We host monthly meetings of stateless activists in our ENS Community Group. Primarily, this group is a space for community and solidarity, where stateless people are the majority in the room.
In meetings, the group has a chance to network, to share updates of their work across Europe, and to support each other’s work and wellbeing. The group is regularly consulted on ENS projects and provides invaluable advice and insight to co-design and deliver our work.
If you are a person affected by statelessness or represent a community affected by statelessness in Europe, you are welcome to join.
Why join?
Whether you are already active in the community or just looking to find a place where you can meet people who are experiencing the same issues as you, you are welcome.
Our informal group meetings take place every month on Zoom. The meetings are in English and interpretation is available for those who speak another language. There is no commitment required when you join – some members join every month, while others just drop in from time to time.
Watch the video below to hear from our members about the role of community activism in ending statelessness and what the ENS community group means to them.
How to join
You can fill out the form below to register your interest in joining and we will be in touch with you. Alternatively, if you would like an informal chat about the group, please contact our Community Engagement Coordinator, Sirazul Islam at sirazul.islam@statelessness.eu.
Meet the members
The community group is open to all people with experience of living without a nationality and representatives of communities impacted by statelessness.
Language we use
As American writer Alok Vaid-Menon says, “power is the monopoly of the right to speak for other people”. We recognise that language is crucial when it comes to our community engagement work.
When speaking about statelessness and impacted communities, we aim to use language in line with their preferred representation. This is an evolving process always. In line with the most recent community vote, we refer to ENS Community Group members as a collective of ‘stateless activists’ or 'stateless changemakers'.
When working with individuals, in line with our Community Speaker Policy, we will always ask individuals how they wish to be represented. Some current preferred by-lines by Community Group Members include: Executive Director, Stateless Activist, Earthling, Individual ENS Member, Student, Changemaker, Social Worker, Activist, Stateless Refugee.
"It has allowed a safe space where people can meet up and connect with each other. And for stateless people, that’s actually very important because safe places are not easy to find for us."
Key resources
ENS Community Speaker Policy
Good practice guidance on how to engage and work with community speakers.
Community Group Film
Hear from stateless activists about being a part of the ENS Community group.
Changemaker Content
Explore blogs, videos and publications by stateless activists in our community.
Training
A core component of our community engagement work is providing support to members of the group though trainings and workshops.
Here is our recent Changemaker Learning Programme, co-designed with members of the Community Group Members. You can read more about this co-design process via this blog.