Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG as a political process FRANJO STEINER

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL CENTRE The Intercultural Center was funded 1987 and is an independent non profit association directed by an honorary Managing Committee of experts and a full-time management.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERKULTURELLES ZENTRUM We promote the development of relations between people of different cultural origin, train people to carry out practical intercultural work to find non-violent conflict resolution between people of different cultures, of different world views and different ways of life. Since more than 20 years we support and implement cross-border co-operation between schools, international youth work, as well as intercultural education and diversity management in Austria.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG Intercultural Dialog Intercultural dialogue is presented as an useful tool to solve so-called culture conflicts. With the main focus on “exchange” and the unfortunately, dominant tendency of culturalization of conflicts, the complex relations and strategies that are behind these conflicts are often blurred.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG CULTURE Culture is an universal system of orientation for different societies, groups and organizations. It is formed by specific symbols and features and influences the thoughts, the specific norms and values and of course the actions and behaviour of people.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG „ Intercultural” starts to exist through the interaction of people from all walks of life. In the encounter don’t only meet different cultures but people that have a certain cultural background. That means there are individual differences, even though there is a collective (cultural) background because people can change through their individuality. Therefore cultures are formable, dynamic and influence each other.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG “Culturalization” happens when conflicts with members of a minority, a group is always put to its cultural heritage, so the differences are misunderstood as “intercultural conflicts”.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG Intercultural Learning Fundamental topics of “Intercultural Learning” At the time “Intercultural Learning” was discussed as a concept and as an educational methodology relevant issues or fundamental topics have been discussed: Tolerance to ambiguity: means the recognition of the cultural differences among societies and communities and on the other hand to acknowledge the intrinsic incomplete character of each cultural system, to accept the ambiguity and multiple uncertainties generated by the cultural encounter.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG Edward T. Hall who is seen as the founder of the intercultural communication theory, states that without reflection on the culturally boundaries of the own thoughts, the knowledge about the foreign cultures can only be seen vaguely. For him a self reflection is a key element of all forms of intercultural learning.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG Summarized, Intercultural Learning means: Reflexion of the cultural determination of one self’s thinking how to learn from and work positively with „cultural differences“ equality of the encountering cultures (communication at the same eye level) Using this issues as the main framework, Intercultural Learning” can be a tool for social change.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG Intercultural Dialog Council of Europe’s definition of “Intercultural Dialog” - outlined in the “WHITE PAPER on Intercultural Dialog”: Intercultural dialog comprises an “open and respectful exchange of views between individuals and groups with different ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds and heritage” that should lead to the understanding of different views of the world.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG The theoretical discussion about the relationship between majority and minority groups shows the importance that these dialogs and relationships - among and between majority and minorities - have to be based on the development of mutual empathy, equality in human dignity and mutual recognition.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG Empathy can be seen as an attitude to try to see things from the point of view of the other and the ability to place oneself in new situations Solidarity can be described as a social and political side to empathy, including the capacity to interact and work with others, undertaking social and political action and the ability to challenge existing power and structures

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG The focus on “Culture” as the major determination of behaviour can not capture the complexity of modern societies. Important is not the “cultural difference”, more important is ”the in-between”.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG Culture according to J. Bolten is a product of communication. In the encounter or the intercultural situation of communication produces these reactions a form of “interculture”, something “new” created together. Culture is in a constant process of change. Culture is one (you can say an important beside others) element in one’s identity. This means cultural identities are in a constant movement.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG If intercultural dialog can be seen as a common effort to create something new, something intercultural new, it can be seen also as a political process.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG Summary  Intercultural dialogue has more to do with aims, political aims and to overcome the culturalization of the political (to explain everything with its cultural heritage)  If an intercultural dialogue has a goal and also works on a common vision in the future, it is not caught in the present and has a strong drafting element (social change).

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG  In the encounter or the intercultural situation of communication the approach of each other produces a form of “inter culture”, something new together, based on different context, interests, drafts of life, resources, ways of power, visions about the future according to our reality of life.  This “in between” (the space of difference, is always related to the situation.  Orientation in the future, goals and thoughts about de culturalization of social topics change the intercultural dialogue into a political process.

Interkulturelles Zentrum INTERCULTURAL DIALOG Thank you for your attention.