The mediating role of migrant community-based organizations: challenges and coping strategies

Migrant community-based organizations (MCBOs) are key mediating structures between immigrants and host societies. However, when implementing this role in host societies, MCBOs often face a number of challenges that reduce their chances to be effective in promoting social justice. This paper aims to...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Martínez Damia, Sara, Marzana, Daniela, Paloma, Virginia, Marta, Elena
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2024
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repository:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/165753
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/165753
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-023-00572-0
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Community participation
Immigrants
Mediating structures
Migrant community-based organizations
Social justice
Description
Summary:Migrant community-based organizations (MCBOs) are key mediating structures between immigrants and host societies. However, when implementing this role in host societies, MCBOs often face a number of challenges that reduce their chances to be effective in promoting social justice. This paper aims to analyze the challenges that MCBOs settled in Milan (Northern Italy) experience and the coping strategies that they use in order to provide some guidelines on how to support them. In-depth interviews, observations and document analysis with 15 MCBOs were conducted. Based on a situational analysis, we present the main challenges perceived by MCBOs at three levels: internal (i.e., surviving), inter-organizational (i.e., collaborating) and community (i.e., being recognized as mediating actors). We provide specific guidelines for action on how to address such challenges and thus foster the role of MCBOs as mediating structures in receiving societies.