PEACE, IT’S SOMETHING WE CAN

CREATE

Culture and intercultural learning

It is obvious!

The world is inhabited by very diverse human beings from different cultures

Culture is…The collective programming of the human mind that distinguishes the members of one human group from those of another. Culture in this sense is a system of

collectively held values. - - Geert Hofstede

Life experiences

Family

Religion

Ethnicity

Education

Nationality

Geography

History

Economic Level

Gender

The “iceberg”

The “iceberg”

The visible characteristics in the surface

Deeper characteristics of specific cultural groups

Perceptions

Filtered through experiences, history, stereotypes, etc

Specific of the individual

Universal

Inherited and learned

Learned

Inherent

We are not defined only by our culture

Personality

Culture

Human nature

Specific of one group

What’s known… is right?

What’s unknown… is wrong?

Multicultural societies(the conflict)

Multicultural societies are those where different cultural, national, ethnic, religious and other groups live in the same

territory BUT are not necessarily integrated.

In these societies, difference is perceived as something negative… an excuse for discrimination.

Intercultural learning

Intercultural learning is a special kind of learning that transforms the mental structures of an individual and grants him or her the opportunity to walk in

the shoes of “the other”.

Intercultural learning educates to:

Appreciate, understand, respect, integrate and, in some cases, selectively adopt customs and characteristics from a cultural group different from one’s own.

Intercultural societies(the harmony)

Intercultural societies are those where different cultural, national, ethnic, religious and other groups live in the same territory maintaining respectful and collaborative relations.

There is a harmonious integration of different values and ways of life based on tolerance.

Diversity is perceived as an asset and NOT as a problem.

AFS Intercultural Programs

It’s a volunteer based, non-profit organization that provides opportunities for intercultural learning experiences.

AFS works toward a more just and peaceful world thru promotion of values as tolerance, respect and solidarity.

AFS has more than 53 years of volunteer service in Costa Rica and offers sending and hosting student exchange programs in more that

55 countries around the world.

www.afs.or.cr

It’s just different

It’s not better

It’s not worse

www.afs.or.cr