Beyond Integration: How community spaces build migrants’ sense of belonging

Session convener: Nelson Otieno notieno24@student.oulu.fi

Session description

Introduction
What if belonging isn’t integrated but designed, practiced, and negotiated in everyday community spaces? This interactive workshop is inspired by my current and ongoing research titled: The Role of Multicultural Centres in Immigrant Learning, Social Inclusion, and Sense of Belonging: A Qualitative Case Study of Villa Victor, Oulu. The
workshop explores community centres as important spaces where trust, learning, and belonging are actively produced.

Moving beyond abstract policy discussions of “integration,” the session will focus on pragmatic and relational dynamics that unfold in local environments referred to in this workshop as community spaces. These low-threshold community spaces such as libraries, cultural centres, learning hubs and informal gathering places matter to
migrants. Additionally, migrants first encounter systems, build relationships and negotiate their place in society in these spaces. Many people develop a sense of belonging through their engagements with others. However, these spaces can be a double-edged sword for enabling and hindering belonging indirectly.

Workshop structure
This workshop session is a highly participatory experience from start to finish, with the research presentations supporting not only dialogue, but also co-creation among participants. It is structured in three phases: (a) Opening remarks and key insights (b) Exploratory activities for mapping trust and belonging and identifying barriers and blind
spots (c) Co-designing for belonging. The opening activities will invite participants to reflect on trust, comfort, boundaries, and cultural perceptions of trust and proximity Research presentations will highlight tensions such as inclusion versus exclusion, formal structures versus informal interactions, and the role of everyday encounters
within and without community spaces in shaping belonging.The workshop invites paper submissions for up to two additional presenters on related topics. The workshop will conclude with a co-designed and collaborative activity to develop principles and interventions that could strengthen trust and inclusion in community spaces, with special attention to institutional and micro-institutional practices and affirmations of trust building through relationships.

Language and facilitation
The workshop will be facilitated in English. However, participants will be encouraged to engage in multiple languages during group discussions where possible. Multilingual participation will be welcomed as a resource for inclusive dialogue.