OIKOS ORGANIZATION FOR INTERNATIONAL KOOPERATION AND SOLIDARITY ONLUS

Oikos Onlus (Organisation for International Kooperation and Solidarity) is a non-governmental organisation established in 2005 in Udine (Italy). We work in the field of asylum seekers' support, international cooperation and education about mondiality and integration. Through our work, we advocate values such as international solidarity and cooperation, social inclusion, openness to the diversity, democracy and European participation. Our activities respond to the values of the organisation by addressing social issues at the local and international level. Our projects cover: - welcome and support of asylum seekers: our goal is to offer a 360-degrees support for asylum seekers through personalised services and by cooperating with our partners on the local territory. Our offer responds to different needs such as accommodation, linguistic and cultural mediation, job orientation, health and legal assistance, awareness raising activities carried out by asylum seekers; - awareness raising projects in local schools about topics such as: human rights, peace keeping, participative democracy, globalisation, social inclusion and integration, intercultural education and racism, emotion management (e.g. anger and fear). The goal of our interventions is to raise attention and to promote the reflection and the discussion on such topics among both kids and teachers, in order to foster a critical thought on the current social issues; - Erasmus + projects on the topics addressed by the association: we are experienced as a sending institution in both the training and the youth mobility field. Our projects aim to foster the European values and to empower our beneficiaries through volunteering and training experiences in a foreign country. Oikos holds a proven experience within the EVS mobility, through which our volunteers have largely benefited from impactful life experiences by contributing to the wellbeing of the local communities and, at the same time, by empowering themselves on different levels. Moreover, we foster mobility for young people with a disadvantaged background, who are provided with the opportunity of experimenting themselves in a safe environment abroad; - international cooperation with the Democratic Republic of Congo and with Colombia. Our project in the Democratic Republic of Congo aims to improve the quality of the pediatric structures on the territory and to foster the quality of the patients' nutrition by developing an agricultural center that addresses the necessities of the community. On the other side, our work in Colombia intends to support the local economy by providing training for the local manufacturers and by defending human rights within the most vulnerable communities. Through our activities, we aim to take part in the peace construction process at the local level in the country; - European projects financed by AMIF (Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund), with the main goals of improving the integration of refugees in the work system and supporting those who are willing to become self-employed and/or to open their own business, as self-employment is one of the most successful tools to foster a long-term labour integration. Through our activities we aim to address the necessities of our target groups by building up the interventions together, in the respect of the dignity and of the personal agency of each one of our interlocutors. We want to provide tools of redemption and help our beneficiaries to take control of their life. Our team is quite small, which allows us to take care of the interpersonal relationships among us and to consider ourselves as a family. If you are passionate about the topics addressed by Oikos Onlus, you want to have a real impact on society and you would like to volunteer in a friendly environment, don't hesitate to contact us! We are looking forward to meet you!