Why do we carry out this project?The current difficult situation of migrants and refugees in many European countries is the context, background and motivation of this Strategic Partnership, entitled "Education for volunteers in culture and religion sensitive accompaniment of migrants and refugees". The fleeing of many people to Europe and their reception and support are challenges – and the partnership is responding to it. Since volunteers in may countries are doing a lot of work in helping and counselling migrants, it is necessary to educate them for their work.Who is participating?Eight organisations have built an alliance to develop educational concepts in adult education. These are: Society for Intercultural Pastoral Care and Counselling - SIPCC, DE / European Institute for intercultural and interreligious research, LI / Interdiac - International Academy for Diaconia and Social Action, Central and Eastern Europe, CZ / Centrum for Mission and Evangelisation of the Evangelical-Augsburgian Church, PL / Islamic chaplaincies for Muslim patients in Austria / Comenius University in Bratislava, Evangelical Lutheran Theological Faculty, SK / Caritas Vlaanderen, BE /Diakonie Deutschland. All are involved in migrant and refugee work, in adult education and all have skills in intercultural and inter-religious work - requirements to contribute with their expertise in the project.Fundamental for this partnership is the encounter and exchange of people and organisations from very different countries in Europe ("Western, Central and Eastern Europe"). Through exchange and mutual understanding the effectiveness of the project results increase and the quality of educational concepts will become higher. What is the content, the objectives and the target audience?The project aims to qualify professionals in adult education so that they can empower volunteers to cultural and religious sensitive accompaniment of migrants and refugees. It promotes a special kind of attention to people who have experienced migration and asylum, namely to become aware of their cultural, but above all of their religious imprinting and perceive that as means to cope with their present situation in life. This is an innovative approach, because it hardly ever is recognised as important.The target group is first professionals in adult education, who will develop educational concepts for volunteers of monitoring migrants and refugees: to become more aware of the situation of migrants and refugees; to explore the cultural and religious backgrounds of migrants and refugees and to exercise cultural and religious sensitive accompaniment.What actions do we plan?The core of the partnership is personal exchange and sharing. To make that possible four transnational meetings will take place: 1) Sept. 2016 in Belgium: Opening of the cooperation. 2) Nov. 2016 in Bratislava, SK: exchange of models for educating volunteers. 3) Jan. 2017 in Czech Republic: competencies in intercultural and interreligious communication. 4) March 2017 in Dusseldorf: training concepts for cultural and religious sensitive accompaniment. A teaching and learning activity at the end of the partnership in May 2017 is used for own training and for the developing concepts in cultural and religious sensitive accompaniment.In addition, a series of written materials is planned.What methods do we use?The primarily methodological approach is process-oriented learning through personal exchange and sharing. The reflection of own experiences and those of others and the growth of awareness in this exchange leads to new perspectives and knowledge and is the basis for the planned educational models.What are the results and impacts?There will be “intangible” and "tangible" results of this partnership. The tangible results include the implementation of the mentioned joint meetings and the written products. As further tangible impacts mainly two points can be highlighted: the creation of educational concepts for volunteers in cultural and religious sensitive accompaniment, which will be presented in writings at the end, their widely dissemination and the future cooperation between the partners, which should be continued - possibly in a new project.Among the intangible results of the project better knowledge and skills of participants and organisations in the mentioned fields can be mentioned. Personal interaction and reflection will enhance the relationship to other people. This leads to better communication in educational work and creates fruitful training concepts for interpersonal skills.What will remain beyond the partnership?The joint cooperation between organisations in different countries should be continued, so that a network for working with refugees in Europe is growing.The formation of concepts for cultural and religious sensitive accompaniment will be further developed. Many people and organisations are just beginning with this approach.