Tag: culture

IncluKIT+++ Opole +++ diversophy +++ SIETAR +++ Absolutely Intercultural 300

Welcome to show 300 of Absolutely Intercultural. My name’s Anne Fox and this show is coming to you from Denmark. In this show I find out more about a very interesting EU-supported collaboration between a group of universities, intercultural practitioners recruited from SIETAR, the Society for Intercultural Education and Research and the culture game diversophy, as they developed a conversation game aimed at helping both sides understand more about each other in various common intercultural situations. The tool is called IncluKIT as it is aimed at fostering inclusion and in this case the focus was on migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. You play the game in small groups of 4 to 6 people who discuss the issues they are presented with. The strategy of IncluKIT is to start with finding out what the groups think of a particular situation in general and then the job of the facilitator is to gradually feed more and more specific information about the situation with the group talking about how they react to the developing story which is built on an incident which happened to a real life asylum centre employee.

absolutely inclusive
When I sat down to talk to Michal, David and Catherine, I asked them to take me through one of their conversation cases, called Eva’s Day about a worker in a reception centre for asylum seekers. Let’s hear more about how this scenario was built and how the conversation around it is guided as we go absolutely inclusive, firstly with Michal and then David and Catherine.

Thank you to Catherine, Michal and David for taking the time to explain the in depth process they went through to come up with these IncluKit conversation exercises. The first version of the kit is now available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish and you can download the facilitator guide and three case studies to try out for yourself by going to the project website hosted by the University of Opole .

Do you see a role for this type of exercise in your context? Looking at the three scenarios already built up, can you think of additional ones that you would like to build? Do you see yourself as a facilitator for this type of exercise? Have you tried it? Let us know in the comments, and if you want to share how it went in a future show then do get in touch.

So yes, that was the 300^th show, since we started way back in 2006 and you can browse through them all on this website. Thank for still listening and if you have a story to tell then don’t hesitate to get in touch or leave a comment. We are also on Apple podcasts and Spotify where you can give us a rating. And if you enjoyed the show, please like us on Facebook too. 

Our next show will be coming to you from Laurent Borgmann in Germany on 6th December.

Until then, stay tuned!

The host of this show is: Anne Fox

Sustainable mindset +++ Sys Mind +++ spirituality +++ Absolutely Intercultural 298 +++

Sample from Sus Mind Expert certification

I think we all know by now that we have to live more sustainably to avoid the worst effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. We probably know of several changes that we ought to be making, laws that should be passed and businesses that ought to behave better. If we know all this then why does it not happen? Because knowledge is not enough, we have to pay attention also to values, beliefs and attitudes.

Welcome to Absolutely Intercultural, show number 298, the podcast about all things intercultural. My name’s Anne Fox and this show is coming to you from Denmark. In this show I am going to be examining a European project, called SysMind which aimed to focus on the building of sustainable values. The SysMind project, based in Austria and with partners in Latvia, Turkey, Spain, Ukraine and North Macedonia, aimed to help teachers embrace diversity and explore the spiritual side of sustainability. One major outcome of their work was a free online course which you could join.

What could happen after you have done this course? Hear what Liidia, a teacher in a Ukranian forestry college, has to say.

But how do you grade students on their sustainability mindset? Our last segment will present one option which was developed by the high school students themselves: Let’s hear from their teacher, Piotr.

absolutely cooperative
So let’s go absolutely cooperativec by hearing why one of the partners, Ernestine, running a sustainable rural development organisation in southern Spain joined the SysMind project.

I must say that as I listened to Ernestine talk about her organisation, Fundacion Monte Mediterraneo, and had a look around their website I had a strong urge to visit myself in their holiday accommodation.

absolutely transformative
The SysMind project ran a blended course for teachers on how to promote a sustainable mindset in their students with an emphasis on values and spirituality partly through inclusion and embracing diversity. One of the course participants was Liidia who is a teacher at a forestry college in Ukraine. Let’s hear how this course was absolutely transformative.

And you could also start this journey from being uncertain what sustainability means to becoming your organisation’s go-to person on the topic, by taking the free online course that the SysMind project developed and which you can do in your own time.

absolutely mindful
How essential is the mindset to achieving sustainability? Ernestine in Spain had a radical opinion about this which I must say I could entirely sympathise with. Let’s see if you agree as we go absolutely mindful.

absolutely certificated
If we agree about the importance of a sustainable mindset, then how do we teachers know if our students have achieved that? In the SysMind project they used a method called Sus Mind Expert which was developed by the Pilgrim School network. In order to convince your teacher of your sustainable mindset you have 14 topic areas to choose from, that loosely reflect the 17 UN sustainable development goals, and for each of these topic areas, there is a video you can watch, a prompt activity that helps you consider the spiritual aspect of the topic area and then about ten mini projects from which you choose five, to display your sustainable mindset. These could include picking up litter, an art project, a zero waste week and so on. Show your teacher evidence that you have completed these mini projects and you can collect your Sus Mind Expert certificate. But how did this start? Let’s go absolutely certificated as we talk to Piotr, a religion teacher in a Pilgrim school who was witness to this.

Although it is a certificate, it is the experience of working up to the award of the certificate that is key here. You can see the whole document by following the link on our website. As a teacher, I can see that this could easily be tweaked to meet many learning contexts.

So what do you think? Should we stop climate change research and focus on implementation? Could Liidia’s transformative experience also happen to you? And what do you think about getting a certificate for your sustainable mindset? Thank you to the members of the Sys Mind project who shared their experiences with us for this show.

Write a comment or mail us, we could do a follow-up interview with you in one of our next shows. On our web page you can get more information about this show and previous episodes, and leave comments. And if you enjoyed the show, please like us on Facebook too. 

By the way, did you know we are also on Apple podcasts and Spotify? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment.
Our next show will be coming to you from Laurent Borgmann in Germany on 4th October.

Until then, stay tuned!

The host of this show is: Anne Fox

Legal Cannabis: Triumph or Tragedy? +++ Decriminalisation +++ Intoxication +++ Passive Smoking +++ Absolutely Intercultural 297

Hello dear listeners, and welcome to episode 297 of our podcast “Absolutely Intercultural.” Today, let’s dive into another cultural topic that many of you might have strong feelings about: the legalization of cannabis. Germany has partly decriminalised marijuana use as of 1 April 2024. So, have we experienced a cultural change as a result? Does legalisation mean that in the evenings, we Germans now smoke weed on our sofas in front of television instead of drinking our traditional beer? I’m afraid personally I’m a little old-school and still stick to my red wine, but then some of my friends claim that alcohol is worse than weed, so perhaps I should join one of the new Cannabis clubs?

Using drugs touches on cultural values and societal norms, but also on personal beliefs shaped by our own experiences. Our aim today is clearly not to endorse one viewpoint over another but to create a space where different people can share their diverse experiences and personal opinions.

absolutely economic

In our first story, we will listen to Nika. Currently, Nika is an international lecturer from Georgia at RheinAhrCampus, and he speculates on how the future legalisation of weed could impact the economic development of his home country.

absolutely intoxicated

In our second story, we will listen to Ani, who is an international exchange student. Ani does not give us a clear yes or no for legalization but she shares with us what happened to her and her teenage friends in Georgia where cannabis is not legalized.

absolutely disrespectful

In our last story, we will listen to Sebastian, a German Student at RheinAhrCampus. Sebastian will be sharing with us one of his biggest concerns regarding the legalization of cannabis, especially the connection with smoking and passive smoking. Have cannabis smokers ever heard about the human right to clean air? Well, we found one of the best advocates for keeping the air we breathe clean.

What about you? Do you see the legalisation of cannabis like a triumph or a tragedy? Have you or someone you know ever smoked weed and faced unexpected consequences? Or do you use it reasonably like others consume alcohol? Get in touch, feel free to share your unique story with us here on this podcast.

Write a comment or mail us, we could do a follow-up interview with you in one of our next shows. On our web page, absolutely-intercultural.com, you can get more information about this show and previous episodes, and you can leave comments. And if you enjoyed the show, please like us on Facebook too. 

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes, Apple Podcasts and Spotify? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment.

Our next show will be coming to you from Anne Fox in Denmark on 6^th September.

Until then – find out what you think are the pros and the cons of legalizing weed und

Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Dr. Laurent Borgmann

Chief Editor: Sebastian Berg

Assistant Editors: Oljana Haskja, Fikret Küey , Diogo Vital Maia and Xavier Sutton

Intentional travel +++ Beyond the shores +++ Tamara Walker +++ absolutely intercultural 296 +++

How do you travel? Intentionally? In today’s show we are going to once again be hearing about how the need to belong can lead to people migrating to another country. In this case it will be about African Americans who had very strong reasons for feeling that only by moving to another country could they become their true selves.

That of course, was because of racial segregation in the US that was implemented after the abolition of slavery, and that is still felt today, for example as an effect from land zoning.

Welcome to Absolutely Intercultural show number 296. My name’s Anne Fox and this show is coming to you from me in Denmark and from Germany, where Oljana helped plan and carry out the interview.

One of the main themes in this show is about intentional travel:

Our guest today is Dr Tamara J Walker, a professor of history at Colombia University, who recently wrote a book about this movement of African Americans out of the US. The book is Beyond the Shores: A History of African Americans Abroad and it’s a great read, full of information you probably didn’t know such as the story of the agricultural graduates who went to Uzbekistan in the Soviet Union where their skills were much better appreciated than back home in the US.

In this show, we’ll be hearing more about the book and how Tamara’s early opportunities to travel led her to write it, combining history with her own family story. We’ll also hear how her The Wandering Scholar scheme helps high schoolers explore opportunities inspired by Tamara’s transformative early travel experiences.

So let’s start the show by finding out more about Tamara’s book, Beyond the Shores. The book intertwines Tamara’s own history which explains how she came to be a historian at Columbia University and we hear later what she is doing to open up opportunities for others with her background.

The book begins in the theatres of Paris in the 1920s to talk not so much of Josephine Baker, who is a well-known name, but of Florence Mills whose story did not end so well. Let’s go absolutely historical with Oljana.

absolutely historical
Both Oljana and I had the chance to read the book and found it really interesting. I was intrigued about the last chapter which made the point about travelling absolutely intentionally.

absolutely intentionally
If you are travelling right now, maybe you could think about how to find out more about the new place you are in and how it got to be how it is now? For example in Pairs with Black Paris Tours.

absolutely transformative
As a way of giving young Americans the opportunities that she had, Tamara and a colleague have set up an initiative called Wandering Scholar. Let’s go absolutely transformative!

What about you? Do you travel intentionally? Could you imagine how your next trip would change to become more intentional? Have you already had a transformative travel experience? Maybe we could tell your story in a future show?

And if you enjoyed the show, please like us on Facebook .

Catch us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment.

The next show will be coming to you from Germany with Laurent Borgmann on the 2nd of August.

Until then – stay tuned!

The host of this show is: Anne Fox

Interviewer Oljana Haskja

Abortion +++ Freedom of Choice +++ Ethical Dilemma +++ Absolutely Intercultural 295 +++

Hello dear listeners and welcome to show 295 of our podcast “Absolutely Intercultural”. Today, we are going to talk about “Abortion”, which is a subject that touches deeply personal beliefs, cultural values, and societal norms. It is a topic that produces strong feelings and controversies, informed by very diverse factors from personal experiences to religious beliefs, legal aspects, and more. Our goal today is definitely not to favour one perspective over another, but to offer a platform for a range of very different voices to share diverse thoughts and perceptions.

absolutely my choice

In our first interview, a Moroccan student will share her friend’s story who faced severe challenges after marrying and becoming pregnant. Her friend’s husband was an alcoholic, and his addiction created a very unstable and toxic environment, affecting her friend both, emotionally and physically. Diogo asked her how abortion is generally perceived in her home country, Morocco.

absolutely personal

In our second category, Ada supports pro-choice policies and thinks that women should have control over their bodies. However, personally, she would never have an abortion. Oljana asked her to explain to us the context of her home country Albania, where abortion has been legal since the dictatorship ended in 1990.

absolutely pro-life

In our last story, we will listen to Edmond who is generally against abortion, believing it should only be considered when the woman’s life is in danger. This belief is rooted in his personal values and his own experiences. He will share a personal story from his own life where his pregnant wife was in serious danger.

What about you? What are your personal beliefs or values and how do cultural, religious, or societal influences shape the way you perceive abortion? Have you or someone you know ever faced a decision like that? We would actually love to hear from people who completely reject the whole idea of abortion but could not find anyone in our bubble! Get in touch, feel free to share your unique story with us here on this podcast.

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes, Apple Podcasts and Spotify? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment.

Our next show will be coming to you from Anne Fox in Denmark on 5th July.

Until then – try to imagine how you would decide in the situations which were described by our guests today. And –

Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Dr. Laurent Borgmann

Chief Editor: Sebastian Berg

Assistant Editors: Oljana Haskja, Fikret Küey and Diogo Vital Maia

Paradox of Freedom +++ Freedom vs. Safety +++ Artistic Freedom +++ Absolutely Intercultural 293 +++

Hello, dear listeners, and welcome to episode 293 of our podcast “Absolutely Intercultural”. Today, we’re exploring the “Culture of Freedom.” We’re asking a big question: Is there such a thing as too much freedom in some cultures? We’ll look at how freedom affects our own cultures but also how our own cultures have an influence on the freedom we are granted. We will focus on aspects of safety, creativity and even romantic relationships. This is the Absolutely Intercultural Podcast –my name is Laurent Borgmann, and I’m here to guide you through this journey around different aspects of freedom.

Is true freedom about choosing whatever we want, or is it simply about creating a good life within agreed limits? What is the role of freedom during a war, an outbreak of repeated terrorism in a country or a world-wide pandemic? Will total freedom really spark our creativity, or is it the boundaries and limitations that actually fuel our most innovative ideas? Is choosing your own life partners the ultimate freedom, or do arranged marriages offer a kind of family safety net, deeply valued in many cultures?

absolutely safe

In our first story, we will listen to Xavier from Australia. He shares with us how he thought a lot about the paradox of Freedom vs. Safety during the Corona Crisis down-under where the freedom of movement was much more rigorously restricted than in most parts of Europe. When faced with extreme challenges, Xavier noticed in himself that he actually preferred lockdowns over predicted anarchy, no matter how strict and unprecedented the new Corona regulations were

absolutely independent

In our second story, we will listen to Raghavan from India. He talks about his niece in the United Kingdom who, like many young Indians abroad, is now enjoying an unexpected window of freedom to build a career and find a life partner by herself. These young expats often have the opportunity to choose someone they love, a freedom they would perhaps not have in their own country. However,if they can’t find someone quickly, their parents will jump in and help by arranging their marriage, even from a distance of 8.000 kms.

absolutely creative

In our last story, we will listen to Figo from Turkey who does not feel free to express his artistic freedom. He feels that social biases and narrow-mindedness discourage him from sharing his music, particularly on social media.

What are your thoughts on freedom? Do you think we have all gone too far with personal freedom? Or do you think more freedom would make your country a better place? We’re eager to hear your perspective.

Share your story with us via comment or email, and you can feature in one of our upcoming shows. For more information and previous episodes, visit our website at absolutely-intercultural.com. If you enjoyed the show, please give us a thumbs-up on Facebook.

And did you know we’re also on iTunes, Apple Podcasts and Spotify? You can subscribe for free, leave a rating, and drop a comment there.

Our next show, hosted by Anne Fox in Denmark, will be out on 3rd May.

Until then – find out whether there can be TOO much freedom in a culture! and

Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Dr. Laurent Borgmann

Chief Editor: Natalia Obikhod

Assistant Editors: Sebastian Berg

Media Consumption +++ Infotainment +++ Fake News +++ Absolutely Intercultural 290 +++

Hello dear listenersand welcome to show 290 of our podcast“Absolutely Intercultural”. Today’s topic is all about the impact of our media consumption. I am Laurent Borgmann, your host, and as I am over sixty years old, I feel obliged to start with a bit of media nostalgia. Back in the good old times, yes, in fact,more than 50 years ago, every house in our street got a newspaper on their doorstep before 5 am every morning. Subscription was the rule. People would read it during breakfast, and this seemed as essential as the first cup of coffee in the day. In our city, we had two papers to pick from, but honestly, although one was slightly more left and the other slightly more right-wing they were like twins separated at birth. They sometimes even shamelessly used the same pictures on the front page. At school I learned that they were actually produced in the same printing house. And the effect? In the 1960s, when you caught up with the neighbours over the garden fence, it was like a big gossip party. All neighbours knew the same news stories and were ready to outraged by the same scandals. The update in the evenings was also the same–at 8 o’clock, families all over Germany tuned in for the TV news, and you could bet most people were watching the same news show–Die Tagesschau! Of course,even then people had different takes on the same news, depending on their political affiliations or demographic backgrounds. But we could all still join the chat because everyone had the same input. Those were the good old days.

absolutely informed

In our opening story, “absolutely informed”, we’ll tune in to Emanuel from Germany. As a young adult in Germany, Emanuel is interested in what is happening around the world. However, finding out which news reports can be trusted and which are only an opinion for the bubble they are meant for, seems a constant challenge for us nowadays.

absolutely independent

In our next part “absolutely independent”, we’ll hear from Rozana, who is from Albania and now she works as a guest lecturer in Germany. Rozana shares with us her concerns about potential government influence on the contents of the news.

absolutely positive

In our final story, “absolutely positive”, we’ll hear from Krishna, originally from India and now an exchange student in Germany. Krishna does not like to follow the news as he prefers to keep his surroundings positive.

Now, we’re curious about your own experiences with Media, are you a keen news reader like Emanuel or do you keep negative information out of your life like Krishna? Are you good at detecting fake news and do you ever report any?

And did you know we’re also on iTunes and Apple Podcasts? You can subscribe for free, leave a rating, and drop a comment there.

Our next show, hosted by Anne Fox in Denmark, will be out on 2 February.

Until then – look out for fake news! and

Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Dr. Laurent Borgmann

Chief Editor: Natalia Obikhod

Assistant Editors: Mariam Bilge, Sebastian Berg

Traffic Culture +++ Driving Habits +++ Cultural Prejudice +++ Absolutely Intercultural 288 +++

Hello dear listeners and welcome to show 288 of our podcast “Absolutely Intercultural”. Today’s topic is all about traffic. I’m Laurent Borgmann, and my wife and I, both in our early sixties, made a significant decision when we hit 40 – we decided to get rid of both our cars. Now, this might come as a surprise, given that we’re from Germany, a country renowned for its love of cars. On top of that, we both have 60-kilometer commutes in different directions. But the transition from private vehicles to public transport turned out to be remarkably smooth for us. For the last twenty years we have happily immersed ourselves in books or worked on our laptops during our daily commutes.

absolutely racing

In our opening story “absolutely racing”, we’ll tune in to Jung from South Korea. As an external observer in Germany, Jung offers us a unique perspective on traffic culture, both, as a pedestrian and as a driver. She observes, that the typically patient and disciplined Germans, who readily give to pedestrians in the city, somehow transform into impatient, speedy daredevils when they hit the Autobahn – Germany’s iconic high-speed highway.

absolutely honking

In our next part “absolutely honking”, we’ll hear from Rindi, originally from Albania, now living in Germany. Rindi says he can spot young Albanian drivers in Germany just by the sounds of their cars on the streets.

absolutely discriminated

In our final story “absolutely discriminated”, we’ll hear from Natalia, originally from Ukraine and now a resident of Germany for the past four years. Natalia opens up about the cultural prejudices she encounters in car-centric Germany as a woman who doesn’t drive.

Now, we´re curious about your experiences with traffic culture. Are you a pedestrian, driver, or passenger? Are you patient or always in a hurry? We´d especially love to hear from those who want to challenge and change the existing traffic culture. Get in touch, feel free to share your unique story with us here on the podcast.

Share your story with us via comment or email, and you might feature in one of our upcoming shows. For more information and previous episodes, visit our website at absolutely-intercultural.com. If you enjoyed the show, please give us a thumbs-up on Facebook.

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes or Apple Podcasts? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment.

Our next show will be coming to you on 1 December from Anne Fox in Denmark

Until then – drive, ride, or walk safely! and

Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Dr. Laurent Borgmann

Chief Editor: Natalia Obikhod

Assistant Editors: Mariam Bilge, Sebastian Berg

Why Denmark? +++ Iceland +++ South Africa +++ Masters +++ PhD +++ Absolutely Intercultural 287 +++

Welcome to Show 287 of Absolutely Intercultural coming to you from Denmark. My name’s Anne Fox and Denmark is where I have lived for almost thirty years. It is a small country of nearly 6 million people which has 8 universities. Compared to Germany’s 380, or the USA’s seemingly too many to count, but let’s settle for over 4000, eight Danish universities seems like a very small pool to choose from. So why would anybody come to Denmark for their university studies? This is what we’re going to find out in this show. We will be talking to Peter from South Africa who has a complex family history that is reflected in the languages spoken at home and Úlfar from Iceland who’s noticed something about Denmark.

absolutely uncertain

In our first segment, “absolutely uncertain”, let’s find out how Peter came to Denmark, to study in Danish, after being brought up in South Africa and having done his schooling in German.

absolutely engineered

In our next segment, “absolutely engineered”, let’s hear from Úlfar, an Icelander who had limited options for his Masters back in Iceland and chose Denmark.

So maybe small is beautiful after all. Family history and colonial ties seem to count greatly in addition to any global ranking that Danish universities may also have. Just for information DTU is number 165 globally or, when we’re talking specifically engineering and technology, 3rd after Stanford and MIT, while Copenhagen is 107 globally. And Iceland has seven universities which is only one less than Denmark, but it’s something to do with size! What about you? Did you ever consider studying in a small country like Denmark? Get in touch, feel free to share your unique story with us here on the podcast.

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes or Apple Podcasts? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment.

Our next show will be coming to you on 3 November from Laurent Borgmann in Germany.

Until then, stay tuned!

The host of this show is: Anne Fox