We’re so excited about what 2025 is going to bring for Intercultural Understanding however it’s also a great moment to take a minute to look back over the previous 12 months.
2024 was a wonderful year for both collaborations and learning. And we’d like to give thanks to all our partners who worked with us on various types of intercultural trainings and programs:
We conducted IDI guided developmental intercultural coaching for Georgetown University in Madrid and Salamanca. We facilitated workshops during orientation weeks to increase intercultural understanding and belonging at Marist College, the University of California Education Aboard Programs in Madrid and Barcelona and also in Valladolid with EVE Abroad.
Facilitating intercultural workshops with Deepika Bhoolabhai in Barcelona
It was especially fun to meet up with the latter's students again at the end of the program in Ronda, Spain. It's a beautiful and historic town made famous by Ernest Hemingway in his For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940).
Taking in Ronda with EVE Abroad
We were delighted to work with Accent too, setting up a trainings for different faculty led programs in Madrid. Meanwhile we were invited once again to Switzerland to keep working with the Graduate Institute of Geneva. This time we facilitated a two day Intercultural Understand workshop called "Moving from Reacting to Deciding: Gaining Intercultural Understanding." The workshop's participants included students from the Masters in International and Development Studies. It was a fascinating couple of days for all involved and we're so happy to have been invited to deliver it again in 2025!
Meanwhile we had a new experience at the US Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo. There we facilitated an Embassy-wide IDI-based project with the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Council. We conducted trainings on intercultural and DEIA competence while picking up new insights on the Kosovo culture and traditions. It was very impactful to be in a place that suffered so recently from war and learn firsthand about resilience, reconciliation and growth.
Picking up insights into Kosovo culture in Pristina
And 2024 was the first year of attending a SIETAR Europa congress. Almendra worked closely in getting the Lille Congress off the ground chairing the Sponsorship Committee. It was an amazing experience to work collaboratively with people and institutions from very diverse locations and backgrounds and it was so rewarding to meet intercultural and DEI champions in person!
Helping to organize - and excited to take part in - SIETAR Europa's congress in Lille, France
Plus it was another year of working with SIETAR Spain, Hexagon Balance and SOAR. Intercultural Understanding participated in various collaborations with these organizations that were related to intercultural matters and team-building. It always brings us great joy to work with similar organizations who, like Intercultural Understanding, are aiming to foster more of a sense of inclusion in the workplace, in education, migration, as well as many other sectors.
Intercultural Understanding has been a sponsor of APUNE (the Association of American Programs in Spain) since 2022 and we are proud to continue that partnership. APUNE helps US university programs by providing support for staff, professors and students with all aspects of study abroad. Over the years we have offered a series of different activities related to intercultural competency and well-being while continuing our role as a sponsor and supporter of the organization.
Proud to continue our sponsorship of APUNE and take part in their events
And also thank you to all to the people who participated in different coaching processes as well as Cutting the Ties that Bind sessions!
2025 is starting out with new partnerships for intercultural trainings. We’re looking forward to working with The Washington University in Madrid, Schiller International University, as well as SIX Indices. We’re also excited about the new Cutting the Ties that Bind courses that begin on January 24th and to bring forth a First Peace Circle. And of course we’re thrilled to continue working with our steady partners and making new connections throughout the year!
