Introduction:
Reflections and action to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
On September 29, 2021, I hosted and facilitated a special session of the Diversity and Cross-Cultural Sharing Circle to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. The topic I designed for the session was: “Truth and Reconciliation – what is its relationship to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion? When, where, and how does it fit into your organization’s goals, plans, and priorities?” After sharing the appropriate land acknowledgment, introductions, and the guidelines for participation, I posed the following questions to the participants and shared these responses with them:
Intercultural Competence and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Call to Action 57
I gave a presentation at a conference in June 2021 that was hosted by the Canadian Mental Health Association Saskatchewan Division and Service Hospitality and I was honoured to do so. The conference was called, We’re Only Human – Promoting Positive Workplace Wellness and my presentation was about Intercultural Competence and Workplace Wellness. My presentation was pre-recorded, but during the live question and answer period afterwards, I was asked if the TRC mentioned the IDI®. [Read more…] about Intercultural Competence and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Call to Action 57
Intercultural Competence and Anti-Racism
Intercultural competence development based on the Intercultural Development Continuum TM and the IDI ® is relevant to anti-racist work and goals and effective as an anti-racism strategy, because it focuses on eliminating interpretations of difference and behaviour based on biases and stereotypes while increasing interpretations of difference and behaviour based on cultural generalizations and frameworks.
Conference preview: “Intercultural Competence and Workplace Wellness – what is the cost of doing nothing?”, We’re Only Human Conference, June 22, 2021
Workplaces that are psychologically safe are deemed to be free from harassment, discrimination, bullying, verbal abuse, unfairness, disrespect, and violence. Workplace wellness should include policies and programs that ensure both the physical as well as the mental health of an organization’s employees. [Read more…] about Conference preview: “Intercultural Competence and Workplace Wellness – what is the cost of doing nothing?”, We’re Only Human Conference, June 22, 2021
Emphasizing sameness – the “elephant in the room” of cultural bias.
If we are members of a dominant majority in a diverse and heterogeneous society, do we extend the olive branch of inclusion to others based on how much and what kinds of similarity we can recognize in them? Do we interpret inclusion as a form of conditional love? The more alike others are to us, the more we like or love them; the less similar they are to us, the less inclined we are to accept them?
[Read more…] about Emphasizing sameness – the “elephant in the room” of cultural bias.
