permanently show the panels inside the reception center.

“THIS IS WHO I AM” Life Skills

Hope for the future and goal setting, Critical thinking and

Decision making, Problem Solving and Managing Conflict, Communication and expression Purposes and Recalling children’s life path to rediscover their origins and what goals they are now, and how the journey has changed their lives.

Analysing their lives in Italy and managing expectations before departure.

No. of participants Duration

Materials required

Procedure

From a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 25

1 hour

Map of Africa, Asia and the world

1. Start the activity standing in a circle and briefly describing its purpose. Introduce the guest of the day, who can be a boy / girl arrived in the same city of the majority of unaccompanied minors hosted in the center, who has lived in Italy for a long time and started a path of integration (e.g. a mediator, a guest of a Sprar or a person who has completed the reception process and can be a positive model of integration).

2. Let the guest talk about its personal experience, life in its country of origin and its story as a migrant in Italy.

3. Then ask children to talk about themselves, the things and the affections they left in their country, their expectations before departure, their experiences during the journey, their current life in Italy, their fears about integration, their dreams for the future 4. Both the facilitator and cultural mediators play a key role in fostering the moment of sharing, with questions and speeches, but also in recognizing the sensitivity of the topic and making the speaker feeling valued and respected.

5. With the help of cultural mediators and the guest of the day, the facilitator may finally underline that, even if life inside first-line reception centers does not reflect the expectations that unaccompanied minors had before their arrival, it is only a phase of their personal path and it does not represent the end of their stay in Italy.

QUIZ ABOUT ITALY Life Skills

Purposes and goals

No. of participants

Cooperation and teamwork, Leadership and influence, Communication and expression

Sharing of reference notions about Italy Stimulating participants’ curiosity about the new country they are living to promote their integration.

From a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 25

Duration

1 hour

Materials required

List of questions about Italy, ball, balloons, poster, marker

Procedure

1. Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose and content (e.g.: "What do you already know about Italy?") and telling the "rules of the game".

2. Divide participants into 2 teams 3. In turn, each member will be the spokesperson of the team and will have to beat his opponent in a small competition (e.g. race, basket or bursting a balloon) before answering the question.

4. The host will ask a series of questions about Italian geography, history, culture and grammar. Children may consult with the other members of their team and, when they find the answer, the team leader will run towards the host. If the answer is wrong, the other team has the change to answer.

5. After finishing all the questions, the facilitator, with the help of cultural mediators and using a participatory method, will summarise the concepts learned during the game, underlining the most useful and interesting ones to guide children on the territory.

6. At the end of the activity, you can decide to give a small prize to the winning team, to recognize its commitment and participation.

If necessary, the facilitator and the mediators will encourage children to share the prize with all the participants

ROOTS – AFRICAN HEROES Life Skills

Cooperation and teamwork, Empathy and respect, Leadership and influence, Communication and expression, Identity and selfesteem

Purposes and Sharing and increasing knowledge of the most significant African goals figures and the process of decolonisation of African countries Encouraging mutual knowledge sharing information about children’s countries of origin No. of participants

From a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 25

Duration

1 hour and 30 minutes

Materials required

Posters, quotes and photos of the main African "heroes"

Procedure

1. Start the activity standing in a circle around the images and printed quotes and briefly describe its purpose and content (Who are the great figures who have made the history of your countries?

Never forget who you are and where you come from).

2. Divide children into homogeneous groups according to their nationality; 3. Give each group some quotes of famous African heroes. Ask each group to read the quotes and analyse their meaning and the reasons why they were said. Afterwards, link each quote to the name and photo of the figure who said it.

4. Ask each group to describe the hero and its thoughts to others, repeating what emerged during the discussion.

5.The facilitator summarizes the opinions expressed by each group. It is important to underline how part of our identity is linked to our origins and to the history of the contexts of origin.

6.End the activity creating a poster with the names, photos and quotes, to keep alive the memory of African heroes and the activity carried out.

3.2

ACTIVITIES FOR UNACCOMPANIED FOREIGN MINORS DURING MEDIUM TERM RECEPTION

NARRATIVE THERAPY

NARRATIVE GROUP THERAPY Life Skills

Communication and expression, Identity and self- esteem, Empathy and respect, Hope for the future and goal setting, Coping with stress and Managing Emotions

Purposes and goals

Giving children, who are experiencing a moment of stasis and waiting of their migration path, an active role.

Allowing children to share their traumatic experiences in a safe context, giving them an opportunity to reflect and rediscover their own identity.

Allowing participants to create an alternative story and develop a better understanding of other people.

No. of participants

From a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 25

Duration

6 hours (3 sessions of 2 hours each)

Materials required

Sheets, pens, ball of wool, scissors, printing of family trees

Procedure

The activity is developed in 3 sessions:

Session I

1.Start the first session standing in a circle and describing the purpose, content and rules of the activity (e.g.: this is a neutral sharing space where everyone can express their thoughts and tell about themselves; you have to stand in a circle and respect the turns of speech).

2. Continue with a moment of ice breaker game: ask all participants to introduce themselves in turn, by saying their name, country of origin and three personal qualities.

3. Give each participant a piece of paper with a topic to talk about (such as love, money, documents, work, family). Everyone has 2 minutes to think about what to tell and in turn, each boy/girl, depending on the topic, will speak, thus having the opportunity to tell something about their past, present or future. Participants may also

Session II ask questions or more details to their companions.

1. Start the second session by giving children a series of detailed questions, prepared by the facilitators with the help of cultural mediators. Allow each participant time to read the questions and think about the answer.

2. By means of a ball of yarn, each participant has to tie a piece to its finger and read questions and answers; afterwards, he/she has to throw the ball to someone else. At the end of the activity, all participants will be linked / connected to each another, to show how we are all connected, and the reasons why it is so important to understand each other.

3. End the activity with a small game. Cut the ball of yarn into small pieces and ask each participant to create a gift to give to another person.

1. Start the third session with a moment of ice breaker game: give Session III each participant a piece of paper to write a negative thought or a problem that affects them. Collect all the papers and place them in a basket, outside the circle. This brief introductory activity is used to ask children to leave all negative thoughts outside the activity.

2. Give each participant an empty family tree to be filled in, including as much data as possible about their family. Allow all the necessary time to fill it out.

3. Ask each child to think about the relationship with a family member, for whom they feel special affection, and to write him/her a letter to tell something they had not told before.

4. Once all children have finished writing their letters, request them to fold and place the letters inside various helium balloons and let them fly

“TÉRANGAâ€? MIGRANT MAGAZINE Life Skills

Communication and expression, Cooperation and teamwork, Creativity and innovation.

Purposes and Recalling positive and negative images and experiences, to soothe goals and stimulate memory.

Through the narration of one's own story, recalling and transmitting the past to readers, choosing how to tell and get rid of the numerous stereotypes often faced in the context of arrival.

Distributing the newspaper to all those interacting with children inside the centre, as a medium for information and awarenessraising on migrants and their contexts of origin.

No. of participants

From a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 25

Duration

3 hours

Materials required

Sheets, pens, coloured pencils, felt-tip pens, painting materials, computers and scanners

Procedure

1.Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose and content (e.g.: we want to create an information magazine, that collects your experiences and stories, to be disseminated outside the reception center).

2. Ask each participant to write and/or draw something meaningful about their country of origin, such as moments of traditional festivals, geography, music, political situation, etc. Everyone is free to write personal stories, remembering that the goal is to share the magazine with other Italians living near the reception centre, to tell

them something important.

3. Allow the time the necessary to think and discuss, during which workers and cultural mediators may help children decide what to write and/or draw. Leave participants work individually or in small groups for about 1 hour.

4. Create a small publishing group with the children most interested in the activity and oversee the layout and graphic design of the magazine, translate the stories in Italian. The publishing group will also decide who will receive the printed copies.

THE AUTHOR'S CLUB Life Skills

Communication and expression, Cooperation and teamwork, Creativity and innovation.

Purposes and Strengthening expressive skills through storytelling goals Developing resilience skills through the use of imagination Fostering a greater self-awareness through the development of ideas and messages to be transmitted Developing the ability to imagine and plan the future No. of participants

From a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 25

Duration

2 hours

Materials required

Sheets, pens, colours, adhesive tape, drawings, printed material (texts and drawings)

Procedure

1.Start the activity standing in a circle and presenting one of Aesop's fable, to which the ending was cut, asking participants to complete it using their imagination and referring to their personal experiences 2. Once this first phase has been completed, read the ending of the original story and asks children to share their ending in turn and to explain why they chose to continue the story in that way.

3. The activity ends with a game: starting from some key words related to the moral of the story, ask children to think about positive elements and messages that can be useful for their life inside the reception centre.

MIGRANS IN FABULA Life Skills

Purposes and goals

Communication and expression, Cooperation and teamwork, Creativity and innovation, Hoping for a better future and setting goals Strengthening expressive skills through storytelling.

Maintaining the bond with the culture of origin through the reelaboration of orally transmitted stories. Developing resilience skills through the use of imagination.

Encouraging the ability to think differently, to change the perception of the past, the present and the future.

Developing new skills and competences in order to manage emotions and critical issues.

No. of participants

From a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 25

Duration

12 hours (4 sessions of 2 hours each)

Materials required

Online material (examples of fairy tales and drawings), books, sheets, pens and colored pencils

Procedure

The activity is developed in 6 sessions:

Session I 1. Start the first session describing the idea behind the project and how the different meetings will be carried out.

2. Explain the structure and the main purposes of this literary genre and encourage participants to think about a message that they would like to convey to the readers through their stories.

3. Divide the participants into two groups: the first group is made of the authors of the tales, the second comprising the illustrators.

Session II 1.Start the second session by brainstorming on ideas, characters and plot mechanisms of the fable.

2. Ask children to tell a fable learned during childhood.

3. Invite children to reflect upon a message they would like to share with others: start individually, then discuss ideas in group.

4. Develop a general project plan on the basis of the ideas proposed.

Session III 1. In the third meeting, children submit their draft compositions: they are tales focused on images, characters and themes related to their source country.

2. Ask children to read their compositions and to find a title for each story: subsequently, discuss every fable in group.

3. With reference to the comments and proposals emerged during the discussion, propose participants to work individually, deepening, changing, improving their own fable, to present it in the following session.

Session IV 1. During the fourth meeting, children present the first illustrations for their compositions.

2. Analyse the writing and style of the texts, suggesting some techniques of the fable genre (e.g. the use of direct speech), encouraging the use a simple and synthetic style.

3. Start editing and layout work.

4. Define the general plan of the book, which will be subsequently printed and delivered to each participant.

“SMALL LIBRARIES FOR MIGRANTS�

Life Skills

Purposes and goals

Cooperation and teamwork, Leadership and influence, Creativity and innovation Stimulating children creativity through workshops for practical activities, and restoring skills that make unaccompanied foreign minors feel confident about their abilities, an essential element for their personal growth, to get over the impasse they experience when staying in reception centres for too long.

Providing children with social networking tools and books available in different languages, to deepen their knowledge of

Italian and their personal culture, discovering the value of reading.

Encouraging moments to share emotions and to promote empathic skills.

No. of participants

From a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 25

Duration

2 hours

Materials required

Wood, screws, painting, brushes, books in different languages, wooden boxes, log

Procedure

Notes

1. Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose and content (e.g.: "Today we will build a library where we will store books that you can use whenever you want") 2. Divide participants into three small groups: one group will deal with book cataloguing, another group will build the bookcase and the last one will paint and decorate it.

3. Give each group the necessary material and assign the various tasks, with the help of a facilitator 4. Once the work is completed, organise the books on the shelves and identify those (a French-speaking and an English-speaking person, and, if possible, other people speaking other languages responsible) for managing book loan 5. Standing in circle, end the activity with a moment of final discussion and proposing the activity of the "book club" for the next meeting. Organise two reading groups (one English-speaking and one French-speaking) and ask each group to read the same book, and then meet together to comment on it.

For a successful activity, it is important to ask for the support of local cultural associations, local library, schools, etc. to collect books, and the participation of young artists to build of the bookcase

THE COUNTER NEWSPAPER Life Skills

Critical thinking and decision-making, Communication and expression, Identity and self-esteem, Empathy and respect

Purposes and Developing critical thinking, particularly with regard to the condition goals of migrants, prejudices, stereotypes about migrants and past and present foreigners.

Identifying the main European press organizations and their positions on migrants.

Providing a space for in-depth analysis of the main news of current affairs and the functioning of the "European system".

No. of participants

From a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 15

Duration

6 hours (3 sessions of 2 hours each)

Materials required

Newspaper articles / newspapers / websites, pens and sheets

Procedure

The activity is developed in 6 sessions:

Session I 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Session II 1.

2.

Session III 1.

Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose and content (�e.g.: "we will try to investigate the main current news on Italian and European newspapers") Divide the participants into homogeneous groups, according to the spoken language Give each participant an article of the Italian or European press related to issues about migrants and migrations Ask everyone to read it in turn and share the content with others, summarising it.

Start an open discussion with questions about the articles read made by workers and cultural mediators (e.g. how many migrants do you think have arrived in Italy in the last year? what percentage are compared to the Italian population? Why do you think Italians may be afraid of migrants? what statements of the article do not represent migrants? etc.).

The key points emerged during the discussion are collected on a poster, summarized and used to write together a counter article in response to one read.

Start the activity asking the participants to think about some questions to ask Italians about attitudes, statements, events experienced or seen on the TV that they did not understand (e.g. Why Italians do not answer if someone greets them on the street? Why do they think that immigrants are threats to their women? Why do they say immigrants steal their jobs? etc.)

Collect all the questions and divide the participants into small groups of 3-4 people each; with the help of a worker/facilitator and cultural mediators, leave the centre and go outside to make the interviews directly to Italian people who live nearby.

It is possible to choose places near the reception centre particularly crowded, such as a bar, a square, a social club, a school, etc.

After all interviews are carried out, each group share with others the information collected, and discuss the answers received, in particular the most striking and unexpected ones.

SOCIODRAMA ACTIVITIES Life Skills

Coping with stress and Managing Emotions, Cooperation and teamwork, Critical thinking and decision-making, Communication and expression, Identity and self-esteem, Empathy and respect, Problem Solving and Managing Conflict

Purposes and Increasing children’s social, expressive and communicative goals competences.

Strengthening the participants’ communicative, relational and emotional ability, rousing their creativity and expressiveness.

Promoting a space where beneficiaries have the chance to think about and tell their life story, with humanity and dignity.

No. of participants

All the beneficiaries in the center

Duration

8 hours (4 sessions of 2 hours each)

Materials required

Stage clothes, felt pens, sheets, posters

Procedure

The activity is developed in 4 sessions:

Session I Improvisational theatre 1. In the first session, ask children to stage improvising some episodes related to their experiences, starting from the most recent situations (situations occurred in the reception centre, school, peer group, provider-beneficiary relationships, etc.).

2. Divide the participants into two subgroups, that will alternate on stage. The observing group will have the task of giving a feedback to the scene performed.

3. After each scene, organise a moment of sharing and discussion, to manage possible conflicts emerged.

Session II Social Circus 1. The session begins with a first phase in which the main circus and juggling techniques are presented, leaving everyone some room to experiment and acquire artistic skills.

2. In the second part, there is a session of psychological theater, with games to improve awareness and management of emotions ("room of emotions") and the relationship with one’s physicality ("the eyes of trust"). The "room of emotions" is carried out by dividing the activity space into four corners.

Each corner is associated with an emotion and given a number (e.g.: joy 1, sadness 2, anger 3 and apathy 4). When the facilitator calls the number, all participants have to run to the correct corner and stage the required emotion. At the end of the activity, children are divided into pairs for "the eyes of trust": one of them is blindfolded, while the other will have to guide him/her in an obstacle course created with chairs, tables, boxes, and other materials available in the room. At the end of the course, the roles are inverted and the course is repeated in reverse Session III My character, who am I? 1. Start the activity asking children to choose between the different stage customes available and to perform who they are today, explaining their characteristic feature 2. Give participants a white mask, asking them to draw their own mask, depicting the elements they commonly adopt in the relationship with others 3. Ask children to present their masks and share the work done with others

Session IV The “I” that I would like 1. Start the activity by developing a theater session in which everyone stages their own mask, as it were a mask of the Art Teather 2. Ask children to exchange their masks and act, to put themselves “in other people’s shoes” 3. End the activity by asking everyone to take the mask off and choose an essential personal characteristic to stage

3.3

ACTIVITIES FOR UNACCOMPANIED FOREIGN MINORS DURING LONG TERM RECEPTION

ACTIVITIES TO COPE WITH STRESS

IT’S A KNOCKOUT Life Skills

Purposes and goals

Cooperation and teamwork, Communication and expression, Identity and self-esteem, Empathy and respect

Sharing of different sports traditions Alleviating the stress between children Promoting physical and mental well-being and integration through participation

No. of participants

From a minimum of 15 up to all the guests in the centre

Duration

1 hour and 30 minutes

Materials required

Cricket bats, soccer or basketball balls, gloves, cricket ball

Procedure

1.Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose and content, and the “rules of the game” (how taking part, how the working group works, what is the space and the materials that can be used, timing).

2. Provide the material needed to play and prepare the playing field (e.g. a cricket field or football pitch).

3. Divide children into teams and organise a tournament with teams made up of members of different nationalities.

4. With the help of mediators, ask children to explain the rules of the game to those who do not know them.

5. At the end of the tournament, a prize-giving ceremony takes place.

6. Discuss in group to share the value of being together, of accepting diversity and sharing one's own traditions.

HOW TO CREATE BOARD GAMES? Life Skills

Purposes and goals

Creativity and innovation, Cooperation and teamwork

Communication

and

expression,

Stimulating children creativity through workshops for practical activities, and restoring skills that make unaccompanied foreign minors feel confident about their abilities, an essential element for their personal growth, to get over the impasse they experience when staying in reception centres for too long.

Providing socialization tools

No. of participants

From a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 25

Duration

2 hours

Materials required

Plywood panels, chipboard, plastic caps, glaze, brushes, felt-tip pens, ruler, paint, a large white cloth, plates, glasses

Procedure

1. Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose and content (e.g.: "today we will build some board games that you can use to spend time together inside the centre).

2. Divide children into small groups: one group has to craft domino, one the pieces of checkers, one the chessboard, another one twister.

3. Give each group the necessary material and assign specific tasks to pairs of participants.

4. Once the work is completed, organise a tournament is with the games made.

5. Establish the rules for playing the games, so that they can be used by everyone within the reception centre, and that all children can manage the games together

KITCHENS FROM THE WORLD Life Skills

Purposes and goals

No. of participants

Cooperation and teamwork, Leadership and influence, Coping with stress and Managing Emotions, Supporting beneficiaries in discovering their skills and interests.

Promoting positive feelings and sharing of food and traditions with other people.

Promoting teamwork, overcoming language barriers through food.

From a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 25

Duration

2 hours (once a month)

Materials required

Necessary ingredients, computers, maps, music

Procedure

1.Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose and content (e.g.: "Today we will cook together to be familiar with the habits and customs of people coming from different countries).

2. Continue with an ice breaker game: by showing a video, ask children coming from the source country of the typical dish to teach everyone how to cook it and dance together a traditional dance (e.g. CoupĂŠ DecalĂŠ, Zouk).

3. Before starting cooking, it is important to share some information about the different source countries (how many languages are spoken, ethnicities, geography), supported by computers and maps.

4. Move to the kitchen and assign each participant an active role in preparing food, supported by the chefs (giving information on how to cut meat, onions, which spices to use, etc.).

5. Once the dishes are ready, prepare the tables and eat all together.

Note

This activity can be very useful to foster the integration of children belonging to linguistic minority within the centres. An adult of the same nationality of the chefs is required.

EMOTIONAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES ANGER MANAGEMENT Life Skills

Coping with stress and Managing Emotions, Problem Solving and Managing Conflict, Critical thinking and decision-making, Empathy and respect

Purposes and Promoting the psychological and social-affective wellbeing of unaccompanied foreign minors improving their ability in managing goals personal and other people’s emotions No. of participants

From a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 25

Duration

6 hours (3 sessions of 2 hours each)

Materials required

A4 Posters, felt-tip pens, A4 sheets

Procedure

The activity is developed in 3 sessions:

Session I Recognizing anger and warning signals 1. Start the activity by giving each child a sheet with a list of situations and attitudes that make them angry and ask them to select three points that are particularly sensitive.

Require children to share with others what situations/attitudes they have chosen and to explain 2. Continue with a role-play, asking each participant to identify a word that expresses their anger; after that, the facilitator, as if it were a pianist, points at each child, who has to move in the middle of the circle and shout the chosen word, as if they were part of a piano keyboard 3. Finally, ask everyone to imitate / simulate a situation that helps them calm down Session II Expressing anger, managing anger 1.

Start the activity asking each child to describe on a card a situation that they experienced inside the reception centre, and that made them feel angry/humiliated/disappointed, and to share in turn what they wrote and the reasons why that situation was so anno.

2.

Collect the cards and select three of them. For each card, ask the child who wrote it to stage the situation experienced, representing the person who made them angry and asking others to be part of the performance 3.

Ask the public to propose a new ending, that could avoid anger and solve the situation in a non-violent way Session III Managing conflicts within the reception cent 1. By means of a role play, ask the reception centre workers to choose a real situation that took place inside the reception centre and that has made them angry in the last month 2. Ask children to stage the situation described by the worker, proposing an alternative ending that would not generate anger and conflict 3. End the activity sharing in a group of workers and children possible techniques and methodologies to prevent conflict situations and manage anger, that may arise in the daily life of the reception centre

I CARE Life Skills

Coping with stress and Managing Emotions, Hope for the future and goal setting, Identity and self-esteem, Communication and expression

Purposes and Promoting the psychological and social-affective wellbeing of unaccompanied foreign minors improving their ability in managing goals personal and other people’s emotions Stimulating childcare feelings; giving a space to reason about one’s own expectations and plans for the future No. of participants

From a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 25

Duration

2 hours

Materials required

Painting, brushes, A4 coloured papers, plastic bottles, seeds, topsoil

Procedure

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Start the activity standing in a circle and describing its purpose and content Gather in circle and ask everyone to write the negative thoughts they want to get rid of, tear the sheets and throw them in a large container placed in the middle of the circle, to symbolize the willing to leave negative feelings outside the activity Ask everyone to get up and find a quiet and relaxing place in the facility, where they can think about their long-cherished dream for the future; ask them to write or to draw it on a sheet.

Once everyone has finished writing their own desires, hand over some soil, seeds and bottles cut in half (using the bottom as a pot) and ask each one to "plant their dreams", so that they can grow together with the seeds.

Everyone will put the sheet at the bottom of the bottle, throwing some soil and seeds above it.

Ask children to paint and decorate the bottle as they like, and to find the right place to grow the plant.

Get back to the group to discuss together on the work done. Minors can freely chose to share the dreams they have planted and that they would like to grow for their future

PREVENTING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE Life Skills

Purposes and goals

Empathy and respect, Identity and self-esteem, Problem Solving and Managing Conflict, Communication and expression, Coping with stress and Managing Emotions Increasing awareness about gender and roles, exploring gender expectations and perceptions imposed by families, society and culture of the country of origin, by the media, etc.

Preventing socio-culturally imposed gender stereotypes.

Analyzing the impact of gender roles on identity building, and identifying links between gender roles, discrimination and violence.

Increasing awareness about the right of every person to be respected and to respect others in a fair manner.

Distinguishing the different types of gender-based violence, including physical, psychological and sexual violence.

Recognizing the links between gender roles and gender violence, paying particular attention to intimate partner violence.

Preventing and responding to gender-based violence through

No. of participants

knowledge and promotion of responsible behavior Analysing the situations in which individual behavior or actions could be offensive to someone else and trigger the violence From a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 25

Duration

6 hours (3 sessions of 2 hours each)

Materials required

Posters, cards, colors, glue, map poster, images of different countries, projector, video on psychological violence

Procedure Session I

The activity is developed in 3 sessions: 1.

2.

3.

Session II

1.

2.

3.

Session III

1.

2.

3.

Start the activity by brainstorming on the characteristics that distinguish males and females and write children’s answers on two posters with the profile of a man and a woman Show how gender features may vary according to different countries, reflecting socio-cultural stereotypes. Use a map of the world and some images of different cultures Conclude the activity thinking on how culturally defined gender roles may influence the development of individual identity. Finally, using small silhouettes, children have to draw themselves imaging if they were born in different parts of the world and with a different gender During the second session, ask children to analyse the concept of violence, distinguishing its different forms Focus attention on and discuss psychological violence, supported by thematic videos of typical cases (e.g. movie scenes that show the psychological violence of a husband against his wife, scenes of verbal violence in a professional context, scenes of psychological violence in the education of children, etc.). Analyse together each video to understand its dynamics Finally, reflect on the consequences of violence and on the right of everyone to be and to feel respected Through a role playing on target situations related to experiences of violence, ask children to stage their experiences in groups; the public may intervene to change the ending of the story Reflect together on the right to be respected and to respect others, imagining different actions in different situations, and thinking on circumstances in which we failed to respect others Reflect then on respect within a relationship, with the help of typical situations, discussing about past and future relationships, situations in which the partner was not respected or didn’t respect us.

ACTIVITIES FOR MOTHER AND CHILD RELATING THROUGH THE SENSES Life Skills

Communication and expression, Coping with stress and Managing Emotions, Empathy and respect, Identity and self-esteem

Purposes and Fostering the bond between mother and child.

Strengthening the mother-child relationship. goals Increasing mothers' childcare ability, to ensure their children's wellbeing and development.

Reinforcing the perception of the educational role played by

No. of participants

mothers.

Increasing the psycho-physical well-being of children.

Promoting the development of every child.

From a minimum of 2 to a maximum of 8 couples mother-child

Duration

6 hours (3 sessions of 2 hours each)

Materials required

Yoga mats, almond oil, doll, recycled materials, natural materials, tools, everyday objects

Procedure Session I

The activity is developed in 3 sessions: 1.

2.

3.

Session II

1.

2.

3.

Session III

1.

The first meeting is focused on childbirth, as a moment in which both the child and the mother were born Ask mothers to share their thoughts and memories about the beginning of the relationship mother-child and to write in turn on the poster the positive and negative aspects of this new woman-mother experience End the activity focusing on fears about past/future childbirth and ask mother to share a positive and beautiful moment/memory related to the birth of their first child The second meeting is totally focused on contact and the relationship mother-child Helped by a child massage teacher, mothers learn and perform neonatal massage techniques on their children, as a pleasant and relaxing activity to build the right communication and knowledge between mother and child Based on the interest shown by mothers, it is possible to plan several sessions to teach different massage techniques for the diverse parts of the child's body, from the feet up to the head The last activity involves the construction of a sensorial basket together with mothers, containing objects composed of different natural, colored, perfumed and noisy materials that children can put into their mouths, smell, handle. The treasure basket was invented by the British psycho-pedagogist Elinor Goldschmied, and is suitable for children who can sit alone (around 6 months of life), without the support of their hands, and are therefore able to manipulate the objects available. The treasure basket offers the possibility of acting in an exclusive space, to satisfy the growing need of children to engage with objects of the real world and experience them through touch, sight, taste, smell, hearing and movement

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES S VOCATIONAL SESSIONS Life Skills

Identity and self-esteem, Leadership and influence, Cooperation and teamwork, Hope for the future and goal setting,

Purposes and goals

Increasing manual, craft and professional knowledge and skills.

No. of participants

All the children hosted in the centre

Duration

4 modules, consisting of 4 3-hour meetings each

Materials required

Tools for working wood and clay, fabric, sewing machine, wood, clay.

Procedure

Workshops may vary depending on the opportunities offered by the territorial network and the personal attitudes of minors.

Some examples of workshops that can be proposed at unaccompanied foreign minors are: clay processing, carpentry, tailoring, creative recycling of paper, creation of a web-radio.

The average duration of workshops can be one month, with 4 meetings (1 per week): 1. First meeting: Describe the workshop purpose and content and the main tools that will be used.

2. Second and third meeting: manual acquisition of basic techniques and skills. The activities must be guided by a precise design (e.g. presenting the piece of furniture to be made during the carpentry workshop).

3. Final meeting: sensations and suggestions about the workshop, strengths and weaknesses of the activities and expectations on future workshops.

ANNEX 1 – MONITORING FORM Date of the first participation in the psychosocial activity :… … … … … … … … … … … .

General Information: Gender: Name:……………………….

Male Surname:… … … … … … … .

Female Nationality:… … … … … … … … … … …

Date of birth:....../… … … ../… … … ..

Participation of the m inor in the psychosocial activity: Type of Date Date Date Date Date Activity 1 2 3 4 5

Date 6

Date 7

The psychosocial follow-up end date

Cultural exchange activity Creativity activity Narrative therapy activity Sociodrama activity Activity of stress management Activity of emotions management Activity for group mother-child During the first psychosocial activity, implementing the screening process through the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale:

Scoring (the first meeting):……………..

Reassessing the minor during the last psychosocial session.

Scoring (the last meeting):………………..

Follow-up tool of the minor’s psychosocial abilities (for each session): Assessment between 1 (not at all) and 5 Follow-up (completely) Date 1

Mental Skills

Total

Concentration: The minor can concentrate on a task, and pays attention to what is said

Thinking: The minor Knows how to analyse and look for solutions, they set up strategies to reach objectives Imagination: The minor is inventive and likes imagining stories in his own imaginary world Psychosocial Skills Total

Confidence: The minor is appreciated and integrated in the group, and feels at ease with the others/ The minor is able to do things by themselves

Date 2

Date 3

Date 4

Date 5

Date 6

Date 7

Date 8

Respect: The minor respects the other, the equipment and tools, the rules of group life.

Expression of emotions: The minor expresses their feelings, wishes, fears, and speaks about themselves/can handle their own strong emotions, and knows how to calm down Cooperation: The minor knows how to play in a group in order to reach a common goal/ helps the others, and shows solidarity Conflict Management: The minor can express their disagreement in a non-violent way, and can accept a compromise in a dispute Responsability: The minor involves themselves actively when interested in something/ perseveres when faced with a difficulty Adaptation: The minor is open to new activities, and adapts to changes Physical abilities and coordination: The minor feels at ease in their body, and Knows what they are or are not able to do/ feels at ease doing artistic and creative activities -Reasons for the discharge of the minor/stopping participation in psychosocial activities:

-Referral Pathway: o Referred to public or private healthcare, emergency, or specialist services o Referred for psychological or psychiatric consultation o Other specify…………………….

GLOSSARY ADULTIZATION: adopting adult behaviors.

HOLISTIC APPROACH: refers to the theory of holism, a philosophical paradigm based on the idea that systems (physical, biological, chemical, social, economic, mental, linguistic) and their properties should be viewed as wholes, not just as a collection of parts, since the functional sum of the parts is always greater / different from the sum of the performances of the same parts taken individually.

BALANCE OF COMPETENCES: tool for the development of a professional project through the systematic analysis of personal characteristics, conducted with the use of structured materials such as tests and / or self-evaluation forms.

CATATHONIA: Psychotic symptomatology characterized by persistence in a bodily attitude acquired spontaneously or by imposition.

C.A.S.: Temporary Reception Centres (D.L.142/2015).Temporary facilities implemented by Prefectures in case of unavailability of places in the first or second accommodation centres, for significant arrivals of asylum seekers COUNSELING: Consultancy, in particular about career guidance CREOLIZATION: Hybridization process that takes place after a meaningful encounter between different cultures and languages.

DEPERSONALISATION: Pathological condition characterized by detachment within the self, regarding one's mind or body, or being a detached observer of oneself.

DEREALIZATION: dissociative symptom consisting in an alteration in the perception or experience of the external world, so that it seems unreal, and of known individuals, so that they seem like strangers.

UNACCOMPANIED FOREING MINOR: with unaccompanied minor we mean a minor who does not have Italian or European citizenship, present in the territory of the Italian State for any reason or that is otherwise subject to Italian jurisdiction, lacking assistance and representation by parents or other legally responsible adults, in accordance with the Italian laws in force (Zampa Law 47/2017, art.2) HYPERFAGIA: excessive hunger or increased appetite HYPERHIDROSIS: excessive sweating HYPOPHAGIA: reduced hunger or appetite IUS SOLI: legal expression, commonly referred to as birthright citizenship, is the right of anyone born in the territory of a state to nationality or citizenship MÉTISSAGE: hybridisation, cross between different cultures PSYCHOSOCIAL PARADIGM: A theoretical model that combines psychological and sociological elements to explain reality.

INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATIONAL PROJECT (P.E.I.): individualized programme for integrated reception whose recipients are unaccompanied foreign minors, the workers of reception facilities, the social worker of the local Social Service and the guardian.

RADICALISATION: the action or process of causing someone to adopt a radical position, considered the only one possible.

SOMATOFORM SYMPTOMS: physical symptoms that often arise from somatic diseases.

SOMATISATION: presence of somatic symptoms in the absence of organic pathologies, or the deterioration of physical disorders, beyond a possible physiogenic connection SYSTEM FOR THE PROTECTION OF ASYLUM SEEKERS AND REFUGEES (SPRAR): it is the first integrated public reception system for beneficiaries of and applicants for international protection, consisting of a network of local institutions that implement ‘integrated reception’ projects for migrants, that go beyond the sole distribution of food and accommodation, providing also complementary measures of information, care and guidance, through the creation of individual paths for socio-economic integration.

STRESS: Stress is a psychophysical tension resulting from demanding circumstances and emotional, cognitive or social factors, that the individual perceives as excessive.

ACCULTURATIVE STRESS: a state of mental disorientation, emotional fragility and feeling of social dismay that affects migrants living in a different cultural context, that may question individual’s identity and self-recognition.

BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD: The principle, enshrined in art. 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, provides that in every decision, legislative action, legal provision, public or private social care, the best interests of the child should be a primary consideration.

TRAUMA: An event in the subject's life defined by its intensity, by the subject's incapacity to respond adequately to it, and by the upheaval and long-lasting effects that it brings about in the psychical organisation.

PSYCHOSOCIAL TRAUMA: stressful conditions that generate intense and disturbing emotional reactions, occurring in response to a destructive social process that is excessive by the standard of human tolerance. To this end, the trauma is the result of the interaction between the social context and the characteristics of each individual. The adjective "psychosocial" leads us to focus not only on the symptomatology, but to define the socio-cultural context of the traumatic event

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