Inclusion Study Visit Report Roma 14 – 17 November 2017
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A group of Finnish and Italian participants who works with young migrants gathered in Rome, from the 14th to the 17th of November 2017, for sharing, learning and debate about the inclusion of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. Erasmus + Youth in Action Study Visit offered a good opportunity to meet colleagues who work with the same target group. This study visit was organised only for Finnish and Italian participants for a reason – geographical dimension. Italy is a country where asylum seekers and refugees usually entry to Europe and in most cases they are just passing by. In many cases, Finland is the country of final destination. This setting offered a unique possibility to share the practices and learn from each other’s. Now some of you might be wondering, why this kind of topic is under Erasmus + Youth in action and why the participants’ professional background is youth work? Well – you are about to find out how this profession is standing in a frontline and trying to tackle issues and foster inclusion with the tools that youth work has. The group started the journey getting to know how a local non-profit organisation can play an important role at policy level. The main aim of the organisation is fighting against racism and hate speech. One of the target group of the work is policy makers and the organisation is using analysed information to but pression on them, so that the topic becomes more visible. Other target group of the work is the people, citizens – all of us. The organisation is encouraging people to report discrimination and racist events they face or the racist situation they notice. Reports can be made anonyms in the organisation’s websites. It´s one action to involve all to fight against racism and it sends a message – it´s wrong. At the same time, they run trainings and workshops how to notice and understand hate speech. Behind all the actions, there are people with passion and willingness to make our world a better place. The organisation is Associazione Lunaria. The next stop was a so called “extraordinary reception centre (CAS)”, which is located outside of Rome. Together with the workers and youngsters, who are mostly young males, participants got to know that the centre is using a variety of methods and activities to support them to get used to a new context. One of the method they used is called Home, which is based on storytelling and gives space to the youngsters to reflect and re-think the meaning of home. The centre is not only working for the youngsters who live there, but also the community around them. In a beginning the community was against the centre, perhaps the reasons was the fear and prejudice, but step by step and using time and method that helps the community to feel part of the centre everyday life made a difference and just after 5 months the centre became part of the community. Behind this extraordinary reception centre, there are passionate professionals who believe in the power of community. They are workers of Isola Verde Cooperativa Sociale.
Free time is the time when most of the people are doing things they enjoy and hanging with people they care. Unfortunately, the situation is not equal for all. In Rome, there is a sport association that is focused on offering a free access to sport for all refugees and asylum seekers in the area. The sport is mainly football. The organisation offers not only the football field but also clothes, shoes and other equipment. Instead than just offering the possibility to play friendly matches and training, the organisation has a real football team that is playing in football league. The team has own training campus which the players have renovated and fixed by themselves. They have helped the community around by doing some renovation. Even if the name of the game they play is football, the main idea is to offer to people meaningful activities in their free time and help them to find some hope for the future and feeling of being part of community. Passionate volunteers and big heart do all the work. The organisation is Liberi Nantes. In the city centre of Rome there is youth centre that offers free time activities for youngsters in Roma area. The activities are based on different kind of group activities focused on art-based methods like theatre, music and dancing. Since two past years, the youth centre has started reach out the refugees and asylum seekers youngsters. Nowadays, the centre is the arena for youngsters with different background to spend free time together and that way foster inclusion and solidarity. Behind the youth-centre Matemù there are youth workers that believe in the importance of updating their competences and methods in relation to the complexity of the contexts and situations they face. Visiting places was one important part of the study visit, but as important was the sharing experiences and own working context between the participants. Most of the participants from Finland were working as professional youth workers hired by municipalities. Most of the municipalities, the youth work department has been the unit that are taking action and working with refugees. For example, one of the participants shared a story during the visit; when the first group of refugees arrived to this small, rural municipality, the mayor called first the youth workers – “It´s your task to do something with them.” Thanks to the dialogue and stories, this study visit made also visible, that youth work is organized differently in different countries, it can be based on voluntary work, or it can be a recognized profession with payed staff. While debating and sharing experiences and practices, participants pointed out important topics. One was the feeling of belonging: it is important that migrants feel to belong to the local community, if youth workers aim at foster social inclusion. Another aspect that was underlined was the importance of the sharing among youth workers, to support each other and to empower each other. A very important element was passion: youth workers should continue to be motivated in they work they do, they should it with passion in order to establish relevant relationship and run effective activities.
Besides empowering and networking the participants got some important knowledge like how the systems works in Italy, what are the Hot spots, CAS and SPRAR. One participant, who does street youth work in Finland, highlighted that most of the youngsters they work with has come through Italy and now it´s much easier to have conversation about the conditions and system. To continue this nicely started networking and learning from each other the study visit also offered information how to use Erasmus + funding in a future co-operation. At the end of the journey, participants underlined that they were satisfied of the experience and they appreciated the Study Visit as a learning journey and as an opportunity to network. They had the possibility to compare the reception systems in Italy and Finland and to find out similarities and differences in term of youth work approaches and methods as well as in the management of the different reception centres existing in Italy. Both the visits and the workshops were appreciated and positively evaluated. Some of the participants found out there is no fixed solution to the question on “how to engage and motivate people with a different background�. Instead, what youth workers could do is to understand people, to talk, listen and adapt to changing situation. In addition, it is essential youth workers continue to train themselves and update their competences. Someone else found out how teamwork is essential, also sharing and involving the community into the work is significant and may produce relevant outcomes, while speaking about social inclusion. Moreover, most of them agreed that they could reuse in their future activities and initiatives, methods and approaches they have observed and texted during the Study Visit. To conclude, all the organisations that were visited and all those represented by the participants have something that unites them - passion, community and action based activities. Behind the organisations, there are workers that are using methods from youth work and has an educational background in youth work. Behind these actions, there are people who believe that real things happen between people. Grass root is one place to start to make a difference and foster the equality and inclusion. Somehow, this not yet completely defined profession has put an effort and started to work as frontline support to young migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. As a conclusion of this Study visit we can say, that Youth workers stand for refugees and asylum seekers, being agent of change in the communities they live and work.
DATES AND VENUE Dates: From 14 to 17 of November 2017 Venue: HOTEL CLODIO, Via Santa Lucia, 10 Roma – Italy AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY VISIT The general aim of the study visit in Italy was to share different practices on the inclusion of young people with migration background in terms of methods, beneficiaries, resources and results. Specific objectives of the activity were: -
To allow participants to share practices and experiences in the frame of the inclusion policies implemented in their own country:
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To support participants to network;
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To allow participants to elaborate quality projects on inclusion in the frame of Erasmus+ Youth in Action programme and contribute to increase the knowledge and competencies of participants and organisations involved;
PROGRAMME The Study Visit consisted in a practical part (visit the organisations/projects, meeting local youth workers and beneficiaries) and in a part more dedicated to let participants share experiences, practices, network. Tuesday – 11/14/2017 09.00
Wednesday 11/15/2017 Migration policies in Italy and Finland – the working context Participants’ organisations introduction through videos part. II
Participants arrival
Thursday 11/16/2017
Friday 11/17/2017 Participants’ organisations introduction through videos part. III Participants conclusions on the Study Visit: learning achievements.
Erasmus+ programme recap: Which opportunities could be used by youth workers and young people
10.30
Meeting LUNARIA and experiencing activities related to NO HATE SPEECH
Visit LIBERI NANTES: sport association Final evaluation
Closing and certificates
12.30/ 13.30 15.00 Official Welcome – Director Giacomo D’Arrigo from ANG 15.15
Round of names and organisations
15.30
Let’s introduce each other: STAR exercise
Getting to know each other 16.30 Intro to the programme and expectations 17.00 Erasmus + programme as the frame of reference 17.30 Introduction to participants’ organisations trough videos 18.00 Getting ready for the Visits 19.00/ 19.00 DINNER 20.00 21.00 Free evening
13.30 LUNCH
Visit CAS – Isola Verde Società cooperativa Meeting youth workers and refugees: listening their stories
13.00 LUNCH
12.30 LUNCH
Visit MATEMU: Youth centre for local and migrant youngsters
Participants departure
15.45
Daily reflection
Daily reflection Free time
19.30 DINNER
20.00 DINNER OUT
SESSION BY SESSION 14 November 2017
The Study Visit started with the warm welcome of the Italian National Agency General Director Giacomo D’Arrigo, who underlined the importance of the topic of the Study Session and the role of the youth work in the inclusion paths of young migrants. After the official welcome, participants introduced themselves and their organisations. After a round of names and organisations, and to break the ice, participants were asked to participate to the ”All those who activity” answering (YES = Standing; NO = Sitting) to the following questions: o o o o o o o
I speak more than one foreign language It is my first time in Roma I do work with people with migrant background I like Italian coffee I am vegetarian I smoke I work with young people
To continue to break the ice, participants introduced each other using the ”2 trues and 1 lie” exercise. Once the participants started to feel more at ease and eager to get to know each other and the programme, Mirella Olivari – Inclusion Officer of the Italian National Agency (Agenzia Nazionale per i giovani) introduced the programme, its aims and methodology. She underlined that the general aim of the study visits in Italy and in Finland is to share different practices on the theme of the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities in the countries involved in terms of methods, beneficiaries, resources and results. The focus of the Study Visit in Italy was to explore youth work realities and practices while supporting young migrants inclusion. The foreseen methdology reflected the non-formal learning principles and in which participants are at the centre of the learning process.
Once the Study Visit was contextualised and participants expressed their expectations towards the programme and the different visits, the STAR activity was introduced. Each of the participants had the opportunity to draw a STAR and to describe him/herself according to the following themes: o o o o o
Their role in the organisation The target group they work with The main challenge they face The main achievement they are proud of Their dream for the future (working related)
After having prepared their own STAR, participants were asked to share it with the other participants and to find out similarities and differences.
Once the STAR exercise finished, participants brainstormed on what is INCLUSION, in order to set a common background for the Study Visit. Hereandafter, the summary of the brainstorming: INLCUSION is: - A neveer ending process - An attempt to welcome people Empowerment Doing together Two ways process Rights and responsibilities To give time to get to know each other Working with the local community INCLUSION cannot be forced
INCLUSION fosters - A sense of belonging - Respect each other
INCLUSION should allow: - Everyone feeling safe - Everyone feeling accepted regardless his/her own religion, fiath, gender, sexual orientation, etc... - To value differences
Once the brainstorm was finalised, Jutta Kivimaki, Inclusion Officer of the Erasmus+ National Agency in Finland, introduced the Erasmus+ programme and its actions expecially in relation to the youth field.
She underlined the importance of the the three main actions of the programme (https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus_en): o o o
KA1 – Individual mobility (youth exchanges, youth work training courses, EVS) KA2 – Strategic Partnership KA3 – Structured Dialogue initiatives
After the Erasmus+ presentation, participants started to introduce their organisations throughout the videos they prepared beforehand. ZEST and SCAMBIEUROPEI introduced their videos. To close the day and to prepare participants for the visits of the following days, Annina Kurki explained the ”reseach question” methodology and invited participants to reflect individually on what they wanted to get out from the Study Visit and from the different visits more in details. The process was the following: o o o o o o
Think about what you would like to get out of this Study Visit Formulate your toughts to one research question Write your question/s in your notebook Share your questions with a partner Place your questions on the wall Keep your questions in your mind while visiting from tomorrow on!
15 November 2017 The second day started with an energiser and the introduction of the programme. After the introduction of the day, participants continued to introduce their organisations: it was the time for VAMOS and ECHIS. After that, Silvia Volpi with the support of the Italian participants, introduced the Italian reception system and more precisely the CAS and SPRAR centres.
In the second part of the morning, participants get to know Lunaria association. Lunaria is a no profit, laic, independent, association of social promotion, autonomous from political parties, founded in 1992. It promotes peace, social and economic justice, equality, the protection of citizenship rights, democracy, bottom-up participation, social inclusion and intercultural dialogue. Lunaria carries out and promotes processes of social change at local, national and international level through activities such as advocacy, cultural and political initiatives, communication, non-formal education, training, research, information and awareness-raising campaigns and networking. Mobility and international volunteering, youth policies, migration, combating racism, analysis of public budgetary, economic and social policies, sustainable development, fight against inequalities, are at the center of its engagement. Lunaria promotes the safeguarding of rights and equal opportunities, to build a fairer world where: • human rights have priority over the interests of the large economic powers; • basic goods, rights and services are guaranteed to everyone; • social commitment and solidarity do not transform into businesses; • information is free and independent; • citizenship rights are not linked to nationality. Lunaria has a long experience in the youth sector, in the Eramus+ programme and in the previous Youth in Action Programme. Lunaria – via Buonarroti 39 00185 Roma www.lunaria.org http://www.cronachediordinariorazzismo.org/about-2/ After a short introduction to Lunaria activities and to the organisation, the two representatives invitated the participants to experience one of their educational activity on Hate Speech. The participants were asked to cluster the following senteces in a form of diamond from the least relevant to the most relevant while speaking about Hate Speech discourse: - A nigger is not a human being, it’s an animal (refrain in a racist song. The online video has had 25.000 views) - Immigrants are uneducated, low skiled and building a permanent underclass (a webradio interview with a former Italian Minister of Education) - Putting women back in their place is as important as getting niggers out. Men have very few rights in modern niggerised Ireland (An online article phrase posted in a popular blog with 10.000 visits per day) - F*** migrants stealing my job. Been unemployed for 10 years ( a picture posted on Facebook group page with 3500 participants) - We should just wipe out gipsy! (Said in a private email to a friend as a ”joke”) - Hitler was right to send jewish to the gas chamber (Comment on a neo-nazi site, voted up by 576 people) - Nothing wrong with banning muslims from entering us (The Guardian interview with Donald Trump) - F***you and F****your mother. You are a sick B*** (comment at the bottom of an article that was written by a black woman journalist) - Immigrants have, historically, had an evil influence (Post by a 16-year-old on a personal blog, read by very few.
Participants worked in 2 different groups to cluster the sentences. It was the first opportunity to found out more about each other and each other values and perceptions. The activity was the entrance door to identify the main elements should be considered, while defining a sentence racist or discriminatory: - Background of the message (Where, when, who) - Target of the message - Intent of the person making the sentence - Content of the message The afternoon was entirely dedicated to visit a CAS managed by ISOLA VERDE COOPERATIVA SOCIALE. Isolaverde is a social cooperative company, with a long experience in receiving people who are temporarily deprived or needy. Their task, as defined in the formal agreement with the local authorities, is to realize an “integrated receptionâ€? service, offering both material and psycho-social support to disadvantaged and vulnerable population groups. Even if the reception is intended to be temporary, we are bound to start a path of social inclusion, autonomy and integration. We give medical assistance, legal advice and help in bureaucratic matters to foster the insertion of our guests in the local network of public offices and opportunities for social improvement. They also offer a broad spectrum of learning experiences, ranging from supporting regular school attendance to providing totally non-formal educational events throughout all the daily activities. Furthermore, they definitely invest in psychological health, giving specific assistance if needed, but moreover offering a comfortable atmosphere to stimulate new, projects, new desires and new goal. Isolaverde SocietĂ coop. sociale sr.l. onlus is managing a CAS (Centro di Accoglienza Straordinaria) for refugees and asylum seekers accordingly with prefectures and other public institution. www.isolaverdecoop.jimdo.com
The youth workers and the youngsters presented the centre and the activities. One of the most inspiring activity was HOME, that aims to let young people work on the meaning of HOME. At the end of the day, participants were asked to note down (in their notebook) the answers they got to their research questions, as individuated the first day.
LIBERI NANTES 16 November 2017 Before leaving Hotel Clodio, participants revised the programme and the daily activities. The first visit was planned to the sport organisation LIBERI NANTES. Liberi Nantes was born in 2007 as the first Sport Association in Italy, recognised by the UNHCR, who promotes and guarantees the free access to sport for all refugees and asylum seekers. We intend to offer to women and men escaping from war or dramatic humanitarian situation a possibility of freedom, for recovering their dignity, for rebuilding themselves and create new relationship of friendship and faith. It is possible to find a friend in his own football or rugby teammates, or the fellows with whom share a path walking in the mountain. Sport is life, strength and bravery, it helps to reduce the distances, it creates cohesion and solidarity. Through playing sport (and not only) the association offer a free space to all the people who live in the refugee camps in the Rome’s territory, a football pitch where play freely, training and establishing relationship. In order to facilitate their activity Liberi Nantes offer the possibility to use dresses, boots and all the things necessary for practicing sport. Moreover, they can find volunteers at disposal for helping them in the entire practical or personal problem they can find, give them back the hope for a better future that hope lost in the sea. The Pitch “XXV Aprile”- This is the Liberi Nantes’ headquarter and house, a sport infrastructure in the heart of the district Pietralata in Rome, a famous place for all the inhabitants since the 1968. The recovery of this symbol of the cultural identity and the social aggregation of this popular district told by Pasolini, Moravia and Morante, is still ongoing and every day the work in progress try to make the pitch available for all. The work made until now has been made by the volunteers of Liberi Nantes. http://www.liberinantes.org/new/en/
The afternoon was dedicated to visit the Youth Centre MATEMU (CIES).
Matem첫 is a youth centre implemented by CIES - Center for Development Education and Information: it is a nongovernmental organization (NGO) whose social goal is to promote values of solidarity and cooperation in both its national and international projects. In Italy: Immigration, cultural mediation, global citizenship education, training, communication and awareness raising on intercultural dialogue. CIES works to spread knowledge about immigrants' countries of origin and foster their integration includes workshops in schools organizing exhibitions, discussions, and shows as well as implementing training classes for adult foreigners and educational-entertainment activities for young immigrants. It is active on several fronts to raise awareness in public opinion about a culture of co-existence and global citizenship Outside of Italy: We are now involved in projects for the self-development of people and entities based in the Global South with projects for promoting children's rights, education, literacy, professional training, microcredit, communication and healthcare. Countries of action include: Angola, Mozambique, Albania, Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay. CIES is recognized as an Educational Entity by the Ministry of Public Education and accredited for Continuing Education by the Region of Lazio. In Rome since 2010, MaTeM첫 Youth Centre is open to the local community, a place where young people from all cultures and backgrounds can express their creativity, use their leisure time in a new way and find support and understanding. Matem첫 is a workshop of ideas and initiatives; it provides free spaces to gather and create expressive, creative and recreational opportunities and provide study support, help and guidance in times of difficulty. MaTeM첫 organizes activities aimed at kids, adolescents, and young people. It is also a space where associations and individual residents can find a home base for working with, and for, kids. Workshops, DJ class, Meetings, Photography courses, Information Technology, Educational support, Internet, Ping-pong, Games, Fooz ball, Training, Hip Hop & Break Dance, Newsletter, Music rehearsal room, Theatre, Video space, Film forum, Art, Writing, Events https://www.cies.it/matemu After the visit of the Centre and the presentation of the activities, participants evaluated the day and the visits and reflected on what they got from the day.
17 November 2017 After the morning energiser proposed by Nerina Schiavone, the participants continue to introduce their own organisations and it was the time for: Safe Stadi, CPASCA and Rautjärvi Muncipality. Participants had time to reflect individually and in groups on what they learnt during the 4 days study visit and what they could use in their daily work. After the reflection, Jutta Kivimaki and Luca Pignocco from the Finnish and Italian National Agencies of the Erasmus+ programme, underlined the importance of international learning initiatives as tools for youth workers and for young people. Silvia Volpi reminded all participants the KA3 project – Becoming a part of Europe (http://bpe-project-eu) as a potential resource for their work with migrants. At the end of the morning, participants evaluated the week and they expressed their appreciation both for the programme, for the sharing with other participants and potential interest to network to build on future international projects. Mirella Olivari and Jutta Kivimaki, who provided participants with the youthpass certificates, officially closed the Study Visit.
EVALUATION Seventy % of the participants contributed to the evaluation, filling in the online evaluation questionnaire. In general, the Study Visit was successful and beneficial for all respondents. They were satisfied of the experience and they appreciated the Study Visit as a learning journey and as an opportunity to network. They had the possibility to compare the reception systems in Italy and Finland and to find out similarities and differences in term of youth work approaches and methods and in the management of the different reception
centres existing in Italy. Respondents appreciated and positively evaluated both the visits and the workshops, even if for few of them the Study Visit did not correspond fully to what they initially expected. Some of them found out there is no fixed solution to the question on “how to engage and motivate people with a different background�. Instead, what youth workers could do is to understand people, to talk, listen and adapt to changing situation. In addition, it is essential youth workers continue to train themselves and update their competences. Someone else found out how teamwork is essential, also sharing and involving the community into the work is significant and may produce relevant outcomes, while speaking about social inclusion. Moreover, most of them agreed that they could reuse in their future activities and initiatives, methods and approaches they have observed and texted during the Study Visit. More in details, the answers provided by the respondents: 1. Till which extent your expectations have been fulfilled? Till which extent your expectations have been fulfilled?
Respondents felt, in general, the Study Visit., with few exceptions, fulfilled their expectations. More in details: 14,3% of the respondents felt their expectations were not so fulfilled 14,3% felt they were fulfilled 57,1% felt they were very fulfilled
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14,3% felt they were fully fullfilled
2. Till which extent the Study Visit was a learning occasion? Till which extent the Study Visit was a learning occasion?
All respondents felt the Study Visit was a learning occasion. More in details: -
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71,4 % of the respondents appreciated very much te Study Visit as a learning occasion 28,6% of the respondents fully appreciated the Study visit as a learning occasion
3. Till which extent the Study Visit was useful to network? Till which extent the Study Visit was useful to network?
All respondents declared that the Study Visit was useful to network. More in details: -
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14,3% of the respondents declared the Study Visit was useful 85,7% of the respondents declared the Study Visit was very useful.
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4. What was the most useful moment? 42,8% of the respondents declared the best moments were the visits, the meeting with the organisations. In a specific case it was said that “When I learn the workshop about during the CAS visit and to see, confirming me, how it's important the "quality" of art workshop for teenagers, because it aim to educate itself in beauty”. 58,2% of the respondents, appreciated very much the workshops, the meeting itself, the sharing and debates, as follows: o Interactive workshops and discussions with other professional workers o To get connection with other participants and trainers o When we all sit together discussing and sharing ideas o Sharing work experiences with other members of the study visit, doing exercises and discussions in small groups 5. Have you found answers to your “research question”? If yes, what? If not why? o o o
Yes, I had the opportunity to partially answer to my questions, how to keep youth participation and engagement and workers' motivation. Yes, I have. I found out that you could do individual work in many different ways and levels My question was How to engage people coming from different backgrounds and keep them involved? The answer I got is that there is no fixed solution to this question, instead you
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should always try to understand the people in front of you, to talk and listen and adapt to changing situation. In addition, training yourself is necessary. I found some answers for the question, what helped the workers to cope with work-related stress. Of course, that is also a very personal and individual issue. Supportive teamwork is essential, also sharing and involving the community into the work was significant. Social dreaming was one method; I would love to know more about that. Situation and work environment were very different in Italy and far away from my own job description. During the study visit, I asked how it is possible to engage the girls for their empowerment, gender issue, during the different activities. I did not find a very good answer, because for some it is difficult, as I know. Aims are the same. We all want the best for the youths.
6. Will which extent are you satisfied with the logistic organisation of the Study Visit Till which extent are you satisfied with the logistic organisation of the Study Visit?
Respondents were satisfied about the logistic organisation of the Study Visit. More in details: -
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14,3% were satisfied 28,6% were very satisfied 57,1% were fully satisfied
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7. How are you going to use what you learnt? All respondents stated they would use what they did learn and, in particular, some of them said: o o o o
I will use Diamond method with youngsters in our next youth exchange Sharing and using the experience at work In our daily group activities and sharing the experience with my colleagues. We have some apartment with some SPRAR youth and I would like to engage them in some activities in our youth centre, where they could bring support with their knowledge
8. Any other comment o o o o o
More time for interact and discussion with other participants during the study visit, and less presentation can be more useful. Thank you and hope to see you again! Very, very nice people Discussions were more fruitful than the presentations! I was expecting more especially from the cas-visit. I found a nice environment between colleagues and organizers comments