Practitioners from municipalities (Stad Mechelen / Belgium, Municipality of Nikaia-Rentis / Greece and Sala Kommun / Sweden) and institutions (KU Leuven - HIVA and Beyond the Horizon International Strategic Studies Group vzw / Belgium) gathered between 14-15 September 2021 in Brussels to discuss the essentials of a social mentoring programme to be used during the implementation phase of project ORIENT8 as framed in HIVA’s work Initial Guidelines for Social Mentoring Programs for Newcomers.

During the hybrid workshop, experience was exchanged between partners, stakeholders and newcomers who run or participated in similar projects to ensure both co-creation and transnational learning. The output of the workshop was Initial Mentoring Programme upon which the partners will build mentoring content. 

ORIENT8 is a smart social mentoring programme supported by smart digital tools and tailored activities. It smartly pairs newly arrived third country nationals (newcomers) with the volunteer members of the local community in order to help them overcome daily difficulties at the early stage of their integration process. The project has received funding from the European Union’s Asylum Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).