Abd Alrhman Marae fled Syria in , three years after the breakout of the war. Now, he lives in Grenoble, but the journey to the French city was neither short nor easy.
Abd Alrhman and his family spent seven years in Turkey, navigating the complexities of adapting to a different culture, learning a new language and trying to build a sense of belonging. You must play and unlock the language, the culture and friendships with people. The turning point came when the French Ambassador offered Abd Alrhman and his family an opportunity for a new beginning, after contacting several European countries.
They all arrived in the French city of Grenoble, determined to make it their permanent home. I want to learn about French people. I want to spend the rest of my life here. Led by the municipal government, Grenoble Metropole, AGORA aims to improve the challenges refugees face in Grenoble by carrying out activities to give migrant communities a voice and breaking down the barriers they face.
For Abd Alrhman, the concept of refugees having a voice in decision-making was a revelation. Having come from countries with limited democratic structures, actively contributing to developing policies and projects resonated deeply with him. His enthusiasm for participating in AGORA is fuelled by his desire to help others who have faced similar challenges, he says. The AGORA hosts regular meetings where participants discuss a range of topics, such as housing, language education, employment, and administration.
To address the issue, his team created and distributed a survey to get feedback on this topic. After gathering the results, he met with representatives from the French Office for Immigration and Integration to provide feedback about their FLE language courses. They gathered feedback, including meeting residents in a housing centre to find out more about their living conditions.
