The Europe Challenge

The Local Challenge

With more than 165,000 residents, Haarlem in the Netherlands faces a challenge in terms of integration between locals and migrants, who often live in separate bubbles with few places for meaningful encounters. The main challenge is fostering mutual and meaningful relationships where both immigrants and locals interact and learn from each other, fostering mutual understanding, respect and support. Other related challenges include creating safe spaces for women, combating racist and xenophobic discourse, and highlighting cultural diversity. 

 The Initiative  

A collaboration between the library and local community, Hidden Stories aims to bridge cultural divides through storytelling, inspired by the words of author and human rights activist Elif Shafak: “Stories bring us together. Unshared stories keep us separated from each other.” Women from diverse backgrounds are coming together in small groups to share autobiographical stories through workshops and storytelling events, fostering connections, promoting cultural understanding and helping to combat discrimination and xenophobia in safe spaces. Their narratives are being shared through podcasts, exhibitions and public events, promoting cultural dialogue and community integration both locally and nationally.  

What’s Next?

Europe Challenge funding is helping to share Hidden Stories both locally and further afield. The project partners are looking to expand the writing meetings with public storytelling evenings in the library that focus on intercultural themes and exchange. They would also like to collaborate with European communities facing similar challenges, sharing their methods through an international website and training manuals. The goal is to amplify their impact, fostering inclusive communities and promoting dialogue on cultural diversity and belonging across Europe.  

Contact theeuropechallenge@culturalfoundation.eu if you have any questions or want to be connected with the team behind the project.