This project was initiated by a group of Missouri students who were able to produce 114 video testimonials from people including former President of Portugal Jorge Sampaio, Rabbi Arthur Schneier, Auma Obama, and activist and athlete Beatrice Faumuina to shed light the fundamental commonalities that people of diverse backgrounds and ages hold.

“Journeys of Belonging tackles mistaken religious, cultural and gender identity stereotypes like the inaccurate assumption that non-Westerners hold contrary values to those of Americans, the British and other Europeans.”

You can find the videos on the official website and sort them by topic or person interviewed. This project will also continue with a panel discussion in Washington DC in December (check website for updates) in which the speakers will build on some of the topics arising from the videos: personal identity, the relationship between religion and democracy, the “us versus them” mentality and many more topics.

“Part of what it means to develop the skills to live in multicultural, diverse societies is to recognize that we are the product of diverse strands of identity. Personal stories play an important role,” Emmanuel Kattan, Project Manager, Our Shared Future.

We leave you with a short video as an introduction to the project Journeys of Belonging.

May 21 has been designated the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. This is a day for people around the world to reflect on cultural diversity and its essential place in dialogue and development.

To celebrate, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) has organized the second edition of their campaign, “Do ONE One Thing for Diversity and Inclusion.” The intention is to call on individuals everywhere to take concrete action to support cultural diversity. These can take on many forms and methods, and is really only limited by the creativity of the individual. People have expressed cultural diversity on this day through music, food, cinema, language and the visual arts.

At AFS we strive to understand other cultures through an intercultural learning context. Truly understanding a culture is more than simply listening to its unique music, or sampling its cuisine. To truly understand a different culture, one must understand what values and social assumptions are being conveyed through everyday items like music or food. This can be an important starting point in the path to understand diverse cultures on their own terms, the specific ways its members view the world, and a great way to express support for cultural diversity.

AFS exchanges provide ample and constant opportunities for genuine intercultural learning. After spending time living with a host family, AFSers have demonstrated a greater awareness of culture and cultural difference, greater tolerance for individuals who have different cultures, and great command of foreign languages.

We support the “Do ONE Thing for Diversity and Inclusion” and encourage you to share with us what you are doing today.

Visit the Facebook page for the “Do ONE Thing for Diversity and Inclusion” campaign.