SIPI: Foundation for Intercultural Participation and Education

SIPI stands for Stichting Intercultural Participatie en Integratie.

SIPI in Amsterdam started as a small NGO of migrant woman in 2005. Now it is an independent organisation financed on the base of projects and language lessons by municipalities, ministries and funds.

SIPI developed deradicalisation training for young migrant people and a train the trainer-formation programme. The name of the training programme is Diamond; young people are like raw diamonds, to make them shine they need to be polished skilfully. SIPI offers coaching and advice on the local implementation of the training. SIPI “Diamond” anti-radicalisation training for youngsters comprises mainly of group trainings and personal coaching. The objective of the training for Muslim youngsters is to empower them and to make them more resilient to risks of radicalisation, polarisation, criminality, school dropout and psychological problems, all as a consequence of identity problems. Components of the training are empowerment & personal skills (= turning point), moral development and conflict management. Training effects on youngsters are leaving isolation, repairing contacts with parents and family, new perspective on their own life and more resilience to risky temptations.

SIPI colleagues are practitioners and empowerment trainers and/or language teachers (teaching Dutch as a second language). They took part in the “diamond train the trainer programme” and want to support young people who struggle with their identity.

A particularly promising aspect of the SIPI approach might be to what extent “identity work” has an impact on deradicalisation and radicalisation prevention of vulnerable youngsters.

In the future SIPI wants to acquire the recognition of the Netherlands Youth Institute that Diamond is an effective youth intervention. Effect studies have been executed already. This recognition would help to fulfil SIPI’s ambition to carry out Diamond youth trainings all over the Netherlands, especially for migrant youngsters who run the risk of dropping out of school, to radicalise, to become criminal or to develop psychological complaints.

Contact details:

Email: wilma@s-ipi.nl