METHODOLOGY

The project will use PhotoVoice methodology. This is a participatory visual storytelling method that enables young migrants to express their lived experiences through photography and reflection. It provides a creative and accessible way for them to document their journeys, challenges, hopes, and contributions to the communities they are part of or moving through.

For migrants, especially young people navigating complex migration pathways, PhotoVoice offers a safe space to share perspectives that are often overlooked in public debate. By using images taken in their everyday environments—such as places of settlement, transit, work, education, or social life—participants can communicate personal stories about identity, belonging, integration, discrimination, resilience, and aspiration.

The methodology combines photography with guided group dialogue. Young migrants are provided with skills and support to capture images that represent important aspects of their migration experiences. These images are then used as a starting point for reflection, discussion, and storytelling, helping participants to articulate what migration means in their own words and visuals.

PhotoVoice is highly participatory and empowering. Rather than being spoken about, young migrants become active creators of knowledge about their own lives. This process strengthens self-expression, confidence, and critical thinking, while also encouraging peer exchange and mutual understanding among participants from different backgrounds.

In transnational settings, PhotoVoice also supports peer learning and capacity building. Young migrants can be trained not only as participants but also as peer facilitators, enabling them to guide others in developing their own PhotoVoice projects when they return to their home or host communities. This helps create a sustainable model where migrant youth support migrant youth, extending the impact of the methodology beyond the initial workshops.

Through combining visual storytelling, reflection, and advocacy, PhotoVoice amplifies the voices of young migrants, fostering greater visibility, dialogue, and understanding of migration experiences in society.