VALUE THE DIFFERENCE Finland, 6 th – 11 th of October, 2009

WELCOME "Come to the edge," He said. They said, "We are afraid." "Come to the edge," He said. They came. He pushed them... and they flew. Guillaume Apollinaire

OBJECTIVES To reflect critically about personal and cultural identity To gain a greater understanding of cultural diversity in different local and national realities, To explore ways in which participants can generate and foster a more tolerant society To better understand concepts which relate to the themes/topics of Cultural Diversity, such as stereotyping, prejudice, manipulation and limits of culture, immigration etc. To develop intercultural skills and competences related to international youth projects To reflect on learning using Youth pass To get inspired to carry out future international youth projects through YiA programme and other resource possibilities

METHODOLOGY

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

PANIC ZONE CHALLENGE ZONE COMFORT ZONE

WORKING AGREEMENT  There is no right way, only your way  Openness  Tenderness towards yourself and the others  Responsibility  Willingness to take risks  Fun  Active participation

If I would be…. 1.music 2.movie genre 3.phantasy character 4.animal 5.colour 6.weather

IDENTITY

MULTIDIMENSION OF IDENTITIES Psychologists most commonly use the term "identity" to describe PERSONAL IDENTITY, or the idiosyncratic things that make a person unique. Meanwhile, sociologists often use the term to describe SOCIAL IDENTITY, or the collection of group memberships that define the individual. However, these uses are not proprietary, and each discipline may use either concept.

CULTURAL IDENTITY refers to the content of values as guiding principles, to meaningful symbols, and to life-styles that individuals share with others, though not necessarily within recognizable groups.

Identity is a dynamic concept Each individual is seen to have a repertoire of identities open to them (social and personal), each identity informing the individual of who he is and what this identity entails. Which of these many identities is most salient for an individual at any time will vary according to the social context.

WHAT IS CULTURE?

INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCES

 Cognitive and behavioural flexibility  Cultural identity: having a developed sense of one’s own cultural identity  Creativity  Tolerance of ambiguity  Openness  Empathy and solidarity  Respect  Sense of humour  …

CREATIVITY AND IC COMPETENCE Abraham Maslow psychologist gives distinction between the self-actualized and the special-talent creative person. The self-actualized creative person approaches all aspects of life creatively: he or she is well-adjusted, mentally healthy, democratic-minded and "forward growing."

CREATIVITY AND IC COMPETENCE The stronger individual identity, closely linked to creativity and creative personal traits, the stronger avoidance of any uncritical engagement into “we” identity Creative personalities show the same characteristics as found IC competences: tolerance to ambiguity, contradiction, openness to contacts, flexibility in behavior, motivation, empathy, meta-communicative competence....

STEREOTYPES AND PREJUDICES

Stereotypes can be defined as simplified thoughts and mental generalizations of some group of people when we assume that all individuals in that group have same characteristics (stereotypes can be both – positive or negative). Prejudice are stereotypes + emotions. They also can be positive or negative, but we often use this word to describe strong negative emotions towards some group of people.

DISCRIMINATION

Discrimination is prejudice in action. When we have negative stereotype towards some group and have negative emotions, then if we got power it is very likely that we'll discriminate that group of people on many ways.

Experience of discrimination Remember situation when you have been member of discriminated group, treated badly because of what you are/because of your belonging to specific group of people Now remember situation when you have discriminated someone

Power What is power? What kind of power do you know? Inner power / outer power? Personal power / group power?

CHANGE AND INFLUENCE

Quadrants of change 1. DEATH AND REBIRTH “I have no idea what’s going on and that’s ok” 2. DREAMS AND PLANNING “Rules don’t exist and I change my mind constantly and that’s ok” 4. PROMISED LAND “I am there and I may relax and enjoy my success and that’s ok” 3. STORY ABOUT HERO “That’s much worse then I expected and that’s ok”

“Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.“ Tolkien