HarvindAs you may know, SPEAK loves anyone who tries to connect people, build new bridges and believes in the power of collaboration.
For this reason, we like to share meaningful stories about those who have made networking their primary mission. All of today’s stories have begun in Berlin. The city where SPEAK has just started with new events and the same big dose of enthusiasm. We found a lot of inspiring initiatives that have a common an amazing collaborative spirit.
1. Start with a friend
Start with a friend is an exciting project that connects refugees with locals. Its main goal is not only to welcome refugees who arrive to Germany but also to support them in becoming part of the society. Locals can engage in different ways:
- Tandem, to help them with buraucratic papers, job or language courses;
- Intercultural Mediator to meet refugees and bring people together;
- Donor, to give support with a financial contribution.
What is really interesting is that “Start with a friend” actually creates a match between people based on their interests, professional backgrounds and needs in a way that everyone can benefit from the experience.
2. Give something back to Berlin
On the same line, there is the award-winning project Give something back to Berlin, a social, community integration platform that creates different meeting points between old and new in the city.
They have a triple mission. First, to connect groups that would usually not have gotten contact easily. This is, for example, locals, migrants and refugees that otherwise. Second, they work as a creator of big events and projects in fields of art and trauma therapy, music, language learning, cooking and job coaching where people have the possibility to interact and work together. Finally, they act as a catalyst for grassroots-driven social changes.
The impact is huge: 25 664 people were involved in this project, with 19 151 volunteer hours yearly. Wow!
3. Migration Hub Network
The last initiative we would like to share is Migration Hub Network that connects social entrepreneurs, organizations and social initiatives working in migration, inclusion, and refugee support across Europe.
The “Migration Hub Network” helps and assists them in designing and scaling-up social solutions to mass migration. Their support consists, not only, in offering a place where entrepreneurs can work, but also in personalized consulting and mentoring. They also provide a tailor-made matching system with their partners (NGOs, CSR Departments, foundations, governments, academic institutions) who already do, or want to, support newcomers. We are happy to announce that “Migration Hub Network” became our partner and is supporting us in settling down Berlin.
All these projects leave a positive message towards the power of collaboration and keep inspiring our daily life.
