Mission humanitaire en situation de crise sanitaire COVID-19 : L’agentivité du médiateur interculturel

Abstract

In the context of an urgent medical humanitarian aid mission triggered by the covid-19 pandemic, observational participation research was conducted to contribute to a better understanding of the various aspects of the intercultural mediator's (IM) contribution and the factors that shape his practices. This ethnographic study shows that the IM is likely to engage in 14 types of (non)discursive activities that are not foreseen by the norm and his institutional mandate, driven by urgency, organisational contingencies, mission goals and the specific needs of the beneficiaries. These activities, which contribute to the achievement of the mission objectives, build the agency of the IM. These results can be used to reflect on the particularities of humanitarian interpreting.