THE ROLE OF THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY: NGOS IN THE NETHERLANDS

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play an important role in many multicultural countries, because today a lot of people live outside their country of birth. The Netherlands are a democratic country built by the economic, social and cultural contributions of immigrants from all over the world. In the Netherlands, several various organizations focused on migration and refugee issues play leading roles in implementing values of the civil society. The Dutch NGOs offer important insights to the causes of migration and resolve social problems that accompany the settlement and the integration of immigrants and refugees. Former immigrants or their children are often involved in the NGO’s activities. A good understanding of the immigrants and refugees experience allows the Dutch NGOs to positively contribute to the protection and the settlement of refugees and immigrants. The aim of the paper is to analyze the Dutch non-governmental organizations that focus on migrants and to highlight their impact on building bridges and breaking down stereotypes and prejudices among different ethnic groups.