Deputy Mayor of Sofia Municipality, Assoc. Prof. Todor Chobanov, met with the Mayor of Rubano, Italy, Mrs. Sabrina Doni, and Deputy Mayor of Rubano, Mrs. Stefania Donega. The heads of the two municipalities exchanged experience on how they work for the full integration of third-country nationals. Although different in size and geography, Sofia and Rubano face similar challenges in facilitating the access to the labour market, education and housing of legally residing non-EU citizens.
The meeting took place within the framework of the INTEGRA project, funded by the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.
On the 8th of February 2019, Integration Centre Prague started a series of INTEGRA campaign events by organizing a Czech-Arabian intercultural afternoon in a retirement home in Chodov, Prague. In the centre of attention was an Iraqi director Ahmed Al-Sabaiei, who introduced to the audience his documentary The Voices Come from Afar, which he made after he came as a refugee to the Czech Republic from Iraqi Baghdad. In the documentary, he presented an honest testimony of three significant representatives of the Czech cultural scene of Arabic origin, who have fallen in love with Prague that has become their new home. The artists are the writer and translator Charif Bahbouh, musician and teacher Marwan Alsolaiman, and an actor, musician and teacher Rachid Rahma. After the documentary screening, a discussion with the director took place along with tasting of Iraqi food prepared by Ahmed´s wife, who also participated in the event. The event was a great success and the director had to promise the audience, that once his second film is ready, he will visit them again.
