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Working Papers

Measuring Capacity Building for Aboriginal Economic Development

Measuring Capacity Building for Aboriginal Economic Development

Marie Gervais, PhD., Director, Global Leadership Associates

Significant funds have been allocated to Aboriginal economic development over the past decade. There is certainly need for more allocation of funds to enable Aboriginal organizations and communities to reach a point of sustainable competition and healthy development. Just as importantly, to ensure its healthy growth, use of funds has to be measured for effectiveness from the double lens of economic viability and Aboriginal community development. This short article looks at the literature on Aboriginal economic development and capacity building in First Nations communities, examining first what is meant by capacity building, considering what capacity building looks like in Aboriginal contexts and then proposing guidelines for measuring organizational and business effectiveness. Although the articles used for this review were focused mainly on communities outside of urban areas, many of the principles of sound economic development can be applied to urban Aboriginal organizations as well. Continue reading “Measuring Capacity Building for Aboriginal Economic Development” »

Women, influence and the global economy

Great women

Women, influence and the global economy

Marie Gervais, PhD

Keynote address to the Spirit Sisters International Women’s Day Charity Conference in Sylvan Lake, Alberta

Distinguished guests, mayors and participants in the Sylvan Lake Baha’i Centre’s first “Spirit Sisters International Women’s Day Charity Conference”;

I am honored and humbled, to have been asked to provide the keynote address for this historic event. The importance of celebrating the accomplishments of women at this point in our history cannot be underestimated. Throughout time and across cultures, women have had a lot to overcome and we continue to struggle with inequality, violence and lack of access to education and jobs. My talk today generally is about the importance of women as influencers. It is an interesting coincidence that even as I speak to you now, my own mother-in-law is being honored as a women of vision and influence at an International Women’s Day celebration in St. Albert! Although influence is the general theme, specifically, the topic I have chosen to focus on is “Women’s contributions to the global economy” and so you can see how influence fits into that. I chose this topic for many reasons, but I’ll start with the personal ones. Continue reading “Women, influence and the global economy” »

Food, hospitality, religion and intercultural relations

“Eat ye, O people”: The role of food, religion and hospitality

in intercultural relations

Marie Gervais, PhD

Introduction

Multiculturalism has been criticized for what has commonly been called the 3D trivializations of diet, dance, and dress, considered to externalize culture to the “other” while upholding the dominant culture’s perception of reality (Gabriel, 2005; Bissoondath, 1994). It is important not to gloss over the obvious problems of trivializing culture through superficial and dismissive methods. At the same time, from my own complex experiences with accepting, offering, eating and cooking food in different cultural contexts, I contend that we have simply not explored the potential of food and hospitality in intercultural relationships. Food, eating, food behaviors, food social norms, and the act of hospitality, inherent in the offering and accepting of food are intimately connected to cultural identity and deeper cultural concepts (Scholliers, 2001; Lentz, 1999; Kanafani-Zahar, 1997; Fischler, 1988). Understanding the multiple roles of food and hospitality from both cultural and religious perspectives (Fieldhouse, 2005; Walbridge, 1996) can provide inroads into building shared cultural experience. Continue reading “Food, hospitality, religion and intercultural relations” »

Working Paper – Interculturally responsive teaching: The role of visible minority teachers in helping students overcome inequity

Visible minority teacher practice varies from mainstream teacher practice in that it is influenced by personal minority experience with one or several combinations of: race, ethnicity, language, culture, religion, immigration, poverty, gendered minority experience, positive and negative stereotyping from peers and colleagues, changes in social status and marginalizing schooling and/or employment histories. The negative impact of many of these factors to minority populations has been studied in crictical race theory (Tator and Henry, 2000; Li, 2003; Fleras and Elliott, 1996;), cultural studies (Gilroy, 2005; Isajiw, 1999; Sidanius and Pratto, 1999) and in educational research (Ghosh & Abdi, 2004; Marx, 2004; Carr & Klassen, 1997; Delpit, 1988). What is beginning to emerge from an educational research perspective at this time, are considerations of both resiliency in minority populations and new perspectives from researchers of color who, in the process of shedding vestiges of inferiority from colonialism, have observed affirming and positive minority community structures, culture-based learning behaviors and professional cultural practice (Codjoe, 2007, McMahon, 2007, Kelly, 2006).

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Working Paper – “Eat ye, O people”: The role of food and hospitality in Baha’i intercultural relations

John Walbridge (1996) states that Islamic societies place great emphasis on hospitality, and ‘Abdu’l-Baha emphasized hospitality as a means to reduce the distrust between nations. Internationally, Baha’i food and hospitality stand out as exemplary in the minds of many who encounter it for the first time. This paper explores how intercultural bonds are initiated, sustained and deepened through the intertwined roles of food preparation, food offering, food sharing and hospitality in the context of religion. It also examines academic literature on fear of new food, tensions between cultures, dominant and minority relationships, and hospitality as a consumer expectation. Finally it considers the sociocultural context of the Baha’i Faith and how Baha’is are responding to injunctions of the Baha’i Writings to reframe patterns of intercultural relationships- to the point of offering sincere, loving hospitality in unexpected and difficult circumstances. Baha’i Writings, current research surrounding the role of food in intercultural relations, and the author’s own experience with food and relationship building in various cultures, are combined to demonstrate the significance of that most social of human events: eating together.

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How Do We Understand Cultural Competency?

What is the difference between cultural and intercultural competency?

Cultural competency means you know your own group and you are a good connector within your own group. You can know lots about your own culture and be very good with interpersonal skills in your cultural setting and still not be inter-culturally competent. You are culturally competent when you are aware of and know how to use the cultural information about your own group that others may not be aware of. Culturally competent people are good bonders.

Inter-cultural competency means you can stand on the edge between your own group and someone else’s group and become a bridge to connect between the groups. To develop intercultural competence you need to practice understanding and working with people who are culturally different from you. Interculturally competent people are good bridgers.

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