Week of Dialogue

Bridging Cultures:
Co-Creating Networks of Cooperation

February 28th- March 4th, 2011

Submission Deadline: December 15, 2010

Purpose: This document has been designed to create a shared understanding of (1) how to participate in
the Week of Dialogue Bridging Cultures: Co-Creating Networks of Cooperation and (2) how to organize
the Week of Dialogue event.

Although the title states “Week” of Dialogue, it should be noted that a partnering institution or group is
only responsible for organizing a one day/ half day event. We hope that multiple organizations/
universities will participate, thus creating a Week of Dialogue that builds bridges among various initiatives.

Communication is multifaceted, and in many cases involves gestures, acts and communication that go
beyond talking. Therefore, we define “dialogue” as a way of communicating with one another in various
ways. This also includes proactive and respectful action through which we learn about our different and
similar perspectives and ways of living.

This document will be distributed to all who are interested in holding a full day/half day event at their
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institution within the designated week of February 28 - March 4 , 2011.

The objective of the Week of Dialogue event is to increase mutual understanding and cooperation among
diverse communities. Communities can be thought of in terms of culture, religion, faith, race, gender,
nationality, physical geography, etc.

Mission: The Week of Dialogue is designed to create a safe environment for interested parties (e.g.
undergraduate and graduate students, fellows, faculty and community members) to engage, identify,
plan, act, and reflect on issues related to health, peace, culture, religion, and community. These activities
will be interconnected on local, national and international levels.

Objective: To establish a shared understanding of concepts related to health, peace and culture.

Health encompasses broad themes such as spirituality, social determinants of health, and physical and
mental well-being. The meaning of health, peace and culture is broadly defined to discuss:

● What does health/peace/culture mean to an individual?

● What does health/peace/culture mean to a community?
● What is the interplay between health, peace and culture?

Goals: The aim of this initiative is to:

● Encourage respectful dialogue

● Use the medium of technology to educate and share information locally, nationally and
internationally
● Capture the diversity of experiences, cognitions and emotions

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 ● Showcase the power of cooperation in the context of health by bridging diverse groups of
individuals and their communities
● Develop problem solving, conflict resolution, team work and leadership skills

How will the goals be achieved?

Each participating organization will plan a Day of Dialogue locally. Each location has its own
characteristics, needs and timeline; you may find that your specific circumstances require adjustments.
Below are suggested guidelines to facilitate a successful event:

1. Panel Speakers followed by a workshop

Contact and secure 2 or 3 speakers of different backgrounds i.e. gender, race, culture, religion,
nationality, disciplines etc. Allocate 20 minutes for each panel member to discuss topics related to
health, culture, identity, peace, community, and resiliency. Guiding questions should be given to
the speaker in advance.

The workshop should be designed to use the topic of the dialogue and the different perspectives
as the starting point. In other words, if the dialogue was about mental illness, the workshop could
discuss issues surrounding stigmatization, differentiating perceptions, social/moral responsibility
etc.

During the workshop, participants should have the opportunity to actively engage in dialogue and
share experiences. This will foster articulation and listening skills. Additionally, participants will
learn and share ways of how to communicate in a respectful manner and honour differing
perspectives/experiences.

Proposed Outline
5:00pm Opening remarks
5:15pm Ice-breaker activity
5:45pm Panel Discussion (20 minutes per panelist)
6:30pm Break & Refreshments
6:45pm Workshop (speakers should be encouraged to stay)
This activity will allow attendees to further engage with the material discussed by
panelists and build communication skills.
7:30pm Closing remarks

2. Pay it Forward- Engage through Hands-on Volunteering

A group of volunteers from different backgrounds come together to work towards a common goal.
This goal could include making sandwiches for a shelter or agency; providing assistance to a
community agency; knitting mittens, etc. It is advisable to connect with the agency to address its
needs. For example, in making sandwiches for a shelter consider health and safety policies at
your institution and of the agency as well as dietary restrictions of recipients. The purpose of this
activity is to facilitate “encounter-based” education. Encounter-based education focuses on
building relationships and breaking down stereotypes through intercultural interaction.

Following the activity, there should be a guest speaker. Allocate 20 minutes for each speaker to
discuss topics related to health, culture, identity, peace, community, and resiliency.

Initiatives can include efforts that would address a particular need in a participating community.

Proposed Outline
9:00 am Donated food picked up and taken to campus
10:00 am Facilitators arrive and prepare the area and supplies
11:00 am Participants arrive and make sandwiches
12:00 pm Speaker
1:00 pm Conclusion
5:00 pm Food distributed at Shelter

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 3. You are encouraged to consider various art forms as a way to engage participants.

4. Participating organizations/institutions will responsible for organizing refreshments and

information technology requirements such as laptops, projectors etc.

5. Additional resources can be found: http://www.globalyouthvoices.org/guide1.html

Target Audience
10-100 people: including students, alumni, faculty members, staff and community members. Attendance
is a function of how well the event is promoted.

As stated before, diversity is experienced differently in different locations. This week can be designed to
bring together two or more communities. Communities can be thought of in terms of culture, religion, faith,
gender, nationality, physical geography, etc.

Participating
In order to participate, please submit the application form below to hbpclub@gmail.com

Submission deadline: December 15, 2010

Participating organizations will be required to submit a publishable article about the event at their location.

If possible, record a video of the activities/speaker during the day. The video will be uploaded to the
Week’s website to allow wider access and inspire more people.

Who we are:
We are a group of student clubs across the world who are interested in co-creating bridges and networks
of cooperation.

For additional information, please contact:

Lavina Sadhwani or Inbal Marcovitch

Co-presidents
Health as a Bridge to Peace
York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

Email: hbpclub@gmail.com

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