Refreshing Conference

Thank you for the opportunity granted to me to attend IMI's 12th Annual Conference through the availability of the scholarship fund. I am very grateful.

I found the conference sessions informative and the people very open and welcoming. Sharing ideas, knowledge and lessons learned is invaluable to the future of the intercultural field and that this kind of atmosphere was fostered so well at IMI's conference was a testament to their abilities.

I attended a variety of sessions from military-related to how to more successfully integrate professionals who are educated outside of North America into their new home country to how to better handle international disasters - a timely topic as evidenced by the terrible earthquake in Japan on Friday. It is clear that intercultural study is not only a fascinating field, but the real-world examples of the presenters highlighted the need for more and more awareness and intercultural understanding of how to effectively manage cross-cultural differences. Business deals, individual talent and in some cases, lives are lost over this lack of understanding between cultures. Additionally, Lara Logan and Akbar Ahmed spoke volumes of these points in their provocative and interesting keynote addresses at lunch time.

The pace of the conference was tight but I prefer to have as much put into a conference as one can since there are only few opportunities to bring together these kinds of interests. One may not agree with all one hears but at least the topic of intercultural dialogue is kept alive in this manner. The diversity in the field is an accurate reflection of the diversity in our world and the networking, pragmatics and research between interculturalists must keep pace with the fast-paced interconnectedness of the world.

Thank you for the conference and I look forward to another year.

Until Next Year!

For me, the timely presentations of two extraordinary individuals from opposite sides of the world stole the spotlight at Friday’s IMI – those of Professors Motoo Unno and Akbar Ahmed. Their wealth of experiences and nuanced insights shed light on contemporary issues in intercultural communication and lessons to be applied across a variety of sectors.

Professor Unno’s session supported guided discussion on differences in communication styles between American members of Congress and Japanese executives from Toyota during their hearings last year. It was fascinating how much could be gleaned about the two culture’s values from a few short video clips. The To Do – To Be continuum was completely new to me, but I am excited to reference it going forward in my career as I work to prepare college students to study abroad. The presentation allowed me to reflect on my own communication style as well and to note what aspects are more strongly associated with my American culture versus my individual personality.

During the lunch plenary, Professor Ahmed gave a rather informal but very powerful account of Muslim-American dialogue throughout the past fifty years. He illuminated how America’s foreign policy concerning Muslim nations affected domestic dialogue, but also how opening and strengthening local dialogues with Muslims at home can have a positive effect on international relations. I appreciated his frankness and his challenge to each of us to actively embrace and support peaceful Muslim communities in the U.S.

I very much want to thank the IMI team for all of their hard work and for the wonderful opportunity afforded through the EDF scholarship. I hope to be able to participate for many years to come and support the conference as it settles into its new home in the SIS building!

Day II and future

Day II (Friday, March 11, 2011)

The rain has gone! American University’s campus turned out to be more stunning than yesterday. I bless ad appreciate it because couple hours before the second day’s conference started, Japan was hit by the earthquake and the tsunami. Please pray for Japan!

An interesting session I experienced today was a case study by a Japanese visiting scholar Motoo Unno, about the significant cultural impact in last year’s Congressional hearings of the motor company Toyota. Motoo presented four pieces of video from the Congressional hearing. Each of them was a valid piece to show why and how cross-cultural conflicts occurred between the company’s President Mr. Toyoda and the Congressional Members. TO-DO and TO-BE cultures and Low v.s. High Context communication styles were presented to session audiences in a lively and persuading way. The idea of Protean Negotiation was new to me. How to be dynamic and effective in cross-cultural negotiation? I would say “Listen” is the first step you need to take!

If you are interested in arts/cultural exchanges, especially between U.S. and the Soviet Union, you will regret for not being at scholar Yale Richmond’s session: Cultural Exchange and the Cold War: How the West Won. He provided us such a comprehensive first-hand report from 1958 to 1988. His information then provided us a mirror to reflect today’s cultural exchanges activities and the cultural policies behind the scene. Yes, the Soviet Union and the Cold War have gone. But history should never be forgotten because it is the best guideline for every practice and for each of us.

The overall experience at the conference was just great. It may not lead to direct benefits for your research, study, or operation right away. Don’t worry. After the conference, take some time to digest what you have gotten from sessions, discussions, observations and random conversations with attendees, benefits will come to you automatically, sooner or later :D

Best luck to everyone. Maybe see you at the 13^th IMI conference next year.

By Chen Yang, 2011

Day 2

Today started metaphorically, literally. What? Walking into my first session, I was presented a room with pictures randomly scattered atop all of the desks in the room. Everyone was asked to select one that represented our cross-cultural experiences. Once we were settled, each of us introduced ourselves and why that photograph was representative. The stories were pretty personal, diffused tension and created an instant feeling of friendship. We went on to talk about how effective metaphors are for understanding across cultures. Chuck and Judy provided tons of resources for engaging materials for future training. This metaphorical start to the day literally got me jazzed for more sessions.

Next, we talked about a very literal culture clash. Suzanne Zaldivar shared her successes and struggles working in organizational development in a truly complex place, Afghanistan. She remarked of the great beauty, history and people that inspired her work. She is clearly an accomplished professional but what struck me most was the sensitivity and warmth with which she conducts her work. This presentation was more than just about work. We talked about great books, movies, and metaphors for understanding conflict. In all, an eye opening experience.

Today’s keynote speaker was Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, a distinguished man of many talents and a sharp wit. His presence at the conference was a real treat. Dr. Ahmed incorporated poetry, history, politics, the audience, and humor to his presentation. I attended the Q & A session with him afterward. He started with questions for the audience and contrary to my initial impression, they were not rhetorical. The result was a lively discussion. When Dr. Ahmed began fielding questions, I had to take notes. His rich and nuanced responses were thought provoking and awe inspiring. I could have listened to him talk for the rest of the day! A person like that is in high-demand and he was called away for another engagement, so I grabbed a cookie and moved on to the “Mr. Khan Exercise”.

As it so happens, I am familiar with this experiential technique of cultural awareness training but had only read about it in books. Brave Sonya from the audience volunteered to engage with Mr. Khan and tried her hardest to make some progress only to find out her version of progress was wildly different from Mr. Khan’s. I was only an audience member but seeing this simulation has really made me question my own perspective on life, work and relationships. We had a wonderful surprise at the end of the exercise. Dr. Weaver informed us that this was THE original Mr. Khan….he has played this role since the simulation was developed; a living legend of sorts. This made participation all the more special.
We wrapped up the conference with delicious hot hors d'oeuvres and a few prizes. Although I didn’t leave with a book or a trip, I left with more valuable experiences and friendships than I could have possibly expected. Will I be an annual IMI Conference participant? Absolutely. I’m hooked!

Thank you to all of the organizers, presenters and EDF for giving me such a wonderful opportunity!

Great Work IMI!

First, I must mention how wonderful I thought this conference was. The diversity in content, organization, consideration, and character of all those involved made the couple of days an amazing experience. Thank you to IMI and all the presenters!

Day two started with Ray Leki's energetic and rather grim look into the drug-related violence in Mexico. The fear produced by gruesome yet anonymous acts of violence has taken a severe toll on the residents of Ciudad Juarez, where so much of the violence takes place, but also on the US consulate workers and their Mexican-citizen colleagues. Within Ciudad Juarez, elements of intimidation and coercion have seeped into every aspect of its residents' existence. This has created communication barriers as each person can no longer do what formerly felt safe. The most seemingly innocuous endeavors have become filled with danger and apprehension. Leki posed a simple question with a very complex set of solutions, "how do you create a context where people safe to express emotion?" How can you get a traumatized community and a foreign population of equal traumatization to get beyond a communication impasse that is a product of stress and fear? What does that dialogue look like? Unfortunately, this same general area of dealing with crises, fear, and building resilience as a response-is applicable across so many different contexts. I began thinking of the ideological effects of those living in countries which govern based around deeply embedded systems of sustained fear and social control. Much like the former USSR or the modern North Korean state...

Motoo Unno had many of us squirming in our seats with discomfort as we looked into the Congressional Hearings around the faulty Toyota vehicles that began to make problems last year. The two sides were speaking different languages far beyond the mere linguistic difference. An absolute lack of mutual understanding the expectations and purpose of the hearing made for what must have been an incredibly uncomfortable three and a half hours. It made me wonder how a similar Congressional hearing across different cultural scapes would have compared. I was specifically thinking of Tony Hayward's (CEO of BP) hearing where he took a grilling but was also met with sympathy (Rep. Joe Barton) in what became a politicized issue. Toyoda had no such luck in this instance and instead was forced to come away with a serious loss of face amongst those who ultimately will continue to judge him, the Japanese.

Akbar Ahemd, like Lara Logan, was both eloquent and poignant. The issue he raised has such timely relevance that his message seemed to echo even louder. While he painted a somewhat dire picture of the US' standing in the Muslim world, I appreciated that he retained optimism and ultimately put the responsibility in the hands of people. I don't know if the world has moved beyond the days where the first lady could be greeted with flowers in Lahore, but, with the urgency communicated by Mr. Ahmed, we must never stop pursuing this ideal.

The last session of the day for me was getting acquainted with the famed Mr. Khan. Again, there were cringeworthy moments, but the point was clear-cultural collisions are suddent and unexpected due to the way in which interactions unfold dependent on each individual's cultural context. The role play was applied into a framework provided by Dr. Weaver, a series of explanations I have been privileged to hear as a student in his class at AU. He mentioned Khan throughout his lectures, and so to sit in on the exercise was a fitting pinnacle to the conference.

Again, many thanks to IMI and everyone involved. It was a wonderful experience, one that I will take away many lessons from.

What a question can do for you.

Questions do not only produce clarity, they also provide direction. In Arthur Freedman and Skip Leonard’s session, Orientation to Action Learning & Coaching, I participated in a demonstration of a team action learning exercise. My role was to present an actual organizational problem to my team. Then through a coach (Skip) facilitated discussion between me and the rest of the team, I walked out of the session with great ideas and possible solutions. Lesson: in an action learning problem solving process it isn’t just what is asked that matters, but also how, when, and whom it is asked. You see, holding back from giving quick answers, asking each other both open-ended and closed questions, and knowing whom to direct the questions to, helped frame our brainstorming/problem solving exercise in a constructive pattern.

In Ambassador Ahmed’s keynote and Q & A sessions, he encouraged us to continue to ask questions about what’s happening in our society, to attain clarity. For instance, when elected government officials say US Muslims are trying to impose Shariah law on the rest of the country, we need to ask ourselves, “how could this be possible?” Even if all Muslims wanted to impose their beliefs on the rest of the country, how is it possible for a group that makes up about 2% of the US population to impose their ways on the other 98%? Questions like these will help us separate facts from fiction.

I couldn’t have chosen a better way to end my first IMI conference than attending Dr. Weaver & Mr. Khan’s session, The Contrast-Culture Simulation: Mr. Khan. It was informative, interactive, and entertaining. Mr. Khan was outstanding in his improvisation, Dr. Weaver was exceptional in his facilitation, and I really appreciate the participants who volunteered as Mr. Smith and Ms. Smith. They did an outstanding job and we wouldn’t have had a great learning session without them.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Gary Weaver and the rest of the IMI team. It was an honor to be an EDF scholar, and your support of our careers is very much appreciated. Thank you! All the best to each of you and IMI.

Thanks IMI

I really appreciate the opportunity to attend this year's conference. In two days I've learned quite a lot about intercultural relations and had some fantastic conversations. (And of course the food was amazing as well.)

I enjoyed today's sessions even more than yesterday's, as they were more closely aligned with my background and interests. First was Ray Leki's "Fear, Culture and Community Resilience Across Cultures," an incredibly engaging case study of an intervention he did at the U.S. Consulate in Juarez. Dialogue around honest emotions was powerful in fostering resilience and engagement among consulate employees, of which there were three groups: Foreign Service Officers, locally employed Mexicans, and Civil Service employees commuting from El Paso. And though violence in Juarez continues, Leki's intervention helped to ameliorate relations within the consulate.

Suzanne Zaldivar spoke on "Clashing Cultures: Consulting in Afghanistan," where she explained the culture clash between the field of Organizational Development and what Entezar refers to as "Afghan national culture." (Entezar applied Hofstede to Afghanistan.) In terms of minimizing culture clash, she stressed the importance of learning about the region and simply being observant, though fear initially affected her ability to perceive during the first two weeks.

Akbar Ahmed's talk at lunch was timely and inspiring. I am really interested on reading his book, "Journey into America," his study on Muslim Americans. This tied in perfectly with Lobna Ismail and Daniel Tutt's session on "Addressing Islamophobia Through Film and Dialogue." (See Willow's post below for links to some of their video projects.) I haven't yet checked out their films, but I'm already anxious to share them with friends, family, and colleagues. It seems that even people who consider themselves to be "open-minded" or supportive could benefit from learning more and gaining a clearer understanding of Muslim Americans, especially considering the current circumstances in the U.S.

And finally, I was thrilled to finally see the Mr. Khan Contrast-Culture Simulation by Gary Weaver and Mr. Khan. I had heard about it in Professor Weaver's class, but it was great to experience the simulation first-hand, especially with the original Mr. Khan, who's been playing the role for over 40 years and does a fantastic job.
 
Thanks again to IMI and all of the staff and volunteers who put together this conference. I had a great experience and plan on coming back next year!