Intercultural Mediation Seminar
"When working with community members who are threatened, it is imperative to understand that conversations are not only about them, but also about the environments in which they live and the experiences they have had. Approaching training in conflict resolution with the subconscious assumption that participants are prone only to conflict is to feed the energy that fuels their need to defend themselves. This is especially important when working with young men and women who have joined street organizations (known as gangs). Their membership is not the cause of the conflict, but it is in response to the conflict that exists in the society they live in. The following are questions that lead the conversation when working with those who are interested in training in conflict resolution:
1. What are the reasons why there are street organizations?
2. Why do organizations that start with the intention of being positive esources in the community turn into negative aspects of it?
3. What are the biggest mistakes made by people who are not affiliated with organizations when they try to work with the members of the community they define as "at risk"?
4. How do you currently handle the conflict in your respective organizations / groups?
5. What tools do you think you need to further improve the effectiveness of your efforts or rebuild them?
It is imperative to understand that those who seek training are not alien to conflict and conflict resolution. They are simply versed in other forms of practice.” Dr. William Q. Ross.
INTRODUCTION
The Rumiñahui Association, within the framework of the project "Building the future from the diversity in Pueblo Nuevo" (Co-financed with the Migration and Integration Asylum Fund (EXPTE 37/17)), has detected through the work done the need to empower and to train young people belonging to youth groups (misnamed Latin gangs) in actors of their own change, through training, in this case as Youth Mediators in Open Environment and / or liaison persons, in order to recover them and young people as positive agents in society preventing this way intra- and inter-group conflicts. Likewise, we consider it necessary to work on improving their quality of life through useful training for a decent job, necessary elements to normalize their daily actions. We understand, therefore, that the formation of the mediating figure within the groups themselves is essential. For this reason we have asked for the support and involvement of two outstanding academics and their teams, who are aware of the problem: Professor Carlos Giménez of the Autonomous University of Madrid and Carles Feixa of the Pompeu Fabra University. The two academics, through IMEDES (C. Giménez) and the TRANSGANG project (C. Feixa), will develop the 1st course for young people.
PARTICIPANTS
This first edition of the Mediation Seminar has been offered to young people who has either been inside youth street groups or have related to them in one way or another, but it is the organisation’s intention to turn this seminar into a regular course endorsed by both universities (UPF-UAM), in which case it will be open to the general public. We are making a big effort to bring together an heterogeneous group in order to make the sessions themselves a mediation experience, and so far we can say participants come from four different youth street groups.
OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTIVITY
The main objective of this seminar is to give participants an overview of what mediation is an how it can be used as a tool to deal with conflict both within the groups and between groups and society. It also aims to allow participants to put their personal experience on the front, to be able to use their “hidden curricula” in the process of learning the basis of mediation.
PROGRAM
- 1st session (10/11/2018) Introduction to community mediation. This first session will be devoted to set the basis of what mediation and conflict are, as well as to provide assistants with an overview of how community mediation works and which are its main tools.
Speaker: Carlos Giménez.
- 2nd session (17/11/2018). Gender: equality and awareness. Inter-gender relationships and social inequality will be dealt with in this session. The aim is to raise awareness of gender inequality its consequences in participants’ everyday experiences.
Speakers: Katia Núñez & María Oliver.
- 3rd session (24/11/2018) Gangs: history and context. An overview of the origins of street gangs will be provided, as well as of the conflicts that have appeared along the years and the different resources which have been used to deal with those conflicts.
Speakers: Carles Feixa, Jose Sánchez.
- 4th session (1/12/2018) Conflict management techniques. This will be a practical session, in which conflict management will be enacted by means of role-playing and case-solving scenarios.
Speakers: Fadhila Mammar & Katia Núñez.
- 5th session (8,9/12/2018) Convivence trip to the countriside. The aim of this trip is to get participants into a more relaxed experience, in order to work on the main topics of the seminar from a different, more ludic perspective.
Speakers: Dr. William Q. Ross (K. Mission) & César Andrade. Vladimir Paspuel.
- 6th session (15/12/2018) Final projects presentation. Participants will present their final projects and conclusions, which will be evaluated by both the organisation team and the rest of participants.
SPEAKERS
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Professor of social anthropology at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona). He has a PhD from the University of Barcelona and an Honoris Causa from the University of Manizales (Colombia). He has been visiting scholar in Rome, Mexico City, Paris, Berkeley, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Newcastle and Lima. He has specialized in the study of youth cultures, conducting fieldwork research in Catalonia and Mexico. He is author or coauthor of 50 books, including De jovenes, bandas y tribus (Barcelona, 1998, 5th ed. 2012), Jovens na America Latina (São Paulo, 2004), Global Youth? (London & New York, Routledge, 2006), De la Generación@ a la #Generación (Barcelona, Ned, 2014, 2nd ed. 2018) and Youth, Space and Time (Boston & Leiden, Brill, 2016). He has been co-editor of the journal Young (Londres/Delhi) and member of the editorial board of Nueva Antropología (México), Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Niñez y Juventud (Colombia), Mondi Migranti (Italia), Analise Social (Portugal), among others. He has been a consultant on youth policies for the United Nations and VP for Europe of the research committee “Sociology of Youth” of the International Sociological Association. In 2017 he obtained two of the highest recognitions to his research work: the ICREA Academia Award of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Advanced Grant of the European Research Council |
Senior researcher at the University Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona). PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology, with a thesis based on the study of youth cultures in the city of Cairo. During her field experience was to analyze the processes of Young identity construction in the Arab world from the case study of four neighbourhoods of Cairo applying intersectional perspectives. He had researched the relationship between piety and music in Pakistanis collectives in Barcelona; gendered identities in Gulf countries; youth political movements after 2011 in Spain and Egypt; and youth de-marginalization strategies in Egypt. He was Ethnographic Coordinator of SAHWA project (www.sahwa.eu). During lasts years he is combining youth studies, social movements and post-colonial approaches both in North Africa and Europe. He has published several articles and book chapters on social movements in Spain and North Africa and invited lecturer in different major European Universities. He is editor of the publication Youth at the Margins: Perspectives on Arab Mediterranean Youth (Forthcoming) with Elena Sánchez and What was the indignant spring? Social movements, politics and youth on three continents with Eduard Ballesté. |
Member of the ALKQN (Almighty Latin Kings & Queens Nation) since 1994. At that time the activities and projects of the nation were internal and were not publicly recognized by the authorities. In 2003 he arrives to Madrid (Spain) with the purpose of working and help his family. In the year 2005-2006 they found in Barcelona the opportunity to constitute a part of the ALKQN-Spain in a legally constituted youth organization called "Cultural Organization of Kings and Queens of Catalonia". Since then he has participated in several youth projects of the CIIMU (institut d'infanta i món urba) together with Carles Feixa, where the process of legalization of the association Ñeta and the Latin Kings also began. He participates in the socio-cultural project "UNIDOS POR EL FLOW" where the Ñetas and the Latin Kings come together to put an end to the stereotypes and work for the young people of the street doing conflict mediation work. That's when the video clip 'unidos por el flow' is released. He works in the in several cultural projects of the FEDELATINA, highlighting the release of the first musical CD: The Royal Life Latin Kings in Primitive State. He has also participated in the project directed by Luca Queirolo "Buscando Respeto", where the film with the same name was produced. Currently he participates in the "TRANSGANG" project. |
Social Anthropology Professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM). Director of the University Institute for Human Rights, Democracy and Culture of Peace and Non-Violence (DEMOSPAZ). Scientific Director of the Intercultural Community Intervention Project (ICI) of Fundación Obra Social la Caixa & Director of Expert in Social Intervention and Diversity Management in the Local Area, Obra Social la Caixa/UAM. Combines theory and application in the fields of interculturality, anthropology of conflict, coexistence and local citizenship, mediation and co-development, culture of peace and human rights. |
Social and Cultural Anthropologist, National University of Distance Learning (UNED); Inter- university Master on Youth and Society-MIJS (UDG). Social Intercultural Mediation Course, Centro de Postgrado Y Formación continua (UAM). PhD student and Predoctoral Researcher at the University of Lleida. Local Researcher at Madrid- TRANSGANG Project. Intercultural mediator (2006-2009) in SERJOVEN project, Migration and Multiculturalism Project (PMM), & Mediation network Obra Social la Caixa/UAM. Project leader: Sociocultural Integration for Migrant Families & Socio-occupational Inclusion in Asociación Quisqeya Cultural, Tetuán Distric, Madrid (2009-2012). Research lines: Youth and society; violence and youth; gender roles in youth street groups; gender and urban spaces; youth policies. |
Spanish Philologist, University of Grenoble (France) and Tunisia. Master in Migrations, Refuge and Intercommunity Relations. Medal of Peace and Concord at the VII World Mediation Congress, in Belo Horizonte (Brazil, 2012). Teacher in Masters, postgraduate & experts, trainer in different institutions of Spain and Latin America in Mediation, Interculturality and Migrations. International consultant in mediation, interculturality and migration for foundations, non-governmental organizations, local, regional and state administrations, both in Spain and in Latin America. |
Graduated in in Business Management, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, and Spiritual Counseling. As the President & Founder of Ashé International, Inc., he offers scholarships that cover the cost of college applications for high school students as well as the cost of GED examinations for adults, initiatives that seek to assist families in dealing with the trauma of having a parent incarcerated. Specialized in working with urban youth, has been instrumental in ending conflicts between street organizations in the United States and abroad, as well creating leadership curricula for public schools, charter schools, and community based organizations. |
Graduated in English Studies at National University of Distance Learning (UNED). Master on Teacher Training, English Speciality, Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM). Prevention and intervention with Women victims of Gender Violence Course Centro de Postgrado Y Formación continua (UAM) Support Staff Fieldwork Research - Madrid, TRANSGANG project. Research lines: Intercultural education; gender violence in youth street groups; memory in youth street groups. |
Acknowledgments: This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) within the framework of the Research and Innovation of the European Union HORIZON 2020, grant agreement No 742705.