Culture

1. Catch-Up Friday
Peace
Education

2. Intercutural
Relations

3. Objectives
At the end of the session, learners will be able
to:
02
01
Analyze the importance of intercultural
relations for national and global
awareness.
Develop an appreciation for diversity and
empathy towards different cultures.

4. CULTURAL CONNECTIONS
Was there ever a time you felt different
from everyone? What was that unique trait
that makes you different from others? How
did others treat you? How did that make you
feel?

5. CULTURE
refers to a group or community which shares common
experiences that shape the way its members understand the
world. It includes groups that we are born into, such as race,
national origin, gender, class, or religion. It can also include a
group we join or become part of. For example, it is possible to
acquire a new culture by moving to a new country or region, by
a change in our economic status, or by becoming disabled.
When we think of culture, we realize we all belong to many
cultures at once.

6. Culture is a strong part of people's lives. It
influences their views, their values, their humor, their
hopes, their loyalties, and their worries and fears. So
when you are working with people and building
relationships with them, it helps to have some
perspective and understanding of their cultures.

7. it's also important to remember how much we have
in common. People see the world very differently,
but they know what it is like to wake up in the
morning and look forward to the adventures that of
the day. We are all human beings. We all love
deeply, want to learn, have hopes and dreams, and
have experienced pain and fear.

8. At the same time, we can't pretend our cultures and
differences don't matter. We can't gloss over
differences and pretend they don't exist, wishing we
could all be alike, and we can't pretend that
discrimination doesn't exist.

9. How to build a
Diverse
Community

10. WELCOME EVERYONE
In order for people to commit to working on diversity,
every person needs to feel that they will be included
and important. Each person needs to feel welcomed
in the effort to create a diverse community. And each
person needs to know that their culture is important to
others.

11. GUILT DOESN'T WORK IN
FOSTERING DIVERSITY.
Blaming people as a way of motivating them is not
effective. Shaming people for being in a privileged
position only causes people to feel bad; it doesn't
empower them to take action to change. People are
more likely to change when they are appreciated and
liked, not condemned or guilt-tripped.

12. TREATING EVERYONE THE SAME
MAY BE UNINTENTIONALLY
OPPRESSIVE.
Often people are afraid that recognizing differences
will divide people from each other. However, learning
about cultural differences can actually bring people
closer together, because it can reveal important parts
of each other's lives. It can show us how much we
have in common as human beings.

13. PEOPLE CAN TAKE ON TOUGH ISSUES
MORE READILY WHEN THE ISSUES ARE
PRESENTED WITH A SPIRIT OF HOPE
We are bombarded daily with newspapers and TV
reports of doom and gloom. People have a difficult
time functioning at all when they feel there is no hope
for change. When you present diversity issues you
can say things like, "This is an excellent opportunity
to build on the strengths that this organization has,"
or "There is no reason why we can't solve this
problem together."

14. BUILDING A TEAM AROUND US IS THE
MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF CREATING
INSTITUTIONAL AND COMMUNITY CHANGE
AROUND DIVERSITY ISSUES.
You will be more effective if you have a group of
people around you that works together closely.
People often try to go it alone, but we can lose sight
of our goals and then become discouraged when
operating solo. It is important to take the time to
develop strong relationships with a core of people,
and then work together as a group.

15. RECOGNIZE AND WORK WITH THE
DIVERSITY ALREADY PRESENT IN WHAT
APPEAR TO BE HOMOGENOUS GROUPS
In working to combat racism and other forms of
oppression many people become discouraged when
they are unable to create a diverse group. Starting by
recognizing differences in religion, sexual orientation,
socioeconomics, parenting, and class backgrounds
will help create a climate that welcomes differences; it
will also lay the groundwork for becoming more
inclusive.

16. GROUP ACTIVITY:
Cultural Exchange Fair
Students prepare short presentations or
displays showcasing aspects of their own
culture

17. JOURNAL WRITING
“Reflect on a cultural aspect you learned
about today that you found intriguing or
inspiring. How can fostering intercultural
understanding contribute to a more
cooperative and inclusive community?”