International Learning Opportunities

The situation of conflict in Syria has had a significant impact in and beyond Syria. The conflict has led to significant displacement, and migration of Syrian persons; forcing many Syrians to seek refuge in neighbouring countries Lebanon and Jordan, as well as in European countries (among other countries).

This has led to the displacement of a significant population of the Syrian community across different borders and countries in a very short period of time. It is therefore not uncommon that Syrian families that at one point lived in Syria now find families members across various geographic locations and countries. Syrian persons and families displaced in such context face multiple and contrasting tensions. On the one hand, they are faced with the demands of integration and assimilation in their host countries, often with unclear future perspectives in those host countries. On the other hand, Syrian families and persons also have to find ways to remain connected with each other across countries and find ways to continue to practice, live their culture and maintain their identities.

How do Syrian persons perceive their own transnational context? What opportunities and risks do they perceive within this transnational context? What hinders or fosters their participation in different transnational spaces?

The presence of Syrian asylum seekers in Jordan as well as in Germany, has had an impact on social service provisions in both countries. Social work and social services have had to adapt to the transnational scale of displacement experienced as well as to provision of services that are culturally suited to the Syrian people and their context.

This has meant identifying problems specific to this community, finding culturally relevant ways to working with this community and providing services that support the acculturation of Syrian persons such that they can both maintain their own traditions and be part of the communities in host societies where they now live. Achieving these goals is not possible without dialogue and puts under scrutiny many taken for granted assumptions in social work practice.

What would ‘culturally competent’ social work with Syrian persons look like? What would be the elements of such culturally competent work? Who could provide such services?