Migration enabled her to complete stays abroad and also find a new home — in Slovakia. The project manager of the European project MIND, Irina Adamova, explains in an interview what kind of reception she receives from our population and what challenges she overcomes while finalizing a major charity campaign on migration, “What is Home?”.

A live library from the SKCH workshop in real life

The name of the MIND workshop of the Slovenskej katolíckej charity (SKCH) can be broken down into concrete concepts: Migration / Migrácia, Interconnectedness / Prepojenie and Development / Rozvoj. Its project manager, Irina Adamova, explains the essence of MIND: “Imagine you want to rent an apartment and you call on a specific ad. On the other end they agree to a viewing, and then almost by chance ask: ‘But you are from Slovakia, right?’. You honestly say that you are not. So they hang up the phone with: ‘Sorry, we do not want people like this here.’ The aim of the project MIND is to help everyone affected by negative anti-migration rhetoric.”

Project MIND is in its third, and therefore final, year of implementation. The SKCH team is therefore preparing and carrying out public discussions on migration myths, so-called ‘live libraries’ (a moderated meeting between the wider public and foreign men and women). At the same time, during the entire summer a pan-European social media campaign runs under hashtags: #whatishome or #cojedomov. “For us, meetings with a broad spectrum of organizations and the public across Slovakia are important. It is necessary that all groups in society participate in creating a ‘common home’ — a place where everyone is welcome. I believe that through all our activities we contribute to a better understanding of the phenomenon of migration in Slovakia,” explains Irina Adamova.

Every person feels safest in the security of their own home — whether that is the country they come from or the country they have come to and want to settle in. But often this happens that people do not leave their own home voluntarily, only when it becomes a deadly threat. An increasing number of people are forced to leave their countries — not only because of military conflicts and persecution, but also due to other existential threats, such as poverty, hunger, unemployment, lack of access to education and healthcare, as well as the negative impacts of climate change. “For most people, home is above all family, friends, good food… That is why within project MIND and the campaign ‘What is Home?’ we ask every day: ‘Why do so many people not feel welcome in their new home, for example because of their skin color or their faith?’,” the charity project manager reflects.

Greatest challenges of the migration project

The SKCH team receives contradictory public ‘feedback’ on this project and campaign every day. This is where it sees its huge mission: to show the public facts about asylum decisions, figures on remittances, migration flows, and so on. It is all to help people engage their critical thinking, evaluate the situation objectively, and perhaps then conclude that migration has always existed here and has many forms and causes. “Unfortunately, the current public discourse on migration in Slovakia ignores the reality that foreigners and foreign women can significantly contribute to the development and functioning of our country. We point to this in our stories within the campaign #cojedomov,” Irina Adamova explains.

The SKCH team cannot watch indifferently as defenseless children melt in the Mediterranean Sea; it cannot passively watch when people risk their own lives and die in refrigerated containers. That is precisely why the MIND project is being implemented. “As Pope Francis has said, we must fight against the ‘globalization of indifference.’ For example, the current child refugee crisis is the worst since the Second World War — it is a humanitarian crisis that requires immediate action. Around the world almost fifty million children were exploited, forced to flee from brutal conflict and extreme poverty. At Charita, we really cannot close our eyes to this,” explains the SKCH team manager.

A migrant is not a bad person, nor an insult

Irina Adamova is herself a migrant, originally from Russia. She came to Slovakia after university — as part of family reunification. Her experiences varied, but fortunately the good ones predominate. Before coming to Slovakia, she completed several exchange stays abroad in different countries, which made her prepared for potential cultural shock and more open to absorbing local customs and traditions; she adapted quickly. “I never start a conversation by saying that I am different here and that I am a migrant. I do not point out differences. Usually others are the ones who start to point out differences and ask why I don’t have that ‘proper’ Slovak accent, and where I’m really from. But am I somehow worse than a local? I hope not. In addition, I have family in Slovakia, I speak the language, I work here and pay taxes,” recalls Irina Adamova.

According to Irina, “the label migrant/migrantka is not a tag; it is always a living being with its own life story, such as mine. It is important first of all to see the person and only later ‘migrant’, ‘refugee’, ‘Russian’, ‘Roma’ and so on. People here can be good and bad, just like everywhere else. But most of us (including people who are migrating) want to live a peaceful ordinary life, have decent work and good relationships.”

Strong personal stories of the ‘live libraries’

In the charity organization of discussions and live libraries with people who found a new home in Slovakia, the story that interested her most personally was that of Ms. Oleksandra from Luhansk, who obtained asylum in Slovakia. Her son was in June 2014 taken away somewhere and brutally beaten. The reason was her public opposition to the Russian occupation. He returned home, but with an ultimatum: either the family must move out of the city within twenty-four hours, or everyone would be shot. At that time, Ms. Oleksandra was also diagnosed with cancer. During the height of the conflict, she underwent surgery. In Slovakia she obtained so-called humanitarian asylum, which is granted only exceptionally. “During the ‘Live Library’ at a school in Košice, Ms. Oleksandra had a very clear and concise message for the younger generation: ‘May clear blue sky be above you and bright sun shine on you; may you never experience war on your own skin,’” recalls the project manager of project MIND.

Irina adds that the best activity of the project is to provide space for dialogue — whether in the form of the mentioned ‘live libraries’ or various discussions at festivals and in parishes. Also during lectures at schools, opening a mobile photo exhibition, or interviews in the media. “Each of our activities therefore offers exactly such a space for a calm exchange of opinions, conversations and answering previously unanswered questions,” she adds in conclusion on behalf of the whole charity team.

Text: Boba Markovič Baluchová (editor-in-chief of the portal ‘Media about Development’ and communication manager of the Platform of development organizations – Ambrela), Photo: www.charita.sk, archive of I. Adamova and project MIND