INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION The experience of the Italian operators abroad.

The research has examined, in-depth, the intercultural aspects in international cooperation and has provided guidance for the training of young people and workers who want to work in the international dimension. The research wanted to analyze both the transformation process in international operators and other intercultural competences acquired by the people in the course of their personal and professional life. In this regard were involved in the research 16 operators that work for Non-Governamental Organizations (NGOs) in developing countries, 10 Italian international operators working in UN Agencies – WHO and UNDP in Geneva – and 20 Heads of NGOs Lombardy. In view of the empirical research and theoretical framework, a dynamic model of intercultural competence that covers fourteen recurring elements has been created. The experience of cooperating, shows that individuals will "decompensate" in contact with diversity, as it becomes necessary to train people to "live the world upon themselves”, meaning both to live diversity on oneself and be able to be "the glue” of various worlds and between infinitely big and small together.