Refugee Help Refugee

Voice of the Voiceless International often hears about opportunities for advocacy, and if you are added to our list of Refugee Help Refugee (RHR)advocates program we can get in touch to let you know when anything of interest comes up.

This might be an opportunity to get involved in a campaign, speak to the media, or participate in an event, consultation, or meeting.

If you are added to the Refugee Help Refugee (RHR) advocacy program contact list, we will email or contact you by phone when we hear about opportunities that you may be interested in. You can also ask to be taken off the list whenever you want. We will not pass on your details to anyone outside of the Voice of the Voiceless International Refugee program without contacting you first to see if you want us to.

If you are willing to be involved, we would love to know what areas of advocacy you are interested in. Select all the areas of advocacy you are interested in below.

Areas of advocacy I am interested in

• Settlement issues in ITALY (e.g education, employment, health, citizenship).
• ITALIAN treatment of people seeking asylum.
• Resettlement processes (community sponsorship, Special Humanitarian Program, family reunion).
• International refugee issues (conditions in your country of origin or asylum; human rights concerns).

Community sponsorship for refugees (CSR)

Community sponsorship ensures that refugees are met with a warm welcome and have the support they need to find their feet in a new country.

What is community sponsorship of refugees?

The concept of community sponsorship involves everyday people forming a group and working together to prepare for and welcome a refugee family to their local area. The group will typically fundraise to cover some of the initial needs of the refugee family as well as provide practical support to the newcomer family to help them settle into their community, typically for six months or a one-year period.

The problem

The scale of the global refugee challenge continues to grow:

• Resettlement opportunities are grossly inadequate to meet the number of refugees in urgent need around the world.
• Rich countries are not doing enough but governments are politically constrained in how much they can do at the expense of taxpayers.
• Private citizens feel compassion and want to help but often can’t find effective avenues to do so.
• Refugees who are resettled can find it very challenging to find their feet in a new country, particularly in the early years.

The solution

Community sponsorship for refugees (CSR) can:

• Enable private citizens, businesses, and non-government organizations (NGOs) to expand Italian’s response to the global refugee challenge.
• Ensure that refugees are met with a warm welcome and have the support they need to find their feet as new Italians.
• Enable everyday Italians can share their knowledge and networks to support refugees in achieving their goal of becoming full contributors to Italian society.
• Bring more ordinary Italians into direct and meaningful contact with forced migrants within the Italian community.
• Lead to a greater understanding within the community about refugee experiences and lay the groundwork for generous and compassionate policy towards forced migrants.

Our vision

To lead in encouraging, developing, and supporting programs that expand and improve refugee settlement in Italia by harnessing the generosity, goodwill, and social capital of groups of everyday Italians.

What types of support does VOV provide?

Voice of the Voiceless International assist’s asylum/refugees with some of their immediate needs on arrival and during their first 12 months in the country. This includes help with:

• local orientation,
• accommodation (estimated 6 – 12 weeks)
• securing long-term housing
• enrolling children in school
• registering with other government services and language classes
• accessing social opportunities and emotional support
• opening bank accounts
• learning Italian/English language
• using public transport
• getting a driver’s license
• finding a job or starting a business

Do you want to help a refugee family in a practical and meaningful way?

Voice of the Voiceless International now gives you an opportunity to sponsor and welcome refugee families into their local communities through a community sponsorship program.

How to Get Involved

Individuals/groups all over the country have expressed their eagerness to be involved in community-led support for refugees through sponsorship and mentorship programs.

Join the VOV refugee growing movement by participating and donating to us.