Univerbal - A migrant women led Community Interpreter service to vector Inclusion via social economy
Univerbal (Liege, Belgium) trains migrant women community interpreters and is an intermediary with the local healthcare services employing them. Univerbal empowers its beneficiaries: Univerbal’s interpreters receive quality and tailored training, regain self-esteem, combat structural unemployment, provide service directly helping other migrants, and have shared governance of their project. Those receiving interpretations obtain affordable, quality services with short waiting time.
Regional
Belgium
Liege - East Belgium and migrant diasporas of InterReg Meuse-Rhine region (Maastricht - Netherlands / Aachen - Germany)
Mainly urban
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Le Monde des Possibles Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Didier Last name of representative: Van der Meeren Gender: Male Nationality: Belgium Function: Head Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Potierue 2-10 Town: Liege Postal code: 4000 Country: Belgium Direct Tel:+32 497 53 38 85 E-mail:dvdmeeren@possibles.org Website:http://www.possibles.org
Since 2016, Univerbal develops migrants’ professional, language and job-specific skills in order to structure a community interpreting service in the social economy. It aims eliminate language barriers faced by non-French-speaking migrants and their local health sector’s care providers. The initiative is two-fold and addresses both the vocational training aspect and that of the collective’s functioning.
Vocational Training
Specialized training, tailored to the specific needs of Univerbal participants, takes place for three months. The training forges and hones skills through activities based on the following objectives:
- Strengthening of both maternal and French language skills
- Discovering the profession of interpreter in a social environment through practical exercises, role-playing, internships, guests, visits, etc.
- Introduction of the intercultural dimension present in any exchange between people speaking different languages
- Equipping participants with concrete social, civic, and legal information
- Producing content based on the participants’ field experiences during training
- Certification through Mons University.
The collective’s functioning
The second part of the project concerns the implementation of a community interpreting service managed by migrants themselves. Univerbal’s service currently includes two areas: the logistics and accounting service and the current functioning of the collective itself. This reflection is collective and works, as far as possible, in management through shared governance. The individuals concerned by and involved in the project and its activity, are for the most part comprised of its interpreters. They take part in the decisions and major orientations of the service. Interpreters meet weekly to discuss questions relating to: practical organization, interpretation earning rate grid, sliding-scale rates based on beneficiary income to provide equitable and quality services to all, ethical questions,.
inclusion
migrant women
social interpreting service
social economy
intercultural trainings
The right to understand and receive appropriate communication support for newcomers is a civil right and fundamental to an inclusive and democratic society that seeks to ensure that it provides for the needs of all its citizens. The impacts of recent migration flows into Europe have been felt and they highlight the necessity to foster energies and to try to find a solution to accessing the job market for migrant women. We planned to found and implement an interpreting service as a part of the solution and to develop best practice for this.
The key objectives of Univerbal service in terms of sustainability are :
- Financial stability: Univerbal is financially self-sufficient and sustainable in the short term (95.214,66 € global income in 2021)
- Empowerment of women: Univerbal aim to empower migrant women by providing them with new skills, work experience, and a source of income.
- Community impact: Univerbal aim to have a positive impact on the local community by improving communication between different groups.
- Quality of service: Univerbal aim to provide high-quality interpreting services that meet the needs of clients with the Mons University.
To meet these objectives, Univerbal :
- Diversify its sources of income: This include developing partnerships with other organizations (medical, corporate...), offering training and development opportunities, and selling services.
- Foster collaboration: Univerbal foster collaboration between migrant women and other stakeholders, such as local businesses, embassies and community organizations.
- Focus on continuous improvement: Univerbal regularly evaluate with University of Mons its services and seek feedback from clients to ensure that they meet the highest standards of quality.
- Promote equality and diversity: Univerbal promote equality and diversity in all its activities, to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect.
The key objectives of Univerbal - social interpreting service led by 45 migrant women in terms of the quality of experience for migrant people are:
- Positive Emotions: Univerbal create a positive emotional experience for clients and interpreters, fostering a sense of belonging and community. See social impact assessment in annex.
- Cultural Benefits: Univerbal aim to promote cultural awareness and understanding by connecting people of different backgrounds and sharing cultural knowledge.
- User-Centered Design: Univerbal aim to design its services with the needs and preferences of clients in mind, to ensure a seamless and accessible experience.
To meet these objectives, Univerbal :
- Foster a welcoming environment: Univerbal creates a welcoming and inclusive environment where migrant women feel comfortable and valued.
- Promote cultural exchange: Univerbal organizes cultural events, workshops and other activities that encourage migrant women to learn from each other and share their cultural heritage.
- Embrace technology: Univerbal uses technology to enhance the experience of clients, such as offering virtual interpreting services and creating a user-friendly platform for booking services.
- Encourage feedback: Univerbal regularly seek feedback from clients to identify areas for improvement and ensure that the services are meeting their needs.
By meeting these objectives, Univerbal social interpreting service led by migrant women is an exemplary model for other organizations in Europe seeking to provide high-quality experiences that promote positive emotions, cultural benefits, and migrant user-centered design.
The aesthetic experience is given by intercultural feelings, sounds, language music and caligraphy of the alphabets of these languages Arabic, Somali, Dari, Pashto, Afar, Amazigh Kinyarwanda, Berber, Russian, Georgian, Armenian, Portuguese, Pular, Wolof, Sousou, Malinke, Turkish, Kurdish, Kurmanji, Chinese, Albanian, Hassanya, Swahili.
Migrants have linguistic talents that can structure an interpreting service in a social environment in Liege. Following the recent migratory flows in Europe and Ukrainian crisis, the associations need these skills to fulfill their missions with their public of foreign origin. The Univerbal project finds its raison d'être in need of proposing an innovative device to value the know-how, talents, and skills of migrants in the linguistic field.
The key objectives include:
- Accessibility and affordability to a wide range of non French-Speaking users in South Belgium from different low socio-economic backgrounds.
- Univerbal promotes an inclusive governing systems which is inclusive and empowering for the migrant women leading Univerbal, with a focus on diversity and representation.
- Univerbal ensures the service is designed to be accessible and usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities.
- Univerbal supports new societal models - promoting a new societal model that values diversity and inclusiveness, and seeks to break down barriers to access and integration.
Univerbal can be exemplary by :
- Fostering a culture of diversity and inclusiveness - promoting an atmosphere of respect and understanding towards different cultures and backgrounds in Europe.
- Empowering migrant women - providing opportunities for migrant women to develop their skills and become leaders in their communities.
- Collaborating with other organizations and stakeholders - working with a range of organizations and stakeholders to promote the initiative and bring about change at a wider societal level.
- a platform to raise awareness of the importance of social interpreting services, and the role of migrant women in promoting inclusion and integration. Example of inclusion LGBTQIA+ rights translated into 7 languages (Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Farsi and Georgian) on the Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNtYa0aMFqI
Citizens can benefit from or be affected by Univerbal in the following ways:
- Improved access to services - Citizens who are non-native speakers or have limited language proficiency can use Univerbal to access a wider range of services and opportunities.
- Better communication - citizens who are non-native speakers can communicate more effectively with service providers, reducing misunderstandings and improving overall quality of services.
- Increased social inclusion - citizens who are non-native speakers can feel more included in their communities and more connected to their surroundings, improving overall well-being.
- Reduced social and linguistic barriers - citizens who are non-native speakers can break down language and cultural barriers, improving relationships and promoting integration.
Civil society can be involved in Univerbal social interpreting service in the following ways:
- Partnering with service providers - civil society organizations can partner with service providers to provide the Univerbal service to their communities.
- Promoting the service - civil society org. can promote the interpreting service and raise awareness of its benefits, encouraging greater use of the service.
- Providing feedback and input - civil society organizations can provide feedback and input on the design and delivery of Univerbal, helping to improve its quality and accessibility.
The impact of civil society involvement on Univerbal include:
- Increased usage of the service - with greater awareness and promotion of the service, more migrant citizens may use it to improve their quality of life.
- Improved quality of the service - with input and feedback from civil society organizations, the service can be improved to better meet the needs of its users.
- Increased community involvement - with the active involvement of civil society organizations, communities can become more engaged in the initiative and more invested in its success.
The engagement of different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional...) in the design and implementation of Univerbal was carried out through a series of consultation processes, workshops, and meetings.
- Local Level: Local migrant women communities were engaged through outreach and engagement programs. Community leaders, local organizations and relevant walloon government agencies were invited to participate in consultation processes to provide their input on the design and implementation of Univerbal.
- Regional Level: Regional Walloon stakeholders, including regional government agencies and organizations, were engaged through a series of workshops and meetings. These stakeholders provided valuable input on the design and implementation of Univerbal, as well as the necessary support to ensure its successful roll-out in Wallonia.
- European Level: European stakeholders, international organizations (European Trade Union Confederation) were engaged through consultations and meetings to provide their input on the promotion of the Univerbal service. We are also working to join the network ENPSIT (European Network for Public Service Interpreting and Translation) http://www.enpsit.org/ These stakeholders provided funding, technical expertise, and other resources to support the implementation of the service at the regional level.
Overall, the engagement of stakeholders at various levels was critical to the design and implementation of Univerbal. The input and support provided by these stakeholders helped to ensure that the service was designed and implemented in a way that meets the needs of the local communities and is sustainable over the long-term.
The design and implementation of Univerbal involves several disciplines, including:
- Linguistics: to ensure the language interpretation is accurate and culturally appropriate with Mons University.
- Computer Science: to design and build the technology platform used by Univerbal.
- Human-Computer Interaction (HCI): to make the platform user-friendly and accessible for people with different abilities.
- Social Sciences: to understand the social and cultural context in which Univerbal is being used, and to design the service to meet the needs of its users.
- Business and Marketing: to develop a business plan for Univerbal and market it to potential users.
Representatives from these different fields typically interact with each other through cross-functional teams, where they collaborate to design and implement the service. The added value of this process is that it brings together expertise from a range of perspectives to create a service that is well-rounded, effective, and responsive to the needs of its users.
So the design and implementation of Univerbal likely involves various disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, linguistics, and community development.
Representatives of these fields collaborate in areas such as needs assessment, Univerbal design, and program evaluation. They work together to understand the cultural and linguistic background of the target population, and design a service that meets their specific needs.
The added value of this interdisciplinary process is the creation of a comprehensive and culturally sensitive service that addresses the needs of the target migrant population. The collaboration of experts from different fields from Liege and Mons Universities provides a holistic approach to the design and implementation of the service, incorporating different perspectives and expertise to create a successful and impactful program in Wallonia (Belgium)
The innovative character of Univerbal (See video here https://youtu.be/4KiQYfBQV3w) lies in its unique approach to addressing the challenges faced by migrant communities. This service, led by migrant women, differs from mainstream non-profit actions dedicated to migrant inclusion in several ways:
- Empowerment: Univerbal empowers migrant women by providing them opportunities to lead and participate in the design and implementation of the service, which promotes their self-esteem, sense of purpose, and leadership skills.
- Cultural sensitivity: Univerbal takes into consideration the cultural and linguistic background of the target population, providing a culturally sensitive and understanding environment for migrants.
- Community-led: Univerbal is community-led, meaning that it is designed and implemented by members of the migrant community, which leads to a deeper understanding of the needs and challenges faced by migrants. Example of multilingual podcast "Les fils d'Ariane" against gender violence https://soundcloud.com/user-345205147
- Peer-support: Univerbal provides peer-support, as migrant women are able to support each other, share experiences, and work together to address common challenges.
Overall, Univerbal led by migrant women is an innovative approach to addressing the needs of migrant communities and promoting their inclusion and empowerment.
Success Factors :
- Cooperation with a variety of other public and private actors (including the city of Lièg regional hospitals)
- Integrated approach to the needs and rights of migrant women
- Cooperation with players able to respond to different needs of migrant women
- Development of the initiative in a European/international context (taking into account existing standards, recommendations, etc.)
- Strong focus on the promotion, through the training, of values & principles of NPO Le Monde des Possibles such as democracy, participation and equal opportunities
The following elements of Univerbal could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries, and contexts:
- Community-led approach: The community-led approach, where Univerbal is designed and implemented by members of the migrant community, could be replicated in other contexts to address the specific needs of different communities.
- Peer-support model: The peer-support model, where migrant women support each other and work together to address common challenges, could be adapted to support other groups facing similar issues.
- Cultural sensitivity: The focus on cultural sensitivity and understanding, which involves taking into consideration the cultural and linguistic background of the migrant population, could be replicated in other services to promote cultural awareness and inclusivity.
- Technology: The use of technology, such as mobile apps, to provide interpreting services could be adapted to other contexts and adapted to the specific needs of different migrant communities.
- Training and capacity building: The training and capacity building programs for migrant women to develop the skills and knowledge needed to lead and participate in the service could be replicated in other contexts to empower other groups. See also the creation of a guide for professionals in the migration and LGBTQIA+ sector working with newcomers. Download the multilingual guide in annex.
Overall, these elements of Univerbal represent a replicable and transferable methodology, technology, and approach that can be adapted to support other communities facing similar challenges in Europe. The DG HOME AMIF Union Migrant Net project coordinated by the European Confederation of Trade Unions encourages to spread the words about social economy dedicated to migrant inclusion https://www.unionmigrantnet.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Actes-Union-Migrant-Net-2022_.pdf
The methodology used by Univerbal involve the following steps:
- Community engagement: The Univerbal service involve reaching out to women migrant communities to understand their language interpretation needs and gather input on how the service can best meet their needs.
- Partnership building: The Univerbal service involve partnering with organizations that work with migrants, such as non-profits or government agencies, to provide language interpretation services to their clients. This can help to ensure that the service is widely accessible and can reach a large number of beneficiaries.
- Capacity building: The Univerbal service involve training women migrants to provide language interpretation services, helping to build their skills and capacity. This can help to ensure that the Univerbal service is provided by individuals who understand the needs and cultural context of women migrants.
- Technology development: The Univerbal service involve developing technology platforms that can be used to provide language interpretation services to women migrants. This involve developing user-friendly interfaces, secure communication channels, and efficient matching systems to connect users with interpreters.
- Monitoring and evaluation: The Univerbal service involve regular monitoring and evaluation to assess the impact and effectiveness of the service and make improvements as needed. This involve collecting feedback from final migrant users/institutionnal customers and monitoring key performance indicators, such as the number of users served and the quality of the interpretation provided.
In conclusion, the methodology used by Univerbal led by women migrants involve a combination of community engagement, partnership building, capacity building, technology development, and monitoring and evaluation to provide effective and accessible language interpretation
- Language barriers for non-French speaking migrants.
- Lack of access to information and resources.
- Isolation and social exclusion.
- Limited employment opportunities.
- Inadequate healthcare access and understanding.
- Cultural misunderstandings and prejudice.
Still in progress, we are working with Liège municipality and regional migration services to:
1. Clarify the social interpreter job functions – professional framework to ensure that appropriate quality assurance processes are checked. To work on a competence certificate that ensure a qualified staff is trained to standards.
2. Enhance the quality of interpreting meetings on specific semantic issues (FGM, debts, housing, asylum procedure…), to cope with municipality specialist’s vocabulary through quality training and simulation.
3. Implement a constant evaluation of interpreting assignments to gauge that the individual needs are being met.
4. Ensure that interpreters have appropriate payment of fees for their job – contracts between skilled migrants and public bodies following a tendering process.
5. To give to interpreters the knowledge of municipality department’s environment and operating processes.
Main objectives developed in a local approach that address global challenges :
o To discover the profession of an interpreter in a social environment through practical exercises, role-playing, internships, guests, and visits,..
o To introduce the intercultural dimension present in any exchange between people speaking different languages
o To equip the participants with concrete social, civic, and legal information
o To produce content resulting from the field experiences of the participants during the training courses and thus take a step back from the situations.
o To organize and carry the project based on valuing multiple and complementary competencies to tend towards a democratic and egalitarian functioning
Univerbal has bring about numerous positive outcomes in education and learning issues, including:
- Improved access to education for non-Fench speaking migrants
- Enhanced understanding of academic materials for migrant women students
- Better communication between teachers and non-French speaking parents
- Increased participation in educational programs and activities
- Improved educational outcomes for migrant women students
In terms of a development plan, steps to further develop and improve Univerbal include:
- Increasing awareness and understanding of the services offered by the program Univerbal
- Partnering with local schools, community organizations, and healthcare providers to expand access to services
- Offering training and professional development opportunities for interpreters to improve their skills and knowledge
- Conducting ongoing evaluations and assessments of program effectiveness to identify areas for improvement
- Securing sustainable funding to ensure the long-term viability of the program.
The envisioned benefits of a continued and improved Univerbal social interpreting service include:
- More equitable access to education and healthcare for non-French speaking migrants
- Stronger, more connected communities with reduced social isolation and exclusion
- Increased economic opportunities for migrant women as interpreters and improved job prospects for non-French speaking migrants.
