Greetings and Happy Midweek!
And it’s just after mid-month, so it’s time for our first RAP (Review and Process, deeper and wider) session of 2022. In our Global SKILLs training, we emphasize how ‘Review and Process’ are key components of strategic planning and implementation. Each of these mid-month RAP sessions revisits a cross-cultural theme or topic from a previous Connect, going more deeply into what we’ve begun to explore. Using the 3rd, HARBOR, dimension of our Global SKILLs 3D Dynamics model, today we’ll revisit the topic of activism which we introduced in late 2020.
As the global pandemic continues and new response initiatives trend almost weekly, we find daily examples in the media and around us in our lives of another global trend which is partially fueled by the socio-economic challenges covid has presented.
People groups everywhere are joining up and confronting basic human rights issues, across cultural and geo-political and socio-economic boundaries. Activism is alive and well - from my friend who recently helped orchestrate a nationwide transporters strike in Senegal to farmers in India who persevered over a year to achieve their goals for more just laws to students worldwide who are protesting global climate change status quos…to each of our own involvement - with whatever issues we choose to engage.
Admittedly, these issues include long-standing culturally imbedded roadblocks to fundamentals like social equity and democratic principles (please note that’s with a small ‘d’ - I stand with the disclaimer that “this is not a partisan matter, it’s a people matter”). But I believe and suggest for your further reflection that these roadblocks should not stop me, and you, and us all together from standing up (or sitting down, if that’s more culturally effective!) and BEing actively involved toward a better now - and a better future, for us all.
How about you ~ what is one type of cultural activism you would like to engage in?
Share about that with a friend or note it here.
And check out the Global SKILLs LINKs below for just one example of an activist’s life choices…
Thanks for being part of this Connect community.
Until next week,
Betsy
* Revisit the 10/28/20 Connect here by just scrolling down to that date.
And contact me for more information on this model and how you might use it in your current programming
Global SKILLs 3 Dimensional Dynamics Model: 1st dimension = HOME ; 2nd dimension = HOST ); 3rd dimension = HARBOR (which we looked at today) where people come and work together toward agreed upon goals which are mutually beneficial for everyone involved
Global SKILLs LINKs
I include just this duet of LINKs today - because they present such a compelling witness to the difference one cross-cultural activist made
from my Alma Mater Middlebury College in Vermont, this clip (part of a 1976 promotional video - the student featured and I were juniors that year) briefly but powerfully introduces one activist who initially crossed from his own urban culture into rural Vermont and an exclusive liberal arts college culture, where his early roots in activism were informed and strengthened. https://www.instagram.com/p/CK6lzGspOcB/#connections0218n;
Mario Cooper went on to become a nationally prominent advocate for Black communities and those affected by AIDS. This eulogy about Mario’s life was written in 2015 https://aids.harvard.edu/mario-cooper/
2022 ~ Celebrating 40+ years of working in
intercultural communications and global community building
“It takes a community to build a community”
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Please do not reproduce or share without my permission (betsy.barbour@gmail.com)