Current migration landscape
To talk about intercultural mediation it is necessary to situate ourselves in the current panorama of migration.
Today there are not many more migrations than a century ago and, if at the beginning of the 20th century approximately 3% of the world's population had left their place of origin, at the beginning of this 21st century one in every 35 people in the world is a migrant internationally, which would represent a similar percentage according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM, 2003).
Emigration is a right that manifests itself as an unstoppable phenomenon linked to the important differences between the different regions of the world. It is an obvious fact that Current migrations cannot be understood without reference to globalization processes that affect contemporary societies. The current moment corresponds to a second stage of this process, the era of mobility, which should favor the changes necessary to reduce these regional inequalities. Today there is no town or nation that is not the heir or result of a great migration.
Why is mediation important in these cases?
Descending from this process is the discrimination of emigrated minority groups by host States and societies, both at a social and work level. Discrimination against migrant workers, whether on ethnic or racial grounds, by national origin or by social origin, it goes against of one of the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which indicates that all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights (Art. 1).
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, approved by the United Nations General Assembly on December 21, 1965, defines discrimination as “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, color, lineage or national or ethnic origin that has as its object or result nullify or impair the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, under conditions of equality, of human rights or fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural spheres or in any other sphere of public life” (Art. 1).
Intercultural mediation
Remember that the interculturality Its purpose is to achieve a society in which human rights are not violated and progress is made towards a peaceful and harmonious coexistence between all human beings. This is only possible by facing the challenge of inclusion versus exclusion, betting on the richness of diversity versus the poverty of homogeneity and vindicating the rights of all, versus the privileges of a few people, thus promoting a new concept of citizenship.
In the health field, for example, the existence of linguistic and cultural conditions generates, in many cases, situations and conflicts that have as their objective issues related to illness and health. Thus, the socio-health mediator today faces obstacles that prevent him from fully developing his work: the absence of formal recognition as a socio-health mediation professional, the lack of unified regulations that delimit his functions and powers as part of the healthcare personnel beyond the regional scope, as well as general and specific regulated training, entail, among other circumstances, that their figure is comparable (not comparable) to that of an interpreter, or that of a social worker. However, a command of several languages enables the mediator to carry out his/her work as a facilitator of communication between the parties, but in no case defines his/her professional profile.
Specialize in intercultural mediation
Hence the importance of specializing as an agent of social change and especially as mediator specialized in intercultural mediation, as you can do with our mediation course.
One of our challenges is to make you aware of the areas of action of the intercultural mediator and the job possibilities that exist in this area of mediation for conflict resolution such as:
- Community: neighborhood, associations…
- In formal and informal educational settings
- In the socio-health field
- Transnational conflicts
- In the family environment
- Etc.
If you enroll in the mediation course of the International Mediation School You will be able to analyze and acquire skills to resolve intercultural conflicts such as the following:
In a public school in Granada with a dining room service for all students, there are immigrant students whose parents are Muslim. The religion practiced by them does not allow their children to eat meat products that do not come from some halal butcher shop (which contains meat from animals that have been slaughtered following the Islamic rite, which says that animals must be slaughtered). in the name of Allah and facing Mecca). And the parents of Christian boys and girls do not agree with the fact that their children are offered one menu and Muslim boys and girls a different one.
This leads to conflicts at the community level, since the neighborhood's Muslim association raises its voice alleging discrimination towards their religion and little respect for their principles. For their part, several parents of Christian children decide that their children do not go to school until the decision is made to continue the same menu for everyone in the dining room.
