1° part:How we became aware that Interculturality was an issue for our Congregation and how we dealt with it

2° part:Interculturality in the global world.

BUZZ

BREAK3° part:Some tools and processes to better live the challenges of Interculturality

EXERCICES

THE CHALLENGE OF INTERCULTURALITYA KAIROS FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONGREGATION

Missionary Sisters of O. L. of Africa

A CONGREGATIONAL PROCESS

ON OUR WAY OF LIVING INTERCULTURALITY

During a session with Dr Eric Law, we asked ourselves about the main themes emerging from the compilation of the survey on our intercultural living in the Congregation We spelled out six of them:

PowerHospitality

MoneyTrust

Family relationships Cultural identity

WE ARE ALL CONCERNED

• We are, all and each one in the Congregation, invited to conversion.

• We must pursue a profound reflection of the question of interculturality and of our manner of living it. The session animated by Dr Law, and the animations in the entire Congregation, is helping us to move in this direction.

• The question of interculturality challenges us, as much at the level of our community life, as in our prayer life and also in our apostolate. We must find the root of what divides us, if we are to find the source that unites us.

WE ARE ALL CONCERNED

• We must equally situate the question of interculturality in its full context. In fact, there are multiple factors - historical, social, economic, cultural etc. - which must not be ignored, because they influence us, whether or not we are aware of them.

• Finally, it is good to become aware that we are not alone in putting forth these questions, and many congregations seek new inroads to live religious life in a manner more adapted to different cultures.

2° part:

Interculturality in the global world

BUZZ

BREAK

SYSTEMIC APPROACH

THE EMERGING OF A PLANETARY CONSCIOUSNESS

OUR IDENTITY IS PLANETARY AND GLOBAL WE ARE CITIZENS OF THE WORLD

In 1957, Hannah Arendt, German Jewish philosopher, wrote:

“For the first time in the universal history, it is true that all peoples of the earth have a common present: no event of some importance in the history of a country can remain a marginal accident in the history of all the other countries. Each country has become almost the immediate neighbour of each country, and each person feels the shock of the events that happen on the other side of the globe.”

GLOBAL MEGATRENDS ( SEDOS)

Megatrend 1The capitalistic project of nations to reach ‘economic progress’ has worsened the GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR, and between ‘developing’ and ‘developed’ countries.

At global scale, this is generating new forms of CRIME, VIOLENCE and ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS (e.g., human trafficking especially of children and women).

The worse effect of such uncontrolled economic exploitation of Nature today is the CLIMATE CHANGE threatening our planet with ecological extermination.

Megatrend 2

MIGRATIONS within and among countries have an impact in two major ways.

The population of almost all developing countries is shifting from rural to urban zone at differing rates: URBANIZATION.

People of differing creeds, classes and cultures come to live side by side in urban settings: MULTICULTURALITY.

Megatrend 3

Today, anywhere and anytime, one can access electronic and audiovisual ‘cyberspace’ through the advanced MEANS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION that are everywhere and affordable.

Megatrend 4

Though SECULARIZATION is presumed to be ongoing, RELIGION is coming back to the public (political) sphere as potent cultural force.

Col 1:15-20

Through him to reconcile to himself all things,

whether things on earth or things in heaven,

by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

A RECONCILED CREATION

PREPARED BY GOD

INTERDEPENDENCE ON A PLANETARY LEVEL URGES US TO RETHINK, BOTH,

OUR CHARISMS AND OUR ORGANIZATIONS

A Congolese priest, Father Martin Bayamba, speaks of the situation of the present world as being

a constraint to rethink who we are, from a larger horizon, opened by the discovery of others

This non-negotiable interconnectedness

at planetary level has important

consequences not only on the way we

live out our mission but also on the way we deal with the life

of our own organisations

3° part:

Some tools and processes

to better live the challenges of Interculturality

EXERCICES

Culture consists in those paterns relative to behaviour and the products of human action which maybe inherited, that is, passed on from generation to generation, independently of the biological genes.

( Parson)

Culture is not primarily what people do, but what people feel about what they do.Culture is about “felt order”, a structured defence mechanism against anxiety. Culture provides a sense of order and meaning

ICEBERG ANALOGY OF CULTURE

EXTERNAL CULTUREExplicitly learnedConsciousEasily ChangedObjective knowledge

INTERNAL CULTUREImplicitly learned

Unconscious Difficult to Change

Subjective knowledge

BeliefsValues

Patterns

Myths

See Hear TasteTouch Smell

CULTURAL MAKE-UPEach person is made up of

many different cultural components.Age

Gender

Physical ability

Skin Color

Sexual Orientation

Education

Military Experience

Geographic LocationReligion

MarriedSingle

Divorced

Profession

Ethnic Background

Ethnic Background

Adopted

Language

Parent

Medical Condition

Economic StatusNationality

Meaning

Identity

Security

Chaos

Meaninglessness

Uncertainty

PERSONS

Search for

Because they fear

Finding them in

CULTURE that is:

• Symbols… Representation of significance

• Myths... Stories enshrining fundamental truths about life

• Rituals… Symbolic expressions in action of myths

RESPECTFUL COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES

• RR = take RESPONSIBILITY for what you say and feel without blaming others

• EE = use EMPATHETIC listening

• SS = be SENSITIVE to differences in communication styles

• PP = PONDER what you hear and feel before you speak

• EE = EXAMINE your own assumptions and perceptions

• CC = keep CONFIDENTIALITY

• TT = TRUST ambiguity because we are NOT here to debate who is right or wrong.

MUTUAL INVITATION

In order to ensure that everyone who wants to share has the opportunity to speak, we will proceed in the following way:

The leader or a designated person will share first. After that person has spoken, he or she then invites another to share. The person you invite does not need to be the one next to you. After the next person has spoken, that person is given the privilege to invite another to share. If you have something to say but are not ready yet, say “pass for now” and then invite another to share. You will be invited again later. If you don't want to say anything, simply say "pass" and proceed to invite another to share. We will do this until everyone has been invited.

THE TABLE EXERCISE• OBSERVATION• What was the shape of the table at which you ate ? Draw it• Who was involved in this scene ? What were they doing or

saying ?• How did you feel ? What did you do ?

• EXPLORATION• In what ways had the experience of eating at a table of this

particular shape affected your perception of• 1. Power and authority?• 2. Male/female roles ?• 3. Hospitality?

ABOUT FEELING INCLUDED

• What do the others in this community need to know about me in order for me to feel included ?

• One or two gifts that I bring to this community

• Challenges I faced in this community because of my nationality ?

SYSTEM

Leadership

INPUTS TRANSFORMS OUTPUTS

OUTCOMES