Thoughts from Day 1

I was struck immediately upon my registration for the conference at the wide range of topics and issues covered by the sessions, presenters, and background of the participants. This reflects the diverse application of cross-cultural skills in business, non-profit, military and governmental contexts. When I began working for the British Council, the UK's international organization for cultural relations, I was immediately inducted into the Council's emphasis on cultural understanding in our internal and external relations.

The "Mastering the Art of Negotiation" seminar presented a compelling framework to determine appropriate strategies for negotiation. While the examples provided referred mostly to governmental or legal negotiation, I found that the framework could be a helpful way to approach intercultural dialogue between groups. Instead of seeking a legal agreement or contract, in intercultural dialogue the only desired outcome is progress defined as greater understanding and the breakdown of assumptions and stereotypes.

In a session on the competitive advantage of cross-cultural skills and knowledge, I was struck by just how attractive these could be to businesses. At the British Council, our business strategy focuses on partnerships with other organizations which requires that we identify our potential added value to our partners. This session gave me ideas about how the Council's experience in cultural relations can give us a competitive advantage over other potential organizations while also being a source for cooperation!

Lara Logan's speech at lunch provided the most powerful example of the practical need for cross-cultural skills and understand today. Her anecdotes about encounters with locals and sometimes hostile groups in Iraq and Afghanistan while reporting their stories inspired many in attendance.

I will be most interested tomorrow to hear from Akbar Ahmed, our keynote speaker, about the lack of cross-cultural skills and knowledge which was exhibited at Rep. Peter King's hearings today on Muslim-American radicalization.