Workshop for Health mediators and coordinators of mediation programs from seven European countries took place in Sofia
In June 2014 the National Network of
Health Mediators (NNHM) in partnership with International Organisation for
Migration (IOM) organized three-days workshop in Sofia for mediators and
coordinators of mediation programs from seven EU countries - Belgium, France,
Spain, Italy, Romania and Slovakia. The workshop is part of the Pilot Regional
Initiative “Health Mediation among Roma Community” within the project “EQUI HEALTH - Fostering Health Provision for
Migrants, the Roma and Other Vulnerable Groups”.
On 9 June 2014 the
Workshop was open jointly by Roumyana Petrova-Benedict, Senior Regional Migration
Health Advisor for Europe and Central Asia & Liaison to the EU, IOM RO
Brussels; Ahavni Topakbashyan from the National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and
Integration Issues and prof. Ivaylo Tournev from the National Network of Health Mediators.
On the first day of the
Workshop the focus was on mediation models from Bulgaria, Slovakia and Spain.
Diliana Dilkova (member of the Managing Board of NNHM) presented the Bulgarian
Health mediators’ model. Sema Asenova (HM in Haskovo Municipality) presented her work in
Hospital in Haskovo, which is unique in Bulgaria. Sabire Ramadan (HM in
Septemvri Municipality), Katya Kirilova and Antoineta Eftimova (HMs in Blagoevgrad Municipality)
introduced their work on different cases from the health and social sphere. Ognyan Kamenov
(Deputy Chairman, Foundation “Ethnic Minorities Health Problems”) talked on the
specifics in different Roma groups in Bulgaria and their migration routes
abroad. Dr. Radosveta Stamenkova (Executive Director of Bulgarian Family
Planning Association) presented interventions among vulnerable communities targeting trafficking
of human beings prevention, school drop-outs and family planning, which are
implementedamong Roma community with the assistance of the Health mediators.
On the second day of
the Workshop the participants were divided in two groups for site-visits in Predel
quarter, Blagoevgrad city and Kovachevo village, Septemvri Municipality. During
the site-visits participants in the Workshop were acquainted with the way of life of local vulnerable communities andhad the
opportunity to talk with school/kindergarden principals, teachers, medical
staff in hospitals/medical centers, general practitioners and superiors of HMs in the
Municipalities. The site-visits were assessed as exceptionallyvaluable in practical terms for
all participants because of the extensive experience of HMs and trust that they
have builtamong communities and local authorities in Kovachevo and Blagoevgrad. During
the day Health mediators were followed by camera crews which are shooting a short movie
for their field work. The film will be
presented to the European Commission and other EU and national institutions
which are responsible for the development of mediation programmes in Europe.
The third day of the Workshop
was focused on discussions, feedbacks from participants about site-visits and
planning of future interventions - provision of Workshop in Belgium focused on
mediation models in Belgium, France, Romania and Italy. Site-visits among vulnerable migrant communities on the
territory of France and Belgium are planned.
The participants in
the Workshop defined several main goals of their collaboration:
- Strengthening
of the mediation
models in the different countries;
- Developing
of international network for experience and information exchange between
coordinators of mediation programs as well as between mediators;
- Work on
developing of base standarts for training of mediators;
- Work on
Ethical code of all mediators.
