Intercultural/Interracial Dialogue at Home

Resources in ICD“ width=Intercultural connections of all kinds (race, ethnicity, nationality, religion) happen at two levels – in public, and in private. Most research focuses on the former, but there is much to be gained by studying the latter. People who have intercultural friends have to discuss and face their differences, and find a way to manage them, and this is even more true for intercultural couples and families, who often are making a longer term commitment to an Other. There is a growing literature addressing the topic.

A few relevant sources follow.

Breger, R., & Hill, R. (Eds.). (1998). Cross-cultural marriage: Identity and choice. Oxford, UK: Berg.

Bystydzienski, J. (2011). Intercultural couples: Crossing boundaries, negotiating difference. New York NY: New York University Press.

Dervin, F. (2013). Do intercultural couples “see culture everywhere”? Case studies from couples who share a lingua franca in Finland and Hong Kong. Civilisations, 62, 1–15.

Gonçalves, K. (2013). Conversations of intercultural couples. Berlin, Germany: Akademie Verlag.

Inman, A. G., Altman, A., Kaduvettoor‐Davidson, A. N. J. U., Carr, A., & Walker, J. A. (2011). Cultural intersections: A qualitative inquiry into the experience of Asian Indian–White interracial couples. Family Process, 50(2), 248-266.

Johnson, E. D. (2020). Say I’m dead: A family memoir of race, secrets and love. Chicago, IL: Lawrence Hill Books.

Karris, T., & Killian, K. (Eds.). (2009). Intercultural couples: Exploring diversity in intimate relationships. London, UK: Routledge.

Lee, Pei-Wen. (2006). Bridging cultures: Understanding the construction of relational identity in intercultural friendship. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 35(1), 3-22.

Leeds-Hurwitz, W. (2002). Wedding as text: Communicating cultural identities through ritual. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Leeds-Hurwitz, W. (Ed.). (2005). From generation to generation: Maintaining cultural identity over time. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

Martinez, L. V., Ting-Toomey, S., & Dorjee, T. (2016). Identity management and relational culture in interfaith marital communication in a United States context: A qualitative study. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 45(6), 503-525.

McFadden, J. (2001). Intercultural marriage and family: Beyond the racial divide. The Family Journal, 9(1), 39-42.

Moscato, G., Novara, C., Hombrados-Mendieta, I., Romano, F., & Lavanco, G. (2014). Cultural identification, perceived discrimination and sense of community as predictors of life satisfac- tion among foreign partners of intercultural families in Italy and Spain: A transnational study. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 40, 22–33.

Piller, I. (2002). Bilingual couples talk: The discursive construction of hybridity. Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins.

Piller, I. (2007). Cross-cultural communication in intimate relationships. In H. Kotthoff & H. Spencer-Oatey (Eds.), Handbook of intercultural communication (pp. 341–359). Berlin, Germany: Mouton de Gruyter.

Romano, D. (2008). Intercultural marriage: Promises and pitfalls. Nicholas Brealey.

Sandel, T. L. (2015). Brides on sale: Taiwanese cross border marriages in a globalizing Asia. New York: Peter Lang.

Tili, T. R., & Barker, G. G. (2015). Communication in intercultural marriages: Managing cultural differences and conflicts. Southern Communication Journal, 80(3), 189-210.

Wilczek‐Watson, M. (2017). Intercultural intimate relationships. In Y. Y. Kim (Ed.), The international encyclopedia of intercultural communication. New York: Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118783665.ieicc0058

See also Key Concepts in Intercultural Dialogue #1 on Intercultural Dialogue, #96 on Interreligious Dialogue, #12 on Third Culture Kids and #94 on Cross-Cultural Kids.

 

Dialogue Coordinator (USA)

“JobDialogue Coordinator, Ahmad and Elizabeth El-Hindi Center for Dialogue, InterFaith Works, Syracuse, NY. Deadline: Open until filled, posted March 21, 2020.

The Dialogue Coordinator is responsible for designing and delivering dialogue projects, training for facilitators to support those projects, and providing evaluation of dialogue projects. Dialogue, as practiced by this Center for Dialogue, is a structured, facilitated conversation among groups of 8-15 people to have brave conversations with each other on difficult topics, such as racism. The dialogue process builds the capacity of the community through training and support of multiple sectors both through facilitation of dialogue circles and the training of community members in methods of constructive engagement that influence public policy and community problem solving.

Kenneth Baxter Wolf Profile

ProfilesKenneth Baxter Wolf is the John Sutton Miner Professor of History and Professor of Classics at Pomona College. He is also the creator and coordinator of the Late Antique-Medieval Studies (LAMS) program.

Kenneth WolfHe specializes in the history of the medieval Mediterranean, with particular interest in two areas: Christian sanctity and early Christian views of Islam. Among his publications are: Christian Martyrs in Muslim Spain (Cambridge, 1988); Making History: The Normans and their Historians in Eleventh-century Italy (Pennsylvania, 1995); and The Poverty of Riches: St. Francis Reconsidered (Oxford, 2003). He has also produced four book-length translations (from Latin): Conquerors and Chroniclers of Early Medieval Spain (Liverpool University Press, 1990; rev. 1999); The Deeds of Count Roger of Calabria and Sicily and of His Brother Duke Robert Guiscard (University of Michigan Press, 2005); The Life and Afterlife of St. Elizabeth of Hungary: Testimony from her Canonization Hearings (Oxford University Press, 2011); and The Eulogius Corpus (Liverpool University Press, 2019).


Work for CID:
Kenneth Baxter Wolf wrote KC82: Convivencia.

KAICIID International Fellows 2018 (Austria)

The International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) is seeking applications from education professionals working in institutions that train future religious leaders to take part in the 2018 KAICIID International Fellows Programme.

Set to commence in January 2018, the International Fellows Programme will develop the abilities of religious educators to promote interreligious dialogue education and practice within their respective institutions.

KAICIID will select twenty Fellows from around the world to participate in the year-long course. Selected Fellows will participate in a series of in-person and online trainings related to interreligious dialogue, coexistence and pluralism. This integrated learning process will provide Fellows with an initial framework to facilitate subsequent trainings and programming within their home institutions. The Fellows will also develop and implement small-scale local and international projects during the course of the programme. There will also be opportunities to organize and attend dialogues, lectures, field visits and conferences.

The Fellows Programme brings together religious teachers from around the world for in-person and online training in dialogue, mediation and promoting social cohesion. The Fellows programme is designed to equip teachers with the skills to educate their students about interreligious dialogue; provide their students with the necessary skills to become active facilitators and leaders in interreligious dialogue; and to train their students in conflict transformation to be active peacemakers in their respective communities.

The deadline for applications is 31 July 2017.

Belinda Espiritu Profile

ProfilesBelinda F. Espiritu is an associate professor of communication in the University of the Philippines Cebu. She teaches communication theory and research, development communication, speech communication, and media studies. Her research interests include cultural studies, intercultural communication, religion and communication, peace and development studies, and Internet communication.

Belinda EspirituShe has published research articles in local and international communication and literary journals on transnational audience reception of Korean television dramas; communication, civil society groups, the public sphere, and governance; intercultural communication between Christians and Muslims in the Philippines; Islamophobia and negative media portrayal of Islam; and literary critical essays. She has also written essays on the ideology of peace; reviews of the books of Maulana Wahiddudin Khan, an Islamic teacher advocating for peace; and her reflections on life, society, and spirituality published in newageislam.com, globalresearch.ca, and metrocebunews.com.

She has spoken in seminars for teachers about peace education, violence and conflict resolution and has been a resource speaker to Episcopalian priests on the use of communication for evangelization and to Philippine soldiers and military officers on purpose-driven life and goal-setting. She holds a Bachelor in Secondary Education degree with a major in English, a Master of Arts degree in Comparative Literature, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Communication from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

Her publications include:

Espiritu, B. F. (2019). Negative stereotypes of Muslims have fueled the rise of Islamophobia. In E. Lucas (Ed.), Islam in society: Global viewpoints (pp. 35-43). New York: Greenhaven Publishing.

Espiritu, B. F. (2017). The Lumad struggle for social and environmental justice: Alternative media in a socioenvironmental movement in the Philippines. Journal of Alternative and Community Media, 2, 45-59.

Espiritu, B. F. (2015, July 18). The Battle against GMOs in the Philippines: Confronting the WTO’s Attempts to Destabilize Sustainable AgricultureGlobal Research.

Espiritu, B. F. (2015, May 6). How to Have Peace in the Holy Land: Implications for Interfaith Dialogue. New Age Islam.

Espiritu, B. F. (2015, April 3). Islamophobia and the “Negative Media Portrayal of Muslims”: An Exposition of Sufism, A Critique of the Alleged “Clash of Civilizations”. Global Research.

Espiritu, B. F. (2015, March 26). Neoliberal Capitalism’s Fatal Flaws: A Call for an Alternative Economic System. Global Research. 

Espiritu, B. F. (2015, March 14). The Destructive Impacts of Corporate Mining in the Philippines: The Tampakan Copper-Gold Mining Project in MindanaoGlobal Research.

Espiritu, B. F. (2014). The Public Sphere, Blogs, and the Pork Barrel Scam: Online Citizens’ Voices on Corruption and Governance in the Philippines. Media Asia, 41(4), 343-354.

Espiritu, B. F. (2011, August). Transnational audience reception as a theater of struggle: Young Filipino women’s reception of Korean television dramas. Asian Journal of Communication, 21(4), 355-372.

Espiritu, B.F. (2006). From fears and prejudices to intercultural solidarity: A study of interpersonal/ intercultural communication in Muslim-Christian relations in selected areas of Metro Manila, Philippines. Religion and Social Communication:  Journal of the Asian Research Center for Religion and Social Communication, 4(2), 77-97.

Espiritu, B.F. (2005). Communication, participation and governance: Discursive democracy and communitarianism in the Philippines. Media Asia: An Asian Communication Quarterly, 32(4), 240-248.

Espiritu, B.F. (2004). The cry of the poor and the oppressed: Theodicy and existentialism in the historical and socio-political contexts of Francisco Sionil Jose’s novels. KINAADMAN: A Journal of Southern Philippines, 26.

Espiritu, B. F. (2004). A call to subversion: Women’s disempowerment and empowerment in Lina Espina Moore’s Heart of the Lotus and other novels”, in Interdisciplinary Literary Studies: A Journal of Criticism and Theory, 6(1), 21-36.

Espiritu, B. F. (2001). From journey to journey: Identity and nationhood in F. Sionil Jose’s Po-on and Viajero. Danyag: Journal of Humanities and the Social Sciences of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas, 6(2), 211-232.


Work for CID:
Belinda Espiritu wrote the guest post, Peace Profile of Sebastiano D’Ambra.

Ramin Hajianfard Profile

ProfilesRamin Hajianfard (Ph.D., International Islamic University of Malaysia) is senior lecturer in Art & Design at the University Pendidakan Sultan Idris, in Selangor, Malaysia.

Ramin Hajian FardHis main area of research is on Mughal miniature painting, with a secondary emphasis on interfaith dialogue during the Mughal Empire of India. His MA was on peace painting, resulting in the following article:
• Hajianfard, R. (2013). Iranian painters for peace. Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice, 25(2), 284-290.

He has written multiple entries for encyclopedias: six entries for The Great Events in Religion: An Encyclopedia of Pivotal Events in Religious History (English), and five entries for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia (Persian).

He has published articles in both Persian and English including:

• Hajianfard, R. (2013). An introduction to the art of illuminating the Qur’an. Journal of Arts, Culture & Heritage, 2, 95-109 (English).

• Hajianfard, R. (2012-2013). Hajj painting: A traditional Egyptian art celebrating the Hajj. Bulletin of International Institute of Islamic Science, Thought and Civilization, 4, 12-13.

• Hajianfard, R. (2014). French orientalist painting: Colonial views or an artistic approach? In B. Atashinjan (Ed.), Naghd-e Nāmeh-e Honar [Professional Book (vol. 6) on the Research and Art Criticism] (pp. 25-45). Tahran: Mugham (Persian).

He has also translated multiple books, articles, and book chapters, about music, art, and philosophy, into Persian for publication in Iran.

He was the winner of the second prize for publishing and research at the University of Applied Science and Technology, Iran, 2013.

A video presentation he recently made, Persian Manuscripts of Ramayana || Illustrative Miniature Paintings, is now available on YouTube. (His part begins at 15:27.)


Work for CID:

Ramin Hajianfard wrote KC75: Sulh-i-Kul and KC83: Intercultural Aesthetics. He has also translated KC1: Intercultural DialogueKC2: Cosmopolitanism, KC3: Intercultural CompetenceKC4: Coordinated Management of Meaning, KC5: Intercultural CommunicationKC6: Intercultural CapitalKC7: Intergroup Relations DialogueKC8: Public Dialogue, KC10: Cross-Cultural Dialogue, KC75: Sulh-i-Kul, and KC83: Intercultural Aesthetics into Persian. He has also served as a reviewer for translations into Persian.

Doha International Award for Interfaith Dialogue 2016

Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue is pleased to announce the Third Doha International Award for Interfaith Dialogue, which will take place during the 12th Doha International Conference for Interfaith Dialogue in Doha, from 16th-17th February 2016.

Objectives of Award
1. Enriching and promoting a culture of peaceful coexistence and acceptance among followers of different faiths;
2. Attracting and drawing youth towards building a positive dialogue between the followers of diverse religious traditions;
3. Reinstate and reinforce religious values in addressing the issues and problems of concern to humanity and promoting peaceful coexistence and understanding between different civilizations and faiths.
4. Expand the content of religious dialogue to include all aspects of life that interact with religion.
5. Expand the field interreligious dialogue to include wider circle of researchers, academics and others who are interested in the relationship between religious values and life’s issues.
6. Facilitate and share important scholarly insights, educational experiences and training in areas related to religious dialogue.
7. Encouraging researchers and specialized institutions for fruitful collaboration between them in order to reach new prospects for dialogue such as bringing about new proposals for conflict resolution and peace building.
8. Honor and appreciate prominent, productive and creative persons and organizations for their work in the field of interreligious dialogue.

Award Categories
This year award will be given to:
An Outstanding Organization
The award is restricted to the excellent organizations that are actively engaged in or produced a project concerning Strategies for Protecting Spiritual and Intellectual Freedom and Security in a Society, thus educating community on how to rationally and spiritually confront any sort of extremism therein.
A Prominent Individual
The award is restricted to the distinguished individuals who produced a specific work or project about Strategies for Protecting Spiritual and Intellectual Freedom and Security in a Society, and who are actively tackling extremist views among the members of his or her society while promoting peace and harmony with rational arguments.

Value of Award
The Award value is one hundred thousand US dollars (100,000 USD), in addition to gold medal and certificate provided by DICID.

Deadline
The deadline for accepting nominations for The Third Doha International Award for Interfaith Dialogue 2016, expires on 31.12.2015 at 2:00 pm (Greenwich time)
For additional information, please visit the DICID website.

Interfaith Programming in Eastern and Central Europe

Interfaith Programming in Eastern and Central Europe
Sponsor: United States Department of State (DOS), Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL)
CFDA Numbers: 19.345 – International Programs to Support Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Amount: Upper $950,000, Lower $650,000

DRL anticipates having approximately $950,000 available to support approximately one successful application submitted in response to this NOFO, subject to the availability of funding. DRL may issue one or more awards resulting from this NOFO to the applicant(s) whose application(s) conforming to this NOFO are the most responsive to the objectives set forth in this NOFO.

Applicant Type: Academic Institution, Commercial, Nonprofit, Small Business
Citizenship or Residency: Unrestricted
Activity location: Europe
Deadline: 18 December 2015

This competition is for projects that encourage tolerance and interfaith understanding between religious groups and among civil society. Projects should work to address the xenophobia that affects Jewish and Muslim populations in Eastern and Central Europe, even in places where their numbers are small. We have seen the persistence of anti-Semitism as part of the culture and folklore of the region, despite the size or even existence of a Jewish population. Programs should seek ways to strengthen broader civic ownership of anti-Semitism and other religious-based hatreds and support ways to challenge these intolerant narratives in ways to make the contemporary diversity of the region more visible. Programs should seek to build interfaith and interethnic coalitions and collaboration within Eastern and Central Europe as well as with Western Europe is encouraged. Ideas for successful program activities could include, but are not limited to: anti-xenophobic messaging through targeted, local language campaigns, especially in communities with large numbers of refugee/asylum seekers and are already under pressure for scarce resources; grassroots activities that work with populations to raise awareness of these issues, particularly with respect to intolerance perpetrated by football fans; transition communities and refugees to address xenophobia and resource issues to mitigate tensions; or programs that build coalitions among host/transit communities and the immigrant population.

Projects should have the potential to have an immediate impact leading to long-term sustainable reforms, and should have potential for continued funding beyond DRL resources. DRL prefers innovative and creative approaches rather than projects that simply duplicate or add to efforts by other entities. This does not exclude projects that clearly build off existing successful projects in a new and innovative way from consideration. DRL also strives to ensure its projects advance the rights and uphold the dignity of the most vulnerable or at-risk populations.

Intercultural Bloggers wanted by Niagara Foundation

Niagara Foundation is searching for bloggers to contribute to their blog, The Falls. The Niagara Foundation is a Chicago-based nonprofit that focuses on fostering intercultural and interfaith dialogue, relationships and social cohesion. Bloggers would write about anything related to this mission from the perspective of their expertise. Contact Kathleen Ferraro at kathleen@niagarafoundation.org or 312-240-0707 Ext: 106 if you are interested in contributing in any capacity. Thank you!

KAICIID Fellows

KAICIID Fellows Programme

In 2013, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, in Vienna, Austria, will launch an international fellowship project. The “KAICIID Fellows” will be people who are planning to become religious functionaries and educators. The programme will run 2-4 times a year, where a Jury, chosen from the Centre’s Advisory Forum, will select five “Fellows” among applicants from the five major world religions. Coming from different regions and different faiths, these students will spend one to four months working and studying together in Vienna to deepen their knowledge about each others’ religions and to strengthen their commitment to interreligious dialogue. As potential future leaders within their respective religious communities, it is hoped that they will become multipliers of KAICIID’s mission for interreligious dialogue once they are back home.

During their stay in Vienna, they will have the possibility to work on their own research project, but they will also be given the opportunity to learn about other religions, both within their own group and by visiting university classes.

The “Fellows” will also contribute to and actively participate in KAICIID‘s activities, thus enhancing their interreligious insight, organisational competence and future leadership presence and impact. Instead of a final report, each participant will be asked to write a book chapter about her or his personal interreligious learning at KAICIID.

Objectives
*Engage students from different faiths, cultures and regions in interreligious dialogue on neutral ground;
*Facilitate a deep, long-lasting dialogue encounter;
*Give future religious leaders the tools, experience, networks and knowledge to pursue interreligious dialogue in their profession;
*Provide KAICIID with young people from different religious backgrounds who will actively participate and contribute to the Centre’s activities and programmes.

KAICIID will also provide a platform for alumni activities for its former “Fellows” to enable them to stay in contact and to reach out to further potential candidates for the programme.

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