Linguistic-cultural mediation

Under this methodology, which Dedalus deploy across all services for migrants, a mediator is not merely an interpreter or someone making up for the shortcomings of public services, but a creator of new ways of communicating and establishing sociocultural relations.

Our cultural mediation aims to:

• Decode and address migrants’ needs by facilitating access to services and local opportunities and encouraging equal participation.
• Provide the host community with information and cultural interventions to spread knowledge about migrants and migration in the area to counter negative stereotyping, discrimination and marginalisation.
• Encourage migrants to sustain their culture of origin and links with it.

Linguistic-cultural mediators also support the planning of interventions for migrants by analysing their needs.

Their services cover socio health, socio-educational and work areas at reception centres, information and guidance desks, penal institutions, social care services and police stations.

Individualised programmes

These are joint actions that involve beneficiaries’ active participation in examining their background, needs and desires, and identifying the skills and resources they require. The programmes are intended to help them resolve their difficulties and integrate into the local community, supported by the cooperative’s tailored interventions. Financial support such as citizenship grants are also often available.

Networking
Networks are needed to support social interventions and inclusion initiatives because these are complex and interconnected issues that require a range of skills and functions that no single organisation can provide.
Our cooperative incorporates networking to coordinate relations and collaborations between different services and operators, and to activate additional resources. This not only increases the quality and quantity of the services provided, but also encourages greater responsibility for them among the institutions and public entities involved.

The network for our social care work is a dynamic and democratic space, where all of those involved participate actively and equally to identify problems to be addressed, define common objectives, develop methodologies and actions, and determine the roles, functions and responsibilities of each organisation.

Harm reduction
This methodology not only reduces risks and improves health protection. It also provides an opportunity to build relationships between programme operators and their beneficiaries that help to determine the latter’s exit pathways from violent, exploitative or marginalised situations.

Harm reduction is a social policy that works to reduce the negative effects of substance abuse or antisocial behaviour, overcome them and leave them behind.

As part of our harm reduction work, we also provide proximity services. These are aimed at all members of a local community, whether it be in a rural area, an urban neighbourhood or an individual building, and they serve as a “sensor” of the community’s problems and emerging needs.

The main aim of our interventions is to empower the beneficiaries and enhance their resources. The role of the programme operator is also transformed from the bearer of solutions to a participant in a process of change towards them.