Bring Together at Social Enterprise Showcase 2025
Why Cultural Mediation Matters for Scotland At Social Enterprise Summit 2025, Bring Together Ltd shared how cultural mediation builds trust and supports New Scots to integrate into new communities. Bring Together’s community projects are focused on creating cultural bridges and meaningful connections within communities and organisations. The ability to create social connections is crucial for New Scots, but we can also say that it is equally important for many communities in Scotland, facing challenges of post-COVID, cost-of-living crises, and public services constraints. Similarly to social intelligence, cultural intelligence is the ability to create cross-cultural connections – understand other cultures and share our own culture for the benefit of the community and neighborhood we live in and the people we work with. Culture is not only defined by nationality or ethnicity, it is also by the diversity of communities in Scotland that live side by side, and it is working cultures in organisations across the private, public, and third sectors. And what is very important is the culture of dealing with life challenges, as trauma, conflict, and violence. At the core of cultural intelligence is an understanding of a deeper culture – our beliefs, non-verbal rules and behaviours that tell both about our national cultures but also a deeper understanding about trust, communication and support. Check our work on cultural exchange with St Andrews Heritage Preservation Society and with the Fife Centre for Equalities on LinkedIn. Read more about the Sustainability Co-production project with HMS Unicorn and Dundee Museums. Talk by Kate Forbes, Deputy First Minister How Conflict Impacts Organisations Victoria Pearce, Community Enterprise, talked about how many organisations face crises and financial problems, which are often a result, not a cause. Increasing tendency of conflict within Boards, between Board and staff, within staff teams and externally, is a signal that we need to think about the culture of how we communicate and collaborate. Conflict consumes time, budget, and morale, undermining relationships and organisational efficiency: Projects stall while teams argue over process and ownership. Staff wellbeing dips; absence and turnover rise. Partnership opportunities fade as trust erodes. Mediation is one of the availiable startegies to prevent conflicts and support teams and volunteers with a framework to resolve disagrements underlining the value of addressing tensions before they escalate. Victoria Pearce: Crisis and Resilience Victoria Pearce: Crisis and Resilience A Unique Lens on Conflict and Culture We bring first-hand expertise in mediation and the lived experience of displacement. This gives us a distinctive perspective on how conflict impacts people and organisations in communities, workplaces, and cross-cultural settings. We translate mediation principles into simple, usable tools for organisations: identify interests, facilitate dialogue and learning, culture-mapping, and teaching mediation techniques. These help teams reduce tension, save resources, and focus on impact. From peer support for displaced families to facilitated workshops for organisations, we design spaces where people can share experiences, listen to each other, and rebuild trust. Presentation in Highlights Cultures in Bloom, 2024 Gratitude and Lessons Learned Looking back, we are deeply grateful to people working in the social enterprise ecosystem – Social Enterprise Scotland, Firstport, Business Gateway Tayside, Elevator, The Circle, The Challenges Group, CEMVO – for their encouragement and guidance along the way. For anyone just starting a social enterprise, here are lessons we have learned about the social enterprise eco-system in Scotland: 🔹 Many are facing their own challenges — while it may not be the same, people will offer their support.🔹 They will encourage your ideas and offer perspectives that enrich your vision.🔹 You’ll find a safe space to try, make mistakes, and grow. It was a great honor for Bring Together’s Director, Vitalii Diakov, to speak at the Social Enterprise Showcase Panel. For Bring Together, being part of Scotland’s social enterprise community means belonging to a network of organisations that put people and planet first. It also means aligning with values and behaviours that put community benefit at the centre of business decisions. Bring Together CTA Create Meaningful Connections Join our community events to find connection, inspiration, and unforgettable experiences in Dundee. Your next adventure awaits! Explore Events Learn More Stay Updated Get notified about upcoming events and community news. Email address Subscribe Now We respect your privacy and will never share your information.