PROJECT - AURORA - OPRI - COUNSELLING IN IMMIGRATION ISSUES - PHOTOS - LINKS  
Cultural Diversity as a Resource in North Karelia -project ends on 31.12.2004 and for this reason the doors of the International Meeting Place Aurora has been closed.

We warmly thank all the participants in our activities.

   

COUNSELLING IN IMMIGRATION ISSUES

Our immigration counsellors:

Melody Karvonen (English)
Tel./fax +358 (0)13 244 2570
E-mail: melody.karvonen@pkky.fi

Melody is available by phone or by appointment on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 10 - 13.

Andrei Suni (Russian)
Tel./fax: +358 (0)13 244 2570
E-mail: andrei.suni@pkky.fi

Andrei can be reached on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 13 - 17.

Street address:
International meeting place Aurora
Kirkkokatu 27, 2nd floor (PT-house)

Postal address:
Adult Education Centre of North Karelia
"Cultural diversity as a resource in North Karelia" project
P.O. Box 199, FIN-80101 Joensuu

Melody comes from Iran. She has arrived to Finland in 1973. She has worked as immigration counsellor since September 2001. In the beginning she did not believe to have much work as an English-speaking immigration counsellor, but the situation proved to be different. After a few months of work Melody has plenty of customers. In her work Melody enjoys meeting new people and facing with new issues. One of the main challenges Melody has in her work is to find a form of cooperation with authorities, which would facilitate the work of both her customers and the authorities.

Andrei is of Russian origin. He has arrived to Finland in 1992. Andrei has a lot of work, because majority of the immigrants are Russian speaking. According to Andrei, the work of an immigration counsellor requires a social character as well as an ability to recognise one's own prejudices.

  





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Objectives and duties of immigration counsellors

Objective No. 1

To help immigrants to deal flexibly in the different sectors of the society. In case of misunderstandings, to suggest channels and means to reach an understanding.

Duties:

  • counselling of immigrants as one form of support and assistance, e.g. regular on duty days for telephone calls and visits
  • Note! We can arrange counselling also in other languages than Russian, English and Finnish if necessary. The immigration counsellors do not work as interpreters, however.

Objective No. 2

To support and to help immigrants to take control of their own life and to plan their career in the new cultural environment.

Duties:

  • Individual guidance and guidance in groups
  • Assisting of the training planner and coordinator of study circle activities in the initial analysis carried out in accordance with the Act on the Integration of Immigrants and Reception of Asylum Seekers (regional study circle activities).
  • Evaluation of the initial level with immigrants living in Joensuu.

Objective No. 3

To develop immigration counselling as well as to market the project services.

Duties:

  • Meetings with experts
  • Continuous acquirement of information and material
  • Holding of introductions, lectures and speeches