Have you ever watched Pay it Forward? "What does the world want from us?" From that moment Trevor senses a way to change the world and begins to do good actions, asking those who receive them to do in turn a favour to 3 other people
This is the challenge: migrant women and youth in double diagnosis collaborating give start to a chain of civic engagement actions around Beauty Coffee ceremonies in an inclusive Beauty Atelier to interact with and support the community of the small Orvieto town_IT

In Orvieto, a municipality in the Umbria Region, central Italy, a sparsely-populated rural region

Pay It Forward challenges the need to deconstruct the stigmatization of migrant women and youth in double diagnosis, and their need of integration into society.
Immigration in Umbria (11.1% of foreign residents) is a profound process of change. The novelty is in the feminization of the phenomenon and immigrant women suffer double stigmatization: as women and as migrants. While, referring to double diagnosis, Italian history is quite recent. Asylums were closed only in the 1970s and the double diagnosis as psychiatric category started to exist only in the 80s. Pathology is still and erroneously linked to social deviance (unreliable/violent subjects), problems that are absent at the end of a rehab programme when, instead, it would be fundamental to recognize the person behind the diagnosis.

1_MIGRANT WOMEN facing double discrimination and the consequences linked to lack of recognition of educational qualifications, and relegation to domestic works
2_YOUTH IN DOUBLE DIAGNOSIS DISORDERS (18/35 years old), that after a 3 years rehabilitation path in a therapeutic community, face difficulties to reintegrate into society. To prevent relapses, to reintegration and interaction with the community while testing their skills and capabilities are fundamental
3_THEIR FAMILIES: in the case of migrant women, these face the same challenges of integration while, in the case of psychiatric disorder, they suffer all the consequences of their relapses: the fewer instruments of integration, the higher their incidence
4_THE COMMUNITY: to grow, educate and develop going beyond categories

The project foresees the following activities:
1) Training 10 youth in double diagnosis on skills and competences related to the Beauty Atelier
2) Beauty coffee with the Eritrean Ceremony, designed each time around a specific topic, where youth and the resident will talk and discuss, to get to know each other
3) Civic engagement activities that the youth will implement answering to the needs of the community discussed during the Beauty Coffee events
4) Communication activities, with the support of Radio Orvieto web to involve residents and make aware of the Coffee Ceremonies and the activities of civic engagement. This will be realized with the active involvement of the youngster, supporting also in this way their social inclusion.

The results will be of two natures: a tangible one and a structural one. The tangible result will be the creation of a “paying it forward” chain of civic engagement, that involves migrant women, youth in double diagnosis and residents of Orvieto and surroundings, who will bring forward collaboration and participation in positive actions among the community. The structural results foresee a change in the perception and understanding that residents of the area have of youth in double diagnosis and migrants, that will be nurtured by the “paying it forward” circle. Therefore, the final and most important outcome will be the achievement of a better inclusion of youth in double diagnosis and migrant women in the social tissue of Orvieto, and their effective socio-economic integration.

Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of communities and developing knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make a difference (NY Times).For the EU, an active and inclusive citizenship is the mean for improving democratic processes within and outside its territory. The action brings together migrant women, people in double diagnosis, and residents of Orvieto, to reason on the challenges and stigmatization that the first two groups face in becoming part of the community. The Beauty Coffee events will become a space to inform and sensitize citizens. Thanks to the “paying it forward” philosophy, this group will be appointed to make a difference and engage the community, creating a chain of civic engagement to build a collective response to such challenges

The mission behind the idea is to start up a Working Inclusive Professional Atelier that offers women and youth the possibility to be recognized for their professional competences, out of any categorization, out of the recognition of a rehab community and more, to acquire professionalization and rediscover their dignity of human being. The Beauty Atelier is the chance to approach the community as leader of their own lives, as autonomous persons not vulnerable or depending from the help of the community.
The design of the Beauty Atelier as a space based on civic engagement that welcome residents in a profession of Care and that maximizes traditions such as the Coffee ceremony is the possibility to give the community an impressing opportunity to learn, integrate and develop.

Equipment for the training at the Atelier 9.000,00 €,
Material for the Beauty Coffe Ceremonies 2.000,00 €,
Kits for the activities di civic engagement to be properly defined once they will be identified 6.000,00 €,
Communication services / materials 3.000,00 €,
Professionals (1 Coordinator, 1 Psychotherapists, 1 Social worker, 1 Trainer, Gender and migration experts) 24.000,00 €,
Rental with utilities 6.000,00 €

We would like to know if others have had a similar experience with young people in double diagnosis, to exchange opinions and experiences and above all work on how to best involve them to encourage their social inclusion