Institute of Research and Information on Volunteering
Institute of Research and Information on Volunteering
Médiateur interculturelMigration has long been a key issue in most European countries faced to huge migratory flows, due to history (former colonial empires) and geography (close frontiers with emigrating countries). Since the Treaty of Amsterdam, in 1997, migration has become a European competence, integrating the “first pillar”. But the politics of migration still remain a controversial issue among many Members States.
“A thriving Europe needs active citizens, living together in integrated societies”[1]. Immigrants are more and more numerous in Europe. Integration has become a key issue for most of our European countries. As focussed by the European Commission, “Two processes are critical to improving immigrants’ outcomes: the elimination of inequalities, and the acquisition of competences. These challenges are at the heart of integration policies in Europe”[2].
Migration is to be considered in a macro-level perspective (policy-making processes: legislation, institutionalization of migration policy, strategies of inclusion of immigrants, security concerns, human rights issues) but also in a micro-level perspective (to raise and answer questions about migrants’ everyday life). The European strategy in the field of migration and asylum has focused on two approaches: the security approach (short term strategy focussed on struggle against illegal immigration) and the integration approach (long term strategy, enhancing all the chances for migrants to benefit by the same and equal chances in the host societies). Each member state and the EU as a whole has then to develop skills and professional competences related to immigrants needs focusing on issues as acceptance, both behavioural, historical and cultural, social integration, diversity management.
The profession of cultural mediation plays an emblematic role in this context. Its main mission is to solve or propose alternative solutions to conflicts rising between the national institutions and the migrants. The approach is a very practical and basic one: accompanying migrants in their everyday process of integration. It is both a short term and long term. On one hand, intercultural mediators may be faced to illegal migrants or migrants in a transitory position (waiting for the agreement to stay) or to new legal migrants who deserve to know the national background of the host society. On the other hand, they are working in the long term with migrants to make them become autonomous, independent and free towards institutions to avoid any future conflict through a mutual understanding.
This is the main purpose of the continuous training programme for cultural mediators. After a presentation of the general framework of migration and the population of migrants in each of our five countries, we will focus on the profession of cultural mediation, the main skills and competences required for this brand new profession and the training course already proposed in order to underline the added value brought in developing a pilot training course for cultural mediator
[1] Niessen (Jan), Schibel (Yongmi ), MPG, Handbook on Integration for policy-makers and practitioners, European Commission, Directorate General for Justice, Freedom and Security, Second edition, May 2007
[2] Ibidem
The training programme was built keeping in mind the following issues :
1. being focussed on professionals working with migrants with the emblematic professional figure of the intercultural mediator ;The methodology and pedagogical approach integrates a theoretical approach (based on the literature gathered in the partners’ countries) and a pragmatic approach (needs expressed by cultural mediators met during the consultation and/or national meetings).
A training programme developed in 16 modules.
January-December 2009
This training programme could be offered thanks to the support of: