Speakers
Description
Historical experience of various religious denominations’ coexistence in Latvia demonstrates sustainable social mechanisms – self-organisation, charity, solidarity strategies, significant for the contemporary situation, where inclusion and supporting newcomers (permanent, temporary, voluntary and forced migrants) are directly linked to the Latvian society’s security.
The aim of the research is to identify the experience of religious communities in newcomers integration into Latvian society, describing forms of social assistance practiced by communities both at institutionalized (mission work, Sunday schools, shelters) and at informal level (networking, social events, assistance).
Historically rooted religious groups in Latvia have a diverse cultural and social “profile”, including linguistic and ethnic differences, therefore suggested different inclusion strategies for culturally different newcomers. Accompanying religious parishes, the religious / public organizations like Order of Malta Relief Organization in Latvia, Diaconia Centre of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, Baltic Global Initiative build solidarity network between religious and secular society groups, supporting charity and access to funding. Diaconia and pastoral care are helpful practices, promoting networks of newcomers and locals, as well as providing social services also to larger group outside denomination (Caritas Latvia, The Salvation Army in Latvia).
This research was supported the grant nr. Nr.VPP-LETONIKA-2021/4-0002.
| Presenting author | Nadežda Pazuhina, Inese Runce |
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