Málaga
Spain
Asociación Almatahiar
Almatahiar – “Flying Souls” – is a group of active people working in Málaga in a Roma community called ‘Los Asperones’ and in the Spanish Ceuta in North-Africa for the integration of young people. They believe in “All different, all equal”.
It doesn’t matter who you are, what your ethnic background is, religion, living area… Almatahiar wants to open new doors and change perspectives. They believe in equal rights as a basis for participation and integration, and in young people having an important role in their communities. Their core activities are projects for young people with a strong focus on gender topics, and street work.
Almatahiar members are working voluntarily in community projects: In Málaga they work especially in a Roma community called 'Los Asperones'. And they are well connected with the Spanish enclave 'Ceuta' in North-Africa with projects, which counter radicalisation within young people through international and intercultural youth work.
Almatahiar have been participating in e.p.a. activities since 2018, but even before that, some Almatahiar members, including the group leader, have been participating in e.p.a. activities with the former EIMA youth association as a long-term partner of e.p.a.
Almatahiar hosted an e.p.a. seminar in Ceuta in 2019, which was funded by the European Council’s European Youth Foundation. After that, they brought together for the first time young people from both communities in Málaga and Ceuta as participants in a e.p.a. international youth exchange in Slovakia, also in 2019.
Almatahiar is highly motivated to continue this international cooperation in order to bring exchange highlights into disadvantaged communities.