Open Doors Van is a refurbished and functionally redesigned minibus that gives us the opportunity to take our intercultural programs to many parts of the country. Our goal is to enable disadvantaged, international and refugee members of our community to introduce themselves, share their culture, and provide opportunities for them and local residents to gain personal experiences, build new relationships, and break down stereotypes while strengthening local communities in the countryside.

Diósjenő, Tiszadob, Ágasegyháza, Budapest

As for many years during our summer voluntary camps we work together with our local partners with underprivileged youth, we would like to maintain this relationship during the whole year.
With the feedback from our local partners we want to address the common needs of local youth by creating the chance for:
- the opportunity to meet foreigners and learn about different cultures from a first-hand experience
- practicing languages and learning about intercultural dialogue
- resolving stereotypes created by the media
- learning new skills of creative problem-solving, visual storytelling and improving digital competences
- creating a stronger local community while belonging to a wider community connected on a national and international level

Our target group is marginalised, underprivileged youth (15-30 years), living in the rural area of Hungary. We focus on this target group with the aim of bringing intercultural dimension to their experiences, using creative workshops and community programs as tools. We will reach this target group through our partnership network (Child Care Centers, schools, municipalities, NGOs based in the rural area). According to the feedback of our partners and our experiences, we realized the general needs of our target group: to practice language, to find places to socialize and build community, to find new friends to put their ideas into action, to learn about different cultures. The activities of our project target these needs while we raise awareness about the advantages of cultural diversity.

PREPARATION - Oct-Dec ‘21
With the help of our international community we will buy and renovate a van to create the CultiRider using a community based design. Meanwhile we will start the meetings with our partners in the countryside to brainstorm about the concrete details of the local programs.

CAPACITY BUILDING - Feb-May ‘22
Through weekend-long events with each of our partners, our intercultural community and local youth (groups of 10 to 12 people) will meet during different programs, such as intercultural events, community cooking, movie club, language tandem, we will allow them to explore and learn new skills in an intercultural environment.

CREATIVE PROCESS -Jun-Aug ‘22
During the next 2 meetings, the groups will go through a creative program-solving process and learn together techniques of visual storytelling (video making, comics, photos, etc.) and community-based design (village-mapping, placemaking, outdoor furniture, etc). The results of the workshops will stay with the groups creating a base of their own local community spaces. Between the events we will keep in touch through online platforms with the three groups where they can also meet, share ideas online, and create new connections.

FOLLOW UP - Sept ‘22
As a final event of the project the three groups will meet together, sharing experiences and discussing future plans and ideas.

Youth will improve their creativity, become better at storytelling, and develop digital skills as well as have a better understanding of the concepts of diversity and interculturality, and become more open towards others. Organising exhibitions and community events, based on their creative products will boost their self-confidence. Results of the creative workshops will base their own local community space, while local partners will benefit new skills in community building. Establishing civil society infrastructure in remote areas is possible by motivating more young people to play active role in their community. A well-equipped van built during the project will help us to approach them. Trained volunteers and youth organizations will continue organizing activities at the local level.

Open Doors has been working for intercultural community building since 2013, using the tools of design as a creative problem solving skill. We have chosen creative process as a tool, because through this process
- the participants learn to target together common problems and goals and through creation - they also realize common goods and values, and by this a new community;
- the participants’ creative problem-solving and communicational skills are developing, just like their self-expression ability;
- by targeting problems and realizing their solutions, participants have the chance to experience the power of active citizenship. participants will practice English language in a non-formal way.

The intercultural context will show a positive example of social mobility and tolerance.

Open Doors is an active community of locals, expats, refugees, migrants. The managing team has 2 local coordinators (from the field of social design) who have worked on social inclusion in Hungary for 10 years, and 3 international volunteers (each from the field of culture or social care).For 5 years we have been organizing intercultural programs (creative workshops, film screenings, community cooking, board game evenings, concerts, intercultural evenings) in our community space in Budapest. Our goal is to present the importance of social diversity and intercultural dialogue to the widest possible audience and to make it available beyond the borders of Budapest.We have been organizing voluntary camps with our partners, those experiences revealed a need for a stronger, regular cooperation.

Buying the van - 15000 EUR
Renovation an refurbishing - 6000 EUR (already covered)
Travel and accommodation costs - 4000 EUR
Tools and equipment for the programs (cooking, media tools, creative equipment) 7000 EUR (already covered)
Final event in Budapest (travel, food, accommodation- 3000 EUR
Online learning platform (IT) - 2000 EUR
Communication and advertisement - 2000 EUR
Personnel cost (local partners & lead organization) - 9000 EUR

We appreciate suggestions on mobile community space management, especially how to maintain community spirit beyond in-moment events. Our community is strong with help of a fixed space, while being mobile is new for us.
We are also open to any ideas and cooperation, don't hesitate to contact us!