The partnership of the project create 4 institutions from 4 countries:
Centro Mario Picchi, Italy - http://www.ceisroma.it
Orfeas, Greece - www.kplarisa.gr
Fremde werden Freunde, Austria - www.fremdewerdenfreunde.at
Miejska Strefa Kultury (MSK), Poland – www.msk.lodz.pl
Centro Mario Picchi
Centro Italiano di Solidarietà don Mario Picchi (CeIS) is an Italian private non profit organisation founded in Rome in 1971. In view of its international activities CeIS was granted consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in May 1985, and has developed Human Resource Training Projects for different European states including Eastern European countries. Through projects funded by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and its predecessor bodies, the European Union and the Italian Foreign Office CeIS has developed drug demand reduction and health and community empowerment projects in several countries.
For many years it has been represented on the Drugs Committees of local, regional, national and international bodies.
At the local level CeIS has developed a wide range of programmes in line with its central belief that problem solving should focus on the person and not the symptoms. Drug misuse represented a specific problem to which CeIS, as a human services organisation, responded and developed a specialisation. However, it recognised that dependency was the consequence of social and personal problems and that it needed to address prevention and early intervention as well as the specific needs for recovery of dependent people. Its activities thus embrace a wide range of social needs and community engagement which root its work in the Italian culture of volunteerism and social enterprise. In total it has an annual population of approximately 600 clients. In addition it runs Vocational Training Programmes, Employment Initiatives and Social re-integration, Cultural & Sport activities for the different target groups (minors, immigrants, refugees, drug addicts, women in difficulties, families etc).
CeIS employs a staff of over 100 people including clinical staff for its programs, training experts, prevention agents and administrative staff, with an annual budget of approximately 4 million Euros. Linked to its commitment with the wider community, a group of 30 volunteers collaborate with CeIS.
At the international level, by developing training and organisational design, CeIS has contributed to the creation of several networks such as the World Federation of Therapeutic Communities, the European Federation of TCs, the Italian Federation of TCs, the Spanish Proyecto Hombre Network, the ECETT network and Comunitalia. Moreover, it continues to collaborate with international organisations in the UN system, such as UNODC, NGO Committees and other international organisations.
Miejska Strefa Kultury w Łodzi
“Miejska Strefa Kultury w Łodzi” (MSK) is a public cultural centre co-financed by Municipality of Łódź. It consists of 15 branches located in different districts of the city. The branches work under one brand, combining their experience and achievements.Main aim of MSK is to respond to the needs of local community in the area of non-formal and informal education. The mission of MSK is to educate adults and youth, to propagate culture, animate and integrate the local community.
MSK`s branches organize activities related to music, dance, theater, folklore and visual arts offering various forms of artistic, social and cultural education in different forms: classes, workshops, picnics, festival, conferences, seminars, trainings, art exhibitions, meetings with artists, lectures, interest clubs, etc.
Orfeas
The Centre for the Prevention of Addictions and the Promotion of Psychosocial Health – Larissa O.KA.NA., is a nonprofit organization that is financed by the Minister of Health through the Greek Organization against Drugs (OKANA) and the Minister of Internal Affairs, through the Municipalities 'Central Union. It is one of the 75 Centers throughout the country that are scientifically and financially supervised by OKANA. The Centre's main aim is to apply prevention programs in the general population. Those programs refer mainly to children (from the age of three), teachers (from kindergarten to high schools) and parents, but they finally expand to all people of the community. Especially after the foundation of a new structure called ERGASTIRI ZOIS (Workshop of Life), the Centre decided to open Primary Prevention to the general population by combining art and psychosocial issues such as communication, self esteem, anger and conflict management etc.
Fremde werden Freunde
Fremde werden Freunde is a civil society organisation based in Vienna, Austria working in the fields of inclusion, integration and social participation of refugees, asylum seekers and other marginalised groups. The vision and the aim of the organisation is to foster social inclusion of these communities and to contribute to their well-being and mental health. Fremde werdne Freunde carries out diverse formats such as scientific research, psychological counselling, community events, coaching and workshops, volunteering activities and sports.