Building an Inclusive Climate for Intercultural Dialogue: A Participant‐Generated Framework

Abstract

This study investigates the question of how to build an inclusive environment for intercultural dialogue. Using the university campus as a context for our research, we conducted a facilitated idea generation workshop in which participants identified a set of dialogic competencies, followed by individual interviews in which we explored participants’ perceptions of the relationships among these competencies. Interviews were conducted utilizing a software‐assisted, idea‐structuring methodology referred to as Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM). Based on our results, we constructed a framework that depicts the overall flow of influence among the set of dialogic competencies identified by the participants. While findings confirm the importance placed in current literature on factors such as listening and empathy, they provide a more sophisticated and nuanced perspective on how to accomplish one of the oft‐stated goals of intercultural dialogue, which is to help participants examine their unconscious biases, prejudices, and privileges.

The AMIGAS Model: Reconciling Prejudice Reduction and Collective Action Approaches Through a Multicultural Commitment in Intergroup Relations

“…Following previous research (Agne & Tracy, 2009;Bar-Tal, 2009;Broome, 2013;Broome et al, 2019;Verkuyten et al, 2019) and policy guidance (Council of Europe, 2008;UNESCO, 2009), we expect that in the social or political contexts in which conditions of a respectful intercultural dialogue are present, the effects of the endorsement of MCC would predict a more significant reduction of prejudice toward cultural minorities as well as the political and social participation of minorities would not increase prejudice toward those mobilized minorities. That is, collective action would not have a backlash in intergroup attitudes and harmony as is often the case when minorities stand up for their rights (see .…”

“…The second understands it as an instrumental tool for education and advocacy, and as a means to contribute to initiatives such as those seeking to integrate refugees and counter radicalization, discrimination and racism" (UNESCO, 2017, p. 16). Broome et al (2019) investigated the question of how to build an inclusive environment for intercultural dialogue using the university campus as a research context. Some of the main factors for enabling respectful intercultural dialogue that derived from their results were (a) bringing into the dialogue all the voices that represent the campus environment, (b) taking time to listen, (c) willingness to engage on perspectives different from their own and recognizing that others may not share their own assumptions, (d) to create an environment in which people can discuss differences in a productive manner, or to recognize the own privilege.…”

Negotiating Safety and Wellbeing: The Collaboration Between Faith-Based Communities and Public Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…This approach helps create a form of horizontal communication to move away from interactions where one party tries to convince the other of the superiority of its views. The objective is to launch an intercultural dialogue that can lead to the co-construction of creative solutions, drawing on the resilience and strengths of the communities (Broome et al, 2019 ).…”

Core competencies of collective intelligence facilitators

“…Listening with respect and curiosity is the foundation for dialogue (Broome et al, 2019). Listening requires a willingness of facilitators and participants to engage perspectives different from their own while withholding judgment on others' ideas until the proper point in the process.…”