Network meeting and Livingroom festival for integration in The Hague

Network meeting and Livingroom festival for integration in The Hague This month Justice and Peace organised two big events for the integration of refugees in The Hague: the network meeting Sport & Integration in Escamp and Livingroom festival Binnen! spread across The Hague.

Both events were well attended by Dutch people from The Hague and status holders. Sports, music, food, fashion, a bit of guts and fun broke the ice and made for meetings and contact.

“Hey, can I join?”

Anas from Syria used to ask this in Syria if he wanted to participate in playing or sports and also dares to do so in The Hague. For many people that is less obvious, and even more difficult if you do not yet know the language and customs in your new country. And that while participating is necessary to get to know the Dutch, learn to speak Dutch and ultimately find work.

Integrate through sports

During the networking meeting in Escamp, various organisations presented their sports programmes to status holders in the neighbourhood. For example Stichting Mooi, Bewegen Werkt, Building Better People, Stichting Leergeld, Xtra and Aïshel. Multiple World Kickboxing Champion Naomi gave a resilience training in which everyone participated enthusiastically.

Binnen!: newcomers from The Hague and Dutch meet at home

Together with a team of three status holders, Justice and Peace organised the first The Hague Livingroom festival Binnen! with living room concerts and various workshops in the houses of Dutch people and status holders spread across The Hague and a big party in Buurthuis De Mussen. At home with Sebastiaan, Congolese singer-songwriter Paul Hagayi gave a living room concert, after which he started an interesting discussion with the visitors. Kahlid organized a small chess tournament in his house in Bezuidenhout. At Eveline, the Syrian Alaa and Dutch Shalini got all visitors, aged 5 to 80, dancing. “It was very nice, we were invited to come and eat again, we will certainly do that!” (Yora and Max, enjoyed a Syrian dinner at Maan’s home).

Read more about the network meeting Sports & Integration in Escamp
Read more about Livingroom festival Binnen!