Antoinette McIntyre Andersson, Co-President and Founder of PTPI’s Karlstad, Sweden Chapter and Mariana Iordanova, Adult Advisor of PTPI’s Sofia, Bulgaria (The Doves) Student Chapter, recently attended the Leadership Seminar hosted by PTPI’s European Office in Berlin.
Attendees of the 2009 PTPI Leadership Seminar in Berlin
Greetings from the north! As I sit here and reflect on the Fourth Leadership Seminar arranged by PTPI’s European Office, I can’t help but mention that today (December 10) marks a historical day in Scandinavia, namely in neighboring Norway. US President Barack Obama arrived in Oslo this early Thursday morning to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. I wish I was able to witness this moment in history. The Nobel Peace Prize brings also to mind the vital importance that we all must all continue to work for world peace – Peace through Understanding.
Some of the content presented and covered included: stereotypes, discrimination, the Iceberg Concept of Culture are just some terms and names that the seminar covered. We also received a comprised presentation followed by discussions of a couple of theoretical and academic approaches from Milton Bennett and Geert Hofstede. A small and very fortunate group had the opportunity to go to the Institute of Cultural Diplomacy (ICD). The Executive Director & Founder of the ICD, Mark C. Donfried, gave a great presentation and tour of the organization.
Participants shared information about their cultures and traditions
The seminar even presented the World Café concept. Some presented their country with a bit of humor. Many showed their own country in great and creative PowerPoint presentations, e.g. England, Bulgaria and the Ukraine. Some even offered a wide variety of different food, beverages, and some showed us they even were talented actors and actresses…
Thank you very much, Lars, Verena and Laura for a great job in arranging a very enriching seminar. Well done! The best part was, of course, meeting and spending time with my “old” and “new” friends. Everyone who attended the seminar has touched my heart in different ways. For that, I am a grateful, for I have met some truly great and impressive individuals, all unique… It is an honor to be a part of the PTPI network working towards promoting peace through understanding. Wishing you all the best during the Christmas Holiday and New Year Celebration!
-From Antoinette McIntyre Andersson
Peace through Understanding...and umbrellas
I am glad that I was part of the multinational team which took part in the rewarding Leadership Seminar themed ”Volunteers for Intercultural Learning”. This event brought together 25 European PTPI chapter leaders and representatives of other non-governmental organizations in European Union member states who work with voluntary members to promote international friendship and contribute to bettering the world we live in.
The greatest benefit was derived from the experience of interacting and working with people from diverse geographical, cultural and religious backgrounds and thus learning more about them and the 19 countries represented. Such direct people-to-people contacts deepen mutual understanding of one other’s cultures and foster trust among participants.
As human beings we share many qualities, but we all have different physical characteristics, personalities, interests, lifestyles, manners, patterns of behaviour, habits, and set of values, which are, however, not worse or better, just dissimilar. And the exciting challenge is to learn to look at this diversity from a positive perspective, respect otherness, and live together peacefully in today’s multicultural societies, relating to each other at an equal level, overcoming negative prejudices and stereotypes, so that the societies change into intercultural.
Seminar attendees gathered in small groups to discuss issues and exchange ideas
The world is becoming smaller, more interdependent and countries cannot remain isolated, so action coherent with that reality and change are required. And the formidable challenge is to react to the changes, to find new responses to the new situations. For this purpose intercultural education is necessary. Not only did the workshop improve our intercultural and leadership skills, but it also increased our project management skills for our voluntary work. It also encouraged cooperation between PTPI chapters and other NGOs in Europe in the development of joint international projects that enhance intercultural learning and international friendship.
The intercultural learning experience was too great to express in words and certainly cannot be described in one report, let alone the impact it had on me. If, however, keeping in mind everything that happened during that one week, I have to think of one word in my native language that describes it, then it is: Благодаря! (Thank you!).
-From Mariana Iordanova
