In February of 2012 the International Association for Intercultural Education (IAIE) held a three day conference to address the global perspectives, or what the organization called the “northern” and “southern” experiences of intercultural education.

The organization describes itself as a global professional group of educators that focuses on issues of diversity in education. In the recent conference, the group paid special attention to identifying non-traditional ways to promote innovative and creative exchanges in local, national, and regional systems of education.

Xalapa, a small town in the Mexican state of Veracruz, was a vibrant, historic and academic location for the conference, where nearly 200 persons joined in discussions that were intimate in quality and diverse in topic. Sessions were presented by students and professors from local universities such as la Universidad Veracruzana, la Universidad Autónoma Indígena de México, la Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas, and la Universidad Autónoma Indígena e Intercultural as well as key organizations such as GTZ Programme to Promote Better Education in the region and Kibbutzim College abroad.

Keynote speakers presented their ideas from a comparative, cross-national, and sometimes even cross-continental perspective. Topics included culturally sensitive collaborative learning, the use of drama in intercultural education, and critical pedagogy. Concepts such as cultural diversity in the classroom, constructions of difference, the ideas of Paulo Freire, Augsto Boal and many others were also present. The panels and workshops were held in both English and Spanish, and much value was placed not only on the English-Spanish bilingual environment, but also on educational contexts that foster the preservation of indigenous languages in Mexico and nearby areas in the region.