We are very proud to announce that on 1 January 2024 we launched our first European Union project, CREATResili, co-funded by the Creative Europe programme, which is a Hungarian-Kosovar-Albanian consortium that primarily helps abused women in Kosovo through the tools of social design. Here is a summary of what you should know about the project. For the latest news and information, you can also follow us on social media, as the project has its own IG and an X profile for the international community!
CREATResili is an outreach initiative supported by the Creative Europe programme. Our project, launched in January 2024, led by Hungary Helps Agency, aims to promote social sensitivity and self-sustainability of vulnerable communities through a Hungarian-Kosovar-Albanian consortium.
Our aim is to create a programme where we use the tools of creativity to support vulnerable groups, especially marginalised women in Kosovo who are exposed to gender-based violence. Our 22-month project focuses on social design with the aim of supporting those affected.
The participating organisations are looking for international model responses to the problem of gender-based violence. To this end, we organise training sessions where women who have been abused, with the help of professionals, create creative, self-expressive design products that can later help them earn their own independent income. It also gives them the opportunity to break out of abusive relationships and share their stories with the world.
CREATResili is the result of cooperation between sectors. Members of the consortium include Hungary Helps Agency, a governmental humanitarian and development agency, Pro Progressione as an arts hub, Jahjaga Foundation Kosovo as a civil society organisation and Gjirafa Albania representing the e-commerce sector. The Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design provides professional support and expertise in the field of social design to contribute to the success of the project.
What has happened so far:
- Kick-off meeting:
The kick-off event of the CREATResili project was held in Budapest, 4-6 December 2023. The project documentation was approved, and the consortium agreement finalised at the first partner meeting. On the second day of the kick-off meeting, we organised a press conference with the participation of Atifete Jahjaga, the fourth and first female President of the Republic of Kosovo, and President of Jahjaga.
- II. Partner meeting and field visit
The project’s second partner meeting and first field visit took place in Pristina, Kosovo, in February 2024. During the visit, we met women interested in the project, visited the Jahjaga Foundation’s sewing room and shop, and also visited a sheltered home. At the partner meeting at the local Gjirafa office, important decisions were made about the next steps for the project.
- Open Call
In the spring, Pro Progressione coordinated an open call for dedicated, socially sensitive people interested in creative activities to participate in the CREATResili project. We will be announcing the results of the selection process soon and will be back in action in August!
Questions and answers on Creatresili:
What is CREATResili and who is it aimed at?
CREATResili is a project supported by the Creative Europe Programme, the main objective of which is to develop a programme that uses creative means to promote social awareness and the self-sustainability of vulnerable communities. The project was launched on 1 January under the leadership of the Hungary Helps Agency, in cooperation with a Hungarian-Kosovar-Albanian consortium. It supports mainly marginalised women living in Kosovo who are exposed to gender-based violence, often lack an adequate social safety net and are severely restricted in their ability to earn a living.
Why are women in Kosovo vulnerable, what does it mean to be a marginalised community?
Worldwide, one in three women suffers violence at the hands of a partner or someone close to them. But the situation of abused women in Kosovo is even more complex and worrying. The authorities focus mainly on prosecution, provide little support to asylum seekers, and the socio-economic difficulties and limited employment opportunities exacerbate the situation. In 2017, only 17% of women in Kosovo were formally employed, compared to 50% of men, and in 2021 only 18% of assets were owned by women, compared to 79% of men. Women are often excluded from family inheritance and are also disadvantaged in the division of property between spouses in divorce proceedings. Even if they manage to escape an abusive environment, women in Kosovo still find it difficult to start a new life. They are severely hampered by unresolved trauma and the lack of conditions for independent livelihoods. CREATResili supports these women through an innovative (social design) methodology and approach.
What is social design and how is it used in the CREATResili project?
Social design is an approach to design that seeks solutions to social problems and creates products or services in a community- and people-centred way. The CREATResili project uses social design to help women who have experienced abuse to produce and sell creative, self-expressive design products. This not only helps them to earn an independent income, but also helps them to leave abusive relationships, deal with personal trauma and raise awareness of gender-based violence.
How long will the programme last and how will it be structured?
The 22-month project consists of two modules: the first part focuses on developing social design methodology and training creative professionals. It offers new approaches for those working in the field of the arts to serve disadvantaged communities more effectively through professional development and fieldwork. In the second phase of the project, the methodology will be applied in a real, local context, specifically for abused women in Kosovo. The aim is to help them to become self-sufficient and to cope with trauma, while raising international awareness of gender-based violence.
