Summary
For several years now, experience has continued in the definition and application of mentoring initiatives aimed at supporting the socio-cultural inclusion of young people from the world who have come to Italy, often still minors and without an adult reference figure. In fact, coming of age corresponds to the loss of a series of guarantees and protections that our legal system provides for underage persons, to the need to autonomously face one’s own subsistence needs and responsibilities and, in many cases, to a reception pathway that has not adequately fulfilled its functions as would be required by the sector regulations.
Voluntary guardianship, provided for in Law 47/2017 and recognised, despite the difficulties in its application in the different territorial contexts, as a decisive institute to guarantee the protection of the minor, finds in mentoring, where properly developed, its natural continuity to accompany the person to the consolidation of a sustainable and fruitful path towards autonomy and integration. At the same time, mentoring, by providing a concrete perspective for the development of the demands promoted by the guardianship of the minor, can be considered as a practice that reinforces and qualifies the guardianship itself.
Mentoring HuB was created to meet this challenge. Starting from these observations, in fact, the idea is developed and the practice of mentoring is implemented, understood as an intervention scheme to support young people through a personalised relationship with a citizen who, on a voluntary basis, using appropriate training, guidance and support, becomes a reference and supportive presence in the young person’s social, cultural and economic development. The Mentoring Hub project intends to consolidate and systemise in Italy the practice of mentoring young people from other countries of the world. Also in view of the possible continuity with the voluntary mentoring of unaccompanied foreign minors, together with supportive and active citizens, the initiative intends to strengthen and develop a participatory pathway involving organisations, experiences and territories in different parts of Italy, as well as young people who have already been involved in mentoring relationships, enhancing existing resources, analyses carried out so far, projects already started on the topic, but also the start-up of new initiatives and the valorisation of peculiarities related to specific significant experiences.
To pursue this general objective, five axes of intervention were identified:
- Analysis, benchmarking and enhancement of existing and start-up mentoring initiatives;
- Italian Mentoring Network: exchange, co-ordination and synergies between bodies and agencies implementing mentoring initiatives through the establishment of a national network;
- Multilevel and multi-agency training: enhancement of knowledge, skills and capacities of bodies, individual practitioners and policy-makers through a multilevel and multi-agency training process;
- Advocacy: definition and implementation of a national advocacy plan;
- Communication strategy: definition and implementation of a communication strategy to foster awareness, engagement and involvement of citizens.
Methodological principles:
The strategic axes will be qualified by a project focus and culture based on:
- Participation, understood as a fundamental dimension in project implementation with reference to the contribution of all stakeholders and those who will benefit from the initiative.
- Attention to gender issues, to emphasise that the initiative will always be committed to a systemic and intersectional approach as well as equal opportunities in all related objectives and activities.
- Transculturality, understood as an aptitude to valorise and utilise as theoretical and operational resources diversity in its relationship with particular attention to the languages, narratives and images used
- Dignity, to ensure that helping relationships never lead to asymmetries of power and/or stereotypes contrary to the recognition of the value of others.
- Reciprocity, understood as readiness for intercultural exchange and full recognition of the other in the relationship.
