Final CMinaR Conference in Berlin

To kick off the conference, guest speaker Rita Süssmuth, former president of the German Bundestag and internationally recognised expert on migration, emphasised mutual learning for counselling work. "We all learn - those who have been welcomed and those who have arrived", she said. "People have a past, a present and a future. Putting these together is our task." She pleaded for social inclusion instead of exclusion. "Let us get down to it", she urged. A person would have to develop a sense of belonging to be able to have some kind of success. 

Project coordinator Karl-Heinz P. Kohn from the University of Applied Labour Studies (HdBA) described in his welcome speech language barriers, the traumatic experiences of refugees, as well as the lack of knowledge of both the countries they flee and those they come to as the biggest challenges for counsellors and their clients seeking advice. So as to prepare the counsellors better for the needs of the refugees, the universities involved in the project have developed six course modules which were carried out in the form of pilot projects and subsequently evaluated.

In the first module, the HdBA compiled an introduction to the macroeconomic and political framework of counselling work, assisted by Prof. Dr. Ursula Engelen-Kefer. The module is to be adapted to every country. The situation in Germany is characterised by an ageing population and a lack of skilled workers. "For us, migration is absolutely essential from a macroeconomic perspective", concluded Engelen-Kefer. She pleaded for a "welcoming culture which provides people with the feeling that they belong."

The second module, led by Dr. Anne Chant and Claire Nix fromChrist Church University Canterbury, should encourage self-reflection amongst the participants, "What cultural conclusions, what values and views do they bring into the counselling?" Counsellors must be aware of these questions so as to create a respectful, mutual relationship, said Chant. The core idea of the third module is the language as a central counselling tool. The aim is for counsellors to be sensitive to misunderstandings which can occur in intercultural communication. The person responsible, Dr. Asa Sundelin from the University of Stockholm, added that language should be used as a valuable resource in career and education counselling.

Module four provides an insight into cultural differences and challenges which refugees are often confronted with. "It is important to understand that culture influences perception", emphasised Neşe Gülmez from the Office for Labour Market Issues in the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey. Religion also plays a significant role as many refugees come from Islamic countries.

Module five conveys knowledge of the labour and training systems in countries of origin and arrival as well as supporting the assessment of the refugees' potential. This is an important basis for career options, as Karl-Heinz P. Kohn stressed. Language-related tests and other processes are also discussed which help to find out the refugees' soft skills and abilities, based on specific work situations. Empowerment is at the core of the sixth module . "It is all about mobilising positive energy and developing a new story for the future", said Lea Ferrari from the University of Padua.

Exactly how difficult it can be to provide future-oriented counselling to traumatised refugees is made clear by work and organisational psychologist, Olga Kostoula from Austria. In her presentation, she talked about the hidden effects of trauma in counselling. New approaches to research prove that daily stress can cause people to be retraumatised. Being in a counselling session can lead to concern as the counsellor does not know the person from their home country. The counsellor needs to be aware of this in their work.

The concluding evaluation of all six course modules should ensure that results were achieved that were funded by their providers. This was achieved by all those involved in projects. Methods, media and module content are now available on the website for the project as well as in book form. "We would like to see the widest coverage possible", said project lead Karl-Heinz P. Kohn. Everyone could apply parts of the findings to their daily work and adapt the contents as needed.

The University of Applied Labour Studies also sees how the results of the project can flow into the study programmes Bachelor, Master and certificates. "The conference showed just how demanding, diverse and complex the work of counsellors who work with refugees is", said Rector Prof. Dr. Andreas Frey. Now it is all about combining the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the counsellors with that of the migrants. "There are two sides of the coin", said Frey. He encouraged the participants of the conference to apply for and carry out further international research projects and increase European exchange amongst students and teaching staff of the universities involved in the project.

Representatives of the EU and OECD were also present at the conference. Matthias Rumpf from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Julie Fionda from the European Commission appeared satisfied with the CMinaR results that were presented in the concluding panel discussion. Fionda praised the diverse modular  approach. The project generally assumes that individuals with all their peculiarities have come to us in Europe, not one single group. "The next biggest challenge for us now is to launch further projects to cover a wider range or people", said Fionda.

Alongside Jean-Jacques Ruppert from the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG), an NGO representative from work with refugees also took part in the discussion. Elisabetta Melandri from Centro Informazione Educazione allo Sviluppo (CIES) in Italy encouraged more exchange of project experience in a wider network. "If the EU could make it possible, it would be an important contribution to strengthening European values." The presenters unanimously pleaded for academic work in international networks that could contribute more to solutions than populistic streams that currently enjoy business activity in Europe again.