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!