2022 Culture Café - A CUYLM Initiative
“Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are more essential than ever in a world where people are becoming more and more closely connected.”
The world today is a global village. CUYLM is proud to foster a multicultural environment, evident by the diverse composition of our group. As young leaders, we hold the potential to change the way we see things, the way we respond, the way we innovate, and thus, change the world we live in. In a step toward harnessing this power of diversity, CUYLM organized its first Culture Café.
Culture defines who we are as individuals, be it history, geography, food, arts, family, customs, or traditions. One of the best ways of learning about an individual is by understanding their culture. Having a one-on-one interaction is a perfect opportunity to hear peoples' stories, share yours and ask questions! Through Culture Café, we aimed to promote sharing of cultural information in a safe space and respectful manner that encouraged curiosity and knowledge acquisition.
As part of this activity, three CUYLM Executive Committee members, Connor Gosen, Kawsar Jubair, and Yomi Oduwobi, shared their experiences and knowledge of their respective cultures from the United States of America, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. Archana Krishnan facilitated and provided insights into her culture from India.
Topics included common misconceptions, what is considered respectful and disrespectful, sports, arts, education and gender roles, as well as how we could use this knowledge to build trusting relationships with our team and community members. During this discussion, we discovered that despite the differences in cultural backgrounds, factors such as movies, food, and sports bind people together universally.
This activity helped our team bond with one another, understand our peers better, acknowledge the importance of diversity and inclusion, and the vast potential that cross-cultural awareness holds for creativity, collaboration and success.
If you are inspired by this activity and decide to incorporate it within your organization, please share your experiences with us at cuylm@cucm.org and tag us on your social media posts!
Don’t forget to check out our welcome kit for an overview of what CUYLM offers!
2022 CUYLM Executive Committee
To learn more about our Executive Committee, please visit this link.