1. A history of migrant women & European YWCAs Natallia Aleksandrovich, European Programme Director ERM 2008, Denmark

2. The YWCAs mission to refugees The refugees had no rights..they had to be fought for: no papers…they had to be obtained; no voice…someone had to interpret them; they had no channels…they had to be set up; and for this work there was no precedent. It had to be created . Nan Thompson, Director of the World’s YMCA/YWCA Services in Austria,March 1952

5. Education, Education, Education Leadership training was offered to all refugees in Austria. The orientation & language programme in Austria continued to grow and from late 1949, nine Field Secretaries travelled from camp to camp, explaining emigration possibilities to the refugees In March 1951, the Language Training Programme was handed from IRO to YMCA/ YWCA Joint Service. Within 6 months, almost 70, 000 refugees underwent language classes in English, Spanish and Portuguese Education offered from kindergarten to school level Retraining in new skills was also offered to refugees; shoemaking, welding, watch-repairing, sculpture