WHAT IS A CULTURAL MEDIATOR?
Cultural mediators are adult immigrants who have been trained to act as representatives of their own culture at schools, day care centres and other organisations. Cultural mediators each work in their own individualistic manner. Cultural mediators bring unfamiliar cultures close to Finnish people.

CULTURAL MEDIATOR PROJECT
Oulu Settlement implemented two Cultural Mediator projects with European Social Fund Objective Programme 3 funding in 1999-2000 and 2000-2003. The projects developed an innovative operating model for supporting the naturalisation of immigrants and promoting healthy multi-cultural development of society.

The projects developed a 14 weeks Cultural Mediator programme that provides cultural mediator training. The programme has been completed by 50 cultural mediators from 23 different countries. The programme has developed immigrants’ Finnish language skill, public performance skill and other readiness for work life. It has also provided well-rounded information about life in different cultures and in Finland. Oulu Settlement continues to arrange the training also after the project period has ended.

The projects developed a CULTURAL MEDIATORS’ CIRCLE , which organises presentations by cultural mediators and receives orders from different organisations. The phone number of the circle at Oulu Settlement is +358 40 728 0083.

The project has promoted the employment and coping in Finland of cultural mediators who have participated. People have acquired readiness and networks that lead to employment.

Cultural mediators have held a lot of presentations for Finns during the course of the project. The cultural mediators’ circle has implemented over 50 presentations on an hourly wage basis during the first phase and more than 480 presentations during the second phase. The project also included presentations in Oulu’s schools by full-time cultural mediators hired by the project (Oulu model of tolerance education): a Sri Lankan, an Iraqi and a Turkish cultural mediator have held more than 160 presentations in schools. The cultural mediators trained in the projects have been employed through the presentations around 700 times! 

The work done by the cultural mediators in promoting contacts between a tolerant society and different kinds of people has been significant. The presentations of the cultural mediators during the project period were attended by about 27,000 listeners. The work of the cultural mediators – ordinary people’s stories about life somewhere else – has offered many Ouluites and people from neighbouring municipalities a human perspective of foreign cultures! 

The project has significantly advanced the naturalisation of new immigrants in Oulu. The project was implemented at Oulu Settlement’s Friendship House, which each week arranges 20-25 different kinds of groups that support the naturalisation of immigrants. The yearly attendance at the activities of the Friendship House exceeds 8,000. The project has supported countless numbers of immigrants.

CULTURAL MEDIATORS’ CIRCLE

Are you planning an event or theme day related to foreign cultures?

A CULTURAL MEDIATOR BRINGS A TOUCH OF A FOREIGN COUNTRY

	Cultural mediators are immigrants who are trained to tell about their own country at Finnish schools, day care centres and other organisations
	Cultural mediators bring diverse experiences and information about unfamiliar cultures. The visits are based on interaction between the audience and the cultural mediator
	Cultural mediators examine life in their country from various viewpoints: everyday life and festivities, customs, the family and upbringing, language, music, art, etc.
	Cultural mediators speak Finnish
	Each cultural mediator works in his or her own individualistic manner. The presentation is planned according to the needs of the listeners
	Over 50 immigrants from 23 different countries have received cultural mediator training in 1999-2003 in a project funded by the European Social Fund and the city of Oulu
	The minimum hourly wage is 35 € + travel expenses

ORDERS AND INQUIRIES:

CULTURAL MEDIATORS’ CIRCLE 

Hilmi Oral, tel. +358 40 728 0083

Send email to the cultural mediators’ circle: