Open Cultural Center (OCC)

We are a non-profit organisation active in Spain and Greece. Together with our volunteers we work to support the refugee & migrant community. All our work is carried out in close collaboration with our local and international partners.

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Some of our current projects

MigraCode Barcelona

Migracode acts as a bridge between the demand for skilled people in the tech sector and people with a migration background who are eager to work in the tech industry. Founded in 2019, we are cooperating with other code schools in Europe to build a large community of companies and students to foster both labor integration as well as social inclusion.

MigraCode Barcelona

Migracode acts as a bridge between the demand for skilled people in the tech sector and people with a migration background who are eager to work in the tech industry. Founded in 2019, we are cooperating with other code schools in Europe to build a large community of companies and students to foster both labor integration as well as social inclusion.

Kindergarten

Growing up inside a refugee camp is not a safe environment for children. They are in constant distress, and don’t have many opportunities to escape the hardships of the life in the camp. This is why OCC offers a free kindergarten service in their center in Greece, allowing families to leave their children with OCC for a day, giving them a safe place to play and learn, while the families have the possibility to work or do other things they wouldn’t be able to do if they had to care for their children all day.

Kindergarten

Growing up inside a refugee camp is not a safe environment for children. They are in constant distress, and don’t have many opportunities to escape the hardships of the life in the camp. This is why OCC offers a free kindergarten service in their center in Greece, allowing families to leave their children with OCC for a day, giving them a safe place to play and learn, while the families have the possibility to work or do other things they wouldn’t be able to do if they had to care for their children all day.

Sports Community Building

Sports may be one of the best ways to bring people together and create understanding towards other people. This is why OCC is always trying to organise various sports events, ranging from cycling and football to volleyball and hiking. In Greece for instance, we regularly organise football tournaments (once even in collaboration with La Liga!), and in Spain we have a cycling group existing of MigraCode students and volunteers.

Sports Community Building

Sports may be one of the best ways to bring people together and create understanding towards other people. This is why OCC is always trying to organise various sports events, ranging from cycling and football to volleyball and hiking. In Greece for instance, we regularly organise football tournaments (once even in collaboration with La Liga!), and in Spain we have a cycling group existing of MigraCode students and volunteers.

OCCycling

The OCCCycling project has been designed to address the isolation of residents of the Nea Kavala refugee camp. The camp contains over 800 displaced people, and is 4 km from the nearest town, Polykastro. The absence of suitable public transport means that residents struggle to access supermarkets, pharmacies and the local health centre. Having access to bicycles free of charge means that camp residents can access the amenities mentioned, as well as the community and social events beyond the camp.

OCCycling

The OCCCycling project has been designed to address the isolation of residents of the Nea Kavala refugee camp. The camp contains over 800 displaced people, and is 4 km from the nearest town, Polykastro. The absence of suitable public transport means that residents struggle to access supermarkets, pharmacies and the local health centre. Having access to bicycles free of charge means that camp residents can access the amenities mentioned, as well as the community and social events beyond the camp.

Recent updates

Empowering women in tech: creating safe spaces and bridging the gender gap

Women are severely underrepresented according to recent statistics in the tech sector. For this reason, it becomes crucial for women to access a safe space for learning and knowledge exchange.
But what is a safe space?

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How to build a stronger integration strategy for people with a migration background: the INTEgreat Project

Spain’s current policies are slightly more inclusive than those of other EU countries. As part of the INTEgreat project, OCC conducted research on integration in Spain in the areas of health, employment, training, and social cohesion. The conclusions were clear: findings from the research show that newcomers face several obstacles in accessing essential services. 

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Gaza and Nea Kavala: When your dreams pull you apart

Hala Riziq (Palestine) and Ghulam Hussein Azimi (Afghanistan) do not know each other. They come from different countries and different generations. Hala is a mother and holds a position of responsibility in the NGO she works for. Hussein is a son and hasn’t finished his studies yet. However, they have a lot in common. Both had to say goodbye to family members for the same reason: seeking a better future.

Read More
586

People reached (2020)

17

Active projects (2020)

226

Involved volunteers (2020)

143

Active partners (2020)

Support the refugee community

Donations to our organisation are directly used to support our various projects in Greece and Spain, and have an impact to different refugee communities.

DONATE NOW

Discover our book ‘My Friend’

The book “My Friend!” is a project by Open Cultural Center that was created in the refugee camp of Cherso. With the words and drawings by children in the refugee camp, it explains the journey of refugees to arrive in Greece.

My Friend

Become part of our organisation

An important source of our funding are our members: the individuals that support our organisation on a regular basis! Each member benefits from many advantages, including our free language classes.

OCC Membership

Some of our partners

We work with nonprofit, corporate, educational and institutional partners, to create a larger social impact together through various collaborations, on a local and on a international level. Find all of our partners over here.

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