'We stopped being afraid to meet local people': The Czech lunches that connect families

In a movement that started from a trending hashtag on Twitter - #BeingBlackandMuslim - scholars and activists around the country are working to reduce stereotypes about Black Muslims. Organizations that arose from the movement now compile toolkits, syllabi, and other educational materials about being Black and Muslim in America, and how stereotypes and racism is perpetuated both within and outside religious communities.

Programs in upper Austria have helped immigrants integrate into rural communities. Regional-interkulturell.kompetent (RIKK) and Heimat=Sharing engage both newcomers and locals at schools, companies, and social clubs to build intercultural communication and dispel fear and stigma.

Responding to growing attacks on Asian Americans, based on racist reactions to the pandemic, one young woman self-published a handbook, "How to Report a Hate Crime," in multiple languages. Though limited funding kept its print run small, the booklet found an audience through social media. Then its author connected with the victim of a verbal assault, inspired her to push back against police department apathy, and sparked a number of new hate-crime reports and better training for Los Angeles police officers.

This article explores a myriad of ways on how to change anti-Semitic stereotypes and beliefs about Jewish people. Anti-bias training,integratingg holocaust education into the classroom, and holding difficult conversations, are some of the solutions identified in this article. “The foundation of any long-term strategy, experts say, is for communities to unite in condemnation of all forms of bigotry and hate.” “That starts with people talking to one another, and schools and community leaders being transparent about what is really happening.”

A program that was inspired by rising racial tensions is helping students from Pennsylvania State University and the University of Mosul in Iraq erase misconceptions about each other’s cultures. Participants of the “World in Conversation Program,” gather for virtual conversations and talk about their issues, concerns, and daily life. The program is helping them dismantle stereotypes they might have of Arabs and Americans. “I want to show them who we really are, beyond the stereotypes in the media.”

Migrants and native Czechs are breaking bread together in an initiative designed to promote tolerance. Next Door Family connects locals with migrants who seek a sense of belonging and security in their new homes. Over 40 percent of families met up again on their own. The project was also implemented in several other European countries.

A Danish trade union has integrated migrant construction workers by overcoming language and cultural barriers. The move has led to better working conditions, equal pay, healthcare, and housing for migrant workers - all of which also helps them integrate better into Danish society. Accommodating migrant workers on Danish construction sites has also solved the problem of surplus labor which was negatively impacting the union’s ability to negotiate with company bosses.

Generation 2.0 empowers migrant job-seekers through career counseling, resume help, and interview prep. Additionally, it provides diversity workshops for employers who are unfamiliar with the bureaucratic aspects of hiring an asylum-seeker. The program has successfully helped refugees find work and navigate unfamiliar Greek systems to integrate into Greek society.

The Wohnbrücke Hamburg project, which translates to “housing bridge,” helps refugees in their search for affordable housing in Hamburg, Germany. The complicated process is made harder due to language and cultural barrier in addition to xenophobia. The Wohnbrücke Hamburg project mediates between refugees and landlords and has successfully helped 785 households secure their living arrangements.

Multiple initiatives have been launched in schools and health care facilities across Idaho to reach out to the Latino population and better serve the community. High school programs are providing space for Latino teens to find role models and hone leadership skills while teacher hiring and training has also been diversified. Health care facilities have made it easier for patients to access translation services.