RESISTIRÉ has developed policy recommendations through co-creative workshops with researchers and activists specializing in inequalities during crises. These recommendations were based on three cycles of RESISTIRÉ research and are supported by project factsheets aiming to provide a conceptual framework for approaching future crises. 

During the initial part of RESISTIRÉ’s conference, “Better Stories of Creative Crisis Response” held on September 22, experts in feminism and LGBTQ rights presented and discussed one of the factsheets titled “Crisis as a Continuum: Learning from an Inclusive Feminist Crisis Response.” 

Navigating Crises for Inclusive Solutions

Ayşe Gül Altınay initiated the session by presenting the factsheet, emphasizing the need for an inclusive and effective approach to future crises, requiring a shift in current practices. To prevent and better manage future emergencies, it’s crucial to adopt a holistic approach to crises as a continuum, addressing the complex and interconnected challenges before, during, and after a crisis. 

Following this, an enlightening roundtable took place, featuring diverse participants, including Gülşah Şeydaoğlu from the Women’s Coalition, Nebahat Akkoç from KAMER Women’s Center, Sevgi Uçan Çubukçu from EŞİK, Women for Equality Platform, Havva Kafes from the May 17 Association, and Aysel Fidan from BAKAD – Cultural Studies for Peace Association. These participants evaluated the validity of the factsheets’ content, drawing insights from experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent earthquake crises. 

The participants acknowledged that feminist initiatives and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have demonstrated exceptional crisis management abilities during these challenging times. They showcased adaptability and an understanding of change. For instance, Gülşah Şeydaoğlu highlighted the role of CSOs in creating a WhatsApp group within the local community during the earthquake, facilitating the sharing of crucial information and addressing various needs. She stressed that “when things calmed down, it became evident to people the vital role of CSOs in crisis response, often faster than government authorities.”

The panels proceeded to share lessons learned during emergencies, emphasizing their collective experiences, wisdom, and inclusive feminist approaches to crisis preparation, management, response, and recovery. Several key lessons emerged: 

• Tailor measures for the specific needs of each locality and province. For example, Havva Kafes emphasized the importance of using the local language in providing psychological support. 
• Recognize that crises disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, such as elderly LGBT individuals and those with HIV. Strengthen support at both the national and subnational levels to prevent further deterioration of their circumstances and enhance inclusiveness through well-targeted services.
• Allocate substantial funds and human resources for managing these crises effectively. 
• Develop curricula that educate students on how to respond in emergency situations, ensuring preparedness. 

In conclusion, it is imperative to include these lessons into policy design and treating crises as a continuum. A well-integrated mechanism for inclusive crisis management should be developed to avert catastrophic consequences and enhance preparedness for future crises. 

As RESISTIRÉ is coming to an end, partners gathered in Istanbul last week to reimagine the Open Studios, a core part of the project’s methodology. They were joined by external participants of previous Open Studios.

What are Open Studios?

In RESISTIRÉ, Open Studios provided an action-oriented analysis of the research results and insights of the project. They were designed to produce ideas for concrete action, input for recommendations to reshape policies, and questions that remained open (missing insights or knowledge). The approach is a technique developed to design policies in a participative way bringing together multiple expertise, including users’ experience.

Improving the methodology

Alain Denis, Managing Director of Yellow Window, opened the workshop by stressing the key role of this methodology in bringing about real, lasting change, ensuring all stakeholders are aligned around the same goals.

Participants then openly shared their previous experiences with Open Studios. They acknowledged this process for its ability to promote creativity and diverse perspectives. The method was described as a collaborative, horizontal process that encourages active listening and learning. One participant noted, “I prefer to listen and learn rather than teach.” However, challenges were also stressed, such as time constraints and facilitators’ pressure to maintain focus on solutions and actions.

In the workshop second part, partners reflected on the current open studio methodology and brainstormed solutions for challenges like using tension positively, finding synergy in conflicts, and integrating open studios into research proposals.

The brainstorming yielded solutions, creating a sense of community and energy among participants. Ayse Gul Altinay, a professor at Sabanci University, concluded by emphasizing the lessons learned and the future expansion of this approach to more projects.  One of the participants finished by saying that when it comes to open studios it’s about “…coming from a different backgrounds but managing to find a common language and solutions, and giving space for growth.”

Krizlerle Yaratıcı Mücadelenin Daha İyi Hikayeleri

22 Eylül 2023 

İstanbul & Zoom

Sabancı Üniversitesi  

Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi 

The Seed 

Konferans boyunca Türkçe-İngilizce çeviri sağlanacaktır.

Horizon 2020 RESISTIRÉ Projesi, krizlerin yarattığı ve/ya derinleştirdiği sosyal eşitsizliklere dair 30 ay süren kapsamlı bir araştırmaya ve uzmanların katılımıyla düzenlenen atölye çalışmalarına dayanarak bir dizi politika önerisi geliştirmiştir. Bu önerilerden bir kısmı, kapsayıcı ve çok aktörlü kriz yönetimi ihtiyacı, Ulusal Toparlanma ve Dayanıklılık Planlarında kadınların deneyimlerinin ve bakış açılarının yansıtılmaması, krize bir devamlılık olarak yaklaşma ihtiyacı ile günümüz dünyasını şekillendiren çoklu krizlerle yaratıcı ve etkili bir şekilde mücadele edebilmek için dönüştürücü hibe programlarının potansiyellerine odaklanmıştır.

İstanbul’da yapılacak ve bir gün sürecek olan bu konferans, krizlerle yaratıcı mücadele örneklerine dair RESISTIRÉ bulgularının paylaşılmasının ardından proje kapsamında geliştirilen iki politika metnine odaklanacaktır:

• Crisis as a Continuum: Learning from an Inclusive Feminist Crisis Response RESISTIRÉ Factsheet 18  / Krizlerin Devamlılığı: Kapsayıcı Feminist Mücadeleden Dersler RESISTIRÉ Politika Metni 18 

• Transformative Funding Schemes: A Pathway for Creative and Effective Crisis Response RESISTIRÉ Factsheet 19 / Dönüştürücü Fon Desteği: Krizlerle Yaratıcı ve Etkili Mücadele için Bir Yol Haritası RESISTIRÉ Politika Metni 19

RESISTIRÉ araştırması, krize bir devamlılık olarak yaklaşmanın önemini; başka bir deyişle, krizden ‘önce’ hazırlık yapılması, krizin etkilerinin en belirgin olduğu “akut noktasında” etkili bir şekilde mücadele edilmesi ve krizin ‘sonrasının’ takip edilmesi gerektiğini göstermiştir. Sivil toplum kuruluşları (STK’lar) bu devamlılığın tüm aşamalarına müdahale etmede, özellikle de en kırılgan grupların ihtiyaçlarının karşılanmasında kilit rol oynamaktadır. 

Araştırma bulgularımız, taban örgütlenmelerinin ve sivil toplum kuruluşlarının, pandemiden doğan ihtiyaçlara hızlı bir şekilde ve yenilikçi yöntemlerle yanıt verme konusunda resmi kurumlardan daha atik davrandığını göstermektedir. Avrupa ve dünya çok sayıda kriz ve felaketle (sağlık, savaş, enerji, gıda güvenliği, doğanın tahribatı, kuraklık, yangınlar, depremler, toplumsal cinsiyete dayalı şiddet) karşı karşıya olduğundan, STK’ların dayanıklılığını destekleyen ve krizlerle yaratıcı ve etkili mücadele edilmesini sağlayan hibe programlarının tasarlanması daha da zorunlu hale gelmiştir. Bu da hibe programlarında dönüştürücü, katılımcı, esnek, uzun vadeli, kapasite geliştirici çekirdek fon desteğine doğru bir değişimi gerektirmektedir. 

Bu oturumlar, dönüştürücü hibe programlarının daha iyi hikayeleriyle krizler bağlamında feminist ve LGBTQI+ mücadelenin daha iyi hikayelerini bir araya getirerek hem STK’ları hem fon kuruluşlarını içinden geçtiğimiz çoklu krizler karşısında nasıl daha dayanıklı, etkili ve yaratıcı hale getirebileceğimize dair elzem bir tartışmaya ve paylaşıma alan açmayı hedefliyor.

Konferans Programı 

Oturum I

Krizlerle Yaratıcı Mücadele: RESISTIRÉ Bulguları

13.00 – 14.15

Moderatör: Marina Cacace (Knowledge and Innovation) 

• Alain Denis (Yellow Window)  

RESISTIRÉ’nin Yaratıcı Metodolojisi 

• Sofia Strid (Göteborg Üniversitesi)  

RESISTIRÉ Bulguları ve Kayda Değer Etki Alanları 

• Pınar Ensari, Elena Ghidoni, Nazlı Türker 

RESISTIRÉ Anlatılar Kitabı: (Better) Stories from the Pandemic / Pandeminin (Daha) İyi Hikayeleri 

• Oğulcan Yediveren (SPoD – Sosyal Politika, Cinsiyet Kimliği ve Cinsel Yönelim Çalışmaları Derneği) 

Anket Metodolojisi Kullanan Araştırmacılar için LGBTQIA+ Kapsayıcılık El Kitabı 

Oturum II

Kriz ve Dayanışma: Pandemi ve Deprem Çalışmaları Bağlamında Türkiye’deki Feminist ve LGBTQI+ Mücadeleden Dersler

14.30 – 16.30

Moderatör: Ayşe Gül Altınay (Sabancı Üniversitesi) 

Sunum: RESISTIRÉ politika metinleri (Agnieszka Kolasińska, ISAS) 

Sunum: RESISTIRÉ Politika Metni 18: “Krizlerin Devamlılığı: Kapsayıcı Feminist Mücadeleden Dersler” (Ayşe Gül Altınay) 

Yuvarlak Masa:  

• Gülşah Şeydaoğlu (Kadın Koalisyonu) 
• Nebahat Akkoç (KAMER – Kadın Merkezi Vakfı) 
• Sevgi Uçan Çubukçu (EŞİK – Eşitlik için Kadın Platformu) 
• Havva Kafes (17 Mayıs Derneği) 
• Aysel Fidan (BAKAD – Barış için Kültürel Araştırmalar Derneği) 

Oturum III

Dönüştürücü Fon Desteği: Krizlerle Yaratıcı ve Etkili Mücadele için Bir Yol Haritası

17.00 – 19.00

Moderatörler: Alain Denis (Yellow Window) ve Hülya Adak (Sabancı Üniversitesi) 

Sunum: RESISTIRÉ Politika Metni 19: “Dönüştürücü Fon Desteği: Krizlerle Yaratıcı ve Etkili Mücadele için Bir Yol Haritası” (Ayşe Gül Altınay, Pınar Ensari, Nazlı Türker) 

Yuvarlak Masa: 

• Bethan Cansfield (Sigrid Rausing Trust) 
• Magda Pocheć (FemFund Polonya) 
• Mieke Verloo (Flax Vakfı) 
• Gülseren Onanç (SES – Eşitlik ve Dayanışma Derneği) 
• Nevgül Bilsel Safkan (Sabancı Vakfı)

Better Stories Of Creative Crisis Response

22 September 2023 

Istanbul & online

Based on 30 months of research and co-creative workshops with experts on inequalities in the face of crises, RESISTIRÉ has developed a series of policy recommendations regarding the need for inclusive and multi-actor crisis management, the missing perspectives of women in the pandemic National Recovery and Resilience Plans, the need to approach crisis as a continuum, and the potentials of transformative funding schemes for developing creative and effective civic responses to the multiple crises that shape our contemporary world.   

This one-day conference in Istanbul will highlight RESISTIRÉ findings on creative crisis responses followed by two dedicated sessions on RESISTIRÉ recommendations:  

• Crisis as a Continuum: Learning from an Inclusive Feminist Crisis Response RESISTIRÉ Factsheet 18  

• Transformative Funding Schemes: A Pathway for Creative and Effective Crisis Response RESISTIRÉ Factsheet 19 

RESISTIRÉ research has shown that crisis is best approached as a continuum, with the need to prepare ‘before’ the crisis, to respond effectively ‘during’ the peak manifestation of the crisis, and to follow the ‘afterlife’ of the crisis. Civil society organizations (CSOs) play a key role in responding to all phases of this continuum, particularly in terms of addressing the needs of the most vulnerable groups.        

Our research findings suggest that grassroots civil society organizations are often more agile to respond quickly to unmet needs, often in innovative ways. As Europe and the world face multiple crises and disasters (health, war, energy, food security, environmental degradation, drought, fires, earthquakes, gender-based violence), it has become all the more imperative to design funding schemes that support CSO resilience and enable creative and effective civic responses to crises. This requires a shift in funding schemes towards transformative, participatory, flexible, long-term, capacity-building core funding. 

These sessions aim to bring together the better stories of feminist and LGBTQI+ response to crises and better stories of transformative funding schemes for a much-needed conversation on how to make both funding organizations and NGOs more resilient, effective and creative in the face of the many crises and challenges facing the world today.

All sessions will be hybrid, click below to register for online attendance. Live translation between English and Turkish will be available throughout the conference.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Session I : RESISTIRÉ Findings on Creative Crisis Response

13.00 – 14.15 (Istanbul time)

Moderator: Marina Cacace (Knowledge and Innovation)   

• Alain Denis (Yellow Window): RESISTIRÉ’s Creative Methodology

• Sofia Strid (University of Gothenburg): RESISTIRÉ Results and Key Impact

• Pınar Ensari, Elena Ghidoni, Nazlı Türker: RESISTIRÉ Book of Narratives: (Better) Stories from the Pandemic

• Oğulcan Yediveren (SPoD – Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association): LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Handbook for Researchers Using Survey Methodology

Session II: Crisis and Solidarity: Learning from Feminist & LGBTQI+ Crisis Response to the Pandemic and the Earthquake in Türkiye

14.30 – 16.30 (Istanbul time)

Moderator: Ayşe Gül Altınay (Sabancı University)  

Agnieszka Kolasińska: Presentation on the RESISTIRÉ factsheets

Ayşe Gül Altınay: Presentation of the RESISTIRÉ Factsheet: “Crisis as a Continuum – Learning from an Inclusive Feminist Crisis Response”

Roundtable:

• Gülşah Şeydaoğlu (Women’s Coalition) 
• Nebahat Akkoç (KAMER Women’s Center)
• Sevgi Uçan Çubukçu (EŞİK – Women for Equality Platform) 
• Havva Kafes (May 17 Association)
• Aysel Fidan (BAKAD – Cultural Studies for Peace Association)

Session III: Transformative Funding: A Pathway for Creative and Effective Crisis Response

17.00 – 19.00 (Istanbul time)

Moderators: Alain Denis (Yellow Window) and Hülya Adak (Sabancı University)  

Ayşe Gül Altınay, Pınar Ensari, Nazlı Türker: Presentation of the RESISTIRÉ Factsheet “Transformative Funding: A Pathway for Creative and Effective Crisis Response

Roundtable:

• Bethan Cansfield (Sigrid Rausing Trust)
• Magda Pocheć (FemFund Poland)
• Mieke Verloo (Flax Foundation)
• Gülseren Onanç (SES Equality and Solidarity Association)
• Nevgül Bilsel Safkan (Director of the Sabancı Foundation)

Older people’s rights are regularly undermined and that has been exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Safeguarding their rights and dignity is essential. The self-determination and autonomy of older people should be ensured everywhere (in care, on the street, in the family, etc.) and should not be limited by a paternalistic vision: older people should be supported to take their own decisions. In particular, the pandemic has shown that based on the assumption that older people should be protected, it has been decided for them that they should not “take risks”, e.g., by taking care of their grandchildren, going shopping, or meeting other residents of the nursing home.

Raising awareness through the “Right(s) now!” game

These cards are based on the observation that older people are not sufficiently aware of their rights, as well as those who feel responsible for protecting them.

Against this background, the RESISTIRÉ project has developed a game based on postcards, to raise awareness among different groups (older people, professionals in the care sector, people in charge of safeguarding rights, young students) on the human rights of older people, how to access support, and how to prevent situations like those observed during the pandemic from happening in the future, even in the absence of crises.

As RESISTIRÉ aims to find sustainable solutions to inequalities and strengthen societal resilience to outbreaks, each card provides insights as well as recommendations, including examples of solutions relating to the specific situation introduced in the card. All policy recommendations produced over the 30 months of project activity can be viewed here. 

How does it work?

Each postcard has two sides:

1. The front side presents an emotion together with an image and the question “Who am I?”. This is intended to spark the discussion, where players can engage in guesswork.

2. The back side contains a narrative that describes a particular experience associated with the clues provided in the front side of the card. This is followed by a list of facts leading to the violation of the rights and freedoms of older people during the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing on this information, this second part of this game consists in:

• discussing the specific rights and freedoms being breached in relation to the particular case being presented, based on information provided in a QR code inserted in the back side of the card;
• discussing how this situation could be prevented in the future.

The QR code displayed at the back of the card links to more information on the rights of older people as well as recommendations provided by the RESISTIRÉ project team, including examples of solutions relating to the specific personal situations introduced in the cards. 

What next?

The “Right(s) now!” game cards can be printed out by anyone and can be used, for example, for a discussion in a nursing home, as a side activity of a senior activity, or as a resource in an educational context. The game can be further developed to be adapted for use in different contexts and for different target groups e.g., in the training of the police, social workers, nurses, help-carers, etc.

12 cards are available as in a PDF document that can be easily printed in A4 format. Simply fold/cut them in two and glue both sides to start using them!

Find out more!

RESISTIRÉ is organising a webinar on 26 September to:  

• introduce the game to NGOs working with and for older people to promote and safeguard their human rights and dignity; to professionals in the care sector; and to equality bodies in Member States;  
• reflect on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic on how to prevent the undermining of older people’s human rights in future crises;   
• discuss the potential uses of the game in different settings.     

Panellists

Mary Harkin (Age and Opportunity, Ireland)

Mary Harkin is Policy, Research and Evaluation Manager in Age and Opportunity, the national agency seeking to challenge ageism and increase participation of older people in the areas of in the areas of arts, sport and physical activity, lifelong learning and civic engagement.   Age & Opportunity’s research and evaluation output has made an important contribution to the understanding of how to increase participation of older people in Irish society and inform government policies, actions and communications to this end.  Mary has worked with many universities and researchers on research projects that are of interest to older people and has established a PPI group of older persons to engage with and advise researchers on projects relevant to the work of Age & Opportunity.

Alice Delerue Matos (Institute of Social Sciences, University of Minho, Portugal)

Alice Delerue Matos, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Minho, Portugal. Throughout her career, she has actively contributed to various academic organizations, including the International Association of French-Speaking Sociologists, the Portuguese Sociological Association, and the Portuguese Demographic Association, where she has held board or scientific coordination positions. Her research primarily focuses on the Sociology of Aging and Demography, areas in which she has served as a principal investigator or scientific advisor for numerous research projects, such as SHARE-Portugal, under her coordination for more than a decade. Her research was funded by esteemed institutions such as the European Commission, Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Erasmus+, POI SE, and MSD. Alice Delerue Matos has authored and co-authored over one hundred ISI articles and book chapters in collaboration with international research teams. She was honoured with the Teaching Merit Award by the University of Minho. Additionally, three of her intervention research projects have received Good Practice Awards.

Bibiana Savin (Sage Advocacy, Ireland)

Bibiana Savin is the Case Management & Support (Asst. CEO) with Sage Advocacy, an organisation that provides independent advocacy and support services to older people, vulnerable adults, and healthcare patients.  Bibiana has social work, sociology, business studies, and advocacy qualification and holds a Master of Social Science (Human Rights and Social Policy) from Maynooth University.  She completed additional training in Leading Strategic Projects Programme with Saïd Business School, and DIPEx International Accreditation with Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford.  Bibiana is a Patient and Public Interest (PPI) Representative on a number of national forums such as the National Office for Clinical Audit, HSE Patient & Service User Forum, and the Emergency Department Taskforce. She is a member of the HSE Assisted Decision Making Transitional Oversight Group and the HSE Mental Health Engagement & Recovery Subgroup for Sharing the Vision Recommendation 65 Project.  Bibiana is also a member of the Irish Gerontological Society Executive Committee.

Colin Scott (Hourglass, Scotland and Northern Ireland)

Colin Scott works for Hourglass, the UK’s only charity dedicated to calling time on the harm, abuse and exploitation of older people, and promoting safer ageing for all.  Hourglass operates a free-to-call*, 24/7 helpline that is free to use from a UK landline or mobile, and delivers 1-1 support to older victim-survivors aged 60 and over.  Colin is responsible for service delivery in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and started working with Hourglass days before the UK’s first national COVID lockdown in March 2020.

Provisional programme

12.00 Welcome and introduction to RESISTIRÉ, the webinar and its objectives 

12.10 Introduction to the flashcards 

12.30 Panel with representatives of civil society organisations

13.00 Reflection and discussion

13.25 Final remarks and conclusion

13.30 Close

Join us on 26 September to find out more and discuss the concept!

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Nazli Turker, Pinar Ensari and Ayse Gül Altinay

In December 2019, Deep Poverty Network (DPN) was established as part of the Open Space Association by a group of researchers, sociologists, psychologists, and journalists who initially came together in a solidarity-based community center, Çimenev, mainly for children in a lower-class neighborhood of Istanbul. DPN was founded as research and reading group to investigate the deepening nature of poverty, to make its multidimensional nature visible, to develop a rights-based approach to poverty, and to monitor the human rights of socioeconomically marginalized individuals.

An effective advocacy work on poverty

The conditions of poverty exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the economic downturn led the initiative to broaden its activities, mainly by providing food support for families who had limited or no access to food. With its effective advocacy work on poverty as a fundamental human rights issue and widespread rights-based solidarity campaigns during the pandemic, it has become the most visible civil society initiative on poverty in Turkey.

The DPN expanded to the extent that it currently has its own Twitter and Instagram account and is better known than the Open Space Association. Current activities include:

• research and advocacy
• in-kind support via solidarity campaigns
• social work through neighborhood and home visits to monitor the daily living conditions and needs, as well as to facilitate social service support (from municipalities or public institutions).

The database of the initiative currently has 1000 families, 200-300 families being regularly monitored, 60 of which are led by single women.

Picture by Freepik

Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Catarina Sales de Oliveira

ReAJo – Autonomy Response for LGBTI Youth is the pioneer autonomy flat dedicated to young lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or intersex (LGBTI) individuals in Portugal.

A tailored solution for young adults

This initiative aims to fulfill the recognized requirement for safe living spaces for LGBTI youth who find themselves compelled to leave their family homes. During engagements with this demographic under Casa QUI WAS, the first Portuguese NGO to establish a support service for victims within this specific group, the team identified this pressing necessity. Frequently, these young individuals encounter situations of conflict and violence in their households, necessitating an urgent departure. Those without employment often struggle to secure housing and financial assistance, with no applicable state programms available. This response was tailored for individuals aged between 16 and 23 years old. Launched in 2019, the cases followed thus far predominantly involve young adults above 18 years old, typically aged between 18 and 21, of both genders.

A future plan to expand the rooms

Currently comprising two flats, with an additional two flats soon to be added, ReAJo offers two single rooms for stays of up to 6 months (for job search purposes) and two single rooms for stays of up to 2 years (for pursuing educational projects). While the flat was inaugurated in 2019, it began accommodating young individuals only in 2020. The initiative is in the process of expanding the number of housing units and anticipates having an additional 12 rooms by the end of 2023.

Picture by Freepik

Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Marloes van Engen

Valuing intergenerational interactions

Club Goud was launched by Moniek van Daal. Prior to launching the initiative, Moniek had spent more than 10 years volunteering at an elderly home, engaging in simple conversations over coffee with elderly residents. This experience revealed to her that the world of many elderly individuals becomes smaller and smaller, particularly for those who lack close family connections. Moniek strongly believed in the value of intergenerational interactions yet faced challenges in recruiting young volunteers. This motivated her to conceptualize events that could bridge the generation gap.

Organizing outdoor concerts at elderly care homes

Between March and September of 2020, Club Goud organized outdoor concerts at elderly care homes, featuring over 100 artists who delivered more than 250 concerts. This initiative arose as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Club Goud was a local organization that previously focused on intergenerational projects in the realms of music, dance, and art. Collaborations were forged with cultural institutions, art entities, care facilities, and the elderly themselves. The sudden cessation of activities due to lockdowns, coupled with the stringent restrictions in elderly homes, prompted Club Goud to devise the idea of hosting outdoor concerts. This allowed elderly residents to enjoy performances from behind their windows.

Expanding to the national level

Initially a local endeavor, Club Goud’s influence expanded nationally through a call on social media platform NL for each other. This call created enthusiastic responses from artists and care facilities alike. To facilitate smooth coordination between artists and care homes, Club Goud appointed regional coordinators, resulting in a well-organized initiative.

Photo by Thanos Pal from Unsplash

Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Nathalie Wuiame

Offering care after school

The Relay houses (maisons relais) are operated by municipalities alone or with the support of facility managers from CSOs (in this case, the Red Cross). Their primary objective is to provide parents with the option to work by offering care after school hours or during closures. These houses offer temporary socio-educational care for children and young people under 18 outside regular school hours. They primarily cater to families residing in the municipality or children attending school there.

Expanding the support to all professions

However, the availability of Maisons Relais services is not uniform across all communities. The range of services provided, including opening hours and offerings, can differ based on the municipality. Typically, these facilities operate from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. During the second and third lockdowns in Luxembourg, there was a critical need to establish childcare options for essential workers, particularly those in hospital settings. As a result, the state enlisted major facility managers (such as Caritas, Croix-Rouge, Arcus, Elisabeth) and prominent municipalities (including Luxembourg and Esch-sur-Alzette) to collaboratively set up emergency structures to support parents working in hospitals. Initially, this assistance was limited to doctors and nurses, but it was subsequently expanded to encompass all professions with key roles in hospitals, including cleaners and logistics personnel.

Image by CDC from Unsplash

Find out more about the initiative

To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.

This Better Story was collected by Marita Zitmane

This initiative was created to help people who, due to Covid-19 restrictions, were forced to stay at home. The target group is composed of people in self-isolation, those sick with Covid-19, or those who belong to the high-risk group due to medical reasons. Additionally, the project focused on supporting vulnerable groups like ‘people with low income,’ ‘single parents,’ and ‘elderly individuals living alone.’ The primary idea was to aid those individuals who lacked the means, support, or skills to acquire necessary items while in self-isolation.

A platform connecting volunteers and people seeking help

The initiative originated at the grassroots level as a Facebook page, connecting people seeking help and volunteers willing to provide assistance. A coordination platform was established to organize activities and share information. This network was maintained through a call center, a website, and a mobile app.

A phone application to organize information

In early 2020, the project achieved recognition by securing the third place in a hackathon focused on generating support-related ideas. The objective was to launch a mobile application capable of handling a larger amount of information, enabling volunteers to make informed choices about how to contribute. This mobile app achieved significant success, promoting the idea that volunteering should not lead to burnout.

A continuous effort

Throughout 2021, the project underwent a transformation, becoming an NGO. Initially lacking prominent supporters, the initiative later gained backing from the retailer “RIMI,” who featured the initiative in their advertisements. Presently active under the name “#easytohelp,” the initiative’s focus has shifted to assisting refugees from Ukraine.

Image by pvproductions from Freepik

Find out more about the initiative