I belong, a film made by the Melton City Council, Melton, Australia, to document how residents, who have come from 130 countries, are comfortable as neighbors, due to the welcoming environment.
I just love it when I see everyone gathered together and they come together and they have like different identities but they come together for one thing and that is the community event.
Researching Intercultural Perspectives, Problems, and Relationships Beyond the Pandemic, International Academy for Intercultural Research (IAIR), Webinar, July 12-13, 2021.
The International Academy for Intercultural Research (IAIR) Biennial Conference which was planned for July 2021 has been postponed and will now take place July 25-28, 2022. To provide a setting for our continued interaction around the important work of the Academy, instead IAIR has organized this “IAIR Webinar” during part of the original conference dates of July 12-13, 2021. Join the webinar for keynotes, awards, and future directions in intercultural research. There is no registration fee.
UNESCO. (2020). The socio-cultural impact of COVID-19: Exploring the role of intercultural dialogue in emerging responses. Paris, France: UNESCO.
This report published by UNESCO argues that intercultural dialogue (ICD) is a substantial part of how the world responds to global challenges such as the pandemic.
[T]he emerging post COVID-19 world will be shaped by new dynamics and complex realities immersed in virtual inter-connectivity and driven by cross-sectoral engagements. To this end, the ICD agenda will have a significant role to play in developing a new socio-cultural compact that will contribute to shaping the way we live, work, connect and engage across national, ethnic and civilizational lines. (p. 15)
In addition to agreeing with the general sentiment, I was delighted to read the friendly comments about the report I prepared for UNESCO 8 years ago:
In its influential 2013 report ‘Intercultural Competencies: conceptual and operational framework‘ UNESCO approaches intercultural dialogue (ICD) as assuming ‘that participants agree to listen to and understand multiple perspectives, including even those held by groups or individuals with whom they disagree’. (p. 2)
Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz, Director
Center for Intercultural Dialogue
Chief of Inclusion, Rights and Dialogue Section, Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO, Paris, France. Deadline: 25 July 2021.
The Inclusion, Rights and Dialogue Section supports Member States to promote inclusive policies and actions, by countering racism and discrimination, advancing intercultural dialogue and pursuing gender equality. Under the supervision of the Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences Sector (ADG/SHS), the incumbent will be responsible for the following flagship programmes and projects:
Under the overall authority and close supervision of the ADG/SHS and reporting to the Director for Policies and Programmes (DIR/PPD) on programme management issues, the incumbent will lead the design, coordination, execution and evaluation of the programme and projects for the Inclusion, Rights and Dialogue Section.
Director of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Interculturalism, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland. Deadline: 13 July 2021.
Mary Immaculate College wishes to appoint a suitable candidate to the position of Director of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) & Interculturalism on a permanent, full-time basis. This is a senior management appointment and will be made at Principal Lecturer grade.
The Director of EDI & Interculturalism will assume responsibility for the broad range of operational tasks and intra-institutional coordination necessary to deliver on the College’s Gender Equality, EDI and Interculturalism strategies. This will include Athena Swan activity, alongside other relevant aspects of gender equality work, as well as diversity, inclusion and intercultural work, and coordination of efforts to address gender-based violence and sexual harassment, within a coherent and cohesive EDI context.
Mary Immaculate College (MIC) is an autonomous, university-level, Catholic College of Education and the Liberal Arts. Founded in 1898, and linked academically with the University of Limerick, MIC is the oldest higher education institution in Limerick.
House of Religions, Dialogue of Cultures (Haus der Religionen – Dialog der Kulturen), Bern, Switzerland.
The ‘House of Religions – Dialogue of Cultures’ is unique in the world as a place that unifies eight religious communities as well as a space dedicated to the dialogue with the public under one roof. Since its opening in December 2014, the House of Religions at Europaplatz (Place of Europe) in Bern welcomes five religious communities that hitherto had no dignified premises. Thus Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Alevis and Buddhists have found their own sanctuary and keep learning to live together. Three other religious communities – Jews, Baha’i and Sikhs – take part in the program by groups of dialogue.
The heart of the house is the dialogue area, which is dedicated to educational services, activities for families and young people, exhibitions, lectures and round tables. A variety of cultural activities and culinary events organised by the Vanakam Restaurant complete the program. The goal is to reach more than just the peaceful coexistence. As a laboratory of living together we invite all interested people – religious or not – to experience and maintain a dialogue beyond the frontiers of religion, language and culture.
Further information, and photographs, available on the Bern city website and on the Bauart architects website.
National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation: Summer Learning Springboard, Online, July 26-30, 2021. Deadline: July 16, 2021.
For those who study, teach, and/or practice dialogue, deliberation, conflict resolution, mediation, and collaboration, the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation (NCDD) is hosting a Summer Learning Springboard, July 26-30. Registration for this week of virtual events is just $10 for NCDD members and $20 for non-members which includes access to a host of included sessions and networking events. There are some advanced workshops with additional fees.
Session topics include supporting DEI, compassionate listening, the tensions of neutrality, capturing impact of engagement processes, Bohm Dialogue, facilitating interactive online meetings, a toolkit of collaborative discussion activities, multi-process synergies, democracy as a wicked problem, and online open space and conversation café.
Claire Philippe, MA, is a senior lecturer in French as a Foreign Language and works at IÉSEG School of Management, Paris, France.
She teaches French at all levels and works daily in an organization that counts over 100 nationalities drawn from every continent. Before joining IESEG, Claire worked in Marketing in England and later joined a digital company operating in a multicultural context on 15 markets. Claire then decided to change professional orientation and spent time in Savannakhet, Laos, teaching French. Since then she has taught French in several companies, in Paris, working with students from different professional and cultural backgrounds.
She holds a diploma in Management from the school of Management Leonard de Vinci and a Master 2 in Language didactic from La Sorbonne. At IESEG, in addition of her lecturer position she is part of one of IÉSEG’s centers of excellence, IÉSEG Center for Intercultural Engagement (ICIE).
Work for CID:
Claire Philippe has served as a reviewer for French.
Assistant Director of Student Experience, Study Group, International Study Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. Deadline: 14 July 2021.
Study Group is a global pathway provider in International Education. The University of Surrey International Study Centre is a fast-growing centre with a strong record of excellent student outcomes and outstanding staff satisfaction. This is a senior leadership role that reports directly to the Centre Director. The role will take the lead on the provision of a Student Experience Team, enabling students to thrive and study legally, safely and successfully. Through the team, the role ensures UKVI compliance in visa and attendance systems, key quality assurance and enhancement activities are carried out according to Study Group, university partner and regulatory body requirements. The role also oversees the team responsible for the implementation of a progression support and personal tutorage strategy with the purpose of ensuring students are fully supported to maximize student outcomes and satisfaction levels.
Kawano, G. (2021, April 25). Morocconia, Nipponia: Bridging cultural gap between Morocco, Japan. Morocco World News.
“The greatest strength I gained through this project is cultural awareness. I’m better equipped with skills to work in [a] multicultural environment.”
This article documents the ways in which Hafsa Rifki, of Morocco, who first became interested in Japanese anime, then began studying the Japanese language, and later Japanese culture, became part of a cultural circle of like-minded peers, which turned into the group Nipponia. Later she moved to Japan for a PhD in Media and Governance at Keio University. While in Japan, she developed a similar group of people interested in Morocco, named Morocconia. She now manages both groups.
Center for Intercultural Dialogue 