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Past Meetings - 2009
Topic: Past Meetings
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A record of meetings from 2009
June 2009
The
2008/09 year has been very successful with many stimulating events and
lots of new members who have joined our SIETAR DC community. We have
met some of you and look forward to meeting those of you who have not
yet been able to attend one of our events. As our
final event of the season, we are very pleased to welcome Eric
Weiner who will talk about his best-selling book “The Geography of
Bliss." Eric's talk will be followed by a reception and a chance to network.
May 2009
A panel discussion presented by the Board members of the
Benin Education Fund (BEF). The panel will address topics such as
obstacles and successes related to launching a grass roots NGO,
examples of issues encountered by students (especially girls) in
obtaining an education in developing countries and cultural information
on the country of Benin.
About BEF
Launched in 1998, the Benin Education Fund (www.benineducationfund.org).is a U.S.-based nonprofit that provides scholarships and educational support to students in Benin.
In the past 10 years, over 450 students have been able to stay in school because of BEF’s programs. Only
primary education is free in Benin. The majority of students drop out
in the equivalent of 5th or 6th grade because they are unable to afford
even public high school. The basic costs for fees, uniforms and books
can be $150 or more in a country where the annual average income is
less than $500.
Presenters
Alphonse Kouagou is the founder and inspiration behind the Benin Education Fund.
He was born in
the village of Tampegre in northern Benin. Alphonse has ten brothers
and sisters, none of whom can read or write. His native language is
Ditammari; he also speaks two other African languages, plus French and
English. At the age of six, Alphonse was recruited by the village chief
to attend the new primary school in his village. After primary school,
Alphonse chose to continue his education. With a few francs and a sack
of yams, he walked 20 miles to the city where the high school was
located. Alphonse eventually graduated from high school and college. He
began teaching French and local African languages to Peace Corps
Volunteers, which eventually led him to the U.S. Today, Alphonse has a
B.S., a C.P.A., and an M.B.A., and he works at the International
Finance Corporation in Washington, DC. His dream of helping young
people in Benin was realized when he and his wife, Karen, founded the
Benin Education Fund in 1998.
Jenny Kyne Malseed
is the BEF Board Chair. Jenny served as a Peace Corps volunteer in
Parakou, Benin, from 1998-2000, and is fluent in French. After Peace
Corps she worked with Winrock International where she managed grants
for a scholarship program that supported thousands of female students
in sub-Saharan Africa. Jenny earned her M.B.A. from the Yale School of
Management in 2005 and currently works as a managing consultant with
IBM?s Strategy and Change practice. She joined the BEF board in 2005
and became the Chair in 2008.
Karen Kouagou
co-founded the Benin Education Fund with her husband, Alphonse, in
1998. She has been an active member of the BEF board ever since, with a
focus on administration, special events and fundraising. Karen is
fluent in French and has a broad consulting background in international
education and human resources in both corporate and nonprofit
organizations. She specializes in recruiting, training, and research,
and has a M.A. in International Commerce and Policy.
Karen is a local
member of the Society for Intercultural Education, Training &
Research (SIETAR), and currently works as an executive recruiter for
the World Bank in Washington, DC.
Matt Sokolowski
served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Segbana, Benin, from 1998-2000. He
has worked with several nonprofit organizations designing financial and
operational systems. He is currently a partner at The Owner?s
Representative, LLC, where he acts as a consultant Chief Financial
Officer for multiple nonprofit organizations. Matt has a B.A. in
American Studies from The George Washington University. He joined the
BEF Board in 2008.
Raluca Angelescu
started volunteering with BEF in 2008. She currently serves as VP,
Operations and Development, with Diplomatic Language Services, a
language services government contractor. Prior to joining DLS in 2003,
Raluca worked with the Business and Technology Practice Group of Piper
Rudnick LLP (now DLA Piper), where she primarily focused on business
analysis, strategic planning and investment management. She has an MBA
in Finance from Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of
Maryland and a B.S. in Marketing from the Academy of Economic Sciences
in Bucharest, Romania.
April 2009
The National MultiCultural Institute is currently conducting a
research project to identify how developments in neuroscience impact
diversity and intercultural training and education. Studies on
unconscious association and bias, such as Harvard University's Implicit
Association test, are being used by many practitioners and educators to
help individuals become aware of their own cultural stereotypes and
assumptions. All humans are 'hard wired' to make automatic judgments
based on previous data they receive. Often, individuals are not even
cognizant of the fact that they are making split second decisions about
others, let alone aware of how they react to others because of these
assumptions. This presentation will introduce some of the latest
neuroscience research that has a correlation to intercultural and
diversity competence training, and will present activities to help
facilitators engage individuals in exploring their own conditioning and
automatic assumptions. We encourage everyone who attends the meeting
to visit the Project Implict website and take one of the Implicit
Association Tests (https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/) It is eye opening!
Speakers
Tess Wood is currently
involved in teaching and research in the Hearing and Speech Sciences
Department at the University of Maryland. She has a longstanding
interest in the practical applications of research in cognitive science
to fields such as education and politics, and has done a significant
amount of coursework in psychology, neuroscience and linguistics. Ms.
Wood's current research project with the National MultiCultural
Institute concerns the emerging field of social neuroscience, and the
use of various brain imaging and other techniques to illuminate the
biological basis of processes such as perception, decision-making,
group behavior and prejudice. Her research is being used to inform
diversity and intercultural practitioners on strengthening their
ability to build individuals' awareness of their own implicit biases
and conditioning, and on developing tools to modify these reactions
with the result of increasing cultural competence and understanding.
Ms. Wood has a PhD and MA in Linguistics from UC Berkely, and an MSc in
Cognitive Science and BA in Linguistics and Russian from the University
of Manchester, UK.
Kelly Reid is a
Program Manager with the National MultiCultural Institute, where she
manages client development, collaborates in conference planning and
supports the design and delivery of diversity trainings and
initiatives. Ms. Reid is currently working with Ms. Wood on her
research project to identify means to apply the latest social
neuroscience research with NMCI's core training programs. Ms.
Reid graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.A. in Political
Science and holds a Master’s degree in Gender from the London School of
Economics. She developed a keen awareness and interest in issues
surrounding diversity and multiculturalism through her work in refugee
resettlement and international development.
Maria Morukian is the Executive Director for the
National MultiCultural Institute, where she leads organizational change
initiatives on diversity and cultural competence and identifies cutting
edge issues facing diversity and intercultural work. Ms. Morukian is
an adjunct professor at George Washington University in the School of
International Education, and serves as the Deputy Executive Coordinator
for SIETAR-DC. Ms. Morukian earned her MA in
International Communication from American University, and a dual BA in
Organizational Studies and Spanish from the University of Michigan.
She studied at the Instituto Superior de Relaciones Internactionales
in Havana, Cuba, as well at the University of Saint Louis in Madrid,
Spain. She also earned her TESOL certificate to teach English as a
second language from the Oxford House College in Barcelona, Spain.
March 2009 - Special event
Special event co-sponsored by SIETAR DC, George Washington Center for International Business Education and Research and George Washington School of Business .
Danish author Elisabeth Plum will present her new book "Cultural Intelligence: The Art of Leading Cultural Complexity" followed by a book signing.
Editor's Review of the book
What have international relations, mergers and cross-discipline innovation got in common? They share a dependence on the ability to create mutual understanding between people from different cultural backgrounds. As organisations become more global, and innovative development more urgent, developing the skills to get the best from difference becomes a necessity rather than an option. Cultural Intelligence (CI) is a progressive approach to thinking about culture that aims to provide the reader with a better understanding of what goes on when people with different cultural backgrounds meet, including the emotional drivers and irrational reactions. It introduces a way of thinking about culture as a dynamic and socially constructed phenomenon rather than a fixed set of rules, and suggests ways to benefit from cultural complexity using it as a resource and route to innovation. Cultural Intelligence is for leaders and specialists who have a commitment to bridging and benefiting from differences, and who are looking for alternatives to the traditional cultural concepts. This book gives an introduction to CI and to the dynamic approach to culture. It contains four themed chapters each of which provides an in-depth discussion of one cultural field. Cultural Intelligence contains numerous examples from the authors' teaching, research and consultancy work. It utilises experiences gained from work on the development of international groups from diversity projects, cross-disciplinary project management, mergers and other organisational developments. The book offers many ideas and methods on how to develop the cultural intelligence of an organisation.
About the Author
Elisabeth Plum is an experienced management consultant working internationally with clients from the public and private sector. She is a visiting professor at Middlesex University Business Scholl, London. Since 1986 she has been involved with Human Resource Development and Organisational Development, both as an internal consultant with the Danish Railways and as an independent consultant running her own consultancy, working with a broad range of organisations. She has expertise and experience in a number of areas helping management teams to work more efficiently across cultural borders and personal differences; facilitating processes in companies to deal with the uncertainty of transitions and designing and leading management training programmes.
February Meeting
Cultural Competence in Disaster and Crisis
The presentation addresses the need for culturally informed planning and policy in disaster and crisis. It also addresses the need for culturally competent institutional responses from the faith sector, civic society organizations and government. We will look at the the failure of government and non profit agencies to engage African American clergy as a key resource in responding to urgent needs of people of color in the after math of Katrina and talk about comprehensive approaches to ensure that these institutions which have a long history in the battle for racial and social justice are included in preparedness and disaster planning.
About the speaker:
Dr. Trader-Leigh, president of KTA Global Partners and a senior associate with the National MultiCultural Institute, has over 25 years experience in NGO and public sector organizations. She has held positions as the Director of Human Resources for Network Solutions and served with TRW as Director of Organization Development and Training. She is well familiar with the challenges of doing business in a global environment, has studied at the United Nations, Vienna, Austria and studied and lectured at the University of Tianjin in the Peoples Republic of China, lectured in the Middle East, and consulted and lived in West Africa. She has held positions as the Director of Human Resources for Network Solutions; and served with TRW as Director of Organization Development and Training, Manager of Human Resources and Manager of Employee Relations. Her clients have included IBM, AT&T, NASA, United Nations, U.S. State Department, and the Rockefeller and Knight Foundations. Dr. Trader has a Doctorate in Organization Change (Pepperdine University), Masters in International Transactions (George Mason University) and completed Masters work in Organization Development (Pepperdine), with a dual degree (BA) in Sociology and Urban Studies (Connecticut College).
January Meeting
Dear SIETARians and prospective members,
Happy New Year! We look forward to welcoming our newest members and to continuing to provide you with stimulating topics at our monthly events throughout 2009.
In honor of our newly inaugurated president and the historical impact of the election of our nation's first African-American president, please join us on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 from 6:30-9:00pm for a screening of a fascinating award-winning documentary, Prince Among Slaves, followed by a dialogue with the co-founder and advisor of 20,000 Dialogues (www.20000dialogues.org), a nationwide initiative that uses film to facilitate dialogues about Muslims and Islam, to discuss the socio-cultural and political changes taking place among African-American and other minority cultures in the U.S.
PRINCE AMONG SLAVES is the inspiring true story of an African prince who survived 40 years of enslavement inAmerica before finally regaining his freedom. Winner of the Best Documentary at the 2007 American Black Film Festival, PRINCE AMONG SLAVES tells the compelling story of Abdul Rahman, an African Muslim prince, through feature-film styled re-enactments directed by Andrea Kalin and Emmy-Award-winner Bill Duke; contemporary artworks, archival letters and diaries; and on-camera interviews with distinguished scholars and experts. Narrated by actor and hip-hop artist Mos Def, PRINCE AMONG SLAVES is based on Dr. Terry Alford's biography of the same name.
Abdul Rahman was captured in 1788 and sold into slavery in the American South. He endured the horrific Middle Passage and ended up the "property" of a poor and nearly illiterate planter from Natchez, Mississippi, named Thomas Foster. Rahman remained enslaved for 40 years before finally regaining his freedom under dramatic circumstances, becoming one of the most famous men of his day. He returned to Africa, his royal status acknowledged. PRINCE AMONG SLAVES ends with a family reunion of Rahman's African and American descendents in Natchez, Mississippi.
November 2008
Culture and Development
One of the most challenging aspects of doing international development work is understanding and adapting to the cultural needs of the host country recipients. In many cases, there are unknown cultural considerations that greatly hinder or even sabotage a development project. Please join us for a fascinating discussion with staff from the World Bank on the challenges of undertaking development work. During this session you will also gain insight into the benefits and complexities of working within a multicultural organization as well as practical information for those working or interested in the development field.
Presenters
Iouri Bairatchnyi was born in Kaliningrad, Russia. He earned his PhD in Philology (Germanic Languages and Linguistics) from the Moscow Linguistics University. He taught at several universities before entering the World Bank where he currently works as Program Manager for Language and Culture Training.
Atem S. Ramsundersingh was raised in an Asian (Indian) family in Surinam (South America), educated in a Dutch culture (The Netherlands) and has had the opportunity to practice as an infrastructure planner/strategist and an organizational change and development professional in more than 65 low and middle income countries (Asia, Middle East, Africa, Latin America), countries in transition (Eastern Europe / Central Asia), and the Netherlands. He is currently Acting Program Leader for the World Bank's capacity development arm in water and infrastructure.
Frequently asked to be keynote speaker or facilitator at national and international conferences and seminars on sustainable development, Atem Ramsundersingh is an active member of a global network of water, energy and development professionals, as well as of political and business leaders who work to transform organizations and people into agents of change. Atem Ramsundersingh also contributes to the global dialogue on development through a myriad of nonprofits, including as Chairman of the Foundation China-India–Europe Dialogue and Exchange for Sustainable Development (CIE-DESD, based in The Netherlands), and as Vice President of the Association of Himalayan Yoga Meditation Societies International (AHYMSIN, based in India).
October 2008
The
Use of Film in Cross-Cultural Training - The ways in which we perceive
people and the world are often dominated by images. These images
frequently lead to stereotyping, misunderstanding and conflict. Our
impressions of others are often created through the media via channels
such as television, video and film, and photography. It is crucial for
intercultural professionals to address how these images may be viewed
and often misconstrued and to examine them critically to determine both
how people are being represented and what subtle messages are being
conveyed.
Please join us for this interactive meeting during
which you will have the opportunity to view film clips to analyze
cultural values and behavioral patterns as well as to examine how
stereotypes may be perpetuated by the media. We hope you can join us
for this thought-provoking event that promises to provide insight into
how you may incorporate this type of tool into training programs.
September 2008
Please
join us for an exciting and fun meeting on Intercultural Icebreaker
activities. Icebreakers are critical for training to build rapport
among participants, create a sense of fun and energy, and to begin to
prepare participants for the new learning they will experience in the
training. Please feel free to bring 1-2 icebreakers that you have used
and found effective, and share these with the group. We will run
through as many icebreakers as time allows!
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