Exchange Berlin-Tel Aviv

Berlin - Tel Aviv

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Migration Hub Network Exchange Programme:

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Migration Hub NetworkAm Krögel 2 10179 Berlin, Germany

Copyright © 2017 Migration Hub Network gGmbH Designed by: Dasha Miller Front cover photo: Copyright © Sonia Chaim Other photos: Copyright © Migration Hub Network gGmbH

ContentLaura Kangas-Müller, Migration Hub Network Thomas Lehnen, Migration Hub NetworkShana Krakowski, Microfy

EditionAlexandra Embiricos, Migration Hub Network

SupervisionAna María Alvarez Monge, Migration Hub Network Lucas Schwarzer, Kiron Open Higher EducationShana Krakowski, Microfy

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ContentsThank you 4

Foreword 5

1. Introduction 8

2. Description of the Exchange Programme 10 2.1 General information 10 2.2 Goals and objectives 11 2.3 Preparation and project team 12 2.4 Participants and organisations involved 13

3. Programme in Berlin and Tel Aviv 14 3.1. Berlin phase 14 3.2. Tel Aviv phase 16

4. Budget 20

5. Evaluation 23

6. Main outcomes and way forward 26 6.1 Results and main outcomes 26 6.2 Way forward and recommendations 27

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Thank you Migration Hub Network (MHN) and Microfy would like to thank the Stiftung Deutsch-Israelisches Zukunftsforum (DIZF) for supporting the Berlin - Tel Aviv Exchange Programme, and Kiron Open Higher Education for the partnership.

In addition, we would like to thank the following initiatives and organisations par-ticipating in the exchange programme and providing their invaluable contribution:

Refugee Academy, Give Something Back To Berlin, Über den Tellerrand, Querstadtein, Refugee Law Clinic Berlin, Querstadtein, BoP, Sharehaus Refugio, Über den Tellerrand, Bantabaa, Start with a Friend, Give Something Back to Berlin, Bantabaa, Shai Hoffmann, Stiftung Bürgermut, The Real Junk Food Project, UNHCR Berlin, European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), GoVolunteer, Technologie-Netzwerk Berlin, Graefewirtschaft, Get Your Wings, Social Collective, Infocompass, Singa Deutschland, Angehört, daheim, Babbel, Re:Start, Mesilla, GreenXchange, Initiative D21, Minor, European Innovation

Hub, hub:raum, Active Asyl, betterplace.org, Universität der Künste/Common Ground, The Garden Library - Center for educa-tion, culture and arts, German Startups Association, Wefugees, Himate, Social Visions, Ampion, IHK Berlin, Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie, UNHCR Tel Aviv, Unitaf, Kuchinate, Community Education Centre (CEC), Eritrean Women Community Centre (EWCC), African Refugee Development Center, (ARDC), Amnesty International, Kitchen Talks, Wadi Hara, Onya, Abrahams Hostel Tel Aviv, Haim Goren and the Municipality of Tel Aviv ,Taj Jemy, Kuchinate, Asaf Weitzen from the Hotline for Migrants and Refugees and Yariv Sadeh from the Design Thinking School.

The organisation of the programme would not have been possible without the support of the volunteers Lina Raukamp, Benedetta Caputi, Susanne Schmidt, Kerstin Sandow and Bea Polei in Berlin, and Ilana Butrimovitz and Florencia Vital in Tel Aviv.

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ForewordUpholding our rights

A year ago, when Thomas Lehnen and I decided to resume working on the Migration Hub project, we had just one request from our friend and co-founder Katharina Dermühl, to execute the Berlin - Tel Aviv Exchange Programme.

We didn’t quite understand at the begin-ning why Katharina was very persistent on the importance of us not only taking care of the exchange, but to also take part in it, until I was already in Tel Aviv in a gath-ering with African newcomers and heard “Should we go to Europe? Is it better there?”. There it hit me, with tears of des-peration I immediately thought: Where? Where else are all these people going to go? Where can we take them if the world nowadays seems to be closing its borders and denying basic rights.

This journey, that I call now a lifetime expe-rience exchange, couldn’t have happened without DIZF’s support, but also it couldn’t have happened without our friends and partners of the organisation we today call Migration Hub Network, Thomas Lehnen and Shana Krakowski and her amazing team and Microfy’s supporters. Thank you

friends, for organizing this trip. For bring-ing us all together, entrepreneurs, activ-ists, newcomers, to reflect and learn while taking us into an unforgettable experience.

In light of this report, I would like to encour-age you, our partners and readers, to read it not as a simple exercise of accountability, but as a way to dive into this experience, the work and the many collaborations we were able to make throughout.

Last but not least, I would like to encour-age you all to appreciate the work of two great activists we had the opportunity to meet in Tel Aviv, both Latin Americans, as I am, who have been documenting over the past four years the atrocities, as well as the amazing work that many people and citi-zens are doing to change this landscape. To them and all the people dedicating their lives to this cause, MHN would like to dedi-cate our words and this report.

Ana María Alvarez Monge

CEO and Chair of Migration Hub Network gGmbH

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When Migration Hub Network and Microfy began this project we set out to find new partners and new ways to cooperate and learn from each other. Although we were yet to discover the concrete outcomes, the project was driven by a willingness to broaden our horizon, to see what is beyond the borders of our cities, our nations, our continent.

Although for many of us this was the first time organising such a project, we were confident of the skills, network and par-ticipants on board to achieve something great. Over time while working on this project with our partner Microfy, we dis-covered challenges and the differences in their operations and ours and the different ways of dealing with it. Microfy has been active for many years in Tel Aviv while most of the organizations in Berlin where established in the last two years.

To achieve the best possible results with this exchange we looked for formats and methods that are open for discussion and co-creation. We managed to involve expe-rienced partners from our respective local networks and constantly (re-)evaluated the goals topics, adjusting them to the chang-ing conditions under which we were oper-ating at the time.

During the project we also learned about the daily struggles and needs of organ-isations in Tel Aviv and vice versa. The most influential similarity and connection between the delegations from Tel Aviv and Berlin was that people from both cities try to put the human in the centre as much as possible in all their activities. I personally am deeply thankful to have been part in

this project, for all I learned and for what we achieved, particularly all the hard work, passion and resources which were put into this. It gave me a new perspective on many things that people in Israel struggle with every day. On things that I take for granted: to travel freely almost every-where in the world, being white and having a german passport, being able to express my opinions freely and not to be part of an oppressed minority in the country I happen to be born and live in. I grew as a person and as an activist. This project brought me closer to people I am now happy to call my friends, as we continue to support each other in our missions. We believe in human rights, dignity, respect and peaceful co-ex-istence. We share the view that migration can and should be seen as an opportunity rather than just a problem for societies. We need to put the human in the centre of all our activities and develop sustainable solutions for the challenges that societies face due to migration movements.

There are plenty of reasons to be full of hope and optimism, as well as for the opposite. It is the people who make the difference, who need to stand up and demand their rights, in solidarity and while respecting/securing the dignity every human-being on this planet deserves. This is what we support and where we will go. We invite you to join us in our mission.

Thomas Lehnen

Berlin-Tel Aviv Exchange Project Leader

Founding Partner of Migration Hub Network

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The first time I was in Germany was two years ago when I travelled for a conference on Social Business. I travelled with the weight of my personal family history on my shoulders as well as the weight of the task ahead of me; trying to find ways to improve our work with refugees. The conference took place in Tempelhof, a symbolic place to be discussing these issues. I was not sure what to expect but I was inspired to meet like-minded people who wanted to build a brighter future for our world and specifi-cally those victims of the harsh realities of war. I left inspired and with the desire to learn more. I wanted to understand more deeply how Germany is dealing with the influx of refugees and migrants and how other like-minded people in civil society are using their resources to help these efforts. Meeting Katharina Dermühl, one of the founders of the project Migration Hub, there and being connected to the Deutsche-Israelisches Zukunftsforum was incredibly timed and helped make that wish a reality. When we embarked on this journey we truly did not know what to expect and if all the work and time put in would result in tangible outcomes.

Looking back now that the exchange is finished, I can say that we received much more than ever expected. The exchange opened our eyes to new ideas, methods and partnerships that we can use to improve

the lives of refugees and migrants in our society. Another very important lesson we learned was that despite the major dif-ferences between Israel and Germany’s current policies on refugees, there are deeper similarities between some of the societal challenges we both face. These are reflected in some of the xenophobic and nationalist elements that are working against the integration of refugees in our societies. This is something that we can try and work on together supporting a more universal and international movement advocating for compassion and inclusion. Instead of each working on our own small initiative we can work together on the larger advocacy messages. This will give power to our messages and support for those that are working hard against a growing tide. The challenges that lay before us are great and judging from current events will only grow stronger. The connections that were created by this exchange have created a human web that can work together to face these challenges. For this we are incred-ibly grateful for the opportunity that was given to us by the Deutsche-Israelisches Zukunftsforum and we are committed to developing these connections further and working towards a brighter future.

Shana Krakowksi

Director of Microfy

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1. IntroductionBerlin and Tel Aviv are known as dynamic metropolis hosting vibrant startup com-munities. Both cities are also facing the challenges related to mass migration and record numbers of arriving refugees, asy-lum-seekers and migrants. Civil society has played and is playing a crucial role in both cities coming up with and implement-ing creative solutions in tackling issues governments do not have the willingness or capacity to focus on. Despite the pres-ence of startup ecosystems, the know-how and resources of innovation in each city have not yet fully reached the newcomer communities and the activists and organi-sations working with and for them.

In Germany, on 15 September 2015, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel announced to admit refugees stuck at the Serbian-Hungarian border and to refrain from sending asylum seekers back to Hungary under the “Dublin-III“ system. As a con-sequence, Germany witnessed the highest ever number of newly arriving asylum seekers (890,000) in one year. After this, 2016 has seen an estimated arrival of around 300,000 asylum seekers, from the top countries that are generating the highests numbers of refugees, namely Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, followed by Albania and Kosovo. In Berlin among other German towns, the situation has led to an impressive self-organisation of hundreds of volunteer groups, activists, NGOs and social entrepreneurs assuming an active role in helping newcomers and meeting their needs ranging from food and cloth-ing upon arrival to activities supporting integration. Especially in autumn 2015 an increasing number of social entrepreneurs and activists began to develop and create innovative solutions on how to deal with the challenges that arise from mass migra-tion. Established actors as well as new arising grass-roots initiatives, responding to a humanitarian crisis to help people in need when most institutions responsible to

deal with the challenges were not prepared for what was happening.

Many grassroots organisations doing commendable work in this regard were however often working in silos with repet-itive efforts and lack of cooperation. To tackle this issue, the first Migration Hub pilot was opened in Berlin in the fall 2015 with a vision to coordinate social initia-tives working with and for refugees and migrants, and provide a space and support for social entrepreneurs to meet to design sustainable solutions for the challenges arising from mass migration. The Migration Hub pilot in Berlin was set up and devel-oped from the beginning as beyond a local project. Since 2015, the political environ-ment in Germany has shifted and the civil society response has partly faded away. Supporting and coordinating the efforts of grassroots organisations and social entrepreneurs is therefore increasingly important. Today, more than a year later of when the pilot was opened in Berlin, Migration Hub Network (MHN) has grown into a social franchise with several Hubs in development in various cities, a large network of contacts active in the field, and the Berlin HQ serving as a space of refer-ence connecting them.

In Tel Aviv the circumstances of refugees vary drastically to those in Berlin, because government policies do not grant asylum seekers status as refugees and thus, they cannot access basic services or have basic rights. Israel has generally restric-tive immigration policies relating to non-Jews. Yet there are approximately 46,000 African asylum seekers in Israel, predomi-nantly from Eritrea (73%) and Sudan (19%). Asylum seekers face extraordinary diffi-culties when passing through the Sinai on their way to Israel often being subject to threats and physical harm, for example sexual assault and rape, along the way. In many cases, these hardships during the journey to Israel cause them various dis-abilities. Once they arrive in Israel, asylum

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seekers often face racism, discrimination, and exclusion by the Israeli establishment. Many businesses are unwilling to employ refugees, or do so under indecent condi-tions that do not provide reliable income or a sense of security. This perpetuates a cycle of poverty, conflict, and tension in the neighbourhoods of South Tel Aviv, an area which had only a few thousand inhab-itants prior to the arrival of tens of thou-sand of newcomers since 2005.

Microfy is working actively to improve the situation by supporting disadvantaged communities, particular in South Tel Aviv, on their way to become economically independent through entrepreneurship. By providing business training, consultancy and micro-loans, Microfy helps Israeli women and asylum seekers in opening and developing micro-businesses and building a community of entrepreneurs. In a similar way to MHN in Berlin, Microfy also aims to foster and utilize the innovation resources of Tel Aviv for the purpose of building solutions for the migrant population.

Migration Hub and Microfy met for the first time at a conference in 2015. It was quickly realized that the objectives and approaches of the two organisations

aligned to a great extent and there was great potential for collaboration. From the beginning, the discussions revolved around the topic of how important it is to meet one another in person, connect with dif-ferent sectors, and experience first-hand the realities of contexts in which the others are working. By understanding each other better, meaningful exchange of knowledge and know-how can be achieved. Later, Migration Hub Network was keen to learn more about the situation in Tel Aviv, where grassroots organisations had worked for a longer time than most in Berlin, and under considerably more severe circumstances due to the legal and political context. At the same time, Microfy was interested in learning more about the fast developing ecosystem of grassroots organisations in Berlin and especially the role of Migration Hub in connecting them, fostering innova-tion and development of human-centred approaches as well as cross-sectoral col-laboration in the sector. Recognizing the value of getting together to discuss the common challenges and potential solu-tions, MHN and Microfy started developing an idea of an exchange programme that would bring together various actors from Berlin and Tel Aviv for this purpose.

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2. Description of the Exchange Programme

2.1 General information The Migration Hub Berlin - Tel Aviv Exchange Project, led by the Migration Hub Network (MHN) and Microfy, in partnership with Kiron Open Higher Education (Kiron) and supported by the Stiftung Deutsch-Israelisches Zukunftsforum (DIZF), brought together selected representatives from Berlin and Tel Aviv to address the developing needs, challenges and oppor-tunities generated by rapid migration into urban centres. Bringing together expertise from both cities, the aim was to encourage knowledge exchange between the commu-nities and improve their work, while taking into consideration the context specificities of both locations, especially regarding the legal environment and cultural and politi-cal aspects that have an influence on the work of the civil society. The focus of the programme was built around testing the hypothesis of whether social entrepre-neurship as a model can contribute to a faster and more sustainable inclusion of newcomers into the host societies. Special attention was given to the roles of grass-roots initiatives, civil society movements, community and network-building activities as well as technology and social innovation. The programme offered the participants a unique opportunity to engage in knowl-edge exchange and open dialogue focusing on innovative tools and approaches related to the topics of migration and inclusion.

The core of the exchange programme were two phases of four day periods in both Berlin and Tel Aviv that took place from 6th to 9th of October in Berlin and from 1st to 4th of December in Tel Aviv. Nine people from Tel Aviv took part in the programme in Berlin forming the Tel Aviv delegation, and 15 people vice versa from Berlin, forming the Berlin delegation. Additionally, a total number of 81 participants took part in the activities in either Berlin or Tel Aviv.

The session formats used for the pro-gramme design were lectures, panel talks, workshops, World Café round tables, BarCamps, site visits and informal net-working sessions. In addition, the used methods were drawing from approaches such as open dialogue, moderated dis-cussions, speeches, Q&A sessions, group talks, problem-solving and design think-ing. As for communication and collabora-tion tools, Google Docs, Facebook events and mailing lists were used throughout the exchange programme.

The main language used was chosen to be English, because the group of partici-pants was highly multilingual (with native languages of Hebrew, German, English, Arabic, Italian, Spanish, Farsi, Sudanese, and Somali), and most people could speak at least some English. When necessary, translation was also provided.

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2.2 Goals and objectivesThe main goal of the programme was to create a joint vision on how to tackle the challenges related to the integration and inclusion of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants into existing communities in both Berlin and Tel Aviv. The purpose was to enable networking on a bilateral and multilateral level, to foster dialogue, and lay ground for future collaboration and knowledge-exchange between Berlin and Tel Aviv based initiatives. In addition, the programme explored in a more general level the possibilities and requirements that need to be met in order to enable knowledge exchange and cooperation between two countries experiencing large scale migration.

The activities in the programme were designed in a way that existing approaches to tackle problems and create solutions could be, and were, challenged, so that both delegations could learn from each other, especially regarding their experi-ences and their mode of solving problems. The focus was set to highlight human-cen-tered approaches and enable multi-stake-holder dialogues, especially by meeting each other on equal terms, sharing best

practices, changing perspectives, encour-aging increased cooperation, exploring new ways and finding innovative solutions. The overall purpose was to find ways on how to collaborate in these areas in the long-term and find common ways to trans-form the challenges surrounding mass migration into opportunities for all.

The objectives of the exchange programme were defined as the following:

• Learn about best practices and explore new innovative approaches to offer edu-cation and information services, job market integration and entrepreneurship possibilities to refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants.

• Bring together social entrepreneurs, community leaders, activists, city, govern-mental, and NGO representatives and field experts.

• Evaluate the potential of social entre-preneurship, social innovation, civil-so-ciety movements and technological solu-tions in the above-mentioned areas.

• Reflect on the recent political devel-opments and legal aspects regarding migration.

Project name Migration Hub Berlin - Tel Aviv

Project area Social Change / Social Justice

Project number/Grant number 3.2.0120.08.0

Grantee Kiron Open Higher Education, Berlin, represented by Vincent Zimmer

Executing organisations Migration Hub Network, represented by Thomas Lehnen Microfy, Tel Aviv, represented by Shana Krakowski

Basis for grant Application from 29.03.2016 (confirmation for additional funding on 11.08.2016)

Appropriation period From 01.07.2016 to 31.12.2016 (originally from 01.05.2016 to 30.09.2016)

Grant amount Up to 12.000,00 € as fixed cost financing (originally up to 10.500,00 €)

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• Develop skills on how to integrate inter-cultural aspects in the work with refugees and migrants.

• Build and foster sustainable and long-term cooperations between organizations from, between and within Berlin and Tel Aviv.

2.3 Preparation and project team

Following the initial discussion to create the Migration Hub Berlin - Tel Aviv Exchange Programme, the first draft concept note was finished by the end of the year 2015. It was then further developed during the spring 2016 in terms of the programme content, budget and format of the exchange. A time frame of six months was established to plan and execute the activities in both locations, to activate the local networks, find partners and participants for the pro-gramme, develop the overall strategy for the formats and evaluation being used as well as for the communication of the project to the relevant target groups, par-ticipants and organisations.

The project funding was confirmed by the Deutsch-Israelisches Zukunftsforum (DIZF) in late spring. Accordingly, Migration Hub Network and Kiron Open Higher Education in Berlin and Microfy in Tel Aviv closely coordinated further administrative details including financial administration of the grant and decisions on the core project teams, the participants forming the Berlin and Tel Aviv delegations and the individu-als and partner organisations included for the different parts of the programme.

Due to the fact that Migration Hub Network did not at the time yet have a legal status, the grant was administered by the project partner Kiron and the Berlin project lead was compensated by Kiron. As a partner, Kiron also participated in the programme with several people in the project days in Berlin and with one representative in the project days in Tel Aviv.

The programme was developed in close cooperation between the project leads and teams from MHN and Microfy, using regular Skype calls, Google Hangouts and mails to discuss progress made and to make deci-sions. However, it was decided that MHN would have the final word regarding the programme design and execution in Berlin and Microfy vice versa in Tel Aviv. MHN was the financial supervisor in partnership with Kiron and the lead link to the DIZF for dealing with all financial and adminis-trative details of the grant and ensuring all funding requirements were met.

In addition to the project teams from Migration Hub Network and Microfy, it was necessary for both organisations to on-board a team of volunteers to support the project teams in operations, logistics and event management. In Berlin, an adver-tisement looking for volunteers was posted on the social-business focused online job search platform “The Changer”, attract-ing responses from around 30 people in a period of three weeks. After a selection process, a team of four volunteers were chosen.

In addition, one person that was selected to be part of the Berlin delegation, also sup-ported as a volunteer in the project team. In Tel Aviv, the project team was supported by two active members of Microfy’s volun-teer community.

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Project teamThomas Lehnen, Berlin - Tel Aviv Exchange Project Leader, Founding Partner of Migration Hub Network

Ana Maria Alvarez Monge, CEO and Chair of Migration Hub Network

Alexandra Embiricos, Head of Outreach, Migration Hub Network

Laura Kangas-Müller, Fundraising Coordinator, Migration Hub Network

Benedetta Caputi, Volunteer, Coordinator of the Word Café and Interactive Exhibition Fair

Lina Raukamp, Volunteer, Coordinator of content and moderation lead for World Café

Susanne Schmidt, Volunteer, Communications and Logistics

Kerstin Sandow, Volunteer, General support, evening activities and catering

Bea Polei, Berlin Delegation member and Volunteer, Coordinator of the Bar Camp

Shana Krakowski, Project Leader Tel Aviv, CEO, Microfy

Estefanía Brasil, Programme Coordinator and Project Employee, Microfy

Ella Navot, Fundraising and Marketing Manager, Microfy

Ilana Butrimovitz, Volunteer, Coordinator for Logistics

Florencia Vital, Volunteer, Coordinator for Logistics

2.4. Participants and organisations involved

The basic composition of participants within the programme can be divided into four main groups:

1. Berlin delegation

2. Tel Aviv delegation

3. Participants Berlin days

4. Participants Tel Aviv days

Participation in the exchange as a member of a delegation was open to initiatives, projects, organizations, activists, social workers, volunteers, social entrepreneurs, researchers and journalists engaged in the field of migration. Upon registration for the events taking place in both cities, interested candidates were invited to send motivation letters explaining their field of work, motivations for participating in the programme in Berlin and Tel Aviv, poten-tial contribution to the programme, appli-cability of their solution abroad and their capacity and willingness for prospective long-term cooperation between Berlin and Tel Aviv, including beyond the designated project timeframe. The final selection of participants to form the Berlin and Tel Aviv delegation taking part in the programme in both cities was made by MHN and Microfy on the basis of these criteria. The programme aimed to include a diversity of people from different nationalities and cultures, including representatives of the refugee and migrant communities in Tel Aviv and Berlin, to ensure the viewpoints of both the newcomer and host communities were included.

In terms of finding and selecting partici-pants, in both cities the organizers reached out to many organizations and initiatives active in the fields of the project topics, giving a broad opportunity for those working in the field to learn, contribute and participate in the discussions. Those who expressed interest in taking an active role in the exchange were invited to either host a site visit, a lecture, or lead a session at the World Café round tables or bar camps. An emphasis was also put on bringing together representatives from different sectors, such as the municipalities, NGOs, the UN refugee agency UNHCR, and social entrepreneurs. The purpose was to foster a more holistic group composition to aid the implementation of lessons learned on the ground, involving many relevant stake-holders and their perspectives. The pros-pects of long-term cooperation were also taken into consideration.

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3. Programme in Berlin and Tel Aviv

3.1. Berlin phaseThe Berlin phase of the project took place between 6th and 9th October 2016 and hosted a delegation of nine people from Tel Aviv. The topics covered in the pro-gramme were decided based on discus-sions with the Tel Aviv team in order to make sure the programme corresponded to their interests and requests as much as possible. For this purpose, the Tel Aviv delegation was first asked to brainstorm among themselves what the most interest-ing focus areas would be. After a few dis-cussions and iterations it was agreed that the agenda would focus on the following main topics to be integrated:

• Access to information

• Access to education

• Access to labour market

• Community empowerment through social entrepreneurship

The selection of participating organisations was focused on finding the right initiatives and projects working on these areas and serving as model solutions whose appli-cability could be further explored. The Tel Aviv team sent a wish-list of 10 initia-tives they had heard about and wanted to meet during their stay in Berlin. Five of these could be included in the Berlin del-egation and four were integrated as site visits in the agenda. In total, 158 people were contacted and 82 participated in the programme. Ensuring that the Tel Aviv del-egation had the chance to meet as many people as possible, different avenues of

participation was offered, respecting their own interests, availability and willingness to spend their free time taking part in the programme. Therefore, participants could sign up for particular events taking place at different times, foremost the two major events on Friday and Saturday: the World Café Round Tables and the BarCamp. Both major events were set up allowing flexibili-ties in terms of the number of participants to ensure people confirming last minute could also be included.

In general, the agenda was set up to first focus on getting to know each other as people and organization representatives, as well as understanding the conditions initiatives are facing in Berlin in compari-son to Tel Aviv. In addition, the participants learned about already existing solutions in Berlin. These steps were achieved through the welcome session, lectures and site visits. After this, the purpose was to create spaces for discussion, brainstorming and problem-solving done jointly with the local community and the Tel Aviv delegation, to explore the applicability of Berlin-based projects in Tel Aviv, find new and better solutions, identify avenues of collabora-tion, and develop the skills of participants and the impact of their organisations’ work. This was done through a workshop, World Cafe round-table discussions, BarCamp and other sessions fostering dialogue and discussions. In addition to the official pro-gramme, participants were given an oppor-tunity to network and have discussions in a more informal setting during dinners and other evening activities.

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Welcome sessionThe Berlin phase started with a welcome session at Migration Hub Network in Berlin on Thursday evening with introductions to ensure all the participants had a chance to get to know each other in an informal setting. The session also included intro-ductory presentations by MHN and Microfy presenting the work of both organisations followed by a Q&A session.

LecturesTo ensure participants learned about several critical aspects of the topics of the programme as well as the relevant organ-isations, several lectures were organised in Berlin. The participants learned about the work, vision and goals of the founda-tion supporting the exchange, Deutsch-Israelisches Zukunftsforum, through a lecture by their representative. In addition, comprehensive introductions to the situa-tion of migrants and refugees in Germany was provided by a representative of UNHCR Germany and to the situation in Israel by a representative of UNHCR Israel.

WorkshopsOn Friday afternoon, a workshop was organised on the topic of intercultural communication. The workshops focused on exploring how intercultural differenced need to be understood and dealt with, and what role language and empathy play in that matter.

Site visitsThe participants had the chance to visit the Migration Hub in Berlin on Thursday evening; the Refugee Academy, an organ-isation that provides learning spaces for refugees, on Friday afternoon; Über den

Tellerrand, an organization that hosts and offers cooking sessions, yoga classes, language classes and more, and creates innovative workshop formats for inclu-sive groups by newcomers and locals together, on Saturday morning; and finally on Saturday evening, Sharehaus Refugio, a communal working and living space pro-viding working space and home for several initiatives, locals and newcomers.

World Café Round TableA World Café Round Table session was organised based on the main topics of the project - access to information, access to education, access to labour market and community empowerment through Social Entrepreneurship – with a table for each topic set up to exchange ideas and discuss in groups of up to 10 people with a moder-ator for each table. In three rounds of 30 minutes, people could freely choose and switch the tables and topics they wished to engage in. The session concluded with a wrap-up and discussion of the main out-comes. Up to 52 people took part in the World Café, including Berlin-based social entrepreneurs, activists and NGO and gov-ernmental representatives that were invited in particular for this session. The facilities for hosting the session were kindly offered by hub:raum, a startup incubator and a co-working space.

Interactive Exhibition Fair

The World Café Round Table session was followed by an Interactive Exhibition Fair, which gave participants the chance to get to know various organisations and initia-tives from Berlin working with and for ref-ugees and migrants. Each of the initiatives

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had one minute to present their work and some of them also had a stand showcasing the work of their organization.

BarCampThe main event of the Berlin days was the BarCamp, which is a self-organised and participant-led “unconference”. The purpose was to work on several topics in groups, in a flexible format driven by the interest and participation of the attendees, to brainstorm and develop innovative solu-tions and approaches to common chal-lenges. In three rooms in three consecu-tive sessions the topics worked on were selected and prepared by the participants from the delegation and representatives of other organizations. The topics selected included, among others, entrepreneur-ship as a tool for social change, commu-nity building and legal advice about the asylum process. Altogether 56 participants attended the BarCamp.

3.2. Tel Aviv phaseThe Tel Aviv phase of the project took place between 1st and 4th December 2016. A delegation of 15 people from Berlin and a total of 72 people participated in the activities in Tel Aviv.

The strategy for recruiting participants for the exchange program events was to reach

out to all the NGOs and initiatives working with asylum seekers in Israel, particularly in Tel Aviv. Overall over 200 people were contacted, including individual activists advocating for refugee rights, social entre-preneurs, and other relevant stakehold-ers such as foundations and municipality officers. Potential participants were con-tacted through existing networks as well as through social media. In order to reach the asylum seeker community, a mixture of methods was used, such as social media and directly contacting community leaders and asking them to encourage participa-tion. Social entrepreneurs were contacted through social hubs, relevant Facebook groups as well as through key members. Finally, key stakeholders, foundations and municipality members connected to the Tel Aviv delegation were officially invited to join the events via email. However, public invitation was sent only to two of the sessions, a speech with a following Q&A session by motivational speaker and human rights activist Fatuma Musa Afrah from the Berlin delegation and for the bar camp session taking place in the Microfy office space. The other activities were mainly designed and aimed towards the interests of the Berlin and Tel Aviv delega-tions, even though they were open to other participants that expressed strong interest in participating.

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The agenda was built to gradually deepen understanding of the complicated situa-tion in Israel, along with developing con-nections with individuals from the sup-porting organizations and activists of the refugee community. First, the participants were exposed to the Israeli context, parties involved, and information to better under-stand the challenges that the community of asylum seekers and activists face in Tel Aviv. Secondly, the participants learned about existing solutions and support-in-frastructure. To achieve this, information was presented through different formats: formal lectures providing important data and background information; experien-tial walks through the neighbourhoods, meeting with initiatives through site visits and hearing personal testimonies. The multi-media approach enabled infor-mation to be introduced from a variety of perspectives, giving participants a nuanced and rounded view of the complex situational contexts. Finally, the partici-pants had the chance to use this knowl-edge to share ideas and thoughts among each other and brainstorm new solutions. The extensive exposure to the situation in Israel over a short period of time facili-tated the creation of a shared language and common ground between participants from Berlin and Israel, and encouraged fruitful discussion from a place of knowl-edge and familiarity with the subjects.

Welcome SessionThe welcome session took place in Mazeh 9, a social entrepreneurship hub that serves as Microfy’s office. The session included introductions and getting to know each other, for example through an introduction of why each person chose to participate in this project. In order to give the participants an introduction to the context of the severe situation of asylum seekers in Israel, the session also included a powerful personal testimony from Taj Jemy, an asylum seeker from Darfur. The talk referred to both his personal struggles as well as the political and legal challenges of asylum seekers in Israel.

Talks and lecturesOn Friday morning, a lecture was orga-nized by Asaf Weitzen, a lawyer working for the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, who has lobbied the Supreme Court of Israel several times, often winning import-ant gains for the refugee community. The lecture introduced the legal framework of refugees and asylum seekers in all of its complexities including the government policies and the changes over time. In addi-tion to covering key statistics and data, the lecture lead to a discussion about politics and Israeli society.

A second lecture was given by Gideon Kunda, an academic and an internationally

18

recognized expert in the area of organi-zational culture, currently interested in processes of globalization in organizations and new forms of work in the knowledge economy. This lecture included a tour in the neighborhood of South Tel Aviv and covered the social, political and geograph-ical history of Tel Aviv, in reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as the tensions within the Israeli society.

A motivational talk was given on Saturday by Fatuma Musa, a member of the Berlin delegation, who is originally from Somalia but grew up in Kenya as a refugee and is currently living in Berlin. The Tel Aviv project team specifically made efforts to include members from the refugee com-munity in Tel Aviv to hear her talk and the follow up discussion, with roughly 50 people joining the session. The speech res-onated strongly with the attendees, espe-cially local members of the asylum seeking community, who engaged in an honest discussion with Fatuma about their daily struggles. For the attending entrepreneurs, the session gave an insight into the global movement of refugee rights activism.

Another talk and one of the highlights of the program was a meeting with a repre-sentative of the Tel Aviv Municipality who held a lecture focused on the voice of the local residents of south Tel Aviv and the role of the municipality. This gave the par-ticipants a chance to hear the position of an important local authority and player in the field of refugee support, which was valuable for both the Berlin delegation and the Israeli participants.

Site visitsOn Friday, the participants made a site visit to Kuchinate, a collective of African asylum seeking women living in Tel Aviv. The collective is a unique social project and business that provides employment for over 70 women through the production of beautifully designed crocheted baskets, and also provides services for social and psychological empowerment.

The participants then visited the Eritrean Women’s Community Center, run by Eritrean women for Eritrean women and provides critical services for the commu-nity, many of whom are victims of traf-ficking and torture and single mothers. At the center the participants learned from the director, Helen Kidane, about the ini-tiatives that the center runs as well as the struggle to find funding and the limitations helping women women who face extraor-dinary difficulties. The visit was also joined by the director of the Sudanese commu-nity centre Wadi Hara, who shared his own personal story, information about the ini-tiatives of his community center as well as discussed the difficulties all asylum seekers face due to Israel’s political framework.

On Sunday the participants visited Mesilla, a department of the municipality social services that serves the foreign popula-tion in South Tel Aviv. One of their rep-resentatives, also a members of the Tel Aviv delegation, introduced the field of work, and showed the participants one of Mesilla’s childcare centers called Unitaf in the central bus station. In the bus station,

19

participants also had a chance to see and learn about Onya, a collective of artists and designers who take advantage of unused space at the central bus station and turn it into an open space for the surrounding community for events, art, and gardening. This gave the participants a unique per-spective on the neighborhood around the central bus station. Another visit was made to the Community Education Center, CEC, also located at the Central Bus Station where the participants heard about the unique model of leadership the centre uses and the various courses they provide for educational purposes.

BarCampThe BarCamp brought together 52 repre-sentatives of the various organizations - activists, community members and leaders – for an evening of discussion and shared learning in the form of a BarCamp, a collec-tion of sessions focusing on specific talking points. It served as an opportunity to meet

members of organizations, to raise dilem-mas common to all, and discuss potential solutions. The group of participants was divided into sessions under topics such as: working collaboratively, engaging the wider community, self-support kit for activists, entrepreneurship within the community and more. The BarCamp was the highlight event of the weekend and information about it was published in Israel’s most popular business magazine “The Marker”.

WorkshopThe final session of the exchange pro-gramme was a design thinking workshop, which gave the participants a format to process and integrate all of the informa-tion gathered in the previous three days. In pairs, the participants worked on solving a common challenge and brainstorming about new ways of working that focus on problem-solution and human-centred solutions.

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4. BudgetThe budget handed in with the proposal and outline of the project at the DIZF was set up with a total sum of 16.100 € to cover all costs of the exchange and the activities to be planned in each city. Of that total sum originally 10.500 € were granted as a unconditional funding by the DIZF, which was raised to 12.000 € later on, with the rest to be covered by the project partners.

The exchange programme was set up as much as possible to keep the balance of the costs and people to be involved in both cities. Due to the large price differ-ence, especially for travel and catering between Berlin and Tel Aviv, part the orig-inal budget allocation had to be changed

during the project period, as demonstrated in the tables below. Despite those changes less people could be brought from Tel Aviv to Berlin than vice versa, due to the much higher flight costs. Different time frames were investigated but the higher flight fares for the first part in Berlin could not be avoided. Most speakers and workshop leaders agreed in the end to bring their services into the project free of charge, where almost a thousand euro could be saved. Due to the involvement of volun-teers the personnel costs could also be reduced by one thousand euro less than originally planned.

Initial Budget Planning

Original Budget Plan Adjusted Budget PlanNon-personnel costs Non-personnel costs

Travel costs 7.600,00€ Travel costs 6.200,00€

Accommodation 1.600,00€ Accommodation 1.600,00€

Catering 1.200,00€ Catering 2.100,00€

Fees 1.300,00€ Fees 1.500,00€

Office supplies 100,00€ Office supplies 400,00€

Non-personnel-costs TOTAL 11.800,00€ Non-personnel-costs

TOTAL 11.800,00€

Personnel costs Personnel costs

Project coordination Kiron /MHN 2.800,00€ Project coordination

Kiron /MHN 2.800,00€

Project coordination Microfy 1.500,00€ Project coordination

Microfy 1.500,00€

Personnel costs TOTAL 4.300,00€ Personnel costs TOTAL 4.300,000€

PROJECT COSTS TOTAL 16.100,00€ PROJECT COSTS TOTAL 16.100,00€

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Budget Implementation

Realized Budget Non-personnel costs

Travel costs 6.497,06€

Accommodation 1.534,89€

Catering 1.952,80€

Fees 150,13€

Office supplies 351,82€

Non-personnel-costs TOTAL 10.486,71€

Personnel costs

Project coordination Kiron /MHN 1.800,00€

Project coordination Microfy 1.500,00€

Personnel-costs TOTAL 3.300,00€

PROJECT COSTS TOTAL 13.786,71€

Costs per different categories:

Travel costs by type and per location

• Public transporta-tion Tel Aviv = 22,31

• Other transportation costs Tel Aviv = 41,61

• Return flights from Tel Aviv to Berlin = 3.530,66

• Public transporta-tion Berlin = 138,99

• Other transportation costs Berlin = 84,20

• Return flights from Berlin to Tel Aviv = 2.679,38

Accommodation by type & per location

• Accommodation Berlin = 619

• Accommodation Tel Aviv = 915,89

Catering by type & per location

• Food & Drinks Berlin = 474,16

• Food & Drinks Tel Aviv = 1.478,64

• fees Berlin = 100

• fees Tel Aviv = 50,13

Fees by type & per location

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• office supplies Berlin = 284,75

• office supplies Tel Aviv = 67,07

• personnel costs Berlin = 1.800

• personnel costs Tel Aviv = 1.500

Comparison table Tel Aviv part Berlin part

TransportationBerlin - Tel Aviv return flights for 15 people = 2.679,38 € Per person = 178,62 €

Tel Aviv - Berlin return flights for 9 people = 3.530,66 € Per person = 392,29 €

Accommodation Total = 914,80 € Per person = 60,99 €

Total = 619,00 € Per person = 68,78 €

Catering Total = 1.478,64 € Total = 474,16 €

Fees Total = 50,13 € (for two site visits and talks)

Total = 100 € (for one workshop)

Office supplies by type & per location Personnel costs by type & per location

23“ ”

5. EvaluationEvaluation of the program was imple-mented by both the participants and the organisers. Feedback forms were sent to all participants after both parts of the exchange. The forms featured questions, such as what parts of the programme the participants enjoyed the most, what parts the least and why; whether there was something missing in the programme they would have expected to be included; what the participants learned during the pro-gramme and how they plan to apply this in their work. In addition, the participants could leave any open comments, ideas or feedback. The feedback forms were filled out anonymously.

According to the feedback received, the participants saw a great value in having an opportunity to get to know other ini-tiatives, share ideas and experiences, and learn from one another. The programme was hence successful in fulfilling its main purpose of facilitating dialogue and exchange of knowledge. The participants also enjoyed the productive, collaborative and enthusiastic atmosphere that pre-vailed throughout the programme. The motivation to learn from one another was evident and this encouraged participants to take risks, get out of one’s comfort zone, and be innovative. The participants did not only learn about each other, but also about themselves. By changing perspectives, they were able to look at their activities from the outside and better understand what

they do, how and why they do it, and what they could do differently.

“I really enjoyed the variety of people which came together and how open everyone was to exchange their ideas. Everyone tried to support the others and pushing one’s own agenda wasn’t important. That’s great.”

From the different session formats used, the BarCamp received most positive feed-back for its ability to facilitate fruitful dis-cussions and explore new solutions and fresh ideas. Through the BarCamp, partici-pants learned useful techniques and prac-tices, for example, regarding finding sus-tainable financing models for NGOs. The other formats were also appreciated and in general, the participants enjoyed the variety and extent of the activities included in the programme. For example, the site visits were seen as an excellent way to get to know other organisations. The organisa-tion of the programme also ran smoothly despite the range of activities included.

“I also liked the variety of events which we could participate in. Although I couldn’t take part in many, I enjoyed the variety of options to meet differ-ent people, because it allowed me to see one person/organization from dif-ferent perspectives.”

“That was actually one of the stron-gest points of the programme - the diversity and plurality of the angles we looked at. “

“I really enjoyed the variety of people which came together and how open everyone was to exchange their ideas. Everyone tried to support the others and pushing one’s own agenda wasn’t important. That’s great.”

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”“In terms of gaining new knowledge, the Berlin delegation highlighted how much they learned about the situation of asylum seekers and refugees in Israel and the context in which grassroots organisations are operating. On a professional as well as personal level, the trip to Tel Aviv was a truly eye-opening and enriching experience to many. Participants noted that learning about the legal context in Tel Aviv made them appreciate the situation in Germany, as well as understand how important a favorable legal framework is. Despite the drastically different contexts, participants also mentioned they could see some sim-ilarities in terms of the challenges and needs for supporting newcomers.

“Seeing the structures refugees and social organizations in Israel managed to establish makes me see the long road ahead of us, but also encourages me to work extra hard because I see what can be achieved, especially if the overall (legal) conditions are more favorable.”

“For me it was very impressive, that even in these very different contexts in terms of newcomer rights, -regis-tration, -protection, some challenges and especially needs are similar, such

as an interest in education and digital skills.”

Participants highlighted that through the programme they came to understand the importance and value of cooperation, and not only between Berlin and Tel Aviv but also within the communities. This also included working in close cooperation with the newcomer community.

“For the future I will more often try to take a step back, not directly trust my own ideas but go much more in exchange with the people concerned. I’ll also try to give more responsibility to the members of the community.”

“The fact how active and well orga-nized the community of refugees itself in Israel is and how close they cooper-ate with all organizations will make me always to try to involve more people from the community in the strategical part of my activities for the commu-nity - the connection to other organi-zations from Berlin is something which I will use in my work trying to cooper-ate more”

“I learned how important it is to speak /decide/create/offer WITH but not FOR the community.“

“The fact how active and well orga-nized the community of refugees itself in Israel is and how close they cooperate with all organiza-tions will make me always to try to involve more people from the community in the strategical part of my activities for the community - the connection to other organi-zations from Berlin is something which I will use in my work trying to cooperate more.”

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The participants also gave valuable feed-back in terms of what could have been organised differently and what they didn’t like. In general, the programme was a bit too intense according to some and there were not enough breaks and time for par-ticipants to spend together outside the organised programme in a more relaxed context. This could have enabled more bonding between the participants and especially between the Berlin and Tel Aviv delegations.

“I really missed the time after the offi-cial programme in the evenings, that we did not manage to gather together and talk about the day, express and exchange our opinions and thoughts.”

“The schedule was really full and this was ok because I would have not renounce to any organization but I felt I didn’t have the time to process my feelings, emotions or thoughts. An idea could be for the next exchange to add one day.”

Simultaneously, some participants felt that there was not enough time for the discussions and therefore, some discus-sions only scratched the surface instead of going deeper into the topics. Especially the format of the World Cafe included too much time spent on introductions. Including more experts could have also helped this as now the focus was more on exchange of experiences instead of on knowledge based discussions. Some participants felt they missed a concrete output or a wrap-up session that con-cluded the next steps on what needs to be done. Especially in Tel Aviv, as there was so much to learn about the situation and context, the focus was not so much given to actually developing solutions. In Berlin, many participants would have hoped to see and meet more participants from the newcomer community.

“It would have been nice to work on a more defined topic to be able to come up with a final concept or a concrete result in the end of the programme.

Exchange and discussions are inter-esting and important but I always find it frustrating if there’s a lot of talking, everybody is very d’accord about issues and challenges but there’s no clear “product” in the end.”

“I think the exchange was really focused on observing and knowing the reality of Tel Aviv, but maybe not enough space has been provided to reflect about possible solutions. Of course, before thinking of what we could do, it is necessary to know the reality you are working in so probably it would be too naive to believe that we could have improved their work. As a next step a session focused on pos-sible solutions could be a possibility. “

It was appreciated that the participating organisations were actively engaged in the planning process. However, this resulted in the exchange of many emails before the programme, which was time-consuming for the participants and also caused some confusion around parts of the programme, especially which parts were open to whom. Sharing a list of participants beforehand could have also been useful so that the participants could have identified each other beforehand and prepare for what kinds of organisations will be present. Some participants would have liked to also meet before the trip or on the first day with the delegation.

“I liked the idea to involve different NGOs in the planning. But for me the organisation e-mails which were exchanged beforehand, included too many choices and too many open questions, which I found confusing and demotivating. Certain big points should have been simply decided by the organisators to shorten long dis-cussion processes.“

Overall, the feedback received was mainly positive and demonstrated that the partic-ipants were satisfied with the programme in terms of the content and organisational aspects.

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6. Main outcomes and way forward

6.1. Results and main outcomes

The main outcomes of the programme were further-reaching than originally planned. Based on the feedback received, for many of the participants, the programme was a profound experience giving them renewed commitment and a new sense of meaning in their work. The programme also demon-strated the value of intercultural exchange and the meaning of experiencing the real-ities and contexts of each other first hand. Even though the modern technologies allow us to learn about other cultures and societies, for enhancing understanding and developing deeper connections, nothing can replace the value of visiting, meeting and engaging with each other in person.

On a more practical level, the participating individuals and organisations gained new tools to improve their way of working and the impact of their work. One of the main goals of the programme - to learn about best practices and explore new innova-tive approaches - was therefore achieved. Based on the feedback from participants, each initiative started to think about their way of working in a new way and explore new ideas to implement, individually and/or collectively. Evaluating the impact and role of themselves and grassroots organisations and social entrepreneurs in general was also an important part of the programme. This provided the participants with perspectives, for example, on the role of grassroots initiatives for filling the gaps when governments do not have the willing-ness or capacities to act.

Participants also gained lots of new knowl-edge, especially with regards to the polit-ical and legal aspects in each country, which gave them deeper understanding of the challenges organisations working in each country face. While there are stark

differences between the countries, there are also some similarities. Especially in terms of the more complex and difficult situation in Tel Aviv, the programme was also an opportunity to raise more aware-ness among an international community about the severity of the situation and the perspectives from the grassroots level.

A key goal of the programme was to foster collaboration between Berlin and Tel Aviv based initiatives and also locally, espe-cially across different sectors. Based on the feedback received, this was achieved as many highlighted that the programme gave them a renewed understanding for the sense and value of cooperation.

Many of the participating organisations highlighted that even though the pro-gramme was about intercultural exchange, it also helped them to understand the crucial importance of cooperating locally. In the feedback, many participants men-tioned that for them the most important outcome of the programme was the new general spirit to build and explore new avenues for collaboration. Some partner-ships have also already been established: for example, the Berlin based initiatives Ueber den Tellerrand and Kitchen Talks that both bring together communities through food and cooking, are currently in the process of setting up regular information and experience sharing practices as well joint advocacy efforts. Many others men-tioned they are planning to set up regular meetings to discuss ways to cooperate and to stay connected. The strong team spirit and friendships built especially among the delegations travelling together enforced collaboration also on a long-term basis. In the feedback, participants highlighted that they now feel a strong connection between all organisations involved as well as a desire to more actively collaborate and continue the dialogue. More profound

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connections are built through joint expe-riences and therefore, travelling to a new place is extremely valuable for fostering local collaboration.

In terms of cooperation between the Berlin and Tel Aviv based initiatives, many par-ticipants mentioned that they had started discussions and there was lots of inter-est to keep in touch and explore poten-tial ways to collaborate in the future. On a more concrete level, Microfy has already started a collaboration with the Berlin-based women’s cooking collec-tive initiative Weltküche, supported by Graefewirtschaft, whom they met during the BarCamp session in Berlin. Also, as a result of long discussions and after the exchange, Microfy has adjusted their work plan for 2017 to establish a similar type of project in Tel Aviv.

6.2. Way forward and recommendations

One of the aims of the exchange pro-gramme was to set the foundation for future collaboration between Berlin and Tel Aviv based initiatives. This means that even though the programme has finished, the work for facilitating cooperation con-tinues. The organisers of the programme, MHN in Berlin and Microfy in Tel Aviv have already coordinated closely to discuss the next steps and to ensure the community of participating individuals and organizations will stay connected and active.

MHN and Microfy have also continued to work in close partnerships leading the way for other Berlin and Tel Aviv based organ-isations. For example, as a follow up to the Berlin - Tel Aviv exchange programme, MHN and Microfy joined a joint project consortium that focuses on building net-works for collaboration on migrant entre-preneurship support. In the framework of the project proposal, both organisations developed plans to building wider network and platforms for future joint learning and additional exchange programmes.

The most important outcome of the con-tinued collaboration between MHN and Tel

Aviv is the plan to replicate the model of Migration Hub in Tel Aviv. The original plan of the exchange programme also stemmed for a desire to explore the conditions for doing this. Currently, plans are underway with the municipality of Tel Aviv to col-laborate on building a hub in South Tel Aviv. Because of the exchange programme, Microfy was able to bring the relevant representatives to Berlin to learn about the initiatives there and particularly about the Migration Hub model. Consequently, in Tel Aviv, the programme again brought together relevant actors to begin develop-ing concrete plans to replicate the model and open a branch of the Migration Hub in Tel Aviv. The hub in Tel Aviv will provide a long-term platform for collaboration between organizations in Tel Aviv and Berlin and, in fact, all around Europe.

Both MHN and Microfy have also recog-nized the need for greater collaboration locally. As many, especially civil society organisations, are working with minimal resources at the limits of their capacity,

it is difficult to find the time to network and keep the connections active. The exchange programme demonstrated that in order to support innovative thinking, and the development of new perspectives and approaches, individuals could benefit from being detached from their every-day work. This is why it is important that organisations are supported and provided a platform to keep them connected and ensuring the conversations will continue. Regular meet-ups among the programme participants in both cities are hence in the planning. In Berlin, a follow up meeting is planned to take place in the beginning of February inviting all the Berlin-based par-ticipants, for everyone to share their expe-riences about the programme, update on any new developments, and most impor-tantly, keep the discussions going. An email mailing list has also been set up to coordinate and organize meetups and also share information, when physical meetings are not feasible.

Building networks and communities internationally beyond national borders was naturally an important part of the

exchange programme. The programme laid the foundation, but more work needs to be done in order to continue to support the Berlin and Tel Aviv based initiatives in their cooperation. As a model for international exchange programme, the Berlin - Tel Aviv exchange programme was very success-ful. This reinforces the organizers’ will-ingness and interest to implement similar exchanges also between other countries. Promoting the approaches of design think-ing and focusing on building sustainable, impact-oriented, human-centred solu-tions, the main themes of the exchange, should be promoted to a greater degree internationally. Building international networks, sharing best practices, scaling projects and transferring knowledge and know-how is crucially important, partic-ularly because grassroots organisations in many countries do not always receive the local support they need. The topic of migration is inherently international. International coordination and collabora-tion is therefore key to develop civil-soci-ety driven solutions.

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Annex AList of participants for Berlin and Tel Aviv delegations

Name First Name City Organisation Job / Position

Lehnen Thomas Berlin Migration Hub Network gGmbH

Founding Partner & Exchange Project

Lead

Alvarez Ana Berlin Migration Hub Network gGmbH CEO & Chair

Disselkamp Agnes Berlin Über den Tellerrand e.V.

Fundraising & Project manager

Dominika Szyszko Berlin Querstadtein / Stadtsichten e.V.

Recruitment & Training

Lucy Alice Thomas Berlin Give Something

Back to Berlin e.V. Executive Director

Hossfeld Max Berlin Give Something Back to Berlin e.V.

Project & Volunteer Manager

Mafalda Sandrini Berlin BOP e.V. Student / Member

Elmedin Sopa Berlin Refugee Law Clinic Berlin e.V.

(Student) Coordinator

Beate Polei BerlinBantabaa e.V.

/ Stiftung Bürgermut

Volunteer / Executive board member advisor

Fatuma Afrah BerlinSharehaus Refugio /

Sharehaus e.V.

Social Worker, Speaker and Consultant

Rosenthal Sarah Berlin Start with a Friend e.V.

Co-Founder and managing partner

Shai Hoffmann Berlin Get Engaged / Shai Hoffmann Social Entrepreneur

Willi Weisflog BerlinKiron Open

Higher Education gGmbH

Program Manager Kiron emPower

Blunk Pascal Berlin Refugee

Academy e.V. i. Gr.

Founding member, Vice President,

Project Manager

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Embiricos Alexandra Berlin Migration Hub Network gGmbH Head of Outreach

Shoshana Krakowski Tel Aviv Microfy Director

Estefania Brasil Tel Aviv Microfy Student & Project Employee

Ella Navot Tel Aviv Microfy PR Manager

Noam Bar Levy Tel Aviv Municipality of Tel Aviv

Director of Bloomberg

Innovation Neve Shaanan Project

Lior Meyer Tel Aviv Municipality of Tel Aviv

Director of Marketing/PR Tel Aviv Global City

Tomer Weinstein Tel Aviv Social Entrepreneur

CEO & Board Member

Elizabeth Stull Tel Aviv UNHCR Program Director

Yoav Shafranek Tel Aviv Levinsky Garden Project coordinator

Roni Danciger Tel Aviv Mesilla Project coordinator

Shanir Sophie Tel Aviv CEC education and Kav Laoved Project coordinator

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Annex BBerlin Agenda 6.10.2016 - 9.10.2016

Day /Time Topic Session

Type Location Host / Organization

Speaker / Moderator

Thursday

18:00 - 19:00 Check-In Get-

together

Migration Hub, Potsdamer Str. 144,

10783 Berlin

Migration Hub Network

19:00 - 20:00

Welcome Session

Speech / Warm-Up


10783 Berlin


Thomas Lehnen

20:00 - 20:30

Introduction to Migration Hub

Network

Speech / Q&A


10783 Berlin

Migration Hub Network Ana Alvarez

20:30 - 21:00

Introduction to Microfy

Speech / Q&A


10783 Berlin


Shana Krakowski

21:00 - 21:30

Get together & Networking

Informal gathering


10783 Berlin


21:30 - open

endDinner & Drinks

Thanh Nho, Potsdamer Straße 133, 10783 Berlin

Friday

08:45 - 09:00 Check-In

Zukunftsforum, Lindenstraße 20-25,

10969 Berlin

Stiftung Deutsch-

Israelisches Zukunftsforum

09:00 - 09:20

Welcoming Round

Speech and Discussion


10969 Berlin

Stiftung Deutsch-

Israelisches Zukunftsforum

Birgit Luig

09:20 - 09:40

Input Current Situation Berlin/

GermanyImpuls


10969 BerlinUNHCR Norbert

Trosien

09:40 - 10:20

Dialogue Session

Moderated Discussion


10969 Berlin


Norbert Trosien & Thomas Lehnen

32

10:20 - 10:40 Coffee Break


10969 Berlin

10:40 - 11:00

Input Current Situation Tel Aviv/Israel

ImpulsZukunftsforum,

Lindenstraße 20-25, 10969 Berlin

UNHCR Elizabeth Stull

11:00 - 11:40

Dialogue Session

Moderated Discussion


10969 Berlin


Elizabeth Stull &

Thomas Lehnen

12:00 - 13:00 Lunch

Kirsons Berlin, Charlottenstraße 13,

10969 Berlin

13:15 - 14:00

Site Visit @ Refugee

Academy and DRK-Shelter

Site Visit Stresemannstraße 95, 10963 Berlin

Refugee Academy Pascal Blunk

14:15 - 15:45

Intercultural Communication

Workshop

Workshop/ Moderated Discussion

Stresemannstraße 95, 10963 Berlin

Refugee Academy / Alejandro

Alpizar

Alejandro Alpizar

16:00 - 18:00

World Café Round Tables World Café

Hub:raum, Winterfeldtstraße 21, 10781 Berlin


Lina Raukamp & Thomas

Lehnen

18:00 - 20:00

Interactive Exhibition Fair

Interactive Fair /

Networking

Hub:raum, Winterfeldtstraße 21, 10781 Berlin


Benedetta Caputi

19:00 - 20:00

Award Ceremony

Deutschland Land der Ideen & Networking

Hour

Speeches & Networking


10783 Berlin


20:00 - open

end

Dancing with Local Musicians & Networking,

Evening activities

Informal gathering

Saturday

09:00 - 11:00

Individual site visits or working

sessions / BarCamp

preparation


10783 Berlin

33

11:00 - 12:30

Site visit & Lunch @ Ueber den Tellerrand

Showcase / Information Exchange &

Lunch

KitchenHUB, Roßbachstr. 6, 10829 Berlin

Über den Tellerrand

Agnes Disselkamp

13:00 - 14:00

Introduction of BarCamp Topics

and Sessions

Speech / Q&A

Kiron Open Higher Education, Am

Festungsgraben 1, 10117 Berlin


& Kiron Open Higher

Education

Bea Polei

14:00 - 17:30

BarCamp Sessions Workshops




& Kiron Open Higher

Education

17:30 - 18:00

Summary of results and conclusion




& Kiron Open Higher

Education

Thomas Lehnen

18:30 - 19:15 Dinner Neukölln

19:30 - 20:30

Tour through Sharehaus

Refugio led by Fatuma Musa &

discussion

Tour & Q&ASharehaus Refugio, Lenaustraße 3-4,

12047 Berlin

Sharehaus Refugio Fatuma Musa

20:30 - 21:00

Closing Discussion Discussion

Sharehaus Refugio, Lenaustraße 3-4,

12047 Berlin


Thomas Lehnen

21:00 - open

end

Closing Celebration

Event

Informal Gathering / Networking

Klunkerkranich, Neukölln Arcaden, Karl-Marx-Straße 66, 12043 Berlin

Sunday

all day

Check-Out, Free time until

departure, opportunity to do some sight-

seeing etc.

10:00 - 16:00

Explaining the concept of Migration Hub Network and how to

build and run a Migration Hub

Working Session


10783 Berlin


34

Annex CTel Aviv Agenda 1.12.2016 - 4.12.2016

Day / Time Topic Session Type Location

Thursday 1st

16:00 - 18:00 Arrival Berlin Delegation

18:00 - 19:00 Check-in Get - together Abraham Hostel

19:00 - 20:30

Welcome session & Introduction to the

situation of refugees in Israel

Lecture/Moderated discussion Mazeh 9

20:30 - open end Dinner Dinner Go out!

Friday 2nd

9:30 - 10:30 Lecture on legal status of refugees Lecture Abraham Hostel -

Meeting Room

10:30 - 13:00Tour South Tel Aviv - Lecture on the history

of South Tel AvivTour South Tel Aviv

13:00 - 14:30 Lunch Kuchinate Kuchinate

15:00 - 17:30 EWCC, Fur Center, WadiAhara

Site visit to a com-munity center EWCC

17:30 - open end

Shabat dinner (optional 40 NIS not included) Dinner Abraham Hostel

Saturday 3rd

14:00- 15:30Fadhumo - Talk session with the

community

Moderated discussion Abraham Hostel

17:30 - 20:30 BarCamp & Networking session

Workshops & infor-mal gathering Mazeh 9

20:30 - open end Networking Informal Gathering Mazeh 9

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Sunday 4th

9:00 - 10:30 Unitaf Site visit Unitaf

11:00 - 12:30 CEC Site visit CEC

12:30 - 14:00 Lunch

14:00 - 15:30 Meeting with the Municipality Lecture / Talk Mazeh 9

16:00 - 18:30 Design thinking workshop Workshop Mazeh 9

18:30 - open end

Feedback session - moving forward

Government & Nonprofit

Exchange Berlin-Tel Aviv