Dynamics of Collaboration: Exploring the Relationship Between Civil Society Organizations Caring for Refugees in Sweden
Abstract as pdf
Corresponding Author:
Sophie Kolmodin
Mid Sweden University Sweden
sophie.kolmodin@miun.se
Author(s):
Civil society organizations (CSO) are important actors in handling acute situations at a local level. For example, in the autumn of 2015, many refugees arrived in Sweden to seek protection from war and uncertainties. However, as the number of arriving refugees by far exceeded the capacity of the official reception system in Sweden, individual migrants were “left on their own” to find help and a place to sleep and eat, aspects that the Swedish Migration Agency in Sweden usually provides. In this specific case, CSOs played an essential role in relieving the municipality and helping refugees in acute situations. Even if some CSOs perform tasks individually, most rely on each other in various ways. However, caring for refugees is a field with different opinions concerning; what and how much should be done, to whom, and by who. The lack of consensus is evident when actors from different sectors focus on the same issue, but also CSOs tend to be motivated by different goals and use different approaches. The question is how CSOs collaborate under those types of conditions. Based on interviews with CSOs caring for refugees in a Swedish context, this presentation will focus on creating a greater understanding of the function of various collaborations among various CSOs in a Swedish context, when there are different views on what should be done and how.
Community response to crises and disasters: From preparedness to practices