Integration conference "My home, our home: what unites us in a multicultural community" on 15th and 16th November in Tallinn, Estonia. Conference webpage: www.integrationconference.ee

1. Including refugees in the common information space

2. • Small numbers of refugees in Estonia and Latvia - 411 and 662 respectively in
20 years
• Short experience of refugee reception and integration
• Lack of media coverage from abroad - until 2015
• Lack of direct contact with refugees
• However, many Estonians and Latvians have been refugees themselves
Context

3. • Refugees are ordinary people living through extraordinary times
• But refugees are also a vulnerable group
• Refugees voices need to be heard
• But refugees are also under international protection
Dilemma

4. Reflection
• Each refugee is an individual - 68,5 million displaced constitute a very diverse group
• Sometimes media can harm them even without the intention
• Being a refugee is not ones core identity
• Words matter - seeking asylum is not illegal & a human being cannot be illegal
• Articles about refugees without refugee voices - how much do they really tell?

5. What does protection mean?
• Each refugee owns his his/her life
story
• Refugees might not know the context
of publication, need to explain
• Anonimity can and should be used if
necessary
• More knowledge about refugee origin

6. Alternative ways
• UNHCR stories on
www.unhcr.org/neu
• Living libraries
• Children books
• Ask refugees themselves!