Véronique Schoeffel has more than 20 years of experience in international cooperation. She has lived and worked in many countries and on four continents as a trainer, coach, and facilitator of intercultural learning. Véronique has a Master of Arts in Intercultural Relations from Antioch University in Ohio, in partnership with the Intercultural Communication Institute (ICI). Her passion for participatory and empowering training approaches grew when she was working in South Africa with Anne Hope. These dimensions are still central in her work today.
It was also in South Africa that Véronique discovered and cultivated the concept of Ubuntu. In 1999 the famous Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, reminded all of us that Umtu ungumtu ngabantu – I am human because you are human. He invited us to put goodness and shared humanity at the core of our interactions. Ubuntu inspires the name of Véronique’s consultancy, and beyond, her whole professional commitment.
Over the past few years she has shifted most of her work from international cooperation to working with corporate and administration leaders, educators, health practitioners and, in particular, with the issues of migration/integration.
Véronique’s vision: Intercultural competence is a key to professional and economic success and, above all, a contribution to peace in a world that needs it more than ever. I love creating beautiful and nurturing spaces where people feel safe, build intercultural competence, and are willing to open up to their journey of change. I dream of a day when people feel safe enough to celebrate their own and other people’s cultures.
Course Description
Migration touches and affects millions of people every year. The journey is far more than just a geographical move. It also includes aspects like learning a new language, understanding the new cultural values and rules, acquiring a home, and finding a job. Max-Neef and Hope’s Wheel of Fundamental Human Needs is a powerful tool used to explore the basics any person and any society needs in order to live a healthy life. Use of this tool helps us realize the many and deep implications of migration on a person’s life energy, and gives us an indication of the complexity of the challenge for the migrant and for the host community. Through the wheel, the concept of cultural integration gets a new meaning and raises questions about the services offered in order to accompany migrants journeying on roads of emigration and/or integration.
This workshop is designed for people who work in the field of migration and integration and for those who want to understand the complexity of the experience through a new lens. We will explore the correlations between emigration and fulfillment of fundamental human needs at a personal, collective, and institutional level. Our objectives are to revisit and expand our concepts of migration, emigration, and integration, and to learn about the wheel’s applications to our own personal, cultural, and professional situations.