HELPING HANDS
CENTRE FOR SOCIAL AND LEGAL ADVICE FOR REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS (FOREIGNERS)
LIECHTENSTEINSTRABE 13, 1090 VIENNA, AUSTRIA
TEL:++43/1/310 88 80/10 OR 11, FAX:++43/1/310 88 80/37
OPENING HOURS: MON, TUES, THURS:
WED: |
10 A.M. - 4P.M.,
12 A.M. - 8 P.M. |
DONATIONS ACCOUNT
HELPING HANDS E.V.
BANK AUSTRIA
BANK CODE 20151 BANK ACCOUNT 601 606 106
PRESENTATION
FREE LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING THE IMMIGRATION LAW
FREE GERMAN - AND INTEGRATION COURSES FOR BOSNIAN REFUGEES
LEISURE TIME ACTIVITIES
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE BY NATIVE SPEAKERS
PUBLIC RELATIONS-COOPERATION
PRESENTATION
The association HELPING HANDS was created due to the current events in August 1992 with the aim of helping the refugees from the former Yugoslavia with their integration in Austria.
The active cooperation and the infrastructure put at our disposal by the Austrian National Union of Students made it possible for us to realise this project.
After two years of living as refugees in mass accommodations in Austria the numerous people from Bosnia are still waiting for a solution according to a free choice of living conditions.
Therefore our main target is to work out measures to endorse a comprehensive integration of these people and to help them so that finally they can help themselves. We enable especially refugees in mass accommodations to escape the depressing situation in the camps and so to avoid camp psychosis.
HELPING HANDS is a team of people with a young and flexible mind and so we decided to specialise in projects for children and young persons.
Since December 1993 our activities have been extended by free legal advice for all persons living in Austria regarding the new immigration laws.
HELPING HANDS provides:
FREE LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING THE IMMIGRATION LAW
FREE GERMAN AND INTEGRATION COURSES FOR BOSNIAN REFUGEES
LEISURE TIME ACTIVITIES
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE BY NATIVE SPEAKERS
PUBLIC RELATIONS - CO-OPERATION
FREE LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING THE IMMIGRATION LAW
Since May 1994 HELPING HANDS offers free legal advice regarding the immigration laws.
Our team of legal consultants - consisting of 15 law students, two assistants of constitutional law and several lawyers - have worked on the contents of the immigration law since December 1993.
In more than 3.800 cases the students have given advice, have intervened or have filed appeals.
This free legal advice has been set up for all those who are concerned by the new immigration laws.
Consulting hours:
Monday to Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Interviews by appointment only:
tel.++43/1/310 88 80/10 or 11
FREE GERMAN - AND INTEGRATION
COURSES FOR BOSNIAN REFUGEES
Since May 1993 we have been organising on behalf of the Viennese Funds for Integration and the Ministry for Interior Affairs 123 German-courses for Bosnian refugees. These language courses have been help by HELPING HANDS and the association of the Viennese adult education program. We plan further courses.
Due to the great demand for further training courses according to the Labour market situation HELPING HANDS ran a AUTO-CAD course for engineers which was supported by the Viennese Funds for Integration.
Further CAD courses as well as other specialised courses are planned if there is sufficient funding.
LEISURE TIME ACTIVITIES
For children, young people and adults we have been offering since summer 1993 an escape from the depressing daily camp routine through our projects "Summer in Vienna" and "Winter in Vienna".
We offer leisure time and sports activities for those who would not be able to participate because of their social and financial situation, like swimming, soccer, basket-and volleyball, gymnastics, hiking, skating and parties. In summer 1993 and 1994 we organised several holiday camps (e.g. in Carinthia and Tyrol) and adventure days in the Viennese Prater. We also participated in the peace flotilla "Mirno More - Sailing for Peace" in May 1994. HELPING HANDS took part as well in the Viennese "Ferienspiel" with the entertainment program "Living Together - Playing Together".
Our project "ticket line" offers about 600-1000 free tickets monthly for various cultural events like cinema, musicals, theatre, concerts, circus, museums and many more. This varied offer has been made possible by the generous support of: Viennese Funds for Integration, Ministry for Youth and Family, as well as Establishment Romacher, Metropol, Rock Production, NUS cultural departments, Filmcasino, Votiv- and Stadtkino, Konzerthaus, Federal Museums, Schonbrunn castle, just to name a few.
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE BY NATIVE SPEAKERS
Translators accompany the refugees through the official channels and explain how to fill in the forms in German.
Our consultants also inform about the possibilities and offers concerning studies, kindergartens, recognition of qualifications, courses and help the people to find jobs and accommodation in cooperation with Caritas. Multilingual brochures are available at the HELPING HANDS office
PUBLIC RELATIONS-COOPERATION
We make the problems of refugees and foreign fellow citizens a main subject of discussion on various levels by the publication of brochures for information stands, public discussions, cultural events and protest campaigns, petitions and parliamentary appeals.
Furthermore we organise various workshops, lectures and seminars (e.g. concerning racism, migration, immigration laws etc.) in schools, universities and within symposia and cultural events.
For young people HELPING HANDS organised together with the Free Party Group on the 8th October 1994 the FREE PARTY 1994 where 25.000 young people danced on the Viennese Ringstrabe.
In actual consulting and assistance as well as in raising public sensitivity we cooperate very closely with several private (e.g. Caritas, amnesty international) and public (e.g. NUS, Viennese Funds for Integration a.o.) institutions.
On the political level we try to establish networks between the different consulting and welfare centres, antiracist groups and committed members of parliament.
HELPING HANDS is a member of UNITED against Racism and Fascism and for Intercultural Action and of the Austrian committee of the European Council campaign against racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance.
HELPING HANDS was the Austrian contribution to the "Prize of Europe" on the 10th of October 1994 on the occasion of the start of the campaign above-mentioned.
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