AGENT DE MÉDIATION INTERCULTURELLE
Intercultural Mediation Agent

The AMI – Intercultural Mediation Agent – project aims to promote the integration and participation of immigrant families from NDG in their new host society. The AMI project is a concerted initiative led by Bienvenue à NDG aimed at creating opportunities for intercultural understanding in the neighborhood, thereby increasing knowledge and experience of diversity. The mandate of AMI is to foster a better understanding between different cultures in addition to acting as a catalyst for harmonious intercultural relations. The project will also contribute to the reconstruction and redefinition of the social network necessary to build a welcoming neighborhood, open to immigration, free from prejudice and fighting against discrimination. AMI will organize numerous activities in NDG in order to create a space for interaction, exchange and discussions between members of recently arrived cultural communities and members of the host society. These activities will be a knowledge transfer space allowing each participant to increase their understanding of the diverse cultural contexts of their neighbors and the different concepts presented. But even more, this learning of openness to cultural diversity facilitated by the AMI, can be transmitted to family members or those around them, whether the person is from here or elsewhere.

Pre- employment service for immigrants in NDG
Pre- employment service for immigrants in NDG

Intercultural Mediation

The role of intercultural mediators is both to support migrants and refugees to settle in the new country and to liaise with social actors and institutions so as to understand migrant settlement needs and communicate with respect to their diversity. Intercultural mediators facilitate the expression of immigrants’ needs on the one hand, and on the other collaborates with the operators of public and private services, supporting them in carrying out their activities and participating in the planning, design, implementation and evaluation of social interventions.

The intercultural mediator also plays an educational role:

– Promoting an awareness in immigrants and service operators of the semantic and value codes associated with different cultures, pursuing an intercultural perspective, and pushing services to change culturally.

Linguistic and cultural interpretation:

– Decoding the cultural codes of the two partners of the relationship (usually the immigrant and the native service operator), as well as their verbal and nonverbal communication.

Information on the rights and duties of immigrant users of the service:

– Promoting the knowledge and appropriate use of the service, in order to allow equal access to it. Ex. informative sessions on certain issues such as about vaccinations at the CLSC, etc.

Information for service operators on the cultural codes of immigrant users of the service

– Training for service operators on cultural codes (if there is a need in the staff).

Support to the service, through the analysis of immigrants’ needs and the identification of the most appropriate responses to these needs

– Needs assessment in order to plan an intervention.

Today, sport, culture and the arts exhibit the attributes necessary to promote social ties in general, but also intercultural rapprochement.

Considering intercultural mediation through artistic practices promotes intercultural dialogue and exchange.

Intercultural Mediation Agents BNDG – Agents de médiation interculturelle (AMI)

Passionate about cultural diversity, education and artistic expression. With more than 10 years of experience, she has worked in non-profit organizations, participating in the organization, production and dissemination of international multicultural festivals, projects and initiatives that promote education, science, culture and the arts.

She has worked to disseminate and support social entrepreneurship projects aimed at disadvantaged communities and minority groups through initiatives such as Gifted Citizen, Pitch@Palace, RSA (The Royal Society for the Arts) and C2 Montreal. During her participation in projects such as MEX I AM and Rethinking G20, she has had the opportunity to collaborate on initiatives to promote cultural diversity and relations between Mexico and other countries through the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco, the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of California at Berkeley, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in collaboration with UNESCO under the MOST programme, among others.

As coordinator of international festivals, she has had the opportunity to disseminate the work of scientists and researchers from different countries, as well as to promote artistic and cultural expressions. Her time at the Mexican Ministry of Culture, as an advisor in strategic planning projects, gave her first-hand knowledge not only of the tangible needs of artists, but also of their importance and the benefits they bring to society. Her goal is to make different artistic and cultural expressions accessible, promote tolerance and respect and build bridges of understanding between different countries and cultures.

As an immigrant welcomed by the community of Montreal, a cosmopolitan and multicultural city, she is convinced that cultural diversity stimulates creativity and allows us to renew ideas. This cultural diversity gives us the opportunity to open up to others and develop new ways of thinking. She is currently working on the organisation of intercultural mediation events with educational institutions and the NDG community, developing awareness-raising activities with community organisations and partners in order to harmonise efforts and strengthen relations between allophone cultural communities and members of the host society.

Email: ami1@bienvenuendg.ca

PROJECTS

Intercultural mediation for young adolescents in the process of integration

  • Write My Story - In collaboration with the Loyola Center, this activity was presented to the youth of the day camp. Purpose of the “Write My Story” activity: It is easier to make assumptions about people than to spend time getting to know someone. Through the activity the youth were invited to test hypotheses to see what we are missing because we are so busy assuming that we already “know” a person. We are all conditioned in certain ways. In this activity, the youth were able to question these prejudices by asking themselves to guess the interests of their partner, based solely on the appearance of their partner. Even if you put yourself in someone's shoes, you still won't be able to fully understand them without having a conversation with them, so ask questions, be curious to make the most of experiences and exchanges. 

  • Teen Talks (activities in preparation with the collaboration of the NDG Youth Committee for 2021) - Teen Talks are events created specifically for youth with special guests, where we discuss, share our experiences and stories around a chosen theme while facilitating a positive and safe space for youth.

  • Clique NDG - a safe space for neighborhood youth (12-17 years old) that promotes the practice of conversation in French through activities, discussions, special guests, games, and much more!

  • Special Events for youth - Holiday Movie Watch Party, December 17 at 6pm, for the holiday season, youth (12-17) are invited to a holiday movie watch party (through Zoom) and then to discuss different traditions and holiday celebrations. A surprise bag filled with treats and more (individually wrapped), will be given to the youth registered to enjoy them during the film!

  • Webinars (for youth and parents) - Personal Security with the collaboration of Prévention CDN-NDG - Youth and Mental Health: understanding and helping (coming early 2021)

OTHER PROJECTS

Measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 Ramadan guidelines Webinars on Emergency Financial Supports Social inclusion: a multilingual awareness campaign BNDG’s core values ​​include respect and social inclusion. We are committed to promoting positive intercultural relations in NDG. In order to reaffirm our values ​​and change attitudes, we are launching a multilingual awareness campaign to challenge all residents of our neighborhood to fight together against discrimination!

Volunteer Support Group Helping Hands!

In collaboration with NDG Community Council and CLSC Benny Farm. This group is meant to offer a safe space for volunteers to share experiences as well as receiving support and training. Futur volunteers can also seek information and volunteering opportunities. Meetings take place twice a month.

Housing Project

Social housing webinars Awareness workshops with landlords of private and social housing

Webinars Science of Ice Cream Workshop with Explorations

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

NDG Intercultural Festival 2020

18th Quebec week of intercultural encounters (SQRI)

2020-2021 Festivals

OFFERED SERVICES

Until June 2021, AMIs are available in the community to support all partner organizations. Trained in intercultural mediation, but even more so, with an exhaustive professional background, AMIs are at the service of the community of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce in order to promote the development of positive intercultural relations.