Mentoring Action. A vision of Social Mentoring in relation to applicants for International Protection through Action-Participatory Research. Action-Participatory Research

The application of social mentoring is a latent reality in today's society, as this instrument is considered a means of transforming social reality due to its high impact on inclusion processes. From the Mentoring Action Research Project, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, under the national IRPF 2020 call and developed by Diaconia Spain, during the year 2021 and using the Participatory Action Research (PAR) method, the importance of social mentoring in the inclusion processes of people seeking International Protection (IP) was highlighted. Through this study, the importance of this technique in the inclusion of those people applying for IP, who had great difficulties in the development of daily activities, was revealed. In order to confirm the objectives established in the project, 28 participants were interviewed, and the different surveys and documents recorded (diaries, observation records, the action plan, satisfaction surveys, among others) were analysed using the Atlas Ti 21 computer programme. These data provided reliable information on the relevance of mentoring, as well as notable data on the links created between participants, the existing problems in the social integration of this group, as well as the obstacles that these people face in the processes of welcoming a new culture. The conclusion was reached on the benefits obtained with the application of active methodologies such as social mentoring, as they can become an element that favours the inclusion of the most vulnerable groups.