Collaborative inclusion: how migrants-residents collaboration can produce social values. A reflexive design exercise.

The migration issue is here to stay. Europe is the place-to-go for several millions of women and men. This will not change in the next decades. The challenge is to think about this not as a threat, but as an opportunity. That is, to imagine how migration can become a driver of innovation towards a younger, more dynamic, more cosmopolitan and, at the end of the day, more resilient Europe.

No one knows whether, and how, this positive perspective could become real. The only wise move to do is to consider this broad view, i.e. the possibility of a new cosmopolitan Europe, as a design-orienting scenario: a shared vision on the basis of which to experiment local solutions, to discuss them and to use them to feed a broad social learning process. And this is what we attempt here.

"Collaborative inclusion" is a reflexive design exercise to explore how collaboration between migrants and resi

dents can strengthen the social fabric. More precisely, we look at what kinds of collaborative services (intended as result-oriented collaborations among different actors) can produce social, cultural and economic value.

Who should participate

We only ask that participants do their best be critical, creative and committed. No specific information or competence on migration issue is required. We believe we all have firsthand experience at coming to terms with migration. Many of us are migrants (especially in Brussels!); the others are part of host communities. We are all citizen experts. Additionally, some of us have extra skills (design) or experiences (hosting newcomers in their homes). We specifically welcome:

refugees or ex-refugees.
people who can translate to and from Arabic.
people who are involved in projects aimed at facili

tating the welcome and insertion of migrants and refugees (example: there are many projects in the Techfugees project directory).
designers.
We already have some participants in all these categories, but the more the better!

This workshop is lead by:

* Ezio Manzini. Designer, interested i

n social innovation and sustainability. Collaborates with the OpenCare project: http://opencare.cc/ More on Ezio: http://bit.ly/1OPRlZZ

* Yara Al Adib. Designer. Originally from Syria. More about Yara: https://edgeryders.eu/en/users/yara-al-adib

* Gido Van Den Ende. Expert on the history of migration in Europe. Currently hosting refugees in his Dilbeek home.

* Vishall Jankie and Stefanos Monastiridis, designers at Namahn.

The Syrian Squad. More information is coming on them, check back soon.

How to get a ticket?

Tickets for the event do not cost money, but you need to complete some small tasks. It's easy!

1. Sign up for an account here: http://bit.ly/1SKCYtZ
2. Register for the event on this page: http://bit.ly/20t9iCP
3. Leave a comment on the page introducing yourself.
4. Someone will say hello and suggest a task you can help with to get your ticket.
5. When you finish the task, we will send you the ticket
6. Khalas! See you at the workshop on 26/2!