Greetings and Happy Midweek!
And since today is a bit past mid-month, it’s time for another of our RAP sessions (Review And Process, deeper and wider). Each RAP revisits a cross-cultural theme or topic from a previous Connect. This month we are going to revisit the friendship theme (*), focusing on two key components of the HARBOR dimension (Global SKILLs 3D Dynamics).**
In the HARBOR, we find space to live and work together with others from different cultures… An awesome friendship HARBOR experience of mine started 50 years ago. I spent 9 months traveling and studying in Europe with 9 other American girls. Some of us (myself included) were in our last year of high school and some were taking a gap year before college. We were from all over the US, from different backgrounds and American subcultures. Our program was called “Comparative Cultures' ', and while becoming fast friends, we basically “grew up together” as Americans in Europe. We spent 3 months each in France, England and Austria learning about the art, languages, literature and history of each region.
In the HARBOR, deeply rooted community bonds are formed with mutually beneficial results. Over the last 5 decades, we CC Girls have all kept in touch and continued to ‘grow together’ as we raised families, pursued passions, and explored many new cultural horizons.
This past weekend, all 10 of us gathered in California for our 50th Reunion! Amidst non-stop sharing of memories, updates and dreams for the future, it was a 5 day friendship celebration of who we have been, who we are and who we hope to become…in the HARBOR for each of our lives and for our joint Comparative Cultures community!
How about you ~ what is one long-term HARBOR Community you are a part of?
Share about that with a friend or note it here.
And check out the Global SKILLs LINKs below for more friendship resources.
Thanks for being part of this Connect community.
Until next week,
Betsy
Global SKILLs LINKs
~ put this in your own chosen cross-cultural context: https://www.wondermind.com/article/how-to-make-friends-as-an-adult
~ an interesting perspective on contemporary friendships: https://www.meetup.com/blog/episode-22-the-global-friendship-movement-2/
~ some classic friendships from India: https://top10sonly.com/top-10-inspirations/top-10-popular-friendships-that-defied-boundaries-in-india/
Notes:
* check out my previous Connect on cross-cultural friendship, posted 8/26/20 ( https://www.globalskillspartners.com/blog-1 )
** Through my business Global SKILLs and several partner subsidiaries I offer unique cross-cultural consulting and training including:
3 Dimensional Dynamics Model:
1st dimension = HOME ; 2nd dimension = HOST ; 3rd dimension = HARBOR (which we explored this week)
PROACTive Learning Strategies: (which we explored this week) PRO = PROfile, PROcess, PROgram
ACT = Application, Collaboration and Transformation
~ contact me for more information on this model and these strategies and how you might use them in your current programming
Special Thanks to my ‘CC Sisters’ & a Tribute to our 50 years of Friendship!!
2022 ~ Celebrating 40+ years of working in
intercultural communications and global community building
“It takes a community to build a community”
Please Note: this is copyrighted content.
Please do not reproduce or share without my permission (betsy.barbour@gmail.com)