Intercultural Competence in European Youth Work

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Eva Vitkova

If we search for the definition of Intercultural Competence, we find a whole variety of answers – the term is defined differently by experts on Intercultural Communication, consultants working with Global Teams or by Intercultural Education theorists. The definition also varies across countries and regions of the World. Given this reality, we might be asking: Is there a need to redefine what seems to be well defined already? Probably not if our societies were static organisms that are not impacted by migration, to name just one global trend observable in many parts of the World, including Europe.

Changes that have occurred in society in the last decades and, in particular, trends that will shape Europe in the next ten years were the driving forces of a long-term project started by SALTO Cultural Diversity. The goal of the project was to redefine and review the concept and practice of Intercultural Competence Development in youth work at European level, in order to be able to provide more adequate support to youth workers and youth leaders in the future.

The belief that the traditionally used tools and approaches based on the understanding of culture as a static concept are not always achieving the educational objectives of youth trainings led SALTO to develop a new definition of Intercultural Competence:

Intercultural Competence (ICC) developed and demonstrated within the framework of European youth work…are qualities needed for a young person to live in contemporary and pluralistic Europe. It enables her/him to take an active role in confronting social injustice and discrimination and promote and protect human rights. ICC requires an understanding of culture as a dynamic multifaceted process. In addition, it requires an increased sense of solidarity in which individual fear of the other and insecurity are dealt with through critical thinking, empathy and tolerance of ambiguity.

This working definition (as defined by the SALTO Intercultural Competence working group in 2009/2010) was at center of the Research, which aimed to investigate it’s validity as well as link it to current practice.

It is by no doubt valuable for organizations who work with ICC development, such as AFS Intercultural Programs, to be familiar with how other actors see and define it. It is remarkable that the above presented definition can be easily linked to AFS Educational Goals. It’s context (Non-formal Education and Youth work) makes the definition also extremely relevant for any other organization working with Youth.

To learn about the practical outcomes of the research as well as about the reference literature behind it, access the full Research Report in English.

AFS Intercultural Link Newsletter – volume 3, issue 3

Posted on August 3, 2012 by laura.schaack

The newest edition of the Intercultural Link Newsletter has just been launched. Feel free to leave a comment after you read it. Enjoy!

AFS Intercultural Programs is pleased to announce the July/August/September 2012 issue of AFS Intercultural Link Newsletter volume 3, issue 3 – Global Edition, which can be shared with everyone interested in learning more about intercultural education.

The AFS Intercultural Link Newsletter is the quarterly newsletter on intercultural learning in the AFS Network. The newsletter features content shared by the Intercultural Learning Work Group as well as other AFS Partners and guest writers, including information on trends in intercultural education, interviews with experts in the field and overviews of upcoming and previous conferences.

EU: an Intersection of ICL & IR

Posted on June 21, 2012 by paul.edinger@afs.org

Intercultural learning and international relations are distinct fields, but they often overlap at the practical level. An example of this interconnectedness is the considerable amount of activities funded and implemented by the European Union (EU). While the European Union is primarily thought of as an international political and economic organization, it fosters many initiatives specifically related to intercultural learning.

The Agenda fo Culture proposed by the European Commision singles out intercultural dialogue as one of its key aspects. Furthermore, projects such as “Sharing Diversity” are funded by the EU to increase understanding among Europe’s diverse cultures by way of intercultural learning. The European Union collaborates with many different organizations and think-tanks that are dedicated to the advancement of intercultural learning and understanding. At the same time, the European Union works with its members at the political and state level on other issues that are less related to ICL and more related to international relations. People who work for the EU can work heavily in either field.

As a result we can see how the two separate fields intertwine and complement each other not only at the educational or scholarly level, but especially at the practical level. Within Europe, the EU’s economic and politcal agreements, traditionally aspects of international relations, help create a platform to advance opportunities for intercultural learning, while the increase of intercultural learning facilitates the politcal cohesion of the Union. The European Union can serve as a vast, real world example of how international relations and intercultural learning, while distinct, are so interrelated and complementary.

AFS helps its audiences form global relationships and increase their intercultural competence through its educational content. Both of these are essential skills for those individuals aspiring to work in the fields of intercultural learning and international relations.

Paul Edinger is a contributing writer for the ICL Blog. He was an intern at AFS International in 2011 in the Development and Branding department, and continued in 2012 in the Intercultural Learning department. He holds a B.A. in International Studies.

Working in the Fields of International Relations and Intercultural Learning

Posted on June 14, 2012 by paul.edinger@afs.org

A good way to differentiate and deepen your understanding of two similar fields of study is to learn about the various occupations available in each field.

In regard to intercultural learning and international relations, there are many people with degrees in these fields who have similar jobs. However, there are also many jobs that are tailored to the unique knowledge and skills of either field.

Within international relations, the first job that comes to mind for many is a diplomat, and even an ambassador. Such high level postings are certainly emblematic of international studies because this subject area focuses on global interactions at the organizational and state levels. Yet while these high-level occupations can exemplify the focus of international relations, they don’t necessarily show the diversity of occupations within that field. Just as there are a great number of occupations within the field of politics other than the president or prime minister, there are a vast number of jobs within the field of international relations other than a diplomat or ambassador.

The field of intercultural learning is smaller than the field of international studies, but the opportunities for careers are similarly diverse. Since intercultural learning focuses on interaction at the individual level and the role culture plays in this interaction, many occupations in the field naturally revolve around this main focus. Occupations in intercultural learning include international human resource consulting, helping people adjust to living abroad, language teachers, and international educators. A common characteristic of any job in this field is that professionals learn from cultural differences and use this knowledge to better facilitate understanding and communication. This characteristic is essential to differentiating a job within the field of intercultural learning from a job in international relations.

Learning about the jobs people do within a particular field is a good way to learn what a field is really about. AFS focuses on fostering international dialogue and understanding among its audiences. This personal focus gives AFS a prominent role in the diverse field of intercultural learning.

Intercultural Link Newsletter – version 3 issue 2

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Anna.Collier

The newest edition of the Intercultural Link Newsletter has just been launched. Feel free to leave a comment after you read it. Enjoy!

Open publication – Free publishing – More activities

AFS Intercultural Programs is pleased to announce the April/May/June 2012 issue of AFS Intercultural Link, AFS Intercultural Link Global v.3 i.2, which can be shared with anyone interested in learning more about intercultural education.

How important is Intercultural Competence to international diplomacy?

Posted on June 1, 2012 by paul.edinger@afs.org

Is intercultural competence considered essential to diplomacy by the field of international relations?

Within the field of international relations, there will always be those people who believe that the field’s emphasis on power relationships among states naturally leads to minimization of cultural difference. For example, the need for economic and political collaboration at the state level forces governments to work together, regardless of cultural differences.

Yet there are many within the field of international relations who believe that the need to understand cultures and cultural norms is not only critical, but will also continue to grow in importance. People working with companies, governments and international organizations must understand the cultural contexts of other societies in order to successfully collaborate.

For example, when working with people who live in a culture that relies on direct communication methods, it is important to know that they may not understand forms of communication common in cultures that use more indirect communication (such as non-verbal signals and contextual cues). Indeed, miscommunications such as this can often make or break a cross-cultural project. Nancy Adler, currently at McGill University in Montreal, Canada uses the following example to illustrate this common miscommunication:

“A Japanese businessman wants to tell his Norwegian client that he is uninterested in a particular sale. To be polite, the Japanese says, ‘that will be difficult’. The Norwegian interprets the statement to mean that there are still unresolved problems, not that the deal is off. He responds by asking how his company can help solve the problems. The Japanese, believing that he has sent the message that there will be no sale, is mystified by the response.”

It is possible to learn much about political and economic interactions of states or global organizations, but being inteculturally competent will provide the tools to be able to understand the cultures of the people living in those states. If a person expects to successfully interact with members of a given state, he or she must demonstrate some form of intercultural competence.

At AFS, we advocate that a good way to build intercultural competence is to live within a given culture, experiencing that culture on its own terms and using the concepts of intercultural learning to maximize the learning experience. This way, each generation of young people who participate in AFS programs will have sets of skills needed to interact with others who are different from themselves in an age that is characterized by such interactions.

Paul Edinger is a strategic operations intern for the Intercultural Learning department at AFS International, where he works to facilitate the implementation of ICL strategy throughout the AFS Network. His time at AFS began in April of 2011 with the Development and Branding department and he continues in 2012 as an intern for ICL. Prior to joining AFS he taught English, Spanish and computer literacy courses to Guatemalan and Salvadoran immigrants to the United States while obtaining his B.A. in International Studies with a concentration in Latin America. He completed minors in Anthropology, Political Science, Latino Studies, and Spanish Language Studies.

How interpersonal relationships are viewed in ICL vs IR

Posted on May 11, 2012 by paul.edinger@afs.org

This blog series, which explores the differences between the field of intercultural learning from the field of international relations, has established key differences between the two subjects. Among them are the contrasting top-down/bottom-up approaches of each, the place of culture in each field, and the separate focuses of the two subjects. Another area where ICL is very different from international relations is the emphasis on fostering interpersonal relationships across cultures.

Sylvia Cowan, program director for the Intercultural Relations Program at Lesley University in the United States briefly explains this emphasis that contributes to the uniqueness of ICL in the short video clip:

This emphasis on interpersonal relationships is a defining characteristic of intercultural learning. The field of international relations doesn’t emphasize connection at such a personal level but rather emphasizes formal relationships between governments and sometimes organizations. It often makes headlines when prominent individuals within the field of international relations form connections with each other on an intercultural, personal level simply because this is a relatively uncommon phenomena in the field.

Interaction on the interpersonal level has a different place in ICL then in IR.

For example, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and International Monetary Fund Chief Christine Lagarde have formed a personal friendship that is uncharacteristic of two major figures in the field of international relations. Ordinarily, the exchanges between officials are limited to state positions on issues and adhering to international protocols. It is not as common for a more personal relationship to develop.

This is not the case in the field of intercultural learning. Cultural understanding is the major focus of the field, and one cannot truly understand a culture without forming personal bonds with members of the culture. Due to this goal, personal relationships are not only hugely helpful, but they are also many times essential for a genuine intercultural learning experience.

AFS programs themselves are a powerful example of the field’s hands-on and personal nature. Students travel to a new culture and form personal bonds right from the start of their journey. An organization dedicated to international relations would not be so focused on developing interpersonal relationships. Instead, the organization would concentrate on the formal exchanges among governments or groups, not individuals. An example of an organization focused on international relations is the Eurasia Group, a company that consults and advises international actors.

Indeed, the AFS motto, “Connecting Lives, Sharing Cultures,” expresses

An example of an international organization focused on IR is the Eurasia Group (AFS is an international organization focused on ICL)

the importance of interpersonal relationships when striving for cultural understanding. Since AFS is committed to this practice, intercultural learning forms a key part of the organization’s identity and is one major characteristic that sets it apart from others.

By the way, AFS International interviewed Christine Lagarde, an AFS Returnee, back in 2008 for an issue of the AFS Janus magazine and she discussed the importance of AFS Intercultural Programs. Click here to have a look.

Intercultural Learning: The Heart & Soul of AFS

Posted on November 16, 2011 by elis.motta@afs.org

The topic of relevance is one that many of us within the AFS global network have been discussing lately: the relevance of our organization and the work we do, the value intercultural learning (ICL) more generally beyond AFS, and the link between the two.

When it comes to the world at large, we know that the very terms “intercultural learning” or “intercultural communications” do not immediately translate into other languages. In some, such as Turkish, these word combinations do not exist at all. But few today would dispute that the notion of being able to communicate and co-exist not only effectively but also appropriately in environments outside of one’s own familiar ones, or what we call Intercultural Competence, is not only important, but vital in the 21st century, for business and politics as well as day-to-day life.

Indeed, when we see tragedies such as that of the rage-fueled rampage in Norway this past July, reflect 10 years after the awful events of September 11, 2001, or hear daily about hate crimes that happen as far away as Sudan or as nearby as our own neighborhoods, we are reminded of how difficult it is succeed together in a world where our numbers and diversity expand, yet many of our resources shrink disproportionately.

As terrible as they are, these events are clear calls and reminders that we must work – and let us openly acknowledge that despite our best intentions, this is often very challenging work – to learn more from and about each other in order to live together in respect and, if not peace, at least harmony.

In the case of the Norwegian violence, the very concept and policies of multiculturalism were suddenly thrust under a harsh spotlight and national debate. Our Norwegian AFS colleagues share their views on how this has impacted their daily work as volunteers and staff on page 9.

To do the hard work of interculturalism, we know that openness and dialogue are key – including when it comes to addressing things that we may not want to talk about, or are hard to face. Dr. Adair Linn Nagata reminds us on page 6 that mindfulness is not only an intellectual exercise, but also a sensory and emotional one. And in our Concepts & Theories column in this issue we explore two very different ways of approaching information: Separate Knowing and Connected Knowing. These approaches are at the base of two very different world views. Knowing them can help us understand why our work is so complex.

In AFS, ICL looks not only at knowing and feeling, but also behavior. Indeed, our roots are those of experiential learning: where we learn by doing, yet with ample preparation, reflection, and vocabulary supporting our actions. Experiential Learning – what it is and, just as importantly, what it is not – is just one of the topics covered in our new ICL…for Friends of AFSers series available online via http://icl.afs.org.

Melissa Liles, Director of Institutional Intelligence, AFS International