Managing Diversity
Managing diversity between individuals and between categories of individuals has been a major challenge of mankind throughout history. This is the case today more than ever. Mankind will be facing this challenge in some dramatic form personally, and there is no place to hide. Finding working solutions are imperative to the continuance of civilised values. It may even be imperative to the continuance of our species.
The topics in our summer university are controversial and aim to be thought-provoking. We do not seek to provide the ultimate answers to the issues of our time. However, we expect to contribute to a greater awareness of their various aspects and of the underlying, fundamental principles at work.
In addition to a traditional academic approach to raising awareness, we believe personal involvement plays a central role. This is reflected in course content, and we wish to emphasise that participants should expect to take an active role in all parts of this arrangement, including traditionally extra-curricular activities, and even our system of accommodation. Course participants will represent several cultures and countries, so diversity will not just be an academic topic safely located at arm’s length. We may have to deal with practical challenges of diversity that each of us will have to find a solution to.
We kindly ask you to meet this total experience with an open mind and an open ear, and with a will to understand and to contribute. Expect to make contact with representatives of other cultures, to the mutual benefit of both of you as individuals and your cultures.
Do not let it surprise you to find that a stranger is just a friend you never knew.
Cultural Identity
All participants will be called upon to present their own cultures. This will be a group task, and the individual members of a group will decide on the content and form of their presentation after having discussed the following question: “What do we consider important that other people know about us?” Kindly note that this does not imply lectures on the history, geography, or current political situation in your homeland.
This is a practical component in the process of enhancing our awareness of our own cultural identity, those of other groups, and the phenomenon of cultural identity and belonging as such. Participants should prepare themselves prior to the summer university course by studying the manifestations of their own culture, in customs, practices, art, and history. You should try to bring pictures, artifacts and music. We would especially welcome activities specific to a culture, such as dances and songs.
The programme will have the following components:
Week 1: Arctic Escape
Stein Rodahl, and Arne Martin Jacobsen, Bodø University College, Norway.
Escape into the arctic: climb mountains, and explore artic wildlife and scenery, and maybe most importantly, the summer arctic night. Includes an introduction to Norwegian culture.
Week 2: Cross-Cultural Communication
Conrad Ozog, Ministry of Higher Education, Sultanate of Oman.
Communication across languages, media and conflict, internationalisation, globalisation, tribalism, national policies on minorities, and peace-keeping and peace-building military operations.
Week 3: Peacebuilding, Conflict management and Reconciliation.
Erik Cleven, Nansen Dialogue Network, Lillehammer, Norway.
This week will focus on dealing with diversity and conflict from the international to the interpersonal level. We will look at how identity and culture relate to conflict, how we can make conflict more positive and how to deal with the effects of negative conflict, as well as how different post conflict societies have dealt with the effects of violence and war. The classroom sessions will combine lectures, group discussions, role plays and simulations and films. Through these activities you will learn practical approaches to dealing constructively with conflict.
Week 4: Reporting on Diversity
Frode Soelberg, Bodø University College, Norway.
Writing up (Putting finishing touches on the report) and presentations.