Download Enhancing the Skills and Identity of Cultural

Enhancing the Skills and Identity of Cultural
Mediators in a Multicultural Europe
The Perspective of PRAKSIS Polyclinic
Georgina Galanopoulou
Social Anthropologist-Job Councellor
PRAKSIS, Athens Polyclinic
Our Identity
PR.A.K.SI.S. - Programs of
Development, Social support
and Medical Cooperation is a
Non Governmental
Organization, founded in
2004. Its main goal is the
planning and implementation
of humanitarian and
development projects and
medical interventions.
Our methodology / approach
The Holistic Approach
• Support
• Empowerment
• (Re)integration of vulnerable social groups
experience social or/and economic exclusion
who
All services are offerred for free and irrespective
of colour, race, nationality, religion, political convictions
or sexual orientation.
PRAKSIS
Infrastructures and Interventions
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Polyclinics (Athens and Thessaloniki)
Day Centers for Homeless (Athens, Pireus and Thessaloniki)
Social Housing (Athens and Thessaloniki)
Drop-In Centre for Unaccompanied Minors (Patras)
STEGI - Accommodation to asylum seekers (Athens, Thessaloniki
and Lesvos)
Mobile Medical Unit (Northern and Southern Greece)
Medical Mobile Units for information, counselling and HIV and
Hepatitis C testing
Hotline (HIV and Hepatitis B, C)
Streetwork (Unaccompanied Minors, Homeless, Victims of
Trafficking, Injection Drug Users, Sex Workers)
Our beneficiaries
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Homeless
Uninsured
Economic Migrants
Asylum seekers/Refugees
Unaccompanied minors
Sex workers
Ex-prisoners
HIV+ people
Roma
Injection drug users
Victims of trafficking
Single parent families
Families hit by the economic crisis
In other words, any person that faces
social or/and economic exclusion
and is deprived of basic goods.
POLYCLINIC
Services:
• Medical Services (Primary Health Care and
Pharmacy)
• Social Services (psycho-social support, social
welfare issues, housing, work councelling)
• Legal Services (councelling)
Staff members
Personnel
• Social Scientists (Social Workers,
Psychologists, Social Anthropologists,
Sociologists)
• Medical Doctors
• Nurses
• Lawyers
• Interpreters & Cultural Mediators
Interns
Volunteers
Staff members
Interpreters & Cultural Mediators
in PRAKSIS
Profile:
• Speaking and writing skills in Greek (relevant terminology)
• Speaking languages: Farsi, Dari, Urdu/Pajabi, Arabic, French,
English
• Same background as the target groups
• Integrated (familiar with both cultures: origin and host)
• Respect and tolerance for diversity
• Communication skills
• Perceptive
Interpreters & Cultural Mediators
in PRAKSIS
Training on:
• PRAKSIS projects, campaigns, philosophy and
principles,
• Relevant legislation (such as immigration and asylum
issues, employment)
• Rules of interpretation services and the interpreter's
role
• On-job training
- Monitoring and assessment meetings
Interpreters & Cultural Mediators
in PRAKSIS
The importance of the cultural mediators:
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Bridge in between the staff and the beneficiaries
Mediation when/if cultural or ethnical differences occur
Development or/and enhancement of common ground between groups
On-going cooperation with members of staff for monitoring and assessment of cases
Information and input on cultural and other issues of country of origin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A7BgkhXFLw
Enhancing the Skills and Identity
of Cultural Mediators
in a Multicultural Europe
THANK YOU!