Wasted Assets and Opportunities - Cellatica Aldo Moro

Via Aldo Moro - Cellatica

This report is dedicated to M.A, E.C and T.A

13.02.2017

Anna, Luciana, Ramya, Samia, Shannon, Saptarshi, Vitoria

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Via Aldo Moro - Cellatica

WASTED ASSETS using existing opportunities to enhance integration Reasoning / Ethics What can you do in thirty-six hours? We know that in thirty-six hours we cannot learn everything there is to learn and at the same time we have learned so much that we cannot present it all in a matter of a few minutes. So, we have brought all this information to demonstrate our process and as an effort to introduce how much raw data it took to develop our position, however we didn’t feel that we could do the information justice by synthesising all of it into posters.

On that note we wanted to comment that we have made a video but this wasn't the focus for our analysis, our analysis was focused on our collection of information and our discussions around that.

In terms of photos we have many but we didn't feel we had the time to edit our selection of them in a way that we were comfortable with, so for this presentation we have left them out.

What quickly became clear to us was that our presence was valuable as a presence that legitimised the presence of our hosts in their community. For this reason, and to gather the information we needed, spending the entire second day with our hosts was crucial. The result was much less time to collate the information, but we have begun developing a full report. After categorising each piece of data we collected, and after hours of conversation about what each piece means we have distilled it to a few crucial observations which we will do our best to highlight here.

Findings Our biggest finding and the bottom line is that Cellatica is a lovely community but it is wasting its best assets.

Our case was Cellatica, a suburb town to Brescia, 25 minutes from the centre, in the foothills, with a large catholic community and a middle-class demographic.

Through our research, we identified 3 layers of relevant actors i. the gentlemen in the asylum-seeking process ii. the community in Cellatica and the ADL iii. the larger community in Brescia, Italy and beyond.

We also identified 3 layers of spaces i.

The house ii.

Cellatica iii.

Brescia You invited us here to look for opportunities and spaces for interaction. In our research many of the concerns you expressed about how this was happening we found to be true, there are very different

13.02.2017

Anna, Luciana, Ramya, Samia, Shannon, Saptarshi, Vitoria

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Via Aldo Moro - Cellatica cultures, languages, religion, schedules, incomes, needs and most importantly spatial movements and hobbies.

But there is Desire on all sides.

First, we shall explain more about the different potential and problems in these spaces and layers.

Actors i.

The men who are in the process of seeking asylum These gentlemen are focused and who have skills. From just two days with them, we discovered: • A man who has found a way to teach himself how to play the keyboard and has found a place in Cellatica and Brescia • Another who speaks four languages, has spent four years in Germany undergoing the entire process of claiming refugee status and who has only been in Italy for seven months and speaks nearly fluent Italian • Finally, a third man who deeply understands this process, knows his rights and has found a way to feel empowered within the limits of his current status. ii.

You have the citizens of Cellatica who are reasonably comfortable and have the means to participate if given appropriates spaces of interaction. More importantly our observations show that they have an interest.

iii.

And finally the Municipality and ADL, that has very experience people who care and younger people who also care and need and want more experience.

These three layers of actors then exist in three spaces: i.

ii. iii.

Brescia which is lively, there is lots going on and most of the necessary amenities exist in this space but it is a draw away from cellatica and spending time there. There are also more established uses of the city that create visible barriers to interactions between the multiple communities.

Cellatica which in contrast to Brescia is a respite, that conveys a sense of warmth but has very few community spaces.

The apartment, a space that the municipality has managed to secure and our hosts are grateful for, but has an array of challenges that manifest as larger tensions in the daily lives of the people living there.

So you have three layers of actors and three layers of spaces and the assets as we perceived are not being used to their full potential.

We believe this is because of the framing of the problem.

13.02.2017

Anna, Luciana, Ramya, Samia, Shannon, Saptarshi, Vitoria

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Via Aldo Moro - Cellatica When we asked as what are the impediments to integration are, the answers were always similar.

The fact that the period of stay within the community is short and there is constant unpredictability of how their individual cases will develop which limits the investment that those assigned to Cellatica would want to make in the community.

We believe that because Cellatica is not Brescia, the short length of stay in the community is not a problem but a potential. The relationship between Brescia and Cellatica is one of suburb to centre, a quite family oriented place to a large diverse environment. Cellatica as it is - is not made to be a permanent home for these gentleman, but it can be something else.

Let us explain.

There were three things we heard before going into this and constantly throughout; that these men have had incredibly difficult journeys here and incredibly sad stories, but that they are not simply victims and that they are aspiring for a better future, that this aspiration keeps them going.

When we talked to them we found out something else something we think is of value to the Cellatica community and program. These men are not only relying on their ideas of their future for motivation, or comfort, they are also relying on their memories, in particular their time from entering the asylum-seeking system here in Italy or in other countries before here. And yes there is frustration, rejected applications, separations from the friends they have just managed to make and more and more heartbreak. But between these problems are fond memories, small but vital memories. We heard these constantly over the two days. They remembered fondly host families, moments of calm, progress in understanding their new contexts. These men are smart, they know these moments make the difference between survival or not. Pragmatic or sentimental - they know that learning the culture, meeting people and having friendships and support networks is how they will cope when they finally get their case verdict. This success simultaneously gives them more freedom but means many of them can never return home.

They don’t just need these interactions but they actually want them.

Just as we have the privilege of being hosted in Cellatica over these past two days, these men need hosts and through hearing these stories we know they value them. The role of the host is not one that is only linked to the time in which one is hosting, but it is what is remembered by the guest.

Hosts who help create those memories, and we have learned that these memories which are gathered along the way are vital to the survival of these men. From our own experience, we know Cellatica has the potential to play this role, because they hosted us so well. Through reframing the way that we are looking at integration perhaps some of the stress is alleviated. The issue is that citizens of Cellatica need help in understanding their role as temporary hosts and need concrete ways to do this. Those in the process of seeking asylum need support in engaging with the hosts efforts.

The solution won’t be in person to person relationships. It’s clear that over time the willingness to participate will subside, not because of lack of want but lack of energy. Making and remaking friendships is tiring and cannot be asked of Cellatica or the Gentleman going through this process.

The challenges of integration are systemic so the response also needs to be systemic.

13.02.2017

Anna, Luciana, Ramya, Samia, Shannon, Saptarshi, Vitoria

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Via Aldo Moro - Cellatica We understand that this has already started and the municipality is trying to expand the welcoming project. We are suggesting a reframing of this welcome as a shorter-term project that uses the temporality of the asylum-seekers stay as an asset. We believe that rather than playing down the nature of their temporality the municipality use this as an asset to calm fears and create entry-points for citizens of Cellatica.

The spaces for natural overlap and interaction are limited in Cellatica. The locals drive, the streets are empty and the cafes are expensive. However, the space of the Oratorio could be ideal, but it will not be successful without many smaller adjustments, project design and support. We suggest that you do this through consciously fostering the unique environment of Cellatica in contrast to Brescia, one that feels like being welcomed into someone’s home.

The reality is there are many reasons that the gentlemen in the program leave Cellatica on a daily basis and many of these won’t change - their general amenities, larger peer group, school and offices are in Brescia. But what these men need is what all of us need, the feeling of coming home at the end of the day. For improved interaction, the house is a crucial space. These men who have such potential and desire to interact need to not be drained by their home environment. Over the two days we saw the value of many of the decisions you’ve made recently for example the rules and structure given and mixing people from different countries, ages etc. and the good dynamics it created in the house but also the stress.

While the mixing of different nationalities has the great benefit of promoting the use of a common language in Italian and it means the guys are already practicing translating and understanding different culture. Constantly negotiating the dynamics and tensions created by the space is draining and if you’ve spent most of your emotional energy figuring out whose turn it is to use the plug to charge your phone what would you have left for a new person?

But this also means that the ‘A’ student problem occurs - where one person takes the burden of managing the house to an appropriate standard. This is great and obviously supports the ADL but it’s also exhausting and the person who ends up in that role needs different support.

Equally there is a huge difference between an 19 year old who left home at 16 and a person who is nearly 30 and has been living and working for a long time. In the current program these people are sharing the same home. They again need different supports. One of the gentlemen we spoke with sought out an appreciated the structure of a church and so obviously craved access to education.

There is also a huge difference between someone who has been in the asylum-seeking process for a long time and a new arrival. There needs to be levels of people that are aware of the context. Within their communities, they find those they can help and they do that, they need the same to interact with the Italian communities. Imagine a person who has never even seen most of his female relatives faces negotiating interacting with Italian women.

There needs to be degrees of exposure and stages of interaction. And this needs to be catered to the different stages that the men are at in their life and the asylum-seeking process. Like vampires they need welcome to cross thresholds.

13.02.2017

Anna, Luciana, Ramya, Samia, Shannon, Saptarshi, Vitoria

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Via Aldo Moro - Cellatica

Suggestions: From our limited but concentrated experience of the past two days we would like to suggest that the short duration of stay enables a more concentrated involvement, greater quality sustained over a shorter duration of time. The basis of these suggestions is rooted in viewing certain assets of the community perceived as ‘wasted’ as spaces of opportunity.

1. Tailored Programmes to support interactions of ‘planned spontaneity’ These programmes cannot be generic and based on assumptions of shared interests. They must be created by understanding fully what hobbies or interests the men have. We were invited to participate in the planned social hour with local football players, which was a pleasant experience but ultimately served no lasting purpose as none of the men are interested in football. However, this opportunity created a wonderful moment of interaction where one of our ‘hosts’, fluent in Italian was able to act as our translator. How can we create more moments of planned spontaneity where the structure for interaction exists but the activity is flexible?

2. Value adding to the work of ADL resource persons We see the role of ADL resource people as people who normalise the presence of the asylum seekers in Cellatica. We understood very quickly that the existence of our bodies with them in pace made their presence ‘legitimate’. The easiest way for them to be integrated into the community is to be seen inhabiting spaces of the community, simply going for a coffee in a café or seen walking the streets – at first with ADL resource people and then on their own.

2.1. Divide the role of policing and assisting social integration Currently the caseworkers exist as a policing body in the apartment, and don’t seem to be there in the capacity of social workers. We see the need to separate the functions of the caseworkers into two roles. One is the role of caseworker who would perform the tasks they are currently responsible for, the other is the role of a social worker/ally who would be a person the men could interact with to address their many traumas. This is crucial.

2.2. Gender Training If the premise of our proposal is adopted, Cellatica becomes the temporary learning environment for these men where they learn about Italian culture and values. These men come from countries which have different ways in which gender interaction occur.

Short Term: Training for the Cellatica team to unpack the issues of gender in Italy, identify what are the important parts to communicate to new arrivals and how to then teach/pass on this information to the men.

Long Term: Everyone who enters the program in Cellatica gets support in processing and understanding gender relations in Italy.

2.3. Language Language acquisition for adults requires several things - exposure, practice and a need to use it.

Some of the strongest theory behind language acquisition techniques is the argument that you need

13.02.2017

Anna, Luciana, Ramya, Samia, Shannon, Saptarshi, Vitoria

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Via Aldo Moro - Cellatica a ‘language parent’ someone who principally does everything to understand and overcome language barriers. At the same time language is the last step in communication, it is the desire to communicate that is far more important.

Short Term: A quick and easy way to demonstrate this is to not only listen carefully but to learn a few greetings from different languages. Hearing someone make a little effort to communicate with you in your language, can greatly motivate a person. At the end of the day, this helps build trust and may make learning Italian easier.

Long Term: Language acquisition and spatial and social integration become combined into a reiterative and periodic program.

3. Look for every opportunity, little acts make big differences The people of Cellatica, although in theory willing, do not yet have the capacity and experience to welcome these men. The ADL team must lead by example and support the men’s ability to identify and engage when a person from the community reaches out and the community must get use to knowing these men are there and that that are trying to learn about Italian culture. The ADL staff are guides and much needed cultural translators for both the men they are working with and the community in Cellatica. ADL staff much first demonstrate how to host these men so that the community at large can then learn how to do it. The basics of being a host is welcoming a person into spaces they are unfamiliar with and introducing them to people they do not know. Just this alone could make a huge difference.

Short Term: When meeting, try to meet them somewhere in Oratorio to help make spaces other than the mall feel comfortable for them and for people in Cellatica to get used to seeing these men.

If you go to a café have them order, if someone asks you a question about who they are have them answer.

Long Term: A welcoming process is designed that outlines the different stages of spatial integration and then social integration. For example, the person responsible for social integration meets them at a café near their house one week, the next they walk around the neighbourhood together, then they meet at a café near the centre of Cellatica, then they meet at Oratorio, then they are introduced to the staff at the Oratorio and so on.

The aged people of Cellatica are a valuable asset that could potentially be linked to the efforts of the ADL and serve as channels of social interaction for them. Indirectly this would also enable greater use and proficiency of Italian through practice.

4. Cultural Sensitivity and Religious Sensitivity

The priest in Cellatica was lovely and had so many of the right ideas. The public culture in Cellatica is so closely tied to the church that it can be alienating for those not from the Catholic faith. It is important the men understand that the Catholic faith is not evangelical in nature and that being part of the community does not require being Catholic. There is a long history of aid being tied to conversion, if this is not the goal of Cellatica it should be said up front. Usually the priest is such a powerful figure and role model for the community his welcoming of the refugees would hopefully encourage others.

13.02.2017

Anna, Luciana, Ramya, Samia, Shannon, Saptarshi, Vitoria

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Via Aldo Moro - Cellatica We believe the ADL staff would benefit from a cultural sensitivity course to be able to understand these men’s cultures and histories. They would then be in a position to help the men explain and process their own cultural background and the one they are now in.

Short Term: Discussion between the Priests and ADL about starting a program where the priest supports integration. Discussions among ADL staff on ways to incorporate cultural sensitivity training for their staff.

Long Term: That all the people accepted to the program have an introduction to Italian culture and its connection to the Catholic church. That they are welcomed by the priest so that they know they are welcome to all the church events etc. without the pressure of conversion.

That all ADL staff have some training that helps the understand the multiple cultures of the men they are working with and how to help these men articulate their cultural background, because learning a new culture is a process of observing similarities and differences, the more you understand your own culture the faster you identify the similarities and differences and the faster you can adapt and engage without feeling you will lose the parts of your culture you value.

5. Learning from People’s experiences Short Term: Maria interview M.A about his experience in Germany and in Italy before being accepted to the program. He has already gone through one of these systems and it was a success. He is also incredibly articulate and clear on the ways it was a success and what were his initial difficulties.

Long Term: The goal is to design a system that incorporates the experiences of the men who enter the program. Many of these men have experience in program similar they can help you understand what is successful and what are failure of these programs. As our overall strategy suggests don’t waste this incredible asset. Really importantly explain why you are doing this before starting the questioning. When we explained the reasons for our questions all of the men gave much higher quality answers than when we asked them without explaining why we were asking them Suggested Questions for the interview (meant as a starting point): i. ii. iii. iv.

We are interested in understanding the failures and successes of other programs like this, have you been in similar programs?

What was successful about the program?

What was most useful?

What was the biggest obstacle at first?

6. Database of People Skillsets Each asylum seeker possesses unique skill sets. We believe the database of skillsets could be an important first step in addressing one of the asylum seekers’ key aspirations, the need for a job. It could result in one off volunteering opportunities, like cooking a speciality meal for an occasion to playing for the church choir.

Many asylum seekers are unable to find jobs even after final documents have been granted to them.

A database of skillsets would help reach a wider audience of potential employers.

13.02.2017

Anna, Luciana, Ramya, Samia, Shannon, Saptarshi, Vitoria

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Via Aldo Moro - Cellatica 7. Creating diverse volunteering opportunities Considering the fact that people from different backgrounds have different skillsets and also different psychological conditions, it is very important to have a diverse set of volunteering opportunities that provide people with intellectual stimulation and personal satisfaction alongside a way to engage with the community. One of the asylum seekers we met was very quick with grasping languages, technology and the current socio-political situation in Italy. Volunteering work like delivery and picking up garbage did not empower him to the extent his capabilities allowed for. This programme could easily tie-up with the Skillset database programme for wider outreach. Combine that with an application platform, and there is scope for real impact.

8. Engaging Educational and State Institutions We believe that Educational Institutions offer a third space of engagement, with both the community and the asylum seekers. Through innovative research projects, workshops, and long term volunteering there is a real possibility of building relationships. The key aspect of this engagement must be its re-iterative nature and the establishment of a continuous feedback loop.

Also, State Institutions are seen by asylum seekers as related to authority, to documents, to an absolute control over their futures. Yet implicitly, they use facilities like Wi-Fi, the library provided by these very institutions. In fact their very lives revolve around such facilities. The ADL has already established strong ties with such institutions, and creating spaces for them in these institutions could be another way by which Cellatica welcomes them into Italy.

Spatial Strategies 9. Identifying smaller scales and places of interactions The ‘wasted’ nature of physical space is abundantly felt as we walk around Cellatica. Streets without people, squares with just cars, parks with not a human being in sight. In such a context, there is a definite lack of places which support neutral interaction, are accessible to all and support vital communication technology like wireless internet access.

The walk through Cellatica made us visit countless such spaces of opportunity. Cafes with deep colonnades, parks and plazas that are landmarks at intermediate scales are ideal spaces that can become spaces of supported interactions. Over time such interactions create a sense of a network of public space in the city, rather than create one large public space which becomes difficult to access for certain groups. Such interactions mollify the hardness of the city.

10. Strategies for the Dwelling Short Term:

Short Term Practical Need Wi-fi

13.02.2017

Why Is their only way to connect with family/ friends

How Shared expenses

Anna, Luciana, Ramya, Samia, Shannon, Saptarshi, Vitoria

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Via Aldo Moro - Cellatica

Plugs

Each one has one or two cell phones and there are only two plugs in the flat

Extension cord

Toilet door lock

Privacy

Install a door lock

Kitchen Ventilation

Food smell

Main door with fixed exhaust fan

Small sink in the kitchen

To get to the sink they need to enter the bedroom (privacy)

An external plastic water pipe can be used to bring water from the bathroom to the kitchen

Shower in the bathroom

To get to the shower they must Install a little shower without cabin in the go inside the bedroom bathroom (privacy)

Substitute/ remove some furniture

Some spaces are underused and can be optimised

Replace big couch in the living room with appropriate size; big dining table in the living room; stronger bunkbeds

Pin boards

Need for personal space

Put up pin boards for each one of them in their own space

Long Term Changes: The flat can be conceptualised more like a hostel than as a family house, since the men coming to these flats have more concern in having their own personal spaces (even if they are small) than having large shared spaces. In this particular flat, for example, one of the beds can be shifted to the living room and that space can be partitioned into two spaces – one shared and one private.

Conclusion We cannot stress enough how wonderful these gentlemen were, and how lovely those we met in Cellatica were. However, there exist big problems creating barriers to integration that can only be fixed through small incremental but consistent change.

The process of examining this situation was not peaceful, especially because we as a group who had a very short amount of time to work together and develop our own ethics of engagement as we were working. In the end, we found a beautiful moment of peace with our hosts in Cellatica while sharing a warm cup of coffee together on a gloomy rainy Sunday. It was a moment that led us to the essence of this discussion and this presentation. We wanted to share a bit of that moment with you. (please play attached video)

13.02.2017

Anna, Luciana, Ramya, Samia, Shannon, Saptarshi, Vitoria

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