Refugio Bremen
Refugio Bremen e. V. is a psychosocial and psychotherapeutic treatment center for refugees and torture survivors. The non-profit and benevolent association sees itself as neutral and impartial with regard to religious and political issues and feels committed to the content of the UN Convention against Torture and the UN Declaration of Human Rights . As the only treatment center in northwest Germany, Refugio Bremen e. V. outpatient and free advice and psychotherapeutic treatment for refugees and torture survivors in their respective mother tongue.
Founding history
In 1987/88 there were the first meetings of active refugee social workers, professionals from the health sector with a political and / or multicultural background and officials with volunteer work. These meetings resulted in an “initiative for a psychosocial center”.
On October 3rd, 1989 the association “Initiative for a psychosocial center for foreign refugees and victims of torture Bremen” was founded.
The name Refugio was also included in the name of the association.
In 1991, the center advised and treated 121 people seeking advice, mainly from Iran, Turkey and Lebanon.
1997 co-founding member of the BAFF (nationwide working group of psychosocial centers for refugees and victims of torture).
Since 2002 Refugio Bremen e. V. has its headquarters at Parkstrasse 2-4 and has a steady increase in people seeking advice (160-290), permanent employees and volunteers.
anniversary
In 2014 Refugio Bremen e. V. celebrates its 25th anniversary with a series of events. At a ceremony in Bremen's town hall, Anja Stahmann , Bremen's Senator for Social Affairs, Children, Youth and Women, paid tribute to the work of the association and underlined the importance of the aid far beyond the national borders. Mayor Jens Böhrnsen also thanked the association and its employees for the extraordinary commitment.
Goals and way of working
Refugio Bremen e. V. is aimed at refugees and survivors of torture in the catchment area of Bremen , Bremerhaven , Hamburg and Lower Saxony who do not have access to other therapeutic contact points due to their residence status. Refugio offers, among other things, individuals, children, adolescents and families
- Psychosocial counseling, diagnostic work-up, orientation discussions and referral to the responsible bodies (social help, legal advice, etc.)
- Psychotherapy , body / movement , art and music therapy
- Low-threshold group offers (discussion group, exercise group, soccer and dance group for young people, etc.)
- Provision of interpreters for communication in the clients' mother tongue
- Further training and supervision offers for interpreters (also external), multipliers and psychotherapeutic specialists
- Information and public relations work on the range of topics refugees, trauma, torture.
Based on the individual needs of refugees and torture survivors, which Refugio Bremen e. V., the focus of the offers is on helping clients to help themselves. Crises and extreme stress are to be alleviated and individual resources to be strengthened.
The focus of therapy and counseling is on developing an inner balance. The aim is to give clients the feeling and ability to go about their life independently within the possibilities of the restrictive German immigration and asylum law .
Refugio attaches great importance to group work, as clients have important solidarity experiences in a group and can thus possibly be led back into a human community. Social skills are strengthened and, if necessary, a social network is formed.
A special focus is also the work with children and young people. Since 2012, among other things, unaccompanied minor refugees have been cared for by Refugio Bremen through the Therapy and Advocacy project of the World Childhood Foundation .
In addition to professional assistance, Refugio Bremen also arranges support from voluntary helpers.
Documentary "Learning to Live Again"
In cooperation with the Bremen filmmaker Beate Neuhaus, a 45-minute documentary film about the work of Refugio was made in 2006, which enables insights into the trauma therapy work with refugees and torture survivors. The film tries to trace the individual stories of different refugees, which can be viewed as examples of the fate and everyday experiences of many refugees in Germany and Western Europe. “Learn to live again” can be requested from Refugio for public and educational work.
Cooperations
Particularly close cooperation exists with Refugio Munich and XENION Berlin in terms of professional exchange, administration, statistical data collection and evaluation.
In addition, Refugio cooperates with social help, legal advice, contact points for refugee care , human rights organizations, Aktion Mensch , institutions of the Bremen health system (particularly with the intercultural health network Bremen IGN Bremen ), resident specialists and psychotherapists as well as volunteer therapists.
Professional networks
Refugio is a member of the " Paritätischen " and the Federal Association of Psychosocial Centers in Germany (BAFF) . There is also a network with local and regional psychosocial and refugee groups.
Advanced training
Refugio regularly offers advanced training for psychotherapists, multipliers in health care and refugee work and interpreters on psychotraumatology and trauma therapy for traumatized refugees and survivors of torture. These training courses are of great importance, since even specialist staff often have reservations about refugees and do not trust themselves to be treated easily.
Publications
Refugio also acts as a publisher and publisher of publications and other media dealing with the refugee issue. Among others it appeared:
- Beate Neuhaus: Learning to live again . Refugio Bremen, Bremen 2006 (film for research and teaching purposes).
- Refugio Bremen (Ed.): With body and soul . Living conditions and treatment of traumatized refugees . Bremen 2000 (conference volume, October 12-14, 2000).
- Refugio Bremen (Ed.): “It's never been behind you.” Torture, flight, massacre: survival stories of refugees . Bremen 1999.
Sponsor
Refugio is largely financed by donations and supported by various initiatives, foundations, funds, church associations and the Bremen Senate . In 2014 Refugio Bremen received a grant from the social department of 25,000 euros due to the sharp increase in the number of refugees. There is also a special Refugio Foundation.
Awards
Refugio Bremen has already received a number of awards, prizes and nominations for its work.
| organization | price | year | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Ministry of Family Affairs | German engagement award | 2013 | nomination |
| Germany - land of ideas | 2008 | Selected location | |
| Alliance for Children Foundation | Alliance for Children Prize | 2012, 2013 | 2nd place |
| Kroschke Foundation for Children | Kroschke Prize | 2008 | |
| Bremen Council for Integration | Bremen Promotion Prize for Integration | 2007 | 3rd place |
literature
- Sabine Offe: Dream and Asylum. Recognition in the practice of Refugio Bremen . In: Claudia Cryszoll, Inge Marszolek, Peter Pohl (eds.): Between normativity and normality. Theory and practice of recognition from an interdisciplinary perspective . Essen 2010, p. 137-154 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ refugio-bremen.de
- ↑ Alexandru Pisculescu: Trauma, Escape and Dreams - 25 Years Refugio Bremen. (No longer available online.) Fan-television, May 14, 2014, archived from the original on July 14, 2014 ; Retrieved July 3, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ 25 years of commitment to refugees: Reception in the town hall for Refugio Bremen. The Senator for Social Affairs, Children, Youth and Women, May 13, 2014, accessed on July 3, 2014 .
- ↑ EIB: A tremendous game for refugees. In: taz . May 22, 2013, accessed July 2, 2014 .
- ^ Christina Mänz: Project Therapy and Advocacy - an initial assessment. (No longer available online.) World Childhood Foundation, archived from the original on July 14, 2014 ; Retrieved July 2, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Giving time: This is how you can help refugee families. Brigitte, accessed July 2, 2014 .
- ↑ Sandy Bradtke: People cannot forget torture. Weser-Kurier, October 11, 2014, accessed on July 16, 2014 .
- ↑ Refugio Press. Refugio Bremen, accessed on July 16, 2014 .
- ↑ Refugio advanced training. Refugio Bremen, accessed on July 16, 2014 .
- ↑ Taking care of the refugees is difficult - "Many are under heavy psychological stress". (No longer available online.) Radio Bremen, September 4, 2013, archived from the original on July 14, 2014 ; Retrieved July 3, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ 25 years Refugio Bremen. Der Paritätische, June 20, 2014, accessed July 2, 2014 .
