ACRA

Acra Foundation was established in 1968. Initially, the organization was formed exclusively by self-funded volunteers.

In 1973, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recognized ACRA as an official NGO qualified for international cooperation. Since then, Acra has extensively worked in Italy, Senegal, and many other countries to promote local entrepreneurship and innovation, to strengthen community based enterprises, to promote human rights and enhance multi stakeholder’s dialogue.

The role of ACRA in the project is to help the research unit to establish contacts with Eritrean, Egyptian, and Senegalese communities that have already collaborated with ACRA previous projects in Lombardia (MygranTour; Comunicazione e Intercultura, Oltre la Soglia; Fondazioni4Africa, Beyond the Threshold).

In addition, Acra foundation will participate in the organization of the two roundtables of migrants’ association and of the focus groups of the collaborative inquiry.

Diapason

Diapason Social Cooperative was founded in 1985 and is committed to foster projects of socio-education and wellbeing through a network of social caretakers that reach people’s their residential places. Its activities include the promotion of social participation, the realization of cultural events, the enhancement of intercultural relations, the organization of Italian language courses (L2) and orientation activities for foreign residents.

The role of Diapason in the project is to facilitate the contacts with elderly migrants of Eritrean origins who are assisted by social caretakers in the neighbourhoods of Bicocca and Niguarda and with 80 Egyptian families, whose children attend Diapason Arabic courses.

Ruah

Ruah is a Cooperative Social Enterprise, established in January 2009 to answer the immigration emergency of Bergamo and province. The cooperative has the aim to pursue the general interest of the community by enhancing the human promotion and social integration of Italian and foreign residents.

It was created to meet the needs of the most vulnerable sections of the population, among which migrants have historically been the most visible. It offers assistance to asylum-seekers and refugees, employment counselling, educational activities for the promotion of intercultural dialogue. Its main objective is to create a new common wisdom based on the respect and recognition of every human being.

In 2016 Ruah has opened an experimental psychological counselling service for distressed asylum seekers andmigrants. As part of the consortium Solco Città Aperta, Ruah will facilitate research among the Senegalese communities of Bergamo and Province.