Buddy to Buddy matches refugees to Dutch citizens based on common interests and equality. This way they break the social isolation of refugees and involve residents in the integration of their new fellow citizens.
Research shows that one in three refugees is rarely ever in contact with Dutch people, while 94% of them would love to have more Dutch friends. This easy-going contact is a condition for social integration, but worlds are expanded for both sides.
"Strangers are strangers, until they meet."
Buddy to Buddy believes that contact, from human to human, is an important medicine against polarization and xenophobia.
Buddy to Buddy organizes four-month matching rounds in which about 25 buddy couples participate simultaneously, so that in addition to one-on-one contact, a warm buddy community is created in which everyone is welcome. The buddy couples regularly meet each other during a fun group activity or intervision (buddytalk). The aim of buddytalk is to remove barriers. These meetings are very important because discussing cultural differences or different expectations increases mutual understanding and makes contact more sustainable.
