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Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict
   


Communication Tools for Understanding Cultural Differences


Here are several comments on cross cultural communication. African-American mediator S.Y. Bowland talks about cultural stereotypes and cultural competency, as does white scholar and mediator Kevin Avruch. Both of them relate their comments to U.S. race relations, while Louise Diamond talks about cross cultural communication between Greeks and Turks in Cyprus.


S.Y. Bowland discusses third party cultural competency.

Kevin Avruch talks about ways intervenors can raise their cultural competency.

S.Y. Bowland on cultural stereotypes.

Louise Diamond talks about her work with dialogue groups in Cyprus.

Silke Hansen discusses a situation in which language was a significant hindrance to the mediation process.

Will Reed recounts a cultural misunderstanding that he had with a group of Native American leaders.

Civil rights mediator Efrain Martinez explains how cultural misunderstandings between Vietnamese and local fisherman in Texas caused tensions and eventually a killing (though the killing isn't described here).
This rough transcript provides a text alternative to audio. We apologize for occasional errors and unintelligible sections (which are marked with ???).

 
Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it. -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

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