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Intercultural Dialogue Project The Intercultural Dialogue Project is a Faculty Document related to the work of the Equality and Respect Committee. Equity Fund Report: Toward an Intercultural Dialogue May 1998 ~ September 1999 Summary Intercultural Dialogue is a project initiated in the Department of Secondary Education, University of Alberta, to address practical issues of how to improve the learning environment especially for international students in an academic community that is being increasingly globalized. In the light of multiculturalism and against a background of perceived danger of "clash of civilizations", the Dialogue was expected also to deepen, from an educational point of view and at a more theoretical level, our understanding of what it means to live with "others" and "otherness," and whether it is possible to create a "third space" when we are realistically faced with each other in this age of globalization. The Dialogue went on for twenty months, involving active participation of fifteen graduate students representing different ethnic, cultural and religious traditions from different parts of the world. As a unique intercultural journey into the shared truth of humanity, the Dialogue was carried out in different forms and cultural settings. The participants shared their personal stories, dreams and hopes, interpretations of their academic and social life here from different cultural perspectives, difficulties on a day-to-day life basis, etc. This sharing led to a deeper insight into the grand narrative of the global reality that brought us together, a better understanding of how to mediate the so-called "differences" from a dialogical point of view, and greater enthusiasm in making a change for the better. With an enhanced intercultural awareness and sensitivity among the faculty and students, some concrete steps were taken, including setting up an Orientation Committee, establishing a mentor system, creating a virtual furniture bank, and holding various kinds of activities. All these have brought the Department closer as a caring, loving and supportive community to which people have a stronger sense of belongingness and in which everybody feels more genuinely at home, a feeling that holds the promise of a better, shared future that depends on what we are doing here and now. Participants Supervisor Dr. Terry Carson Coordinators Yangsheng Guo Denise DeLong Participants Deanna Binder -- Canada Rodica Bratu -- Romania Denise DeLong -- Canada Yangsheng Guo -- China Hongdae Jeon -- Korea Sean Lee -- China Lisa Li -- China Joyce Mgombelo -- Tanzania Abed Nangombe -- Namibia Bali Panesar -- India Gabriel Perez – Argentina Sentsetsa Pilane -- Botswana Lynn Wiltse -- Canada Ken Wright -- Canada Li’an Xu -- China Author Yangsheng Guo Department of Secondary Education University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2G5
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