The Impact of Short Mobility Programmes on the Work of Civil Societies and NGOs within the Post-Soviet Context

• In Event: International Mobility and Societal Transformation: Insights from a Global Study

Proposal

This paper examines how short-term international mobility programmes influence participants’ agency and strengthen their commitment to social transformation. Such programmes are highly regarded for offering exposure to diverse cultures and fostering global knowledge, skills, and expertise (Gümüş et al., 2020). Several studies have investigated the positive impact participants can have on their home countries by contributing to their organisations, educational environments, and communities upon their return (Atkinson, 2010; Chankseliani, 2018; Wang et al., 2024). A few studies discussed the impact of mobility programmes on the work of civil society and NGOs (Blom et al., 2020; Campbell & Lavallee, 2020; van Houte, 2014). This study uses data from a sample of changemakers from post-Soviet countries and draws on theories of transformative learning, agency formation, and social change (Archer, 2010; Biesta et al., 2014; Mezirow & Taylor, 2011) to explore how participants from civil society and NGOs with international mobility experience develop and/or expand their perspectives on their role in social transformation.

The paper focuses on participants from post-Soviet countries in Europe and Central Asia, exploring how short-term international mobility experiences shape and influence their roles as agents of social change in their home countries. Semi-structured interviews with 45 participants are used in this paper. The interviews focused on the participants reflections on their international mobility experiences. All interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically.

The preliminary findings show that international mobility programmes provide an instrumental and communicative learning space where participants can critically assess and evaluate their organisations' work, explore new ways of acting, and identify the social issues related to injustice and inequality in their home context. The paper presents the outcomes of mobility programmes by discussing the contributions the participants have made by trying their new roles and relationships and (re) integrating new ideas into their home society. It includes a discussion on their home countries' compound political, economic, and social contexts and the role of international mobility programmes in these settings.

This paper contributes to the existing literature on international mobility and the work of civil society and NGOs by examining how international mobility experiences impact participants’ perspectives and their subsequent contributions to social changes in their home countries. The paper is intended for a broad audience, including practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in the field of mobility studies.

Author

• Natalya V Hanley, University of Oxford