Enhancing the Skills and Identity of Cultural Mediators in a Multicultural Europe

The Perspective of PRAKSIS Polyclinic

Georgina GalanopoulouSocial 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 who

experience social or/and economic exclusion

All services are offerred for free and irrespective of colour, race, nationality, religion, political convictions

or sexual orientation.

PRAKSIS Infrastructures and Interventions

• 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• 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 membersPersonnel• Social Scientists (Social Workers,

Psychologists, Social Anthropologists, Sociologists)

• Medical Doctors• Nurses• Lawyers • Interpreters & Cultural MediatorsInternsVolunteers

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:

• 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!