A Reflection on My Amazing Experience!

It has been a couple days now since the IMI conference ended and the knowledge is still at the forefront of my mind. Based upon my experiences, I even considered "tweeking" my dissertation topic but a professor of mine convinced me not to go that far just yet. Although I attended many different sessions with a variety of presenters, there seemed to be a reoccurring theme for day 2...breaking barriers. Among other things I learned about the impact of culture on situational leadership, the power of non-verbal communication, how simple conversations between races can break stereotypes, and how the Internet can change a society. My two favorite points of the day were the lunch session and the TALK program case study.

I found Mona Eltahawy’s talk to be fascinating and engaging. First of all, I am amazed at how current she stays with her population of interest. She is not only observing them, she is interacting with them and learning from them all the time. I have been interested in the power of new media for a long time on a smaller scale. Mona’s talk showed me that this medium can not only change workplaces, but the history and traditions of the entire country. I was fascinated in how the blogs are changing the reach of the voice of women, LGBTQ relations and even the dating scene. My favorite thing she discussed is how she is a big fan of confusion in breaking stereotypes. I TOTALLY AGREE! The more you live away from the stereotype, the more your existence serves to educate others. Overall, she gave me an increased interest in intercultural training that I’ve been wavering with for sometime. I can only hope to help people in half the way she has over the years.

The TALK case study presentation was also very fascinating. I love hands on approaches to learning and TALK provides opportunities that most likely otherwise would not be experienced by the students. I also love how they emphasized the power of food in their workshops in bringing people together because it is something I would not have considered. I also thought the activities we did in the session were interesting and gave a good idea of what the students experience week to week. I think this session provided numerous tools I will be able to walk away with and hopefully find some useful implementation in the near future.

Although I had a wonderful day overall, these two sessions were the ones that made me want to ‘get up and go’. As I move forward post conference L I plan to use the things I learned to become more proactive and make a bigger difference in intercultural relations. I am extremely excited about what is in store for my future. I thank IMI for this amazing opportunity!

Turning walls into tables to talk

Two very strong women left a strong impression in my mind with their stories and skills in the final day of the workshop. Luby Ismail, President, Connecting Cultures and Mona Eltahawy, an award winning columnist and an international speaker on Arab and Muslim issues. Each woman shared their perspective of being a Muslim woman in America. During one of the simulation exercise, Luby Ismail brought forward the general opinion and assumptions that people make about Muslim women. She helped the participants by breaking down the stereotype image that we tend to have about Muslim women being oppressed, powerless, submissive and disempowered. I came out with two important lessons from her workshop, which is going to stay with me for a long while and which I hope as a trainer, I will be able to pass on to others : the impact of non-verbal communications in breaking barriers and the power of stories. The non-verbal exercises which included the use of photographs and music proved to break down the barriers that existed among the participants themselves. It also brought into light some very interesting perspectives from different cultures i.e. we had participants sharing cultures pertaining to West Africa, India, US, Turkey, Middle East among others.

Mona Elthahawy, during her keynote address, spoke about the use of internet by young people to challenge the authority in Muslim-majority countries or where they reside as minorities. She shared an interesting story about how young women in Saudi Arabia are using face book and blogs to build a movement against bans such as driving by women and advocating for their rights such as their right to vote. It was enthralling to hear that some women dress as men and drive around in cities of Saudi Arabia. The most interesting of all was the story of ‘Saudi Girl’ who inspired hundreds of young girls and women to start blogging and spewing against the draconian bans and subjugation of women in the name of religion. In a very interesting twist it turned out that the ‘Saudi Girl’ was actually a boy. This showed how young men in the Middle Eastern countries and worldwide are advocating for the rights of women. She also touched upon that are thousands of young forces who are trying to reform Islam using the medium of internet. There is also massive information and discourses available on ‘Quran’. Coming from India and living in a secular environment, it was intriguing for me to listen to the voices of these two powerful and successful Muslim women. The IMI conference indeed gave me the platform to network with great and passionate minds . And I hope to take with some of the learnings that I received during the two day conference back to my country and apply it in my field.

Reflecting on the Conference

The 11th Intercultural Management Institute Annual Conference was, in my eyes, very well organized, very well attended, and had very interesting presentations from most panelists: Overall, an extraordinary opportunity to interact with practitioners, students, and interested persons in the field of intercultural Relations. Having majored in business and a Masters candidate in International Affairs, this was a great experience in bridging these two seemingly disparate fields. Not only was there a good and healthy balance of business focused topics, such panels were infused with many important findings and sharing of intercultural knowledge.

Personally, the highlights of this past Thursday and Friday were: “Voices From Home: The Personal and Family Side of Short-Term International Assignments”, presented by Anne Copeland of The Interchange Institute and Vania Broderick of Dwellworks; “Intercultural Communication, Business Negotiation, and Promotional Effectiveness”, presented by Bagher Fardanesh of Piaget Consulting; “Intercultural Knowledge Management in Global Organizations”, presented by Neal Goodman of Global Dynamics, and “Strategic Vigilance for the Global Manager”, presented by Richard Linowes of Kogod School of Business, American University.

In “Voices From Home: The Personal and Family Side of Short-Term International Assignments”, presented by Copeland Broderick, a presentation on case studies on relocation and Human Resources compensation policies, effective business practices that affect the successful outcome of a short-term (overseas) assignment were discussed. The findings of the research done by Copeland under the sponsorship of Dwellworks were very telling of how proper HR support policies can make a difference in almost all professional and social aspects of the assignees and his or her family. Out of a sample of 1471 employees and 68 of their spouses, important professional aspects such as attitudes towards work, their ability to get the work done, and their willingness to go on another such assignment were examined, along with very important personal aspects that influence work, and vice-versa, such as mental health, perceived quality of marital situation, and substance abuse, among others. The findings showed a great degree of interrelatedness between overall work/personal satisfactions. The innovative side of the study, however, lied on studying not only the employees themselves but also the opinions and perceptions of their spouses, thus pointing towards a need for HR policies to not only properly compensate the sacrifice these employees have made for their careers, usually at the expense of quality family time, but also to support the employee throughout the assignment in a way that such a decision would be the least taxing to his or her family as well. The goal would be for a win-win solution for all parties involved.


The interactive presentation by Fardanesh, “Intercultural Communication, Business Negotiation, and Promotional Effectiveness”, had many examples of failed international marketing attempts due to cultural misunderstandings and an acted out example of the breakdown of a business negotiation due to cultural distance/misunderstanding. As a former employee of an MNC myself, I thought it was very illustrative of real and actual day-to-day challenges we face in an international business setting. The implication of having a better understanding of our own intercultural competencies and interactions is very important, but due to the stakes involved in a business setting, it is clear they become essential. Many examples were shared and the proper interaction fostered by the presenter with the audience allowed many to share their own experiences, which made the session richer. The guidelines exposed by Fardanesh to identify the pitfalls commonly experienced, even by the seasoned professional in an international setting, and how to avoid them were a welcome surprise to a session that was more than informative, and rather enriching.

“Intercultural Knowledge Management in Global Organizations”, presented by Neal Goodman left the impression it was one of the most well structured and well thought out presentation I had the privilege to attend during this year’s conference. Delivered as a skills workshop, it also was at the cross roads of business and intercultural relations. It dealt, however, with the acquisition, retention, and diffusion of intercultural knowledge for the growth of the organization itself, other than solely for it’s employees. An analysis of the different departments within an organization and their intercultural knowledge management can be seemingly disconnected was discussed, following with the presentation of a model to increase productivity and profitability leveraged on the proper use of such knowledge. After discussing with other participants, I left with the clear impression that no matter the size of an organization, large or small, intercultural knowledge management remains as a challenge for many, as it is the fluid nature of the subject, and the otherwise orphan status it has in most companies that lends for most of the difficulties participants experience in their own organizations.

Last, but definitely not least was “Strategic Vigilance for the Global Manager”, presented by Prof. Linowes. As a student at American University, taking some international Business classes at Kogod Business School, it was good to see the organizers of IMI were able to tap into the great resident professors that abound at this school. Prof. Linowes did not disappoint. Focusing in emerging markets, where most of intercultural breakdown usually occur for the western businessman, first we were asked to share our own experiences abroad with each other and the group as a whole, which made for a very rich and diverse experience. Since many had been abroad, or were otherwise coming from abroad themselves, insights were many and meaningful. This session was particularly interesting to help put in perspective all anticipated and non-anticipated events that could hinder any prospective international business venture.

As I reflect back on this past Conference, I can only think of the many rewarding and diverse experiences many have had that I would like to experience for myself. I remind myself of my own intercultural difficulties, and reflect back at how I would have done things differently, given the chance. Most importantly however, are the lessons learned I will be taking with me to add to my own experiences to foster an improvement of self. Once again, I cannot stress enough how well this conference was organized, the diversity and open mindedness of participants, and the professional level of all presenters involved. All in all, this was a great experience, filled with knowledge I am glad to say will be very useful not only in a professional setting, but in my personal life as well.

Day 2: An Emotional Experience

The last day of the IMI Conference was an emotional one for me. Three sessions in particular touched me: American Indians and Health Care, a rivoting keynote speech by Mona Eltahawy and a session on Muslim Perspectives through Film and Dialogue.

In the session titled "American Indians are NOT Generic: National Health Reform Debate and Tribal Nations," which was facilitated by Deborah Broken Rope, a member of the Sioux nation, I learned so much about the American Indians in the U.S. I did not know that there were 564 federally recognized tribal nations overlapping state and national boundaries and representing about 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives residing on or near reservations. I was never taught this information in all of my years of higher education. I also did not know that in the 1970s, 25% of American Indian children were adopted away from their families and that state adoption records from this time period are sealed. Also, that American Indians currently have a 65-70% unemployment rate on reservations and rely upon subsistence farming and barter. I can't fathom why the U.S. would focus on development work in other parts of the world and not look in the mirror and realize that there are disadvantaged people that need help within its borders. Broken Rope also explained in great detail the structural problems that American Indians face in accessing federal subsidies to health care through their states. She also noted that the average lifespan of American Indians is about 10 years less than the rest of the U.S. I left the session feeling profoundly saddened by the poverty, injustice and the seemingly endless obstacles that American Indians have faced in this country since its founding. It made me determined to see that the health reform bill addresses the structural issues that they face in accessing healthcare.

I left Broken Rope's session shocked and humbled, and attending a fantastic and memorable keynote speech by Mona Eltahawy on the misconceptions and stereotypes that Muslim women face. It was refreshing to hear a strong, feminist female Muslim voice to counter the typical U.S. media portrayal of Muslim women as submissive, abused, silenced and even invisible. Her speech was inspirational not only for Muslim women, but also for women and even men of other cultures who share her sentiments that women of all faiths and ethnicities deserve an equal voice in politics and, importantly, in the home as well.

Finally, I attended a session on Muslim perspectives through film and dialogue. This session reinforced Eltahawy's speech by showing biased and inaccurate media clips from commonly watched U.S. movies and news programs that protrayed Muslims as uneducated, barbaric, inhumane, extremist killers. As a result of the strong influence of the media on U.S. public opinion, it's no wonder why many Americans have a negative view of Muslims and associate all Muslims with terrorists, who, in reality, are a very small percentage of all Muslims. This session inspired me to host a film and dialogue session in my living room to generate dialogue on positive Muslim contributions to society and to debunk misconceptions.

All in all, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend this conference, which definitely expanded my cultural sensitivity and knowledge. Thank you very much for the opportunity and I can't wait to come back next year.

Day 2: building upon one’s learning

My second day was yet another great one filled with excitement and learning opportunities. I kept my own promise from last night, which was to step out my comfort zone and challenge my cultural identity. I’m very proud of myself!

Having originally come from a country that is thousands miles away from the US, I am also aware of my challenges. Being a “marginal person” who is living on the borders of two completely different cultures, I feel my values and beliefs are constantly challenged especially in my daily work, and sure enough, in every session I attended throughout this conference as well. Whether I’m serving as a participant or facilitator, I often confuse myself by trying to maintain my own cultural background or/and insisting my bi-cultural identity that I’ve developed since I came to this country seven years ago. And, what is challenging is, when I’m confused, I tend to chose to be quiet, disengage, and pause from the moment. However, I was different today because I made differences in my attitudes and released myself from the fear I had before. That was, I took the most of the safe environment created and tried to contribute by engaging and sharing with the group/individuals I was working with at the moment. The reactions within myself were significantly different than those which had been unless otherwise; therefore, so were my learning outcomes. These results were the product of overcoming the confusion. Our keynote speaker, Mrs. Eltahawy stated that “I’m a big fan of confusion. Because, when you confuse someone, you have to pause and rethink what you thought was true.” This was exactly what happened to me today. I loved the freedom and flexibility that were granted for us to be able to put on and take off either the trainer’s or the patient’s hat depending on the activity or context in which we were working at the moment. There was a lot more to gain.

Many of my international students and study abroad returnees also experience a similar dilemma in regards to fear and confusion. Now my goal as a trainer is to create a safe learning environment for them, as I have repeatedly said to myself. That is a community, space, or classroom where they can share their feelings and thoughts without any fear for making others confused. Whether each of us is an international student, study abroad returnee, or domestic student who has never left the country before, we all come from different regions, socio-economic, classes, sexual orientations, ages, religions, and ethnic groups. In order for us to build a community within such a diverse group of people, differences must not be ignored but shared through the promotion of cultural understanding and respect. If you don’t see that’s happening, make it happen. As Mrs. Eltahawy said in her presentation, “If you are a minority, celebrate it because that’s where the changes have come from in the past,” which was one of the most powerful statements I heard during the conference.

I had set goals for myself before coming to the conference, which were to improve my KSAs in student engagement, experiential learning, and intercultural relations. Although I realized those goals were too broad to begin with, I am fully confident to say they all have been successfully accomplished because I’ve had such tangible experiences. I’ll look forward to keep building further learning upon them at my work.

I thank you all so much and hope to see as many of you as possible next year!

"Notice what you notice"

During a non-verbal exercise today, Luby Ismail said "Notice what you notice," and I was struck by the unfamiliar phrase. It became the key phrase of my experiences today. I noticed that when I met Luby the day before, she was kind and genuinely interested in me. I noticed today that I did not notice she is Muslim. I noticed that when I discovered she is Muslim, I felt more connected to her, because I somehow felt safer knowing that we believed in the same God.

I'm from south Louisiana, and the more I travel away from my community of origin, the more I realize how taboo it seems to talk about religion in public. The exception is Islam, because it is currently a sexy topic. So, I'd like to be somewhat bold today and ask, "How can we put religion on the table in a non-threatening manner?"

As a Catholic attending conferences such as this, I often wonder if people will make assumptions about my beliefs, motives, and intentions. Because I am applying for jobs, I worry that those in the public sector will see my Masters degree in Religious Education and assume I am closed-minded or want to evangelize the secular organizations. I was extremely grateful for Luby's courage in her presentation. She was willing to be vulnerable enough to reveal her true self. I was especially excited to hear her say that she is passionate about interfaith dialogue, a field I have become increasingly interested in during the past year and a half. I believe it is the first answer to the question I asked above. Rather than being afraid to address religion, we should embrace it and learn to communicate with one another about our deeply held beliefs.

Today's sessions seemed to focus on communication, and I gained practical skills to communicate more effectively in different situations. A few of the highlights were exercises in non-verbal communication, storytelling through images, spreading awareness through video, active listening, and learning to ask the right questions through an action learning demonstration. We use each of these skills to come to a better understanding of the people with whom we are working. These same methods can be used to begin religious dialogue and promote religious understanding.

I am grateful for the work that Luby does, as well as the work of UPF, MAS, and many other organizations who are giving the world an accurate view of Islam. It amazes me to see how closely related my own Christian faith is to the Muslim faith, and I wonder why I did not recognize these connections before. I would be very interested in having a session at a future IMI conference to address the sibling rivalry between Jews, Christians, and Muslims. We all seek to serve and praise the same God, but we do it in unique ways which should be embraced not rejected or suppressed for the sake of being politically correct.

I understand religion adds a scary, sometimes dangerous dimension to intercultural relations, but I also believe it cannot be ignored because it is so instrumental to so many people. To borrow a quote from one of the UPF videos: "It's not religion per se that separates people. Anything can separate people when people have a mind to be separated.” We need to learn to use religion as a tool for peace, rather than as an excuse for negativity. I think it’s time for the next step, so I repeat my question, “How can we put religion on the table in a non-threatening manner?” How can we use religion sensitively in the public sector in order to enhance communication and draw people deeper into self awareness and awareness of others?

Another Great Day

Today was another day packed full of new information, thoughts for contemplation, and meeting and interacting with an amazingly diverse group of people. During the 2nd session I attended, titled “Teaching Without Speaking” I was very excited to see that the speaker, Luby Ismail, was a fellow Lesley graduate from the Intercultural Relations program. Her presentation did not disappoint. It was truly an “ah-ha” moment to see how nonverbal exercises can so beautifully and clearly make a statement, and bring across a point, in a way that verbal exercises, perhaps, can not.

Today’s luncheon talk, given by Mona Eltahawy, was also a high-point of the day. Her talk was a combination of inspiring, educational, humorous, and relevant which made it a pleasure to listen to, leaving me with quite a few thoughts to ponder and further explore. Her rich illustrations and examples of the use of technology in giving people a forum to voice their opinions and advocate for change truly demonstrated how the “virtual” translates into the real world. One comment that particularly resonated was her question “since when has the majority changed anything?” It is all too easy to become jaded and forget the power we hold as individuals and I appreciated the reminder as I leave the academic world and begin my professional career.

At the end of the day, looking through my small notebook, I realize that I have a very long list of websites, organizations, films, and various resources to explore and incorporate into my own intercultural practice. I’m so grateful that I was given the opportunity to attend this conference and collect such a rich body of information and resources.

I left the conference energized and excited to see where this year takes me. Looking forward to next year already and another selection of wonderful speakers. Until then!

A Good End to a Good Conference

After two filled and fulfilling days of intercultural sharing, dialogue, and learning, the 11th Annual IMI Conference came to a close this evening. This was my first time at an intercultural relations conference (I have been to a variety of ethnomusicology conferences, which tend to be somewhat different) and I must say that it was a great experience.

For me, the highlight of day 2 was by far the keynote speech by Mona Eltahawy. What an inspiring, energetic, and courageous individual! Not only was her discussion of Arab women's empowerment through social media and Internet-based forums enlightening, but she was an absolutely fabulous and engaging presenter. I think that everyone at my table was really blown away by her enthusiasm and poise. I, for one, left lunch feeling inspired and wanting to go out and enact the change that Ms. Eltahawy called for when she quoted one of her Egyptian inspirations: "Since when has the majority changed anything? Forget the mainstream and be ok with being the minority."

Ms. Eltahawy focused her talk on the ways in which the Internet provides a third space - a liminal space - in which individuals who might not be able to meet in real life are able to form communities, bridge intercultural barriers, and express opinions that are not allowed by external censorship. I have been thinking a lot about marginalized communities in my work, lately, and I think that her arguments raise an interesting point about the Internet as providing a level playing field. Are the Internet and its various branches - blogs, forums, chat rooms, social media outlets - the great democratizing force of our age? Or is it a space that adds to the saturation of information and technology that surrounds us? Certainly in the cases mentioned in the keynote speech (for example, www.meem.com, the SaudiGirl blog, and the Musawah Movement) I would have to believe the former. What I do think, however, is that these kind of discussions are absolutely pertinent to our greater analysis of cross-cultural interactions. While most of us would agree that there is a great deal of difference between an Internet-based cross-cultural interaction and a face-to-face one, the world wide web nonetheless provides an arena that is ripe for study, critical evaluation, and future intercultural development.