Working in a multicultural society means that we often have to interact – and try to develop a common understanding – with people with whom we have no shared verbal language.

This happens, for example, in local government offices, in day nurseries and schools, in doctors’ surgeries and hospital departments, during police interventions, during interactions between tenants and property management agencies or caretakers, and at consulates, public swimming pools, and centres for asylum seekers.

How can we communicate and find solutions if we are unable to understand each other verbally?

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Have you ever rolled your eyes in a meeting or during a conversation, wondering when the person talking would finally get to the point? This might mean that your communication style is linear, whereas the other person's is circular!

Do you ever feel like the person you're talking to or who's sent you a message is a bit careless and offhand, even slightly rude? This might mean that your communication style is circular, whereas the other person's is linear!

These two styles of communication, both of which have their strengths and weaknesses, are often the source of misunderstandings and irritations in our interactions. In the workplace, a clash of communication styles can have more serious consequences – such as not hiring a person or even firing them.

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In the past years, migratory movements have grown in intensity. They are the visible sign of numerous upheavals at a planetary level: political, climatic, ecological and social. Western countries have to face the fact that these migrations concern them as well. Welcoming migrant persons and accompanying their process of integration raises many complex questions, both for the migrants and for their host countries.

This article is intended especially for institutions that specialize in accompanying migrant persons and for individuals who commit themselves to journeying with migrants during their process of integration. It will explore the complex dimensions of an integration process through the lens of Manfred Max-Neef’s concept of «Fundamental Human Needs» as modified by Anne Hope. This framework can help us grasp the immensity of the task of integration, both for the migrant person and the host country.

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Switzerland has long been one of the leading countries in the area of waste recycling. For decades, the country has recycled practically everything. Households sort glass, paper, compost, aluminium, batteries, plastic, clothing, coffee capsules, portable phones, computers, and televisions for recycling. And this list is far from exhaustive. Industry, construction, offices and ministries, towns, train stations, church parishes – everyone recycles. Very clear rules Not only is everything recycled, but things are sorted according to very clear rules: cardboard does not go with paper, cooked vegetables must not be put in the compost, and definitely no meat or cheese. Glass bottles are separate from plastic bottles, and clear glass does not go in the same container as brown glass.

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