INTERCULTURAL WORK IN
THE CZECH REPUBLIC
INTERCULTURAL WORK
What is intercultural work?
• Newly-established concept in the Czech Republic –
Intercultural/sociocultural mediator, community/social interpreters
• Aims to overcome linguistic and socio-cultural barriers in communication
between migrants and public institutions and to support harmonious
coexistence in a culturally diverse society.
INTERCULTURAL WORKER
What does the intercultural worker do?
• Assistance in communication.
• Interpreting and assistance services.
• Basic social counselling.
• Support for better orientation in a new environment.
QUALIFICATION COURSE
Qualification course for intercultural workers
• Qualification course for workers in social services with focus on advising
and assisting Immigrants.
• 250 hours (including 40 hours of practice).
• 6 language modules: eng, rus, mon, viet, arab, chinese - 17 graduates of
the course.
• Database of intercultural workers at www.interculturniprace.cz
PROFESSION ESTABLISHMENT
Establishment of the profession
• Inclusion in the National System of Qualifications.
• Setting the standards of evaluation and qualification for the profession of
intercultural worker.
• Inclusion in the National System of Occupations .
EXAMPLE FROM PRACTICE
Assistance services at the MOI
• 2011 – Cooperation between NGO InBáze and the DAMP of the MoI to
provide assistance services directly at the DAMP MoI.
• 6 intercultural workers (arab, eng, mon, viet, ru, fr).
• 3 offices, 4 days a week, 5 hours
EXAMPLE FROM PRACTICE
Intercultural workers – INTEGRO / SIMI
• December – May 2015.
• 5 intercultural workers - Russian, English, Spanish, Vietnamese and
Ukrainian.
• Intercultural work in practice.
AIP
Association for Intercultural Work – AIP
• Founded in 2014
• To standardize the practice of the profession and set the basic and the
continuous education for intercultural workers.
• To anchor and well establish the profession within the legal norms of the
Czech Republic.
• To promote the intercultural work among migrants and public
institutions.
Thank you for your attention