Reflections on ideas from Intercultural Competence. Round Table

SALTO Cultural Diversity Resource Centre; Agenzia Nazionale per i Giovani, 2009. — 27 p.In SALTO Cultural Diversity Resource Centre we are constantly responding to different Agencies’ and Organisation’s needs, keeping always one foot on the ground and trying to ensure that our activities have grass roots youth work as a core element in one way or another.With the growing importance of a competence-based approach, made concrete by the self-assessment process of Youthpass, it seems an appropriate moment to analyse and explore the fundamental concepts behind Intercultural competence, which is a small but vital part of the Lifelong Learning Social Competence.So, looking at intercultural competence is one way to bring the topic of ‘Cultural Diversity’ to grass roots, to make it a real tangible topic for youth leaders: appropriate, useful and ṏtting for the life and work skills demanded in Europe today. It’s important to note too, that we made a specific limitation to our work, focusing on the field of international youth work in Europe, within Youth in Action Programme framework. We’re not trying to research more fields, or to change the world (yet!). The Italian National Agency joined us in this priority, with the first step of hosting the Round Table in May in Rome.Here are some ideas and reflections that arose after that event, we look at: The structure of the Round Table; What is competence?; The importance of experiential learning to be interculturally competent; Definition and Components; Needs, Challenges and Recommendations from the field; SALTO strategy and next steps.We at SALTO have realised, through this event, that there are many more steps to take, others to talk to, advice to gain. We had an aim at the beginning of 2009 of providing tools on ‘being interculturally competent’ for youth workers and young people that travel, as well as the adaptation of tools from the academic world into an appropriate language for the youth work world. This is a long way off. We are aware of our impracticable ambition. But we are going to take one step at a time, use these interesting ṏndings from the Round Table as definite food for thought and shape our next processes for SALTO. We still aim to reach our goal, but with a more viable time-scale, keeping the link to reality and the grass roots.