Workshops
Responding to a Discriminatory Incident
Workshop Presentation Lee Mun Wah
Often, discriminatory incidents and lawsuits emerge from environments where diversity issues are seldom discussed and where cultural differences are “celebrated” but not practiced or represented. During this workshop, we will explore how to create a culturally competent and sensitive community that is able to embrace and respond to diversity. Through the use of role plays, personal stories, films, listening exercises, and "mindfully responding" techniques, participants will: Understand how one’s personal and community history affect’s one’s self-esteem and sense of safety; Learn ways to respond with honesty and compassion when a conflict occurs that involves a diversity issue; Create a sense of community and understanding amongst a diverse culture of people; Learn how to ask meaningful and intimate questions of individuals from diverse cultures; Understand how differences (i.e. racial, gender) can affect relationships, communications, and behaviors; Discover how to observe and make use of the intent and impact of all of our communications; and Learn the art of listening and responding cross-culturally.
An Integrated Approach to Intercultural Learning and Praxis in a World of Interconnected Economies, Cultures, and Identities: Leverage Diverse Ways of Thinking, Communicating, and Working
Workshop Presentation Oleh Kaarmik
In a world of interconnected economies, cultures, and identities, global citizenship is strategically embedded in mission and vision statements as our academic and business environments become increasingly complex. Simply learning about other cultures (having a cross-cultural approach) has not produced lasting positive impact academic institutions and businesses have been seeking. To discover creative and effective solutions to current and emerging challenges what is needed is an authentic engagement into a mutually grounded intercultural (not cross-cultural) learning. Being mindful about various cultural codes and being able to purposefully engage into a dialogue with intercultural (moving away from cross-cultural) mindset is the only path to success. This workshop is a practical and flexible tool which educates and equips individuals from different backgrounds not only to be respectful of cultural differences but to successfully leverage diverse ways of thinking, communicating and working. WORKSHOP CONTENT: The workshop is based on the Inter-Cultural Competence Model and is designed to introduce participants to a comprehensively designed learning series comprised of four components: awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills. This series takes participants on an interactive inter-cultural journey where participants are actively involved in experiential learning while sharing professional insights, personal observations (from the presenter and the entire group), as well as hands-on exercises which invite the participants to make sense out of the unfamiliar without losing their cultural “self.”
