In 2018, ICDP has become part of the “Programme of integration for refugees and migrants in Quito of the University of the Two Hemispheres”.
The programme seeks to promote learning of the Spanish language, lessons and practices of entrepreneurship applied to gastronomy, education of migratory law, learning of Ecuadorian culture and history and this year for the first time there is a psychosocial component represented by the ICDP Programme.
This is a complex project which is characterized by an intercultural approach. Students participate from different faculties that make up the University, such as political and legal sciences, pedagogy, business, gastronomy, communication, among others. Many of the beneficiaries of this project come from the Middle East and North Africa, as well as from other regions. The aim is to improve their quality of life within a framework of inter-cultural and social inclusion.
The ICDP programme will be implemented with caregivers, i.e. the ICDP workshops will be developed for refugee parents. Refugee children are often facing situations of discrimination because of their culture, especially in their schools, which poses a great challenge and requires cooperation with educational institutions. The promotion of inter-culturalism leads to respect and true integration, by recognizing differences and valuing them to generate a new learning space. ICDP will put a special emphasis on this and will be working in cooperation with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), NGO called “ RET” (Specialized in education issues), the Mennonite Church, The International Organization for Migration (IOM). The overall implementation of the different components of this programme of integration for refugees and migrants will be coordinated by the University of the Two Hemispheres.
