Georgina Galanopoulou Social Anthropologist-Job Councellor PRAKSIS, Athens Polyclinic

1. 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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. PRAKSISInfrastructures and Interventions • Polyclinics (Athens and Thessaloniki) • Day Centers for Homeless (Athens, Pireusand 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, counsellingand HIV and Hepatitis C testing • Hotline (HIV and Hepatitis B, C) • Streetwork (Unaccompanied Minors, Homeless, Victims of Trafficking, Injection Drug Users, Sex Workers)

5. 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.

7. POLYCLINIC Services: • Medical Services (Primary Health Care and Pharmacy) • Social Services (psycho-social support, social welfare issues, housing, work councelling) • Legal Services (councelling)

8. Staff members Personnel • Social Scientists (Social Workers, Psychologists, Social Anthropologists, Sociologists) • Medical Doctors • Nurses • Lawyers • Interpreters & Cultural Mediators Interns Volunteers

9. Staff members

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A7BgkhXFLw

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

16. Thank you!